USA > Kansas > Reno County > History of Reno County, Kansas; its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 37
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James W. Parish was about fourteen years old when he came to Kan- sas with his parents in 1882 and his schooling was completed in the schools of Ft. Scott. He then secured employment on one of the railroads running out of that city and for nine years was engaged as a railroad man. He then came to Reno county and located at Langdon, where he opened a store for the sale of general merchandise and has ever since been very successfully engaged in that business at that place, having built up a fine trade through- out that section of the county. His store is admirably stocked and his busi- ness is conducted along progressive lines.
At Catskill, New Mexico, June 4. 1894. James W. Parish was united in marriage to Junia Ramey, who was born in Cowley county, Kansas, Sep- tember 23, 1877, daughter of William H. and Sarah (Davis) Ramey, the former of whom was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the latter in Springfield, Illinois. William H. Ramey died in Trinidad, Colorado, in October, 1906, and his widow is now living at Ludlow, in that state. They were the parents of seven children, Mrs. Parish's brothers and sisters being as follow: Robert, deceased; Montie, a painter, of Langdon, this county;
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Gertrude, who married William Sherman, a miner, of Ludlow, Colorado; Wismie, who married Alex Lowe, also a Ludlow miner; Elsie, wife of Frank Runyon, another Ludlow miner, and Odessa, wife of Jack Sharp, also a Ludlow miner. To Mr. and Mrs. Parish two children have been born, Bessie, born at Trinidad, Colorado, October 19, 1896, who married R. L. Plush, a farmer, of Langdon township, this county, and Roy, born at Langdon, January 1, 1899. Mr. Parish is a Republican and gives close attention to local political affairs, but has never been an aspirant for political honors, preferring rather to give his undivided attention to his growing business interests.
THOMAS J. RICE.
Thomas J. Rice, proprietor of Rice's popular cafeterias at Hutchinson, this county, is a native of Ohio, having been born in Scioto county, that state, .April II, 1872, son of Charles and Sarah (Kirkpatrick) Rice, both natives of that same state, the latter of whom is still living, making her home with her son, the subject of this sketch, at Hutchinson.
Charles Rice was reared on a farm in Ohio and when the Civil War broke out enlisted in Company G, Ninety-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served three years in the Army of the East, under General Sheridan. He married in Ohio and remained there until 1876, in which year he came West with his family, settling in Holt county, Missouri, where he bought eighty acres of land and farmed for two years, at the end of which time he moved to Atchison county, same state, where he bought eighty acres and remained seven years. He then moved to Pawnee county, Nebraska. where he bought a farm of two hundred and forty acres and remained for ten years, at the end of which time he sold his place to advantage and moved to Prairie county, Arkansas, where he bought four hundred and eighty acres and after seven years residence there moved to the Creek Nation (now Rogers county, Oklahoma), Indian Territory, and had become well estab- lished there when he died, his death occuring in September, 1894, while making a visit to the Chickasaw Nation. He never had a law suit in his life. To Charles Rice and wife four children were born, these besides the subject of this sketch being, John W .. a farmer, of Rogers county, Oklahoma ; Charles J., a farmer, of Pawnee county, Nebraska, and David .A., who died on his farm in Prairie county, Arkansas.
Thomas J. Rice was but four years old when his parents came West
T. J. Rice
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and he grew to manhood on his father's farms in Missouri and Nebraska, finishing his school days in high school in the latter state. He married in the fall of 1894 and continued farming with his father until 1902, in which year he engaged in the general mercantile business in the Indian Territory and was thus engaged for seven years, after which he bought a farm in Nowata county, Oklahoma, where he made his home for three years. He then moved to Ford county, same state, where he remained, farming, until lie moved to Hutchinson, where, on September 12, 1914, he and his wife opened, at 12 Second avenue, east, the first cafeteria established in that city. So successful did this venture prove that on November 9, 1915, Mr. and Mrs. Rice opened cafeteria No. 2, at 21 South Main street and have since been very successfully operating both places. Mr. Rice has taken an active interest in the general welfare of the city since moving to Hutchinson and is a member of the Commercial Club. He is a Republican and takes an earnest interest in local politics, but is not an office-seeker. He is a member of the Hutchinson post of the Sons of Veterans, of the Knights of Pythias and of the Odd Fellows.
It was in the fall of 1894, in Pawnee county, Nebraska, that Thomas J. Rice was united in marriage to Nellie Sovereign, who was born in Caldwell county, Missouri, November 26, 1876, daughter of Abram and Eunice (Tabor) Sovereign, the former a native of Canada and the latter of Indiana. Abram Sovereign was but a boy when his parents emigrated from Canada to Indiana and settled in Porter county, that state, in the neighborhood of Valparaiso, where he grew to manhood and where he married Eunice Tabor. who was born near Valparaiso. In the latter sixties Abram Sovereign came West, settling in Caldwell county, Missouri, where he remained until 1896. in which year he moved to Pawnee County, Nebraska, where he remained nine years, at the end of which time he returned to Missouri and settled in Vernon county, that state, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring in June, 1899. His widow, who still survives, is now making her home in Hutchinson, this county. Seven children were born to AAbram Sovereign and wife, as follow: Chester E., deceased; Schuyler C., of Hutchinson; Grant, who is associated with Mr. Rice in the operation of the Rice cafeterias in Hutchinson ; Nettie, who married William Scott, a farmer. and died in Pawnee county, Nebraska: Leonard, a farmer, of Galesburg, Illinois; Myrtle, who married George W. Hofsess, who is associated with Mr. Rice in the operation of the latter's cafeterias in Hutchinson, and Fred, railway station agent and telegraph operator at Satanta, this state.
To Mr. and Mrs. Rice three children have been born. Alvin, born in
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Prairie county, Arkansas, July 6, 1895; Fay L., born in that same county, May 11, 1897, and Alta Eunice, born in Nowata county, Oklahoma, June 16, 1909, all of whom are a home. The Rice's have a handsome home at 19 sixteenth avenue, east, built in 1915, and are very pleasantly situated.
JOHN WILLARD CAMPBELL.
John Willard Campbell, former trustee of Plevna township, this county, one of the very earliest settlers of this township, a well-known and prosper- ous pioneer farmer of Reno county and a director and vice-president of the Farmers Elevator Company of Plevna, is a native of Michigan, but has been a resident of Reno county since 1873 and has thus been a witness to and an active promoter of the development of this section of the state since pioneer days. He was born at Bay City, Michigan, May 4, 1852, son of Noah R. and Elmira (Dixon) Campbell. both natives of the state of New York, who later became pioneers of Reno county and spent their last days here.
Noah R. Campbell was born at Brant, near the city of Buffalo, New York, January 25, 1820, and grew up and was married in Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in farming until 1851, in which year, shortly after his marriage, he moved to Michigan and settled in Bay City, where he engaged in teaming and was thus engaged until 1871, when he moved to Royal Oak, in the same state, where he lived until he came with his family to Kansas, entering a quarter of a section of land in Plevna township, this county, on October 6, 1873, and entered a quarter section in February, 1874, as a timber claim: his eldest son, the subject of this sketch entering an adjoining quarter section at the same time, these being the first homesteads entered in that township. There Noah R. Campbell threw up a sod shanty with a roof of hay and in that humble abode he and his family spent the winter: in the following spring erecting a small frame house, which later, from time to time, received additions, and this second house served as a home until it finally was destroyed by fire on July 2, 1897, after which a better and more commodious home was erected. In the spring of 1874 Noah R. Campbell and his sons broke forty acres of land and planted the same to corn, but the grasshopper plague of that year rendered futile their first season's efforts. The next year a small crop was raised and after awhile the Campbells began to prosper and early became recognized as lead-
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ers in the pioneer life of that vicinity. Noah R. Campbell spent the rest of his life on that pioneer farm, but lived retired in his later years, and was almost wholly paralyzed for about two and one-half years before his death on January 27, 1892. His widow survived him for more than twenty years, her death occurring in Montana on July 27, 1915. They were the parents of six children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the eldest, the others being as follow : Ida, who married H. A. Abbott and is now living on a farm in Montana; J. J., a retired farmer, most of whose time is spent in Denver, Colorado, and who has four children, N. Alonzo, Mrs. Nellie Smith, J. T. and Mrs. Cora Cox; Dean, who married John W. Hanan, a farmer of Plevna township, this county; Mrs. Julia A. Dunham, deceased, and Mrs. L. G. Mitchell, of Plevna, this county.
John W. Campbell was reared in his native town, Bay City, Michigan, where he obtained his schooling and where for some time he was engaged as a clerk in a store. He was twenty-one years old when he came with his parents to Reno county in the fall of 1873 and he homesteaded a quarter of a section lying alongside his father's homestead in Plevna township, which he proceeded to develop, at the same time assisting his father in the develop- ment of his place and after the death of his father acquired the latter's home- stead farm, being now the owner of the full half section of land, a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, well improved and profitably cultivated. In recent years he has erected a fine residence on his place and his modern barn and other farm buildings are in keeping with the same, Mr. Campbell conducting his farming operations along the latest and best-approved lines. He has for years taken an active part in civic affairs in that part of the county and for some time served as clerk of the township, later serving for several years as township trustee .. He also has been active in the affairs of the Farmers Elevator Company at Plevna and is the vice-president and one of the directors of that enterprising and progressive concern. Mr. Campbell is an active and earnest member of the Kansas State Historical Society and has been able to contribute much valuable information regard- ing pioneer days in this county to the reports of that body. The first post- office in the Plevna section of Reno county was established in the old Camp- bell home and was given the name of "Dean." serving the people of that neighborhood until the office was moved to Plevna, upon the establishment of that village.
On June 2, 1888, John W. Campbell was united in marriage to Julia M. Dennis and to this union two sons have been born, Jason Edward and
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Jesse Roberts, the latter of whom married Mary K. Nusser and continues to make his home on the old homestead place. Both sons are active and valuable aids to their father in the operation of the farm and are recognized in their neighborhood as energetic and up-to-date young agriculturists. Mr. Campbell is a member of the Modern Woodmen and of the Royal Neigh- hors and takes a warm interest in the affairs of these two organizations.
WILLIAM L. HUDSON.
William L. Hudson, a well-known and successful farmer and horse dealer, of Sylvia township, this county, is a native of Maryland, having been born on a farm in the neighborhood of the town of Berlin, in that state. on October 5, 1861, son of William S. and Julia A. (Powell) Hud- s.n. both natives of that same state, who were reared and married there and who made their home there until 1866, in which year, following the readjustments being made thereabout as a consequence of the changed con- ditions incident to the conclusion of the Civil War period, they moved West with their family and settled in Pike county, Illinois, where they lived on a rented farm until 1882, in which year they moved to Shelby county, same state, where William S. Hudson and his wife spent their last days, the former dying at the age of seventy-eight and the latter at the age of ninety- two. William S. Hudson and wife were the parents of seven children, two sons and five daughters, of whom the subject of this biographical sketch was the youngest and the only one to come to Kansas.
William 1 .. Hudson was five years old when his parents moved to Illi- nois and he received his education in the district school in the neighborhood of his carly home in Pike county, meantime helping his father in the labors of the farm, and was twenty-one years old when the family moved to Shelby county in 1882. There Mr. Hudson met his future wife and in 1884 was married, after which he began farming on his own account, renting a farm in Effingham county, Illinois, where he made his home for four years, at the end of which time he returned to Shelby county and there made his home until 1892. the year of his removal to this state. It was early in the spring of 1892 that Mr. Hudson and his family came to Reno county, arriving here in March of that year, and a few months later he bought a quarter of a sec- tion of unimproved land in Sylvia township, just one-half mile north of the town of Sylvia. Later he added to this tract by the purchase of a quarter
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of a section adjoining and now has a well-kept and highly improved place of three hundred and twenty acres, on which he still makes his home and where he and his family are very comfortably situated.
When Mr. Hudson settled on his Sylvia township place there was not even a fence-post on the place in the way of improvement, the whole a sandy plain without a tree or a building. of any sort. In 1893 he built a small house, but later rebuilt and enlarged the house, remodeling the same into his present pretty dwelling, which, with the large and modern barn and ample orchard adjoining, situated on a gentle knoll, presents a very pleasing and attractive appearance to the eye of the traveler passing that way. In the fall of 1915 Mr. Hudson built a new house a few rods west of the farm dwelling, for the occupancy of his son, Carl H. and wife, the former of whom is now relieving his father of the greater part of the details of management of the home place. For some time after locating in this county, Mr. Hudson confined his operations to grain farming, but later went into the business of breeding full-blood Percheron horse stock and in that line has been very successful, there being a large and constant demand for the horses raised on the Hudson farm. Mr. Hudson has three full- blood Percheron sires and a number of full-blood mares of the same breed and his colts are eagerly sought by those who are desirous of improving the strain of their horse stock. Mr. Hudson is not only a good farmer and horse breeder, but is recognized as an excellent business inan and is widely known throughout the county. He is a Democrat and a member of the lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Sylvia, in the affairs of which order he takes a warm interest.
On July 27, 1884, in Illinois, William L. Hudson was united in mar- riage to Josephine A. Brown, who was born in Macon country, that state, daughter of John W. W. and Mary C. Brown, the former of whom is now deceased, but the latter of whom is still living, making her home at Sylvia. this county, to which place she and her husband had moved when well past middle age. To William L. and Josephine A. (Brown) Hudson, four chil- dren have been born, as follow: Harry L., who died when eighteen years of age; George W., who is married and lives on a farm in Sylvia town- ship, this county; Carl H., also married, who lives in a house neighboring that of the parental home, and who is now relieving his father of much of the detail work of managing the farm, and Lura A., who is at home with her parents. The Hudsons are well known throughout the Sylvia neighbor- hood and the family is held in high regard thereabout.
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ELBERT O. ALLMON.
Elbert O. Allmon, former mayor and a well-known and enterprising merchant of Turon, this county, who is associated in business in that flourish- ing little city with his father-in-law, E. O. Barker, is a native son of the Sunflower state. having been born in Barber county, Kansas, October 16, 1878, son of the Hon. Samuel J. and Zelmar ( Sandifer ) Allmon, both natives of Bollinger county, Missouri, who became residents of Kansas in 1877.
Samuel J. Allmon was born on October 20, 1850, and was reared on a farm in Bollinger county, Missouri. There he married Zelmar Sandifer, a neighbor girl, who was born in 1853, and they made their home on a farm in that county until the spring of 1877, at which time they came to Kansas and settled near Elm Mills, in Barber county, where they remained about a year. at the end of which time they moved to Pratt county, where Mr. All- mon homesteaded a quarter of a section of land near Preston, which he afterward sold and bought another quarter section three and one-half miles west of Preston and a quarter section eight miles southeast of Pratt, both tracts in Pratt county, which he still owns, though he has made his home in Preston for years. Mr. Allman has given earnest attention to civil affairs in his home county and at the last election was elected as representa- tive from his district to the lower house of the Kansas state Legislature. For nearly twenty years he has been a member of his local school board and most of that time has also served as treasurer and clerk of the board. For eight years he served the people of Pratt county in the capacity of county clerk and has also served several terms as township trustee and as justice of the peace. His wife died at Preston in 1881. They were the parents of three children, the subject of this sketch having two sisters, May, who married J. C. Sillin, a miller, of Hudson, this state, and Belle, who is at home with her father.
Elbert O. Allmon received his education in the district schools of Pratt county and the grade schools of Preston and early entered upon his suc- cessful mercantile career. His first venture as a proprietor was in associa- tion with E. M. Rowell, in the general merchandise business at Turon, this county, which partnership was maintained for two years. at the end of which time Mr. Allmon became connected with his father-in-law. E. O. Barker, in business in the same thriving little city and has ever since been thus engaged, the firm having a fine store on Burns street, the chief street of the city.
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Ever since locating at Turon Mr. Allmon has taken an active part in public affairs and was elected a member of the first council after the incorporation of the city. So acceptable was his service in that connection that he was elected second mayor of the city and made an excellent record in that important executive capacity. Hle is a prominent member of the Turon Boosters Club and neglects no opportunity to "boost" his home town in all proper ways. He is a Democrat and is well known in the councils of that party in Reno county.
At Preston, Kansas, October 3, 1900, Elbert O. Allmon was united in marriage to Ila E. Barker, who was born in Emporia, this state. daughter of E. O. and Caroline (Shull) Barker, both of whom were born in Dekalb county, Indiana, not far from the city of Ft. Wayne, and who came to Kansas years ago. To this union four children have been born, as follow : Ralph, born on July 16, 1903; Merle, July 2, 1905; Olive, May 15, 1907. and Vada Joy, April 6, 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Allmon are earnest members of the Methodist church and take an active part in the various social and cultural activities of their home town. Mr. Allmon is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Modern Woodmen of America and takes a warm interest in the affairs of those organizations.
BUCKNER W. DUNSWORTH.
Buckner W. Dunsworth, one of the successful and progressive farmers of Reno county, was born at McComb, Illinois, June 22, 1850, and was the son of Nathaniel and Mildred ( Waymac) Dunsworth, the later of whom was the daughter of Buckner Waymac. Mr. Waymac was a native of Tennessee, who in early life settled in Indiana and later at McComb, Illi- nois, where he engaged in farming until his death. The grandfather, Thomas Dunsworth, was a native of Ireland and later made his home in Illinois, where he died.
Nathaniel and Mildred Dunsworth were the parents of the following children: A. J .; Thomas; Tillman and Buckner W. The parents were active and influential members of the Baptist church and took much interest in all church work.
Buckner W. Dunsworth was educated in the common schools of Illi- nois and later engaged in farming. He has been married four times. He was first married to Sarah J. Jackson, to whom the following children were
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born: William H., James E. and Ira. After the death of his wife he was married to Caroline Fowler to whom six children were born: Alice, Frank, Carrie, Ellen, Lewis and Abbie. Mr. Dunsworth later married Carrie Davis to whom one child. Grace, was born. Later in life he mar- ried Alice Spiva.
Mr. Dunsworth came to his present farm of two hundred and forty acres in 1887 and here he has made a success of general farming and stock raising. He has devoted much of his time to the raising of Percheron and French draft horses and has taken many prizes at the fairs.
Mr. Dunsworth is a member of the Baptist church and takes much interest in church work. He is a member of the Masonic order, having attained the Scottish rite degree at Wichita and the York rite at Hutchin- son. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He has sixteen grandchildren.
JOHN W. COMES.
John W. Comes, one of the most energetic and progressive farmers of Reno county, proprietor of a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres in Valley township, on which he has erected the most attractive farm house on the "Santa Fe Trail" within twenty-five miles; a man who not only has been diligent in his own business, but who has ever given his thoughtful and intelligent attention to public affairs, is a native of Illinois, having been born on a farm in MeDonough county, that state, July 21, 1857, son of Nicholas and Mary ( Kohule) Comes, both natives of Germany, the former born in Coblenz. Prussia, and the latter in Wittenburg, who became pioneers of Reno county and substantial and influential residents of Valley township.
Nicholas Comes, who was born in 1829, left his native land in 1854, in order to escape the hated military system of that country, and landed in New York with just three marks (seventy-five cents) in his pocket. For a year thereafter he worked in the woods in the Schenectady district, at a wage of nine dollars the month, and then began working in a glove factory at Gloversville, where he met Mary Kohule, who also had come from Ger- many in 1854, and who was working in the same factory. They were mar- ried in the early spring of 1856 and straightway came West, settling in McDonough county, Illinois, where they bought a farm of one hundred acres in 1862 and there made their home until 1876. in which year Mr. Comes
JOHN W. COMES
MRS. J. W. COMES
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disposed of his interests there, chartered a couple of cars for the transpor- tation of his household goods, necessary live stock and sufficient lumber from which to construct a small house and he and his family came to Kansas. Mr. Comes bought a half section of land in Valley township and there established his home. With the lumber he had brought from Illinois he erected the best house at that time in the township and it was not long until he and his family were very comfortably situated on their pioneer farm. He and his sons quickly developed their farm, in addition cultivating quite a tract of adjoining land, "breaking out" five hundred acres of Virgin prairie with oxen, and it was not long until the Comes family was regarded as one of the most substantial families in the county.
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