USA > Kansas > Reno County > History of Reno County, Kansas; its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 73
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Mr. Erker is an energetic and progressive farmer and his labors have been productive of results. As he prospered he gradually added to his land holdings until he now is the owner of a fine farm of one full section of land in one tract in Sumner township and is accounted one of the most substantial farmers of that part of the county. In 1902 he built the present com- modious and comfortable farmhouse on his place and he and his family are very pleasantly situated. Mr. Erker is a Democrat and has ever taken a good citizen's part in the political affairs of the community. For two years he served as township trustee and for four years as township clerk and in other ways has done his share in carrying on the affairs of government in his home township.
It was in January, 1870, while living in New York City, that George A. Erker was united in marriage to Katie Fisher, who was born in Ger- many and whose parents, Christian Fisher and wife, had come to America when she was one year old, settling in New York City. Christian Fisher was a paper-hanger and upholsterer and both he and his wife spent their
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last days in New York. To Mr. and Mrs. Erker ten children have been born, as follow: Adolph A., a farmer, living in section 18, Sumner town- ship: Joseph G., who lives on a part of his father's section; Frank, who also lives on his father's farm; William, a farmer, living in Sedgwick county, this state: Fred, who farms the home tract on his father's place; Mary, who married Charles Menges and lives at Wichita; Katie, who married Theodore Hilger and lives in Sumner township; Annie, who married Henry Ast and lives in section 24, Sumner township; Fannie, who married Her- man. Hilger, also of Summer township, and Rosa, who married Joseph Hilger, and also lives in Sumner township. As noted above, Mr. and Mrs. Erker are earnest members of the Catholic church and their children have been reared in that faith, the family being for years active supporters of St. Joseph's parish.
CLARK C. MILLER AND EUGENE T. MILLER.
Clark C. Miller and his son, Eugene Thornley Miller, prominent and well-to-do residents of Valley township, this county, the former of whom is one of the pioneers of Reno county, and who, in partnership, are proprietors of a fine farm, which they are operating with much success, are regarded as among the most substantial and influential residents of the community in which they live.
Clark C. Miller was born in Ohio on October 2, 1849, and at the age of nine years moved with his parents to Indiana, the family settling in Allen county, in the neighborhood of Ft. Wayne, and there he grew to manhood on a farm. As a young man he went to Illinois and in the neighborhood of Jacksonville, in Morgan county, began to work as a farm hand. In 1873 he married there Tillie Thornley, who was born in Marietta, Ohio. Decem- ber 15. 1846, and who was visiting kinsfolk in the Jacksonville neighborhood. In 1876, having heard much of the promising conditions in this part of Kan- sas, Mr. Miller came to Reno county and after looking about a bit bought the southeast quarter of section 7 in Valley township. The next year he brought his wife to this county and they established their home in Valley township, where they ever since have lived, long having been regarded as among the leaders in the local life of that community.
When Mr. Miller established his home on his Reno county farm the place was wholly unimproved and he straightway set about bringing it under cultivation. He set out many trees and presently his place was one of the
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most attractive in the neighborhood. He went quite extensively into the cattle business and as he prospered added to his land holdings until he became the owner of four hundred acres along the Arkansas river. But hard times came ; he was compelled to pay some security debts, there was a succession of bad years on the cattle range and he lost everything he had save the home quarter section. and even that was heavily mortgaged. By this time, Mr. Miller's only son. Eugene, was well grown and the two began working things out together and have worked as partners ever since, prospering largely in their operations. There were years of hard work before the industrious · father and son, but they set about the task of recouping the lost fortune with stout hearts and have long been independent. Clark C. Miller has a winter home at Permona, California, and he and his wife spent the winter of 1915- 16 at Ventura, that state. He is an active Republican and has held various township offices.
Eugene Thornley Miller, only son of Clark C. and Tillie (Thornley ) Miller, was born on the Valley township farm on which his parents settled in 1876, November 2, 1882, and was reared on the farm. He received his education in the Dodge district school in the neighborhood of his home and as he was the only son he and his father have been "chums" from the days of his boyhood. Eugene Miller has been active and industrious even from the days of his youth and when he was twenty-one years old had saved seven or eight hundred dollars, which he invested, in partnership with Frank Hoskinson, in leasing Indian land allotments in Blaine county, Oklahoma. They went into the business somewhat extensively, but after three years of bad crops and other discouragements gave it up and returned to Reno county pretty heavily in debt. After selling everything he had and applying the proceeds to the liquidation of his obligations, Mr. Miller found himself still owing a Burrtown bank twelve hundred dollars. For a time thereafter he worked for the Santa Fe railroad and while thus engaged married one of the county's best young women school teachers. He then secured a salaried position for both himself and his wife at Des Moines, Iowa, and was pre- paring to move to that city when his banker persuaded him that the thing to do was to stick to the farm and work out his fortunes in the community in which he had been born and reared, and in order to encourage him in such a step, offered to advance him an additional two thousand dollars, on his own personal security. This good advice was accepted and that fall Engene Miller and his wife both drove sulky plows, putting in all the wheat they .could. The following winter Mrs. Miller taught school. while her husband
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rented a mule-power corn-sheller and thus working together they saved six hundred and fifty dollars the first year. He then joined forces with his father and prosperity has attended him every since. He owns the quarter section across the road south of his father's place and in 1916 completed a very pretty, modern dwelling on his farm, the other improvements on the place being in full keeping, including a gasoline engine for operating his barn machinery, an up-to-date cow barn, a large shelter barn for the live stock and two large silos.
On July 12, 1907, Eugene T. Miller was united in marriage to Carrie Young, who was born in Illinois, daughter of Thompson and Sarah ( Haley) Young, the former a native of Georgia and the latter of Illinois. Before the Civil War Thompson Young located in Illinois and there he married, continuing to make his home in that state until 1882, in which year he and his family came to this county, settling near the Kingman county line. Mrs. Young died two years later, in 1884, and Mr. Young died in 1906. After her mother's death Carrie Young made her home with an elder sister, Alice, wife of Robert Ferguson, of Murdock, this state, and was engaged as a teacher in the schools of this county when she was married to Mr. Miller. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller two children have been born, Catherine Lucile, born on September 27, 1908, and Clark C., November 2, 1912. Mr. Miller is a thirty-second degree Mason, a member of the blue lodge of that order at Haven ; of the consistory at Wichita and of Midian Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Wichita, in the affairs of which he takes a warm interest. He is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but is not included in the office-seeking class.
HARRY E. HOLADAY, D. V. S.
Dr. Harry E. Holaday, well-known dentist and director of the famous Holaday band of Hutchinson, former city clerk of that city and past presi- dent of the Central Kansas Dental Association, is a native son of the Buck- eye state, having been born on a farm near Westboro in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1874, son of J. W. and Lyda ( Williams) Holaday, both natives of Ohio and both of whom spent their last days in Hutchinson.
In the late seventies J. W. Holaday left the farm and moved to Wilm- ington, the county seat of Clinton county, Ohio, and moved thence after awhile to Springfield, same state, from which city. in 1885, he moved with
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his family to Kansas and located at Hutchinson, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives.
Harry E. Holaday thus received his early schooling in the schools of Wilmington and Springfield, Ohio. He was eleven years old when the family located in Hutchinson and his common school education was com- pleted in the schools of that city. Even from childhood he had displayed an intense interest in music and at the age of eleven was a proficient per- former on the cornet, for seven years during his boyhood traveling during the summers with circus bands. When sixteen years of age he was made director of the old "Ringgold" band, a musical organization of much note in its day at Hutchinson, and has ever since then been director of a band at Hutchinson, for years having led the Hutchinson band, the name of which, a few years ago, was changed to Holaday's band, in honor of its director, who is recognized as one of the most competent and efficient bandmasters in Kansas. Holaday's band is composed of forty pieces and has a wide repu- tation throughout the states. In June, 1915, it was chosen by the city com- missioners the official band of the city of Hutchinson. It formerly was the regimental band of the Second Regiment, Kansas National Guard, attached to Company E, the local militia company, and as such was on duty during all calls and maneuvers of the regiment.
Doctor Holaday is a Republican and during the years 1900-1901 served as city clerk of Hutchinson. Upon completing his official service he took up the study of dental surgery, attending the Kansas City Dental College, from which he was graduated in 1903, with the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. At the close of his second year in college he successfully passed the state's examination and during the following summer practiced his pro- fession in Hutchinson, returning to college in the fall and completing the course, ever since which time he has been very successfully engaged in prac- tice in his home town. Doctor Holaday is past president of the Central Kansas Dental Association and is regarded as one of the leaders in his profession in this part of the state.
On December 11, 1891, Harry E. Holaday was united in marriage to Esley Davis, who was born in Wilmington, Ohio, and who died in 1898, leaving one child, a son, H. Edmund, born in that year. On July 15, 1905. Doctor Holaday married secondly, Vivian Lytle, who was born near Pea- body, this state. The Holadays have a very pleasant home at 724 Avenue A, east, and take an earnest interest in the general social and cultural activities of their home town.
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MRS. MARY M. (LIPPITT) WOODS.
Mrs. Mary M. Woods, who has been a resident of this county since 1884, in which year she made her home in the city of Hutchinson, but who for the past four or five years has been making her home with her aged father and her brother, Samuel L. Lippitt, at beautiful "Cedar Lawn Farm," in Reno township, where she has charge of the household, is a native of Ohio, having been born in Noble county, that state, in the year 1855, daughter of the Rev. Christopher and Sarah Jane (Lorimer) Lippitt, the former of whom, born near the town of Cumberland, in Noble county, Ohio, on June 28, 1827, is now living at his fine place, "Cedar Lawn Farm," in Reno township, this county, and the latter, born at Zanesville, in Muskingum county, Ohio, March 19, 1829, died on November 26, 1909.
The Rev. Christopher Lippitt, who for some years has been living quietly retired at his home in this county, is a veteran of the Civil War and for many years was an active minister of the gospel and a noted evan- gelist, whose services in behalf of the Baptist church took him into many parts of the country. His parents, Joseph and Milanda (Rice) Lippitt, who were reared in Rhode Island and married in the city of Providence, in that state, emigrated to Noble county, Ohio, shortly after their marriage and became known as among the leading pioneers of that section. They were quite well-to-do for that period and more than a century ago erected at their new home in Ohio a fine fourteen-room brick house, with ample stone porches, which is still standing and is in good habitable condition to this day. Joseph and Milanda Lippitt were the parents of seven children, of whom Christopher was the fourth in order of birth and the only one now living. Christopher Lippitt grew up on the paternal farm in Noble county, Ohio, and early evinced an unusual aptitude for his studies. His parents were earnest members of the Baptist church and his early inclination to enter the ministry of the gospel was encouraged by them. He was sent to a theological seminary at Chicago and after completing the course there was ordained a minister of the Baptist church, which ministry, ever a labor of love to him, he maintained for many years, or until his virtual retirement shortly after the death of his wife in 1905, the loss of his faithful and valuable helpmate having left him much shaken. During the Civil War, the Rev. Christopher served for one year, toward the close of the war, as a soldier in the Union army, his service having been performed with an Ohio regiment. During the early period of his ministry, at Zanesville, Rev.
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REV. AND MRS. CHRISTOPHER LIPPITT.
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Christopher Lippitt married Sarah Jane Lorimer, daughter of Samuel and Mary Lorimer, natives of Scotland, who had come to this country with their · respective parents when children, both families having settled in Muskingum county, Ohio, where they became prominent in the pioneer life of that section. Sarah Jane Lorimer was given every educational advantage in her youth, her parents having been quite well-to-do, and grew up to be a woman of large force of character. She was a woman of strong personality and saw to it that her children had every possible chance in life.
In 1866 the Rev. Christopher Lippitt was called to take charge of the Baptist church at Monmouth, Illinois, and moved to that place, for some years remaining there as pastor. In addition to his pastoral connection he also was a large landowner, being the possessor of two considerable farms near Monmouth, which he rented with profit. He also was the owner of a large farm in Ohio, which he sold at a large profit in the beginning of the days of the oil boom in that state, and thus became quite well-to-do. Upon the conclusion of his pastoral relation with the church at Monmouth, he had two different charges not far removed from his home there, and later settled at Shenandoah, Iowa, where he made his home until 1909, in which year he came to this county, which has been his place of residence since that time. In 1890 he had bought as an investment the quarter section in Reno township, now constituting "Cedar Lawn Farm," on which he now lives, besides which he also owns a valuable farm in Langdon township. Rev. Christopher Lippitt for many years was one of the most active evan- gelists in the Baptist communion, the calls for his services in that connection coming from all parts of the country, but since taking up his residence in this county he has been practically retired from the ministry, his great age and the consequent infirmities thereof having almost altogether suspended him from the labors in which for so many years he took great delight. He and his wife were the parents of four children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the second in order of birth, the others, all sons, being as follow: Theodore, a large farmer living near Fleming. Colorado: Samuel L., born on August 13, 1857. unmarried, now living with his father and his sister at "Cedar Lawn Farm." in Reno township, this county, which he manages, and on which he located in 1899, previous to which time he had been engaged in business at Wichita, this state, where he was the owner of a book store, and later was a railway mechanic and engineer at Denison. Texas, and Christopher R., who years ago left home and never again was heard from by his family.
(47a)
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Mary M. Lippitt was a growing girl when her parents moved from her native place in Noble county, Ohio, to Monmouth, Illinois, and her educa- tion was completed in the latter place, where she received the advantage of the excellent schools of that place. During the period of her girlhood she saw Kansas in its pioneer days, having lived with her brother at Wichita for some time during the early seventies. In 1879 she was united in marriage to Joshua Wods, who was born on May 5, 1850, and who died on May I, : 1912. In 1884 Mrs. Woods came to this county and for many years made her home at Hutchinson. During the last four or five years she has been living at "Cedar Lawn Farm," taking care of her father in his declin- ing years, and expect eventually to rejoin her only son, Earl L., at the latter's home in Seattle, Washington, where she had lived for a few years before coming back to this county to take care of her father.
Earl L. Woods was born on February 22, 1880, and received an excel- lent education in the Hutchinson schools. He married Dela Trippitt and for some years past has made his home in Seattle, where he is successfully engaged in the creamery business.
FRED A. FORSHA. 1
Fred A. Forsha, manager of the great Forsha ranch in Castleton town- ship, this county, is a native of Missouri, having been born on a farm in Schuyler county, that state, December 2, 1862, son of Alexander L. and Jennie R. ( Irvin) Forsha, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania, who became residents of Reno county in 1883.
The late Col. Alexander L. Forsha was for years one of Reno county's leading stockmen and the development of his great ranch in Castleton town- ship was a source of great satisfaction to him. He was born at Oxford, Ohio, son of William and Elizabeth (Lewis) Forsha, the former a native of New York state and the latter of Ohio. William Forsha was a ship builder in the East. He moved to Ohio and there was married, not long afterward moving to the state of Missouri, where he became a large land- owner and stock raiser, continuing thus engaged until his retirement, his last days being spent at Monticello, Missouri. Alexander L. Forsha was about three years old when his parents moved to Missouri and he grew to manhood in that state, completing his schooling in Charles College. At the age of twenty-one he went to Eddyville, Iowa, and at that place he engaged
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in the mercantile business. There on February 13, 1862, he was united in marriage to Jennie R. Irvin, who was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, daughter of James M. and Louisa ( Castell) Irvin, and after six years of residence at Eddyville sold his business interests there and returned to Mis- souri, where he took charge of his father's extensive farm and remained thus engaged until 1883, in which year he soll the farm and came to Kansas, locating in Reno county. He had previously bought ten sections of railroad land in this county and upon coming here devoted his time to the develop- ment of the great ranch which ever since has borne his name and soon became recognized as one of the most successful cattlemen in central Kan- sas, the fame of the Forsha ranch extending far and wide. Colonel Forsha also had extensive interests in Hutchinson and was the organizer of the street railway system there. He had a handsome town house in Hutchinson in addition to his commodious ranch house and divided his time between the two, though his great ranch was ever his chief interest and remained so until the time of his death. Colonel Forsha was an ardent Republican and gave his close attention to the political affairs of the county. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, with which he had been affiliated for many years, and took a warm interest in the affairs of that organization.
To Alexander L. and Jennie R. (Irvin) Forsha two sons were born, the subject of this biographical sketch having had a younger brother, the late Samuel W. Forsha, who after his father's death became the manager of the ranch and so continued until his death. Samuel W. Forsha was a thirty-second degree Mason. He was unmarried. Mrs. Forsha, who is still living, continues to make her home on the ranch and takes an earnest interest in affairs generally. She was reared in Missouri, having been but an infant when her parents moved from Pittsburgh to that state. Later, her father removed with his family to Doniphan county, this state, where he became a prominent figure during the time of the border difficulties there- about. James M. Irvin, Mrs. Forsha's father, was a man of forceful per- sonality and left the impress of his individuality upon the early history of the state. He served as a member of the first General Assembly of the state of Kansas, his work in the Senate making him one of the conspicuous mem- bers of that body, and when the Civil War broke out he was commissioned colonel of one of the Kansas regiments and served with distinction through- out the war. He died on March 7, 1900, at Pasadena, California, in which city he for several years had been living a retired life.
Fred A. Forsha was about twenty-one years old when he came to Rend
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county with his parents in 1883. He had received an excellent education and was well equipped for the important duties to the performance of which he presently was called. Since 1903 he has been manager of the Forsha ranch, having been called home to take charge of affairs after the death of his brother. Previous to that time he was vice-president of the National Live Stock Company of Kansas City, Chicago and Omaha, with his resi- dence in Kansas City.
On November 12, 1884, Fred A. Forsha was united in marriage to Minerva G. Hill, daughter of Evan M. and Sarah J. (Full) Hill, the former of whom was the son of Ebenezer Hill and wife, of Highgate, Vermont. Evan Hill came to Kansas in 1877 and located in Hutchinson, where he was engaged in the furniture business until the time of his death in August, 1903. His widow survived him more than ten years, her death occurring in August, 1914. They were the parents of six children, E. George, Min- erva, Alice F., Arthur M., Gertrude and Leslie. To Mr. and Mrs. Forsha one child has been born, a daughter, Jeane, who married Millard Russell, a sugar broker of Kansas City, and has two children, Frederick F. and Jeane.
CLYDE BAY.
Clyde Bay, one of the best-known and most progressive farmers of Reno county, proprietor of half a section of well-cultivated land in Roscoe township, his place being regarded as one of the model farms in that part of the county, is a native son of Reno county, having been born in a sod shanty on the plain in section 29 of that same township, April 19, 1883, son of C. M. and Margaret (Sloan) Bay, natives of Ohio and pioneers of Reno county, long occupying places of prominence in the life of the community in which they settled in 1878. Elsewhere in this volume, in a biographical sketch relating to C. M. Bay, a history of this well-known family in this county is set out and the reader is respectfully referred to those pages for further genealogical data relating to the subject of this sketch.
While Clyde Bay was an infant his parents moved from the homestead farm in this county to the city of Kingman, where the elder Bay for some years was prominently engaged in the real-estate business, and Clyde's early childhood was spent in that city, but when he was about eight years of age his parents moved back to the old homestead in Roscoe township and in that neighborhood he ever since has made his home. He received a careful
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training in the science of modern agriculture and at the time of his marriage in 1906 his father gave him the half section, a portion of the old home tract, on which he since has made his home and where he and his family are very comfortably situated. His present pleasant farm house was built when he took possession of the farm and in 1912 he added to his improvements by the erection of his present up-to-date and well-equipped barn, other build- ings and improvements on the place being in keeping with the same, ali designed to meet the requirements of the latest advances in agricultural science. Among the equipments of the Bay place is an Emerson "Big Four" gasoline-driven breaking plow, Mr. Bay being one of Reno county's farmers who have realized the advantage of following their vocation along the most advanced lines.
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