USA > Kansas > Marshall County > Portrait and biographical album of Marshall County, Kansas : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 44
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96
Solomon Shepard. the father of Merrill S., was a native of Westfield. Mass. Ilere he married Miss Harriet Dewey, and their union was blessed with seven children. Mr. Shepard was a whip manfac- turer of his native city, and always made his home there. In politics Merrill S. Shepard belongs to the Republican party.
LFRED M. JUDSON is one of the prominent business men of Marysville, where he is engaged in the hardware business. His store is located on Broadway, between Sev - enth and Eighth streets, where he carries a complete stock of heavy and shelf hardware, and also a full line of queensware, and where he has built up a fine trade.
Alfred Judson, father of our subject, was born in New Woodstock, Conn., in 1800. He moved to Schenectady, N. Y., where he learned the tailor's trade. He subsequently went to Detroit, Mich .. and from there accompanied a party to Pontiac and Saginaw. He returned and located in 1882 in Pontiac, where he was successfully engaged in the tailoring business. There he married Miss Lonisa Bartlett. To them were born twelve chil- dren, all of whom survive except a son, James, who died in Galesburg. Ill., aged thirty-three years. Of the surviving children Louisa was gradnated with honor at Galesburg, and married the Rev. Justus Doolittle, of China, where they lived for fourteen years. They are now residing in Prince- ton, N. J .; Orson is a wealthy business man of Galesburg, where he has occupied the same block for twenty-nine years; Charles is engaged in the
grocery trade in Des Arc, Ark .; Sarah ; Roxy is the wife of J. D. Fields, hardware dealer in Topeka, Kan .; Philander, a successful general merchant and banker in Hamlin, Kan .; Frank, traveling agent for a house in Omaha. Neb. ; Elizabeth, now Mrs. M. D. Osman, living on the old homestead; Maria, wife L. J. Smith, insurance agent at Wacoma, Iowa; Junins, who has for ten years been a missionary in China, is now located in Shang-Elai. teaching arts and sciences, having successfully opened up a new field of study for the Chinese; and our subject.
Alfred M. Jndson was born in Pontiac, Mich., Dec. 25. 1843, and in the home of his birth received a good education and was reared to years of man- hood. Then he became interested in the great national conflict, and as soon as possible enlisted, Jan. 4, 1864, at Galesburg, Ill., in the 77th Illinois Infantry, and was assigned to Company A. His reigment formed a part of the 13th Army Corps and the 4th Division, Gen. Gordon Granger, Corps Commander. Our subject took part with his regi- ment in many prominent engagements, and among them the siege of Vicksburg, and Island No. 10, down the Mississippi to and around New Orleans. He accompanied the disastrous expedition to the Red River. and was present during the bombard- ment of Ft. Morgan and Ft. Gaines, at the entrance of Mobile Bay, and when Admiral Farragut passed between Ft. Morgan and Ft. Gaines; he was also at Whistler at the time of the great explosion of pow- der, when forty tons exploded near him at Mobile He formed part of a detachment which was sent toward Richmond, marching across the country and driving gunboats and blockade-runners npon the Tombigby River. At the surrender of Lee's army. the 77th and companions took gunboats and returned to Mobile, going again into camp at Whistler. The 130th Infantry disbanded after be- ing nearly annihilated on the the Red River expe- dition, and its Colonel, I. N. Reed, not wishing to go home withont a command, obtained permission of commanders of different regiments to take all their men who had enlisted after a certain date to recruit his own regiment. The soldiers knew noth- ing but obedience, and remained for two months after their companions were discharged, the War Department knowing nothing of such a regiment.
369
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM.
When the state of affairs became known to the De- partment the men were discharged, the act tak- ing place at New Orleans, Aug. 15, 1865. Our subject returned to Springfield., Ill., and to his home at Galesburg. With the money which he had saved he went through Eastman's Business College. after which he went to Wataga, Ill. There he learned the tinner's trade. After sixteen months' stay he returned to Galesburg, and entered the railroad shops to increase his general knowledge. He then went to St. Louis and worked for a firm, Mederinghouse & Co .. now the Excelsior Manu- facturing Company. He subsequently went to Des Are, Ark., and engaged with his brother Frank in trade. The business not being sufficiently large to need the attention of both, our subject sold out and went to Memphis, Tenn., where he engaged with Long & Dusch. He subsequently went to Batesville, Miss., and opened up business. He had been there but six months when, learning of the illness of his mother,he closed out and returned to Pontiac. Mich., which he reached five days after her death. He then went to Galesburg for a short sojourn, and then on to the West. looking over various places. He had freiglit loaded for Wichita, Kan .; bought and doubled his money in ten days at Chicago, and worked at his trade in Ft. Scott. lle finally went to Centralia, Nemaha County, and entered into business in the year 1870.
In Centralia, Mr. Judson was married to Miss Henrietta D. Rogers, to whom were born two chil- dren. a daughter, Effie, and a son, Charles H. Mrs. Judson died in 1877, three and a half years after her marriage. Charles H. died Aug. 21, 1877, at the age of one year; Effie is at home and is receiv- ing all the advantages of a good education.
Mr. Judson has been very successful in business in Nemaha County, and was the pioneer in the barb wire trade. In 1873 he bought his first in- stallment, 230 pounds, paying $15 per hundred and selling for $18. It now sells for $3.60 per hundred. Mr. Judson had the entire trade in the county for several years. In the fall of 1879 he was able to sell out to advantage, and afterward spent about a year with his family in Colorado, New York, Ohio. Michigan and other States, in recreation. In 1880 he came to this county and established himself in
his present business. June 14, 1879, our subject married again, the bride being Margaret E. Dunn.
Mrs. Margaret E. Judson was born in Linden, C'attaraugus Co., N. Y., Ang. 8, 1847, and was reared in that county. Iler parents, William and Agnes (Steveson) Dunn, were born in Sterling, Scotland. They removed to New York State, where the father lived until his death, and the mother still survives, residing in Linden, N. Y., at the age of eighty years.
Mr. Judson has no political aspirations. He votes as he fought, in defense of what his judgment decrees to be for the best interests of his county. He is a member of the Masonic order. of the A. O. U. W., Select Knights, and with his wife of Degree of Honor. He was one of the committee who located the Episcopal church of Marysville where it now stands. He is a man of more than ordinary intelligence and business ability, a trustworthy citizen. and an honorable, upright man, and their home is the resort of the elite of the city.
Our subject possesses one of the finest cabinets of Chinese curios to be seen in the West. It was collected by his brother Junius, and consists of many rare and exceedingly valuable specimens. It is fortunately in the hands of a man who is willing to impart all the knowledge he can of the habits and customs of the Chinese, a people so long dis- pised by European and American civilization, but whose attainments are becoming known and prog- ress hastened through missionary labors.
AMES BIRD WILSON, proprietor of the principal livery, sale and feed stable in Frankfort, is located on Main Street, south of the railroad, where he carries on a flour- ishing business. being the best patronized livery- man in the city. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania. His paternal great-grandfather served during the Revolutionary War. His mother was of Irish descent, her parents having come to America from Antrim.
Our subject was born in Newmarket, Ohio, March 17, 1847. In his second year his parents removed
370
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM.
to Keokuk, Iowa. The father afterward followed farming in Wayne County, Iowa, and still later en- gaged in the mercantile business in Corydon, this being during the years 1856-57. In 1858 the family removed to Kansas, settling about seven miles southwest of Frankfort, where the father died in January, 1865. The mother survived nntil Jan. 20, 1888. The parental family consisted of seven children, viz .: Nancy J., William H., Margaret, Grace, John D., Daniel C., and James Bird. Nancy J. died when about sixteen. William is now at Guthrie, Oklahoma, and is correspondent of the Kansas City Times; he has been married twice: His first wife was Emily Griffiths, who was the mother of eight children, and died in 1875; his second wife was Emma Snow, who has borne him two children. Margaret died when about sixteen. Grace was the wife of William Jackson, who is now County Clerk of Wayne County, Iowa; she died in Frankfort, in 1881, at the age of forty-seven, leav- ing two living children. John D. died in Concor- dia, Kan., Oct. 10, 1885; he married Maggie Bland, and left two children; he had been Deputy Sheriff and Sheriff of Cloud County, Kan., for fourteen years. Daniel C. was the proprietor of the Wilson House at Concordia, Kan., where he died Oct. 10, 1887, leaving a widow and four children.
Our subject remained under the parental roof until seventeen years of age, and was the recipient of a good common-school education. He began work for himself as a renter of a part of the home farm. In September, 1880, he removed to Frankfort, and buying out Lon Martin, embarked in the butch- ering business. in which he continued a year. He then ran a hack to Marysville, and also engaged in the livery business. buying out Miller & Adkins. In the latter business he has continued ever since.
Mr. Wilson was married, Dee. 11, 1872, to Adilla Pickett, who was a native of Champaign County, Ill. ller parents, W. M. and Melissa Pickett, are natives of Ohio.
Our subject is a member of Vermillion Lodge. No. 110 I. O. O. F., in which he has filled the position of Vice-Grand. In politics he is an Inde- pendent Republican. lle was Constable of Vermil- lion Township for a period of five years. Both he and his wife are consistent members of the Method-
ist Episcopal Church. Mr. Wilson is a shrewd and energetic business man, a popular and enterprising citizen, and with his wife has the respeet of the community in which they reside.
OHN H. HONE. The subject of this notice bears the distinction of being one of the carliest settlers in this county, locating when a young man in Noble Township, at a time when few persons had ventured within its limits. He was practically without means, but nature had endowed him with the qualities of reso- lution and perseverance in a marked degree. These, coupled with his habits of industry, enabled him to carry out his desire of becoming a man among men, and seeuring a competency for his old age. He is now numbered among the leading farmers of Noble Township, is the owner of 250 acres of im- proved land, and by his upright life has established himself in the esteem and confidence of Lis neigli- bors. Ile was especially fortunate in the selection of a life partner. Mrs. HIone having been the able assistant of her husband in all his worthy under- takings. and stimulating him to his best efforts. Now, sitting under their own vine and fig tree. they can look back with satisfaction over well-spent lives and enjoy the fruits of their early toils and sacrifices.
The family history of our subject is in its main points as follows: His father, James Hone, was a native of Hocking County, Ohio, in which State the paternal grandfather, llenry Hone. was also born, and practically grew up with the country. The latter became one of the leading farmers of Ilocking County, in which he settled at an early day, and where he became well-to-do. James was reared to farming pursuits, and at an early age chose these for his vocation in life. Upon reach- ing man's estate, he became the owner of a fine tract of land, which he cleared from the forest, making a farm of 180 acres, upon which he resided until his death. In the meantime, during the pro- gress of the Civil War, he, in 1863, at the age of
371
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM.
forty-four years, enlisted with the 100-days' men. They were sent to Washington, where Mr. Hone was taken ill and died. Politically, he was a mem- ber of the Republican party.
The mother of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Mary A. Strawn. She also was a native of llocking County, Ohio, and the daughter of John Strawn. a prominent farmer of that section. She is still living on the old homestead, and is sixty- four years old. She belongs to the United Breth- ren Church. Our subject was the eldest of the thirteen children born to his parents. The next child, Safety M .. together with the eldest daughter, Rebecca, are residents of Hocking County, Ohio. Amy E. lives in Frankfort, this county; Mary A. and Eliza J. reside in Fayette County, Ohio; Ruth A. is in Hoeking County, that State; Lizzie C. lives in Davis County, Mo .; Catherine M. is at home with her mother; Alice A. died when an interest- ing young lady of eighteen years; Harriet A. lives in Fayette County, Ohio; Deborah died in infancy, and James B. remains with his mother.
The subject of this sketch was born near Logan, Hoeking Co., Ohio. Aug. 1, 1845, was reared upon a farm and received the advantages of the com- mon school. He was at an early age required to make himself useful about the homestead, plowing as soon as he could drive a team. He was eighteen years old at the time of his father's death. and as- sumed charge of the farm, which he operated suc- cessfully until 1871. When reaching his majority, he started on his own account, still continuing on the farm until he could make arrangements to es- tablish a home of his own. With this end in view, he was married, March 18, 1869. to Miss Lucy Williams, a maiden of his own township, and born Dee. 9, 1848. (The parental history of Mrs. Hone will be found in the sketch of her brother, E. C. Williams, on another page of this volume.)
Mr. Hone, in the fall of 1871, decided to seek his fortunes west of the Mississippi. He came by rail to this county, and located on his present farm, which was then a tract of wild land, and for which he paid $7.50 per acre. He put up a small house 16x18 feet, and after getting in his first sea- son's crops, proceeded with further improvements as rapidly as possible. He set out fruit and forest
trees, fenced his fields, and six years later pur- chased forty acres adjoining at $6.50 an acre. He brought 120 acres to a good state of cultivation. and in 1884 added to his landed possessions by the purchase of 160 acres of land adjoining at $15 per acre. Of this amount, 100 acres are under the plow, a substantial dwelling has been erected, and the other buildings added, as required. The farm is now considered one of the best in this part of the State, ad mirably adapted to stock-raising. Mr. Hone keeps about fifty head of cattle. a herd of Poland-China swine and graded Norman horses, of which he has about ten head, and utilizes two teams in his farm operations. He has always main- tained a warm interest in the agricultural resources of this county, and is a member of the Vermillion Live Stock Association.
Mr. and Mrs. Hone have not been blest with children of their own. but some years since adopted a boy, Albert Marble, who was born in Noble Township in 1874, and who still remains with them. Mr. Hone, politically, is a straight Republican, and both he and his wife are members in good stand- ing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Vermil- lion. Mr. Ilone was a member of the building committee, and has officiated as Steward and Trustee. He has been School Treasurer of his dis- trict three years, and was Road Supervisor two years.
IIITE BROS. This firm consists of F. W. & E. D. White, sons of E. D. White, Sr., the latter being a resident of Gaines, N. Y. These young men occupy a fine store on Broadway, where they have an extensive stock of groceries and queensware. They are thorough business men, all their energies being devoted to the promotion of their interests in that line. and as they are endowed with more than ordinary ability, their business is in a highly prosperous condition.
E. D. White, Sr., was a native of Vermont, but moved to New York at an early age, and there married Miss Eliza Beardsley. Mr. White died at the early age of thirty six years, before the birth
372
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM.
of E. D., Jr. F. W. was also born at Gaines, N. Y., Aug. 13, 1852. and the younger brother, Jan. 4, 1855. There is an older son. H. C. White, who is a resident of the old home in New York. When the children were quite young the mother removed to Flint, Mich., where the younger days of the boys were passed, and at the High School of that place they received their edneation.
F. W. White then became a dry-goods clerk, and the youngest son entered a jewelry store. Flint, Mich., was their home until the year 1880, when they engaged in business in Marysville, where they have made a fine reputation for themselves, both in a business and social way. The order, Knights of Pythias, claims one of the brothers as a mem- ber, and F. W. White is a communicant of the Episcopal Church. Neither of the brothers has any predilection for polities, but both belong to the Democratic party.
EWITT C. GRIFFIS. The present status of Clear Fork Township indicates in a for- cible manner the character of its early pio- neers, among whom may be properly men- tioned the one with whose name we introduce this sketch. He came to Northern Kansas when comparatively few settlers had ventured into this region, having determined to cast his lot among those adventurous spirits who felt themselves equal to the task of transforming a portion of the wilder- ness into an abiding place for themselves and their families. The industry with which he labored, and the perseverance with which he overcame the difficulties which beset him and others, are now things of the past, and with them he feels amply repaid for those toils and sacrifices. Few men came to this region with other capital than their strong hands and vigorous constitutions, and these qualities proved to them at such a time of more real value than hard cash.
The State of Ohio contributed to Northern Kansas, one of her most worthy sons in the subject of this sketch, who was born in Butler County, Sept. 21, 1845. His parents were David and Lydia
(Parkhurst) Griffis, likewise natives of the Buckeye State. The paternal grandfather, David Griffis, was one of the earliest settlers of Butler County, choosing his location on the Miami River. He was the son of David, Sr., an old Revolutionary hero who followed the fortunes of the Colonists from the beginning of the war for independence until its elose. He was a blacksmith by trade, and one of those hardy spirits who never knew fear and seldom knew fatigue. DeWitt C. is the possessor of a number of knives and forks which were made by his great-grandfather Griffis, during the winter which he spent at Valley Forge under the direct command of Gen. Washington. He was of Welsh descent, and after the independence of the Colo- nists had been established he emigrated to the Territory of Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying at the advanced age of ninety years. His ancestors on the maternal side were of French extraction.
The subject of this sketch remained a resident of his native State until a lad of eleven years, then removed with his parents to Indiana. They only sojourned there a year, however, then pushed on Westward across the Father of Waters into Wayne County, Iowa, taking up a traet of wild land and prosecuting farming a number of years. In the meantime the mother died, when DeWitt C. was a lad of fourteen. The boy was deprived of the ad- vantages accorded the youth of to-day, but his natural faculty of thought and observation, and his habit of reading whenever the opportunity per- mitted, were the means of his gathering much use- ful information, and when arriving at manhood he was well fitted, both by nature and training, to enter upon the more serions duties of life.
In the fall of 1863 the Griffis family, leaving the Hawkeye State, came to this county, establish- ing themselves on a traet of land in Blue Rapids Township, where the death of the father took place in 1877. DeWitt C. was a youth of nineteen years when the family came to this county, and when reaching his majority he began farming on his own account. Ile purchased 160 acres of land from the railroad company, paying therefor $4.75 per acre, this comprising the quarter-section upon which he still lives. The land was in its original condition,
T. Naturson
375
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM.
just as the Indians had left it, not a furrow having been turned upon it. His first business was the erection of a shelter for himself, and he then com- menced breaking the sod. Year after year he steadily pursued his labors, adding something each year to the value of his possessions, extending the area of cultivated soil, erecting buildings, planting fruit and shade trees, and instituting the other im- provements naturally suggested to the mind of the progressive agriculturist.
Mr. Griffis in 1870 took to himself a wife and helpmate, Miss Chloe, daughter of David Woodin, who, with his son Ira, subsequently founded the town of Seattle, Wash. Mrs. Griffis came to this county with Joseph Langdon, when quite young, and was reared in his family. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Griffis two children-Oscar and So- phia. Mrs. Grithis departed this life in August, 1885. Mr. Griffis contracted a second marriage, July 12, 1887, with Miss Florence MeDermott, who likewise settled in this county during its pioneer days; they have one son, Benjamin H.
Mr. Griffis, politically, votes the straight Repub- liean ticket, and he and his wife are members in good standing of the Christian Church at Bigelow. Mr. Gritfis has always believed in the establishment and maintenance of schools, and has served as a Director in his district. He bears the reputation of being a liberal and public-spirited man-one who uniformly gives his aid and influence to the projects calculated to advance the people, socially. morally, and financially. As one of the earliest pioneers, he is prominent in the Okl Settlers' Association, and is usually present at their very interesting annual meetings.
HOMAS W. WATERSON was a few months since regarded as the oldest wliite settler in Kansas, but he too has now passed to his last long rest, and is numbered with the great ma- jority who "were, but are not." He died Sept. 5, 1889, mourned by his friends, and sinking peace- fully into the arms of death. At the time of his arrival in Kansas in 1854 he found only a few
Government officials, Mr. Smallwood, father of Secretary of State Smallwood, having come the day before. Mr. Smallwood is now dead and ex- tensive inquiry fails to reveal any now living, who were settlers prior to our subject. He was there- fore closely identified with the growth of North- eastern Kansas, and his biography in many particulars is a history of this part of the State.
Mr. Waterson was born Feb. 15, 1811, in what is now Perry County, Pa., but was at that time a part of Cumberland County. He lost his mother when he was only three years old. His father re- mained in that county until 1827, when he re- moved to Hamilton County, Ohio, living in or near Cincinnati, and at one time near Hamilton City, Butler County. Our subject was early thrown on his own resources, but succeeded in get- ting a good practical education, by working in the summer to make the money necessary to pay tui- tion, and in the winter working for his board while attending school. IIe settled upon a farm in But- ler County, and there resided until coming to Kan- sas. As before mentioned, he came to Kansas in 1854, settling with his family in Doniphan County. On the 6th day of May, that year, he made a pre- emption claim by driving a clapboard in the ground and writing his name upon it, and laying the foun- dation of a home by crossing four poles. He built a log cabin, covering it with clapboards, and dur- ing the spring and summer of his first three years' sojourn in Kansas, brought 100 acres of prairie under cultivation without hiring a day's work. ITe devoted his land to the raising of the great staples. wheat, corn and oats, and cultivated an abundance of garden vegetables. When he first located in Kansas, Indians were plentiful, many of them be- ing treacherous and hostile, but our subject had no personal trouble with them. In 1855 he proved up on his place, of which he continued a resident until 1857. He then removed to Iowa Point, where he engaged in the mercantile business.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.