USA > Kansas > Reno County > History of Reno County, Kansas; its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 51
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Norman Winchester was born in 1820, son of Joel Winchester, who had inherited the homestead farm from his father, Andrew Winchester, a native of Connecticut, who had entered from the government a virgin timber tract in Rutland county in the previous generation and had there spent the remainder of his life. Andrew Winchester spent all his life on that farn. as did his son, Joel, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. For . (33a)
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many years Norman Winchester was selectman of his home township, the office corresponding to township trustee in this state, and was a man of wide influence in his community. He was selectman during the Civil War period and had charge of the recruiting in that township; it being a matter of prideful note in that community that it never became necessary to enforce the draft in that jurisdiction and that the township emerged from that trying period without a cent of debt. Norman Winchester and his wife were mem- bers of the Congregational church. He died in 1905. She was born in 1826 and died in 1912. she thus living to be past eighty-five years of age. Their children were Emma, who married L. F. Denio and lives in Spring- field, Massachusetts; Charles S., the subject of this sketch; Fred, a hard- ware merchant at Pawlet, Rutland county, Vermont, and Gertrude, who died at the age of nine years.
Charles S. Winchester received his schooling in the neighborhood school two miles from his home and at the age of seventeen went to Medina, New York, where for three years he was engaged as a clerk in a hardware store. He then returned home, married in 1877 and in 1879 came to Kansas, settling in Russell county, where for three years he was engaged in buying and sell- ing cattle. He then located at Manhattan, this state, where for nine years he was engaged in the retail meat business, after which, in 1893, he came to Reno county, locating at Hutchinson, where he established the "Old Fulton Market" at 409 North Main street, which he conducted until 1903, in which year he sold the place and established the plant of the Winchester Packing Company at 16 F avenue, west, and there has ever since been successfully engaged in business, his operations covering not only the local field, but a wide shipping field west. His only son, S. Allen Winchester, is engaged with him in the business and the firm also comprises the Kansas Hide Company, which handles as much as fifteen carloads of hides annually.
On March 13. 1877, Charles S. Winchester was united in marriage to Emma A. Hevener, who was born in Medina, New York, daughter of Peter Hevener and wife, both now deceased, the former of whom was a cigar manufacturer, and to this union two children have been born, S. Allen and Inez. S. Allen Winchester was born in 1880, the year after his parents came to Kansas, and was about thirteen years old when the family located in Hutchinson. For five years previous to becoming associated with his father in the Winchester Packing Company he was in the employ of Emer- son Carey, in the coal and hide business. He married Edith Carey and has four children. Alene, Stanley, Dorothy and Nancy Jane. His home is at
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127 Tenth avenue, east. Inez Winchester, born in 1883, married J. F. Rob- leder, a dealer in hides in Hutchinson, and lives at 129 Thirteenth avenue, east. Charles S. Winchester and wife live at 1219 North Main street, where Mr. Winchester erected a good house in 1911. He is a Republican and gives a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but has never been an aspirant for public office.
ALFRED REUBEN SCHEBLE.
Alfred Reuben Scheble, of the well-known Richards-Scheble Candy Company, of Hutchinson, this county, is a native son of Hutchinson, hav- ing been born there on October 3, 1882, son of the Hon. Alfred R. and Dora Belle (Martin) Scheble, who were among the most prominent residents of that city in their day and the memory of whom is cherished to this day throughout this county.
Alfred R. Scheble, Sr., was born in Delaware county, Ohio, and his wife was born in Henry county, same state, where they were married. He was graduated from the law school of the University of Ohio and began the practice of his profession at Napoleon, Ohio, during his residence there taking so prominent a part in civic affairs that he was twice elected to repre- sent his district in the General Assembly of that state, serving with distinc- tion in that capacity, although quite a young man at the time of his election. Failing health warned Mr. Scheble to seek a change of climate and he and his wife moved to Ft. Worth, Texas. After a short residence there, they decided that the climate of Colorado might prove more beneficial to the invalid and started for that state. On their way they stopped at Hutchinson to make a visit with the Bigger family, with whom they had a previous acquaintance, and were persuaded by them to settle in Hutchinson. That was in 1877, during the period of Hutchinson's early and substantial develop- ment and Mr. Scheble's talents immediately brought him into prominence in the community. He engaged in the practice of law and soon became one of the leading lawyers of Reno county. Continuing here the political activities which had brought him prominence in his native state, Mr. Scheble presently was elected to represent this district in the Kansas state Legis- lature and thus enjoyed the rare distinction of having served in the General Assemblies of two sovereign states. In addition to his extensive law prac- tice he was active in other affairs and for some time was the publisher of
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the Hutchinson Herald. through the columns of which paper he consistently and with effect advocated all proper movements designed to advance the welfare of the community. He was constantly busied in local affairs and was regarded as one of the leaders in the councils of the Democratic party hereabout. His active service as a member of the school board undoubtedly did very much to elevate the standards of education in the growing city of Hutchinson. Death, however, all too soon. put an end to his earthly activities, and there was much mourning at his passing, for he had been a good citizen, whose life had been useful in many ways. Hon. Alfred R. Scheble died in December, 1885. at the age of thirty-six years. His widow survived him many years, her death occurring in Hutchinson in May, 1912, at the age of fifty-four years. They were the parents of three children who grew to maturity, of whom the subject of this biographical sketch, who was named for his father, was the youngest, the other two being Max Carl, who was graduated from the Colorado School of Mines at Golden, Colorado, and is now a mining engineer in Mexico, and Elma Janet, who married Charles Colloday, of Hutchinson, member of the large wholesale hardware firm of Colloday & Company.
Alfred R. Scheble, Jr., was but three years of age when his father died. Following his graduation from the Hutchinson high school he became an advertising solicitor for the Hutchinson Daily News and thus early acquired an extensive and valuable acquaintance with the business men and com- mercial affairs of the city. In the fall of 1902 he and D. Earl Richards formed a partnership for the manufacture and sale of candy, their venture, which was begun on a small scale with only one "hand" in the factory besides themselves, proving a success from the very start, and on May I, 1903, the Richards-Scheble Candy Company was incorporated with a capital stock of one thousand dollars. Since then the company has been recapitalized for one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, employing as many as seventy-five people, with ten salesmen on the road, covering three-fourths of the state of Kansas, northern Oklahoma, northwest Texas, northeast New Mexico and eastern Colorado, the product of this firm being a general favorite among all persons in possession of a "sweet tooth" throughout that extensive territory, the "Donita" chocolates, a leader of the company, in particular, being almost a household word wherever that toothsome delicacy has been introduced. In 1906 the Richards-Scheble Company erected a fine two-story brick factory building, forty-eight by one hundred and ten feet, at 400 Second avenue. east, having long outgrown the one room over Talbott's
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grocery store in which the business was begun. This new plant was destroyed by fire in July, 1911, but the energetic proprietors at once rebuilt and shortly were installed in a better brick building on the same site, sixty-six by one hundred and ten feet, three stories in extent and have there been located ever since.
In June, 1909, Alfred R. Scheble was united in marriage to Junia Belle McCandess, who also was born in Hutchinson, daughter of A. W. McCandess, who located in Hutchinson during the time Mr. Scheble's father was at the head of the school board and applied to the latter for a position as teacher. Though it may now be admitted that the position of teacher in the Hutchin- son schools at that time was no sinecure, the schools of that day having been regarded as "pretty hard to handle," Mr. Scheble gave the applicant the position he sought and he straightway proceeded to "make good," and long was regarded as one of the city's ablest teachers. To Mr. and Mrs. Scheble one child has been born, a daughter, Janet, born in 19II.
Alfred R. Scheble is recognized as one of the leading young business men of Hutchinson. He ever is interested in any measure calculated to advance the city's best interests and in 1914 gave excellent service as presi- dent of the Hutchinson Commercial Club.
KONRAD C. BECK.
Konrad C. Beck, proprietor of the popular Riverside Amusement Park at Hutchinson, former sheriff of Reno county, expert authority on the habits of wild water fowl, noted collector of water fowl and wild animals, pro- ducer of musical comedy companies and general "live wire," is a native of Iowa, but has lived in this county since he was three years old and there- fore very properly may be regarded as one of the pioneers of Reno county. He was born at Bellevue, Iowa, January 31, 1876, son of John and Magda- lena (Beck ) Beck, both natives of Germany, born in the kingdom of Wurtem- berg, who became pioneers of Reno county and the latter of whom is still living at her home in Nickerson, this county.
John K. Beck grew up in his native land and became a talented artist. In 1865 he came to the United States and settled in Galena, Illinois, moving thence to Bellevue, Iowa, where he met and married Magdalena Beck, also a native of Wurtemberg, who had grown to young womanhood in her native land, one of the nineteen children born to her parents, nine of whom are
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still living. Her mother lived to be ninety-nine years old. Both of her parents spent all their days in the old country. It was in 1871 that Magda- lena Beck came to the United States and soon after her arrival at Bellevue her marriage to John K. Beck took place. In 1879 Mr. Beck and his family came to Nickerson, Kansas, where he lived ten years, then moved to a farm in Salt Creek township, later moved to a farm in Medford township, this county. He lived there until 1911, when he moved back to Nickerson, where he died on January 20, 1912. His widow still survives and is making her home at Nickerson. They were the parents of nine children, five of whom are living : the subject of this sketch is the eldest, the others being as follow : John J., who is associated with his brother, Konrad, in business at Hutchin- son; Lena, who married Robert Arnold and lives at Nickerson; Fred, who lives on the old home place in Medford township, and Otto Bismark, unmar- ried, who makes his home with his mother in Nickerson.
Konrad C. Beck was but three years old when his parents came to this county in 1879 and he was reared in Nickerson, Salt Creek township, and Medford township, helping his father on the farm and in the vineyard as a boy. He attended school until he was fourteen years old, but from the earliest childhood his mind was interested in the wild animal life of this section and he early became an expert hunter and trapper. After his mar- riage in 1899, he then being twenty-three years old, he began trapping in earnest, with a definite end in view and in 1911 established "K. C. Beck's Sportsman's Show" at Nickerson, with a famous collection of water fowl and wild animals, with winter quarters at Nickerson. For eight years he traveled with this collection, making all the state fairs he could cover during the season and invariably made a fine impression wherever he exhibited. Instead of paying concessions to fair managements, Mr. Beck always received a bonus for exhibiting his collection, on account of its highly educational features and because it proved such a drawing card to the fair grounds. Finally the show became so large he no longer could accommodate it in his quarters at Nickerson and in 1908, when the Riverside Park Association established the amusement park at the foot of Main street in Hutchinson, Mr. Beck leased the place for five years and installed his wild animals and water fowl therein. He added various amusement features to the place and from the very start was successful in his venture of providing for Hutchin- son a permanent, high-grade amusement enterprise. Presently he bought the park outright, paying therefor twelve thousand five hundred dollars, and has since added thirty-five thousand dollars worth of improvements, includ-
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ing a large theater, where, during the park season, he produces vaudeville and musical comedies.
In the meantime, Mr. Beck has never neglected his real ambition in life and he has traveled all over the United States, South and Central America collecting water fowl, becoming one of the most widely recognized author- ities in the world on the habits and habitats of these creatures. He keeps constantly a representative on the Amazon river and in other select places trapping water fowl to fill orders which come to him from zoos, not only in this country, but in Europe, having thus contributed to such noted col- lects as those contained in the Bronx Zoo at New York, the Lincoln Park Zoo at Chicago and the great Zoological Gardens at Hamburg, Germany. Mr. Beck is a Democrat and for years has taken an active part in local political affairs. He was elected sheriff of Reno county and served for two terms.
In 1899 Konrad C. Beck was united in marriage to Alta Barnes, who was born in Illinois, and to this union five children have been born, Olive, Beulah, Konrad, Georgia and Clyde. Mr. Beck is a thirty-second degree . Mason, a member of the consistory at Wichita, and is also a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and a Knight Templar. He also is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Elks, the Owls and the Eagles and in the affairs of all these organizations takes a warm interest.
WILLIAM L. HODGSON.
William L. Hodgson, son of William and Ellen ( Ware) Hodgson, was born on September 3, 1881, on the farm now occupied by his father, in section 20, Reno township, Reno county, Kansas. His father, William Hodgson, is one of the pioneer settlers of Reno county and served with marked distinction during the Civil War. As a boy, the subject of this sketch attended the Welton district school in Reno township and later assisted his father with the work on the farm.
In 1899, Mr. Hodgson came to Hutchinson, Kansas, where he worked at the carpenter's trade for four years. In 1903 he returned to his father's homestead, where he has charge of one hundred and thirty acres of land. Mr. Hodgson is a man of untiring energy and progressive spirit. He takes a prominent part in fraternal affairs of the community in which he lives
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and is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and for . four years has been connected with the state militia of Kansas.
The marriage of William Hodgson to Jessie F. Phillips, the daughter of Frank and Dee Phillips, took place on November 10, 1903. Frank Phil- lips is a well-known farmer of Reno county. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hodgson are: Hallie, who was born in 1904; Melvin, who was born in 1906: Mildred Lucile, who is seven years old, and Wilma, who was born in March, 1915.
PETER RICE FARTHING.
Peter Rice Farthing, a progressive and energetic young farmer of Salt Creek township, this county, is a native of Kentucky, having been born on a farm in Union county, that state, on April 30, 1874, the only son in the family of eight children born to Sylvester and Cassandra (Hobbs) Farthing, the former of whom was born near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee, on April 22. 1849, and the latter, in Jefferson county, Kentucky, April 3, 1852, both of whom are still living, pioneer residents of this county.
Sylvester Farthing is a son of Peter Farthing, a Tennesseean, who as a young man was engaged in the river trade, running a packet up and down the Mississippi, and who later became a large landowner and slaveholder in Union county, Kentucky, where he lived until 1876, in which year he was seized with an attack of "Kansas fever" and came to this state. He bought a quarter of section of "railroad" land in Lincoln township, this county, and there established a new home, living there until 1884, in which year he disposed of his interests in this county and went to Coffeyville, Kansas, where his last day's were spent. He and his wife were the parents of eight children. four sons and four daughters, but only three of these children came to this state.
Sylvester Farthing was but a child when his parents moved from Ten- nessee to Kentucky and he therefore grew up on the plantation in the latter state. After his marriage he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Union county, not far from the paternal home, and was doing well, but when his father came to this state in 1876 he also had an attack of "Kansas fever." and sold his place in Kentucky at a sacrifice and the next year, 1877, followed his parents to this county. For the first year of his residence here he rented an eighty-acre farm near his father's place in Lincoln township, but the next year he bought a quarter of a section of "railroad" land in
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Lincoln township and there he has lived ever since. He hauled lumber from Wichita, sixty miles away, with which to build a little house of two rooms being but fourteen by twenty-four feet. Then came the drouths and a succession of crop failures and he and his family gladly would have returned to Kentucky if they had had enough money to provide the way. But they had nothing and therefore were compelled to "stick it out," which in the end proved well, for presently the prairies began to smile on their efforts and they prospered, their herds of cattle increasing each year, until eventually they became quite well-to-do and long have been regarded as among the substantial residents of that section of the county. Mr. Farthing is independ- ent in politics and he and his wife are members of the Harmony Baptist church, near their home. To them eight children have been born, of whom the subject of this sketch, the third in order of birth, is the only son, the daughters being as follow: Sallie, who married James Green, president of the bank at Yoder, this state; Leona May, who died at the age of twenty- two; Pearl, who married Albert Stewart, both of whom now are deceased; Ella, who is at home with her parents; Edna, widow of Judson Stewart. living in Yoder, this state; Carrie, who married Eugene Moore and lives in Lincoln township, this county, and Eula, who married Floyd Moore and is now deceased.
Peter R. Farthing was but three years of age when his parents came to Reno county in 1877 and he consequently may be regarded as one of the "pioneers" of this county. He grew up on the home farm in Lincoln town- ship and from the time he was ten years old was doing practically a man's part in helping develop the place, herding cattle winter and summer and doing such other things as fell to his lot, and, he being the only boy in the family, aided his father very materially in getting the farm on a paying basis. He received but little schooling in his boyhood, his attendance on the short terms of the district school being restricted by the necessity of helping on the farm and herding cattle. When he was twenty-one years of age he began working on his own account, renting land and farming for himself until 1902, in which year he bought the southwest quarter of section II, in Salt Creek township, and began developing the same, with a view to making a home. He erected all the buildings on the place and planted all the trees which now adorn it, and in the fall of 1905 was married, after which he had a home, indeed, and is still living there, having made his farming venture pay big returns on the investment. His chief interest is grain farming. paying little attention to stock. In the summer of 1913 Mr. Farthing's barn
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was destroyed by fire, but he immediately built a new and better one. Like his father, Mr. Farthing is independent in his political views, preferring rather to support candidates for office with respect to their personal fitness than to the particular party emblem which they represent.
On November 15, 1905, Peter R. Farthing was united in marriage to Edith Edna Armstrong, who was born in Peoria county, Illinois, on October I. 1872, daughter of the Rev. Ebenzer and Martha ( Walliker ) Armstrong, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter born on June 15, 1843, in Muscatine county, Iowa. Rev. Ebenzer Armstrong came to Kansas from Illinois, with his family, in 1886, settling in Pawnee county, where he bought a quarter of a section of land ten miles north of Larned, on which he and his family lived until 1890, in which year they came to this county and located in Hutchinson, where he and his wife spent the rest of their days, his death occurring on January 29, 1901, at the age of sixty-seven. His widow survived him for about thirteen years, her death occurring on Janu- ary 8. 1914, she then being seventy-one years of age. Rev. Ebenzer Arm- strong was a well-known minister of the Baptist church and remained active in the ministry until 1900, in which year he retired. To Mr. and Mrs. Farthing four children have been born, as follow: Louis Sylvester, born on September 18, 1906; Nina, July 1I, 1908; Edna, December 8, 1910, and Stanley, August 1, 1913.
JOHN F. SMITH.
Since the year 1885 the veteran real-estate dealer, John F. Smith, has been one of the most potent factors in the development of the city of Hutch- inson, county seat of Reno county. During his long residence and period of activity in Hutchinson he has laid out and promoted the sale of many of the important additions to that city, besides having had a hand in many of the most important realty deals throughout the county generally. In other ways, too, he has been active in the promotion of the best interests of the city and long has been looked upon as one of the leaders in the business life of the county scat.
John F. Smith was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, July 30, 1848, son of H. B. and Harriet M. (Sumner) Smith, the former of whom, born near the city of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1821, died in April. 1905, and the latter, born in Elkhart county. Indiana, in 1821, died in 1862. H. B. Smith was a son of John F. Smith, who for many years was a well-known figure up
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and down the Cuyahoga valley, a singing-school master, one of the "old school" sort, who went about the country thereabout holding singing schools and was held in high repute as a music teacher in his day. His whole life was spent in Ohio and in his later years he was much afflicted with rheuma- tism. He was a farmer and on his farm his son, H. B. Smith, was reared, going thence, as a young man, to Elkhart county, Indiana, where he mar- ried Harriet M. Sumner, daughter of pioneer residents of that section, and in 1841 moved to Tazewell county, Illinois, where he entered a tract of government land on which he made his home and which he brought under cultivation, the tract having been virgin prairie when he secured it. There he lived until 1851, in which year he sold the farm and moved to Eureka, in Woodford county, Illinois, in order that his sons might have the advan- tage of attendance at the college which the Christian church maintained at that point. Later he returned to Tazewell county and bought a farm in the neighborhood in which he originally had settled and there his last days were spent. He was one of the forceful characters in that neighborhood and long served the community as a justice of the peace. He and his wife were mem- bers of the Christian church and their children were reared in that faith.
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