USA > Kansas > Shawnee County > History of Shawnee County, Kansas, and representative citizens > Part 23
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Judge Horton was not permitted, however, to remain in private life very long, in May, 1869, being appointed by President Grant, United States district attorney for Kansas. In 1868 he was one of the Republican presi- dential electors and was honored with the commission of carrying the elec- toral vote from his State to Washington. His party continued to claim his services, electing him to the State Legislature in 1872; to the State Senate in 1877 and his supporters were only checked in their efforts to bring him to the candidacy of still higher offices by his appointment as chief justice, which was made in 1877 by Governor Osborn. He filled out the unexpired term of Judge Kingman, and in 1878 was elected to the office and was re-elected in
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1884 and 1890. After retiring from the bench, he resumed his practice at Topeka, and, until the close of his remarkable career, was a member of the law firm of Waggener, Horton & Orr.
While Judge Horton was honored in his profession and in public life, he was also regarded with sentiments of esteem and admiration in other connections. As president of the alumni of the University of Michigan, he received tokens of respect which included the conferring upon him of a highly valued honor,-the degree of LL. D. As a keen, clear, forcible journalist, he was known beyond his State, and the influence of his judicial mind was frequently apparent in the forming of his party's political policy. After years of honorable, dignified, distinguished service, Judge Horton passed away September 2, 1902.
Judge Horton was twice married, first in 1864 to Anna Amelia Robert- son, who died in 1883. Three daughters and one son were born to them, of whom one daughter, Carrie, the wife of Frederick K. Brown, a young busi- ness man of Topeka, is the only one living in this city. Mary B., Rosamond S. and Albert H. reside in Colorado. His second marriage was in 1886 to Mrs. Mary A. Prescott, of Topeka, who survives him. By her first marriage, Mrs. Horton had three children, namely: Mrs. E. B. MacDowell, whose husband is one of the leading business men of Topeka; John A., of Kansas City, Missouri; and Alice M., wife of C. L. Brown, of Arkansas City, Kan- sas. Mrs. Horton resides at No. 921 Monroe street. A portrait of Judge Horton accompanies this sketch.
REV. JOHN D. KNOX.
REV JOHN D. KNOX, who has been identified with the Methodist Episco- pal Church in Topeka since this city boasted of a population of 1,600 in- habitants, has been identified with all that has worked for Topeka's educa- tional and moral advancement for the past 40 years. He was born in Bel- mont County, Ohio, October 28, 1828, and is a son of John and Mary (Davis) Knox, of Scotch-Irish ancestry.
Rev. Mr. Knox bears a noted historical name, one which has been con- nected with religious work and faithful adherence to conscious duty for generations and generations. His ancestors as far back as John Wesley were Methodists. Before the removal of the family to the North of Ireland, they lived in Scotland, about 12 miles south of Glasgow.
William Knox, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Ireland, in June, 1767, and was licensed to preach in 1787. In 1791 he came to America
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and in 1800 he joined the Baltimore Conference as a probationer, from which he passed into the Ohio Conference and in 1825 into the Pittsburg Confer- ence, on its organization. He was a faithful and useful servant of the church, and died at his home at Cadiz, Ohio, June 14, 1851, when a few days over 80 years of age. One of his sons, Jeremiah Knox, was well known in Pittsburg and was a member of his father's conference, and the ministry is represented in the third generation by our subject. "Father" Knox, as he was affectionately called for many years, is mentioned by one who knew him well, as a composite of goodness. In no sense was he a great preacher, but he was Methodistic in his doctrines, was Biblical in his teaching and touching in his exhortation. His sweetness of spirit and his simple, holy manner of life, made him a very useful minister. For a number of the last years of his ministry, he was relieved from a settled charge and was placed on a four weeks circuit as second preacher, in the vicinity of his home. He was then 75 years of age and a remark made to a friend at that time showed his attitude of mind. "The conference" said he, "is so kind in placing me with young men, who take such good care of me."
John Knox, father of Rev. John D. Knox, removed from Belmont County to Cadiz and later to Freeport, Harrison County, Ohio, while our subject was young. He was a chairmaker by trade and some of the products of his skill were disposed of in the Capitol Building at Washington. He participated in the War of 1812, and assisted in keeping the English out of Baltimore, in which city he learned his trade. He died at the age of 62 years. His widow, who was born in 1800, survived until the age of 87 years. She retained all her faculties and her physical vigor to old age, her hair not becoming gray before she was 80 years old.
Rev. John D. Knox spent the greater part of his youthful days at Free- port, Harrison County, Ohio, where he attended the local schools. He also was a student at Franklin College and graduated from Duff's Mercantile Col- lege at Pittsburg. In his 17th year he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church and that his professions were regarded as entirely sincere was shown by his appointment, a few months later, as a class leader. It was the desire of his parents that he should be educated as a physician and, with this end in view, he was sent to Dr. McBain, a well-known practitioner at Cadiz, to study the science of medicine. Probably the experienced medical man soon discovered that his pupil was only half-hearted in his devotion to the study of anatomical charts and the marvelous construction of the human body, and when he found him pouring over Horn's "Introduction to the Holy Scriptures" instead of a treatise on the circulation of the blood, he advised the parents to give up their plans for making a physician of him and to send him to Franklin College to study for the ministry, saying : "He will make
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a better preacher than a doctor." This sensible physician had also under his teaching, when a young man, the late distinguished Bishop Simpson, but we are not advised as to whether he gave the same advice in that case.
Thus it was that John D. Knox became a theological instead of a medical student. While still at college he was licensed to exhort and a few months later was licensed as a local preacher on his home circuit. At the next Quar- terly Conference he was recommended to the Pittsburg Annual Conference as a suitable person to enter the traveling connection. Accordingly, in June, 1850, he was admitted on trial, at Canton, Ohio, and was sent to the Wash- ington and Cambridge circuit. For 15 years he took work in that conference and served three stations in Pittsburg. It was during the fearful ravages of cholera in that city, in 1854, that the young minister particularly attracted attention by the practical following out of the great truths he loved to preach. Regardless of his own safety and comfort, he nursed the sick, comforted the dying and cared for the dead until he himself fell a victim to the dread scourge. A remarkably strong constitution and a previous abstemious life brought him safely through. His experiences during that solemn time when 1,800 peo- ple in Pittsburg perished in two months and when at one period there were 40 dead and unburied persons in the vicinity of his Church, Asbury Chapel, can never be forgotten, nor can his services as he bravely labored night and day to succor those in need.
In 1864, Rev. Mr. Knox served the Christian Commission at Fred- ericksburg, Bells Plain, Falmouth Station and other points, his time being filled with important duties and great responsibilities. He recalls one Sunday in Fredericksburg when he waited on sick and wounded soldiers in two hospitals until 10 o'clock in the morning (there being at that time 8,000 sick and wounded in the city) and then preached seven different sermons up to IO o'clock that night. In 1865 he was transferred to the Kansas Conference and was stationed at Topeka where he remained three years. Later he was twice appointed presiding elder of the Fort Scott district, but work and ex- posure, with attacks of fever and ague, had so prostrated him that he requested to be relieved from the duties of that position. Since then he has made his home at Topeka and has been a witness to the wonderful development of this whole section. When he came here, he remembers the fort that then stood on the corner of Sixth and Kansas avenues.
Rev. Mr. Knox, while accepting no charge, has never entirely given up preaching the Gospel. Finding that change of scene and climate were needed to restore him to health, he so arranged his business affairs that he could be absent a long time and for 20 years did not travel less than 8,000 miles annually and sometimes 20,000 miles. He has been twice through Continental Europe, Scotland and England, once in Ireland, Egypt and Palestine and has
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lectured on many subjects in various localities. His lecture, "The Holy Land," has been listened to by thousands with pleasure and profit. He has been a valued contributor to the Pittsburg Christian Advocate; for four years was editor of the Kansas Methodist, and is the author of a widely circulated book of 583 pages, entitled "Paths to Wealth." At various times he has served as chaplain to a number of organizations like the Masons, Odd Fellows and Sons of Temperance, to which he belongs and has never failed to raise his voice and use his influence in promoting everything educational, reformatory and moral. He has served as superintendent of public instruc- tion for Shawnee County, and for some time was treasurer of the Kansas Freedmen's Relief Association. As such he was summoned to Washington, D. C., to appear before the committee to investigate the causes that led to the emigration of the negroes from the Southern to the Northern States. In 1873 he was honorary commissioner to the Austrian Universal Exposition held at Vienna.
In 1858, Rev. Mr. Knox married Mary Dibert and they had eight chil- dren, three daughters and one son being still at home. All the children still survive and there are II grandchildren. One son, William C., who is now located at San Francisco, built what is now known as the Columbian Build- ing on West Sixth street, Topeka, formerly known as the Knox Building. Mr. Konx's mansion, known as "Belvoir," at Potwin, was about the second house erected there. This addition to the city of Topeka is now filled with some of the most beautiful mansions in this part of the State. The population is several hundred and the locality is considered one of the choicest residential sections of the city.
CAPT. GEORGE M. NOBLE.
CAPT. GEORGE M. NOBLE, senior member of the well-known firm of George M. Noble & Company, of Topeka, is known all over the State of Kansas, for the firm deals extensively in real property in every county. He was born March 7, 1842, in Clermont County, Ohio, and is a son of Rev. James H. and Angeline E. (Simmons) Noble.
The Noble family is of English extraction but has been established in America for many years. The father of Captain Noble was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In 1858 our subject went to Indiana and was educated at Greencastle, graduating at Indiana Asbury University. When scarcely out of school, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, October 17, 1861, in Company D, 31st Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf. This company was organized and mustered into the
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service of the United States, September 20, 1861, at Terre Haute, with Charles Cruft as colonel, John Osborne as lieutenant colonel and Frederick Arn as major. It proceeded soon afterward to Evansville, Indiana, thence to Henderson, Kentucky, encamping at Calhoun, on the Green River.
On February 11, 1862, the regiment moved with General Grant's forces to Fort Donelson and in participating in the assault there lost nine killed, 52 wounded and one missing. It was then marched to Fort Henry and later to Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing, actively taking part in both days of battle there, the memorable 6th and 7th of April, 1862. Here the regiment lost 22 killed, 110 wounded and 10 missing. The regiment was then assigned to the Fourth Division of the Army of the Ohio, under command of General Nelson, and took an active part in the siege operations before Corinth, in- cluding the battle of Corinth, after which it moved with Buell's army through Northern Mississippi and Alabama into Tennessee. In September it reached Louisville, Kentucky, and following General Bragg's retreat from that State, after the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, it went to Nashville, thence, in De- cember, with Crittenden's corps of Rosecrans' army, it marched to Murfrees- boro and engaged the enemy for three days at Stone River. The regiment remained quietly encamped at Cripple Creek after this vigorous campaign, guarding a mountain pass near Murfreesboro, until the forward movement of the army to Chattanooga was begun in June, 1863. It took a prominent part in the battle of Chicgamauga, after which it went into camp at Bridgeport, Alabama, where on January 1, 1864, it became a veteran organization, the members reenlisting. Our subject was given a veteran furlough and made a short visit to Indiana. After his return to the regiment, now an organization of considerable reputation on account of its gallantry and loyalty, it saw much hard service. The 31st was conspicuous at the battles of Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Pine Mountain, Bald Knob, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, Smyrna camp ground on the Chattahoochie River, siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro, Love- joy Station, Franklin and Nashville. At the close of the war, the regiment moved with General Sheridan's army to Texas, where it was mustered out of the service, December 8, 1865. During its long and arduous service, this organization of brave men had lost 432 of its members in killed and wounded. On January 24, 1863, Captain Noble was honorably discharged by reason of promotion from sergeant major of his regiment to regimental adjutant, for meritorious services. His former promotion had been for the same reason, in April, 1862. On September 13, 1864, he was commissioned captain of Com- pany C, and was mustered out as such on November 11, 1864, being breveted major by special order.
After his return from the army, Captain Noble settled in Illinois and entered upon the study of the law at Champaign, and was admitted to the
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Supreme Court of that State in May, 1870. In the same year he came to Topeka, where he engaged in the practice of the law until 1873. He then became associated with the Kansas Loan & Trust Company as secretary, vice- president and one of the general managers until 1893, when this company was succeeded by the Trust Company of America, of which he served as vice- president until 1898. This company has been one of the large financial organi- zations of the State, having made loans to the amount of $20,000,000. Since 1898 Captain Noble has devoted his time to the business of real estate loans, mortgages and insurance. He is the senior member of the firm of George M. Noble & Company, the other members being A. D. Washburn and J. H. Noble. The firm has the handling of property, including farms, ranches, alfalfa lands, wheat lands and pasture lands, in all sections of Kansas and in adjoining States. In addition to their extensive operations in realty, they handle the leading insurance lines and are the accredited local financial agents for Eastern investors. The offices of the firm are at No. 435 Kansas avenue.
Captain Noble was married at Champaign, Illinois, on January 25, 1872, to Eva A. Reed, who was born at Fredericktown, Ohio. They had two sons, Walter T. and George M., Jr. The former was a very brilliant young man, a Princeton graduate. His death took place in August, 1904, leaving his parents, brother, wife and three children.
Captain Noble is an ideal citizen, ever ready to work hard in the in- terests of his community, ready to unselfishly foster and promote enterprises that will add to the general welfare and to support public-spirited measures for the benefit of all. He is one of the leading members and has been one of the directors of the Topeka Commercial Club. He has long been connected with the higher branches of Masonry and is a member of Orient Lodge, No. 51, A. F. & A. M., and of Topeka Chapter, No. 5, R. A. M. He belongs also to the Grand Army of the Republic and the Kansas Commandery of the Mili- tary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Since 1870 he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and almost continuously since has been one of the trustees.
HON. FREDERICK WELLHOUSE.
HON. FREDERICK WELLHOUSE, one of the leading horticulturists of the State of Kansas, and a prominent and valued citizen of Topeka, was born November 16, 1828, in Wayne County, Ohio, and is a son of William and Hannah (Yohe) Wellhouse.
The father of Mr. Wellhouse subsequent to the latter's birth removed to Summit County, Ohio, where he purchased a farm of 300 acres. He died
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there in 1843, leaving the management of this large estate and the care of several younger children to our subject, then a youth of 15, and his brother, who was 18 months older.
In 1853 Mr. Wellhouse moved to Christian County, Illinois, where he engaged in farming and in literary pursuits. In 1858 he located at Indianap- olis, Indiana, and entered into the publication of an agricultural journal known as the Indiana Farmer. A year later he sold this newspaper to his partner, J. N. Ray, and then moved to Kansas, locating in Leavenworth County, in 1859. Here Mr. Welhouse set out great orchards, the care of which inter- ested him for a number of years. While it was something of an experiment, Mr. Wellhouse had made horticulture a scientific study and the remarkable success which rewarded his care and industry sufficiently demonstrated his wisdom as well as his knowledge of horticulture. In the fall of 1880, Mr. Wellhouse and his son Walter, who is associated with him, gathered the first crop of apples, the yield of 437 acres of orchard being 1,500 bushels. In 1890, 10 years later, the crop amounted to the vast amount of 79,170 bushels. The total yield of this great orchard up to 1905 has been 498, 148 bushels, which sold for $199,253.20, with net profits amounting to $139,481.44. The fruit is shipped both to home markets and foreign ports. The whole extent of orchard land includes 1,630 acres, making the Wellhouse orchard the largest one in the world under one management. No other orchard in the State of Kansas or in the world, conducted by one man and his family, has ever equaled its record in annual yield of apples. Between the rows of trees in the orchard Mr. Wellhouse has also grown 160,000 bushels of corn. Five varieties of apples are grown : Jonathan, Ben Davis, Gano, York Imperial and Missouri Pippin; the orchard is noted as much for the quality as for the quantity of the product.
While Mr. Wellhouse has always been an enthusiast in the growing of apples, he has also been much interested in the culture of all kinds of fruit. He was one of the first horticulturists to call the attention of other States to the possibilities of fruit culture in Kansas, the fine exhibits made at Philadel- phia, Richmond, Boston and New York attracting universal and favorable notice and resulting in attracting capital and good settlers to this section of the State. Mr. Wellhouse has continued his active interest in horticultural affairs and he was chosen, as eminently fitted, to take full charge of the fruit display for Kansas, at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893 and at the Trans-Mississippi Exposition at Omaha, Nebraska, in 1898.
Mr. Wellhouse has been an active member of the Kansas State Horti- cultural Society almost since its organization, has been its president for the past 10 years and for 15 years was its treasurer. He has been vice-president
HON. SAMUEL T. HOWE
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of the Kansas State Fair Association in which he has been a director almost since its organization.
During the Civil War, Mr. Wellhouse took an active part in military matters and was captain in the 19th Kansas State militia. In 1861 he was elected county commissioner and made chairman of the board, and in 1866 he was elected by the Republican party to the Legislature and was reelected in 1888. Other marks of party favor have been shown him at various times and for years he was a prominent figure in public life.
Mr. Wellhouse married Susan Housely, a daughter of Daniel Housely, and they reared four children, namely: Walter, who is married and lives in Topeka; Mary C; Horace M., deceased; and Cora A., wife of H. S. Bul- lard, of Leavenworth County, who is living on one of subject's farms.
HON. SAMUEL T. HOWE.
HON. SAMUEL T. HOWE, district manager of the Bell Telephone Com- pany with office at Topeka, has been a resident of Kansas since 1868, and during this long period has been identified with business associations and public affairs. Mr. Howe was born July 23, 1848, at Savannah, Wayne County New York, coming from a family which has been particularly dis- tinguished in the professions and in the political as well as business circles of several States.
Mr. Howe accompanied his family to Toleda, Ohio, in boyhood and there obtained an excellent education, which was scarcely completed at the opening of the Civil War. In 1862 he became a member of the State militia, and in January, 1864, received an appointment in the military service of the United States, connected with the construction of military railroads in Ala- bama. In January, 1865, he enlisted as a private in Company B, 189th Reg .. Ohio Vol. Inf., and served until the close of the war in the 14th Army Corps. After his discharge in 1865, he returned to Toledo, and during the inter- vening period until 1868 perfected himself in carpenter work.
Mr. Howe came to Kansas with the great wave of immigration in 1868 and found abundant need of his skill in his trade in the rapidly growing cities of Leavenworth, Topeka, Burlingame and Salina. In those days it was a difficult matter for an intelligent, public-spirited citizen of Kansas to keep out of politics, and in 1871 Mr. Howe found himself elected sheriff of Marion County. He served as sheriff until 1874, when he was elected, and later twice reelected, clerk of the District Court. In 1879 he was shown the con- fidence of Marion County by being elected its treasurer and was reelected in
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1881 but before he could take his seat, the people of the State, recognizing in him a man of the sterling traits of character which they demanded in a State Treasurer, elected him in 1882 to this office, in which he served most satisfactorily until 1887.
After his retirement from the duties of the office of State Treasurer, Mr. Howe located his home at Topeka, where for many years he was active in business, particularly in land dealing and banking, and was also the owner of mining interests. In 1895 he was elected by the executive council of the State, consisting of the Governor and other State officers, to the office of railroad commissioner, a position he held two years. He is a qualified lawyer but has never engaged in general practice, but his undestanding of the law has made him a very efficient official and member of various boards. He is at present a member of the City Council, and has served as its president ; he is now serving as chairman of the ways and means committee. He was recently appointed by the Governor on a commission to advise with the Gov- ernor in relation to an investigation of the State departments, ordered by the last Legislature. He has been the author of numerous articles on public subjects, especially in relation to financial matters, and has proved his close acquaintance with economic questions of the greatest moment. Since 1904 Mr. Howe has been the district manager of the Bell Telephone Company with office at Topeka.
In 1876 Mr. Howe was married to Clara B. Frazer, of Portsmouth, Ohio, and they became the parents of eight children, of whom five still sur- vive, as follows : Bertrice A., Fred L., Samuel T., Jr., William E. and Clare E. Mr. Howe's fraternal association is mainly with the Masons and he has been treasurer of the Masonic Mutual Benefit Society for a number of years. He is a valued member of the Topeka Commercial Club. His portrait is shown on a foregoing page.
JOSEPH VAN VLECK.
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