Portrait and biographical album of Jackson, Jefferson and Pottawatomie Counties, Kansas : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, Part 88

Author:
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 788

USA > Kansas > Jackson County > Portrait and biographical album of Jackson, Jefferson and Pottawatomie Counties, Kansas : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens > Part 88
USA > Kansas > Jefferson County > Portrait and biographical album of Jackson, Jefferson and Pottawatomie Counties, Kansas : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens > Part 88
USA > Kansas > Pottawatomie County > Portrait and biographical album of Jackson, Jefferson and Pottawatomie Counties, Kansas : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens > Part 88

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mrs. Sarah A. (Burks) Wilson was born in - Marion County, Ky., and was the daughter of William Burks, also a native of that State. The latter was a farmer by occupation, and died in the prime of life. Sarah A. was the only child of her parents and was reared by her mother and step- father, the latter by name, John Smock. She was first married to James Beam of Kentucky, by whom she became the mother of two children ; Celia A., now Mrs. Jordan of Topeka, and William, who died in infancy. Her union with Mr. Wilson re- sulted in the birth of eight children, the eldest of whom was Samuel S., the subject of this sketch. Martha H. became the wife of a Mr. Jones, who at one time officiated as the surveyor of Jefferson County ; she is now living in Wabaunsee County. as is also her sister, Emily T., ( Mrs. Wilson). Molly, (Mrs. Townsend) is a resident of Topeka; Eliza D .. (Mrs. McEwen) and Josiah are deceased; the latter served in the 8th Kansas Infantry three years during the late war, and died at Grantville. John remains on the old homestead in Kaw Town- ship; Jenny was killed by lightning when about four years old.

Our subject was twice chosen Assessor of Kaw Township about the years of 1859 and 1862.

ILLIAM J. INGRAM. A personal and par- ental history of more than ordinary in- terest attaches itself to Mr. Ingram, who is one of the leading citizens of Grantville, .Jefferson County, engaged as a dealer in groceries and gen- eral merchandise. He was born near the city of Pittsburg, Pa , Oct. 24. 1854, and is the son of Arthur Ingram, likewise a native of Allegheny County, and who was born in 1823. Arthur Ingram. Sr., the paternal grandfather, was a native of Ire- land and a Protestant in religion. He was a sea- faring man and emigrated to America early in life. making his home in New York City, and occupied himself in cruising along the coast. During the Revolutionary War he was captured by a British man-of-war off the coast of New York, pressed in- to the service and held eleven years before being

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able to make his escape. He had a most remark- able experience, filled with thrilling scenes and hairbreadth escapes from danger and death, and was the hero of many an adventure which he de- tailed during his later years, frequently to a crowd of interested listeners. When somewhat advanced in life he left the sea and located on a farm in Al- legheny County, Pa., where he became well-to-do and spent his last days.

7 On the above-mentioned farm Arthur Ingram, Jr., the father of our subject, was reared from his boyhood days and chose agriculture for his voca- tion. When reaching man's estate he inherited a farm eight miles from the city of Pittsburg, but in 1849, at the age of twenty-six, he was seized with the California gold fever, and joined the ear- avan, emigrating to the Pacific coast. After reaching St. Joseph, Mo., he started across the plains with a mule team. It proved a perilous journey, during which he nearly perished from heat, thirst and other calamities, but he finally ar- rived at his destination and engaged in mining. This occupation was enlivened by occasional hunt- ing expeditions in which Mr. Ingram met with many thrilling adventures, among them upon one occasion a fight with a grizzly bear.

Upon this expedition Mr. Ingram went with a few others up the Sacramento River some sixty miles, where they encamped. Mr. Ingram one day started out alone, and when encountering the animal men- tioned, lowered his gun for defense before attempt- ing to shoot. The bear caught the gun and Mr. Ingrain's wrist in one mouthful, crushing the bones of the latter and would have severed the arm en- tirely had it not been for the gun. A small dog had followed him, and the intelligent creature be- gan biting at bruin's posterior, and then the bear turned his attention to the attack in the rear. This gave Mr. Ingram a chance to escape. The dog was saved.

The little animal had been ill-treated by its owner, who frequently teased it by throwing it in the water and inflicting upon it other indignities. Mr. Ingram had befriended the creature, feeding it and showing it kindness whenever it came in his way, and ever afterward it followed him. IIe, final- ly, sought the haunts of civilization, and return-

ing to, Pennsylvania settled on a farm where he lived until 1857. Then longing for a partial renewal, of the old seenes and adventures, he set out once more for the Golden State, this time accompanied by his family and making the trip via Panama. He engaged in farming for a short time on the Sacra- mento River, but in 1859 returned to the Keystone State, settling once more on the farm of 145 acres near Pittsburg, Allegheny County, which property is still in the possession of the family.

The elder Ingram rented the above-mentioned farm until 1867, and in the fall of that year set out once more for the West, coming to Leavenworth, this State, where he lived until the following spring. He then took up 170 acres of land adjoin- ing the present town of Grantville, which he improved and operated npon until 1873. Then returning to the Keystone State he sojourned there two years, making in the meantime two trips a year to Kansas to look after his property here. In 1877 he moved back to his farm in Kaw Township. In 1884 he made another trip to California, traveling nearly the length of the Pacific Coast. Notwith- standing the fact that usually "a rolling stone gathers no moss," the case of Mr. Ingram was an exceptional one, he becoming independent, finan- cially. In March, 1889, he started for Seattle, Wash., with a car load of horses, leaving his stock with one of bis sons who resides there. Having a desire to go to Alaska, he in the month of May, started up the coast on the steamer "Elder." One evening the party, feeling uncom- monly hilarious, voted that each one should tell a story, sing a song or treat the balance. They, no- ticing the condition of Mr. Ingram's hand, it being all out of shape, called upon him for the story, and it was subsequently written up by one of the party for a coast paper. Subsequently it was copied in a Leavenworth, (Kan.) daily paper. This by no means comprised the extent of the thrilling adven- tures with which the elder Ingram met in those times, as he had many another narrow escape from death: He landed at Juno, where he obtained a smaller craft and with a party of men journeyed ninety miles up the river. Thence they proceeded on foot for the mines, arriving at the Forty-Mile Creek mine, where they sojourned some weeks.

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Then Mr. Ingram joined a party of explorers, pur- posing to go np the Ucon and thence return to the post. Ile was then sixty six years old, the eldest of the party. The next was a man of fifty-six years and the other two were comparatively young men.

Proceeding up the river for about two hundred miles, the adventurers ran out of provisions and made their way to a river, supposing it be the Ucon, when it was really only a tributary. They lost their way and wandered about aimlessly, liv- ing on a few berries and willow-leaf tea. Mr. Ingram succumbed to starvation, suffering the agonies of a slow death and expiring Aug. 11, 1889. It was a most pitiful circumstance, he be- ing a man worth his thousands which he could not reach. The day following the death of Mr. Ingram one of the younger men in the party also died. The other two, by superhuman efforts, held out until being discovered by a tribe of In- dians who, although robbing them of everything of value they possessed, gave them food and di- rected them to the coast. They reached their des- tination in ninety-three days, and there told the melancholy story. The subject of this sketch met one of them not long afterward, and thus learned the story of his father's pitiable death. The sons of Mr. Ingram intend in the near future send- ing out an expedition to search for the fathi- er's remains and give them a proper burial. Ile was a liberal and public-spirited citizen, a man of promise and influence and a believer in the doc- trines of the Presbyterian Church.

Mrs. Mary ( Wible) Ingram, the mother of our subject, was born in Allegheny County. Pa., and was the daughter of Adam Wible, a well-to-do farmer who died there. Mrs. Ingram passed away in her native State two weeks after her return from California. The second of the six children com- prising the parental family is a son, Henry C., now a resident of Seattle. Wash .; Anna M. ( Mrs. Horning) is a resident of Topeka, this State; Nathaniel and his younger brother, James A., are also located at Seattle; Emma J. is the wife of Selwyn Frisby, of Grantville, Kan .; William J. was the first child in order of birth.

Mr. Ingram accompanied his parents to Califor-

nia when only a child, and thus has only a slight recollection of the trip. Subsequently he lived on the farm in Pennsylvania until thirteen years old, then came to Kansas with the family, and com- pleted his education in the common schools. Re- turning to Pennsylvania in 1873, he resumed charge of his father's farm upon which he remained until the fall of 1877. Then coming back to Kansas he. in the absence of his father, attended to the farming interests of the latter here until 1883. Taking up then his abode in Grantville, he operated a billiard hall until the spring of 1887. Going then into Barton County, he located in Hoisington and oper- ated a billiard hall for three or four months, then traded it off for real estate, of which he has now a building and several lots. We next find him back in Grantville, establishing himself in the grocery business, in which he has since been engaged very successfully, and in fact, is the leading merchant of the town. He occupies a store 20x54 feet, which is . well stocked with groceries and general merchan- dise, and he also has a neat residence and two lots in the town. He is the administrator of his fathi- er's estate of 170 acres in Jefferson County, and 145 acres in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Ingram contracted matrimonial ties Nov. 18, 1885, in Meriden, Kan., with Miss Grace Wil- liams. This lady is the daughter of Jules Wil- liams, a native of Wales, who emigrated with his parents to Canada when a lad of eight years. His father died soon afterward, and upon leaving Can- ada, in his youth, Mr. Williams went to Michigan and completed his education in Hillsdale College. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the Union Army, but his mother being greatly op- posed to his entering the service succeeded by the aid of the English Government, in securing his re- lease. He, however, being very desirous of "sol- diering," re-enlisted, and served at two different periods until the close of the war. Upon leaving the army he studied law and entered upon its prac- tice. In 1866 he came to Kansas, and for a time engaged in farming in Jefferson County. Finally he removed to Oskaloosa, where he resumed his profes- sion, and died in 1878. He was for two terms Probate Judge of Jefferson County.

Mrs. Lavina A. (Bates) Williams, the mother

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of Mrs. Ingram, was born in Chantauqua County, the State of New York, and was the daughter of Daniel Bates, likewise a native of the Empire State, and who farmed there during his younger years. Later he removed to Pennsylvania and from there to Kansas. He gave to his daughter Lavina A., a good education, she completing her studies in Hillsdale College, Mich. After the death of her husband she engaged in teaching, which oc- cupation she is now following in Cloud County, this State. She is a lady greatly respected, and a mem- ber in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Of her children, five in number, Grace, Mrs. Ing- ram is the eldest; Vesta, is teaching near Valley Falls, Kan .; Ivan W., is attending school in Del- phos; Alice is also attending school at Delphos; Nel- lie died at the age of five years.

Mrs. Ingram was born in Jefferson County, this State, and proseented her studies at the schools of Oskaloosa and in the State Normal school at Emporia, being in the latter institution nearly two years. She began teaching at the age of seventeen, and was thus occupied two years. Of her union with our subject there is one child, a son, Charles A. Mr. Ingram is a Democrat, politically, and has been Township Clerk three terms. Mrs. Ingram is prominently connected with the Methodist Episco- pal Church.

The father of Mr. Ingram contracted a second marriage in 1861; the second wife died Sept. 21, 1869. Her name was Nancy B. Morton; the last four children named above were of this latter mar- riage.

R RANK LAFONTAIN. Jefferson County contains few, if any, citizens who with no capital on which to begin in business have been more prosperous than the gentleman above- named, who is now living in case and comfort in Valley Falls, retired from active pursuits, and en- joying a merited repose after many years of busy and toilsome life.

The birth of our subject took place in Lorraine, France, April 15, 1838, and he is a son of Albert Lafontain. now deceased, who was a native of the same department. He attended the college in Treves, in Rhenish Prussia, and when a young man joined the engineer corps of the French army, which he accompanied to Africa, remaining there two years, and during that period fighting against the Arabs. He then joined the Prussian army, in which he served a year, following his army exper- ience by traveling throughout Germany, Russia, France and other European countries. For two years he resided in Brussels, Belgium, whence, in 1861, he came to the United States.

Mr. Lafontain lived in New York City a few years, and thence went to Ohio, deciding upon Pickaway County as his place of settlement, After a sojourn of eighteen months, he took his departure to the Wabash Valley, Ind., and thence to Illinois, and later ran flatboats on the Mississippi to New Orleans, and was also on a steamboat for a time. He returned again to Indiana, and in 1876 came to Valley Falls, where he has since lived. He owns two business houses and two residences beside that which he occupies, the latter being an especially fine place, one of its notable features being a well- kept grape arbor.

. Mr. Lafontain is a charter member of the Turner Society of Valley Falls, and its Treasurer; for four terms he held the position of Speaker: The organization is a social and benevolent one, allow- ing no dissipation or drunkeness among its members, although they drink stimulants in moderation. The society in Valley Falls was founded Nov. 20, 1880, the first meeting being held in the blacksmith shop of Jacob Shoemaker. They now have an opera house and grounds, the latter beautified with various kinds of trees, and the former as fine a building of the kind and size as there is in the State. Mr. Lafontain was a K. of P. until the so- ciety in Valley Falls disbanded. In politics, he is a Democrat. In 1877 he made an excursion to California, returning the same year quite satisfied to retain his residence in Kansas. A jolly, whole. souled gentleman, whose travels have given him a large fund of observation from which to draw entertainment, he has many friends. The lady who

Caroline Kans

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presides over his beautiful home bore the maiden name of Victoria Seiter, and their wedding cere- mony took place in June, 1874. They have never had any children.

G EORGE KARNS. One of the most beauti- ful farms in Jefferson Township, Jackson County, is owned and operated by the sub- ject of this notice, who is considered, individually, one of its finest men. There are few who are so universally popular, and few who possess those generous traits of character which enable them to meet all in that courteous and agreeable manner which at once establishes them in the esteem and confidence of their fellow-men. The farm prop- erty of Mr. Karns comprises 882 acres, and is pleas- antly located on section 5,- Jefferson Township, of which he has been a resident since 1866.

Morrow County, Ohio, was the early tramping ground of our subject, and there his birth took place, in 1843. He was reared by his paternal grandfather, James Karns, with whom he lived until the outbreak of the Civil War. He then en- listed as a Union soldier in the 3d Ohio Infantry, June 15, 1861, and participated in the battles of Rich Mountain, Va., Perryville, Ky., Murfrees- boro, Tenn., Middle Fork, Bowling Green, Ky., and Huntsville, Ala. While under command of Col. Straight, he was captured, with the entire com- mand of 1,352 men at Rome, Ga., and held a pris- oner until the following June. Then, being paroled, he returned home, but subsequently went back to his regiment, serving until receiving his hon- orable discharge. Later, he was in the Merrello Horse Brigade, which pursued the raider, Price.

After leaving the army, Mr. Karns went to In- diana, and the following year came to Kansas, locating in Jackson County, and oceupying him- self as a carpenter two years. He then purchased 180 acres of land. from which he improved his present farm, whereon he has erected modern buildings, constructing one of the most desirable homes in the county. He was married after com- ing to Kansas, Jan. 23, 1868, at the bride's home,

in Westfield Township, to Miss Caroline Kehr- wecker, a native of Cardington, Ohio, and there have been born to them ten children, two of whom are deceased. The eldest, Mary Frances, is the wife of Charles Hubbard, of Nemaha County, this State; the others are: John W., Anna Belle, Al- bert Clay, Maude M., Sarah C., William E., Lizzie Ella (deceased ), Carrie, and an infant boy un- named, deceased. Mr. Karns takes an active in- terest in the success of Republican principles, and has served as Justice of the Peace. He has been identified with the Masonic fraternity for a period of twenty-four years. He is also a member in good standing of Graham Post, No. 167, G. A. R., at Whitmore. He has been more than ordinarily successful as a tiller of the soil, and possesses a genuine affection for his adopted State. He is a self-made man in the broadest sense of the word, having commenced the battle of life for himself when a lad of thirteen years without the advantage of education, and without aid from any source. He is now numbered among the leading citizens in his community.

Among the portraits of representative citizens of Jackson County, we are pleased to present those of Mr. Karns and his excellent wife.

M ARSHALL RECKARDS. No more pleas- ant and hospitable home can be found in the State of Kansas than that occupied by the above-named gentleman, who is one of the largest land owners in Jefferson County as well as one of its most prominent citizens. Ilis landed estate comprises 965 acres and is one of the best improved tracts of land in this section of country. Mr. Reckards is extensively engaged in cattle rais- ing, and he also carries on general farming.

Our subject was born in Turner, Me., Oct. 24, 1829, and until he was eighteen years of age was reared on a farm, receiving good advantages first in the common schools and then in the High School at Turner. Upon leaving the farm and the paternal roof he engaged as section foreman on the Grand Trunk Railroad, and after working for that line

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for several years, drifted into contracting and building railroads, and in 1852 went to Kentucky and prosecuted the work in that State until 1857. The following five years were spent by him en- gaged on the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad, and he then spent a few years in Illinois in railroad contracting.

In the fall of 1865 Mr. Reckards came to Kansas City, and became Roadmaster of the Kansas Pacific Railroad, which position he held for seven years, during which time he superintended the track-lay- ing from Lawrence to Junction City, a distance of 100 miles. In the meantime he had purchased abont 200 acres of land in this county from the Union Pacific, and locating on it in 1872, he oper- ated the farm for about two years. He then, in March, 1874, went to the Pacific Coast, and for about five years acted as Roadmaster for the Cen- tral Pacific and superintended the change of grade, being located at San Francisco, Sacramento, Wheat- land, and Truckee at various periods during those years.

Some financial matters connected with his prop- erty here brought Mr. Reckards back to this State in 1878, and he located upon his farm, where he has since made valuable improvements. He has erected a commodious and tasty dwelling, and windmill, adequate barns, sheds and other outbuild- ings, uses a geared hay-fork, and other labor-saving machin ry, and keeps thoroughly abreast of the times in everything pertaining to the management of his estate. In one of his fields he has a lake twelve feet deep and the water is led by a pipe into a tank which is kept full by means of a float- valve. The farm is abundantly supplied with run- ning water from Rock Creek, and 200 acres are of the bottom land with its fertile and inexhaustible soil; 160 acres are devoted to tame pasture, there are two different feed lots, and a large number of acres are devoted to orchards and groves. The maple trees are especially fine and were raised by Mr. Reckards from seed. Of the land which forms the estate, 160 acres are situated on section 24, 200 on section 36, and the balance is comprised in section 35. Mr. Reckards raises cattle and hogs, shipping his own stock to four States, sending out four car-loads of hogs and 225 head of cattle per

year; and also feeds extensively, shipping six or eight car-loads of fed stock per year. He likewise deals somewhat in horses and keeps four teams constantly employed in operating the farm.

The marriage of Mr. Reckards took place at Apple- ton, Wis., Oct. 26, 1863, the bride being Miss Martha S., daughter of Milner and Jane (Rork) Murphy. Mrs. Reckards was born in Clintonville, N. Y., Oct. 14, 1844, and went to Wisconsin. There she was reared and educated and began teaching at the age of fourteen years. She attended Lawrence Uni- versity at Appleton for two years.

She began teaching at the age of fourteen years and followed that profession until 1861, when she went to Girard County, Pa .. and spent two years at the home of an aunt there. She then returned to Wisconsin, and not long after became the wife of our subject. She has borne her husband three children: Robert P., who was graduated from Washburn College, Topeka, after having completed both the business and English course, is now em- ployed in the Bank of Topeka, at Topeka, Kan. Edwin N. has attended both Baldwin University and Washburn College and at this writing is with his parents. Virgil is still an inmate of the paternal home.

Milner Murphy, the father of Mrs. Reckards, was born in Ireland, and was a son of Edwin Mur- phy ; he was well educated and sailed around the world in a merchant vessel, finally landing in New York, and locating in Clintonville as Super- intendent of the Iron Mills. There he died in 1852, after a prosperous life of fifty years. He belonged to the Episcopal Church. His widow moved to Outagamie County, Wis., in 1854, and located on a farm which she improved and man- aged for a number of years, rearing her family to useful and cultured manhood and womanhood. Her death occurred at the residence of our subject in February 1889, when she had reached the age of seventy-six years. She was an honored member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She was born in New York State and was a daughter of Edwin Rork, a native of the Emerald Isle, and Superintendent of a woolen factory at Keysville, N.Y., where he (lied. Mrs. Edwin Rork bore the maiden name of Isabelle Gibson, and was also a native of the Land

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of the Shamrock. She died at the home of her son, in Pecatonica, Ill.

Mrs. Reckards is the fifth in a family of seven children: Mary, who is now dead, was the wife of Rev. William Willards; Mrs. Emma Watson lives in Portland, Ore .; Samuel, whose death took place in this county, became a member of a Wisconsin Regiment in 1863 and served until the close of the war under the command of Gen. Thomas. Robert enlisted in 1862 in the 3d Wisconsin Infantry and was one of Blunt's body guard; while going from Ft. Scott to Ft. Smith they were surrounded by Quantrell's gang and he was shot dead. Isabell is the wife of W. H. Johnson, and lives in Topeka. Milner died in this county.

The gentleman of whom we write is a grandson of Salmon Reckards, who was born in Massachu- setts, and who when sixteen years of age attempted to join the Revolutionary army but was refused on account of his youth. He removed to Maine where le engaged in farming, and where he died at the advanced age of ninety-six years. When seventy. five years old he was still able to do a man's work in the field. He belonged to the Baptist Church for many years. His son, Salmon, father of our subject, was born in Bridgewater, Mass., and was twelve years old when his father moved to Maine, where he prosecuted a similar employment, carry- ing on his farm labors on quite an extensive scale at the old homestead. In the year 1866, when sixty-five years old, he met his death from injuries received by a fall from a scaffold in a barn. He was a worthy member of the Universalist Church. He had married Miss Janet Jones, who was born in Turner, Oxford Co., Me., and whose father was a farmer who died of old age. Mrs. Janet Reck- ards died in Auburn, Me., at the age of seventy . seven years. To herself and husband eleven children had been born, all of whom grew up but two. Salmon, the third born, and Stella, the sev- enth, died in infancy; Thomas is now deceased; Morris is living in Turner, Me .; our subject is the fourth on the family roll; Leonard was killed in California on a snow train; Philo gave his life for his country, dying during the Civil War; Julia, now Mrs. Lowring, lives in Turner, Me .; Edson served three months in a Maine regiment during

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Portrait and biographical album of Jackson, Jefferson and Pottawatomie Counties, Kansas : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, Part 88

Author: Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros. Number of Pages: 788

Author:
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Bros.
Number of Pages: 788