Portrait and biographical album of Washington, Clay and Riley counties, Kansas, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent citizens together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of the state, Part 150

Author:
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman Brothers
Number of Pages: 1258

USA > Kansas > Clay County > Portrait and biographical album of Washington, Clay and Riley counties, Kansas, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent citizens together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of the state > Part 150
USA > Kansas > Riley County > Portrait and biographical album of Washington, Clay and Riley counties, Kansas, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent citizens together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of the state > Part 150
USA > Kansas > Washington County > Portrait and biographical album of Washington, Clay and Riley counties, Kansas, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent citizens together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of the state > Part 150

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).

until fully acquainted with the details of the pro- fession. He is a staneh Republican, politically, and socially, belongs to the A. F. & A. M. He is like- wise identified with Lodge No. 29, F. & A. M., at Washington, this State.

The marriage of our subject with Miss Rosa Robinson, of Atchison, Kan., was celebrated at the bride's home in that place Nov. 7, 1880. Mrs. Cairns was born in Livingston County, Ill., Aug. 22, 1860, and is the daughter of John M. and Minerva S. (Weider) Robinson, who are now deceased. The snug home of Mr. and Mrs. Cairns has been bright- ened by the birth of two children-Floyd and Cora. Since the above was written our subject has sold his drug-store, and contemplates completing his medical education.

G EORGE A. ATWOOD, editor of the Daily and Weekly Republican, of Manhattan, has been a resident of the State since 1872. He was born in Windsor County, Vt., in 1840. He comes on both sides of the house of old native American stock, his paternal aneestors having been for generations residents of Massachusetts, whence his grandfather, Ebenezer Atwood, emigrated to the Green Mountain State. His great-grandfather was an officer in the Continental Army during the Revolution. The grandmother of our subject was Elizabeth Hammond, of a noted family in Massa- chusetts, and who in the earlier days was closely related to William Penn.

One of the Hammond family finally went South, and from him was descended the well-known Sen- ator Hammond of Georgia. This family was by intermarriage connected with many of our historie names, Samuel Adams, of Revolutionary fame, being one. The grandparents of our subject, both of whom died in Vermont, had a numerous family, all of whom, with one exception, are now deceased, that one being a son, George H., and he is the father of George A .. of whom we write.

George H. Atwood was born in Windsor County, Vt., in 1810. Upon reaching manhood he followed the occupation of a farmer in his native county for many years, and became noted as a breeder of

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a fine grade of sheep, which were widely known as "Atwood Merinos." Later in life he removed to Malone, Franklin Co., N. Y., where he now lives. In his native State he was twice elected to the Legislature, and received the largest majority of any Republican ever elected in his township. He had also been chosen to other positions of trust and responsibility. He was a man of irreproachable character, of a kind and generous disposition, and one who always made many warm friends.

The father of our subject was married in Ver- mont to Miss Mary Culver, a native of Malone, N. Y., and born in 1808 of a family well-known throughout that region. She died in 1872. This worthy couple became the parents of five sons and five daughters, all of whom are yet living save one, Elizabeth Hammond, who became the wife of P. P. Paddock, of Malone, N. Y., where she died. All the sons were Volunteers in the Union army dur- ing the Rebellion. The eldest daughter, Emma C'., is the wife of the Rev. William Campbell, a Pres- byterian minister of Manhattan; William Penn is a painter and decorator of Malone, N. Y .; George A., the subject of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Samuel is a resident of North Easton, Mass. ; formerly he was for many years a resident of this State, and the Attorney of Ellsworth County; Benjamin H. is farming in that county ; Isaac P. is prosecuting agriculture in Arkansas; Mary is the wife of George C. Adkins, a merchant of Boston, Mass .; Caroline Ward married a Mr. Parlin, who is engaged in the real-estate business at St. Paul, Minn .; Addie G. is the wife of Mr. Ander- son, who is engaged as a tanner in Rochester, N. Y.

The subject of this sketch made his home in Vermont until a man of twenty-five years. After leaving the common school he was prepared for college in the celebrated Kimball Union Academy, at Meriden, N. H., but in 1862, he abandoned his studies to enlist in the Union army, becoming a member of Company B, 12th Vermont Infantry, which was attached to the 9th Army Corps. His last service was on the historic field of Gettysburg. his term of enlistment expiring on the last day of that great battle, July 4, 1863. On the day follow- ing the regiment started for home, going to Balti- more in charge of a lot of prisoners, and thence to

Vermont, where they were discharged. Mr. At- wood's health was somewhat delicate before he en- tered the army, and after leaving it he for a long time suffered from rheumatism. In 1864 he was appointed to a position in the office of the Comp- troller of Currency in the Treasury Department at Washington, which he held for two years, resign- ing in March, 1866. Then returning to Vermont, he, in the fall of that year, emigrated to Iowa and became Principal of Schools at Adel, Dallas County. The following summer he purchased the Adel Gazette, the only newspaper then published in Dallas County, and conducted it successfully for four years. In the meantime he was appointed Post- master at Adel, which position he held until he sold his paper, when he resigned. During this time, in 1868, Mr. Atwood was a delegate to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention at Chicago, which met the day prior to the regular Republican Na- tional Convention, and first put Gen. Grant in nomination for the Presidency.

After giving up his paper Mr. Atwood went back East and spent about a year in travel. He returned to Kansas in 1872, and purchased the Reporter, at Ellsworth. This journal he owned and edited for four years, then sold it, and for two years thereafter lived on a ranche which he owned near Ft. Harker. In the fall of 1875 he was elected to the Kansas Legislature as Representative from Ellsworth County. In 1877 he repurchased the Reporter, which he continued to publish until 1881, when he again sold it, and removing to Leavenworth, purchased an interest in the Evening Press. of that city. This likewise he sold two years later. Then coming to Manhattan, he pur- chased the paper known as the Enterprise, chang- ing the name to that of Republic. On April 18. 1887. he began the publication of his daily edi- tion, which np to this time has been uniformly successful.

The Enterprise had been established in 1867, by A. L. Runyan, a newspaper man of considerable ability. Under Mr. Atwood's management the paper has greatly improved, and has become widely and favorably known, having the largest circula- tion of any paper in the county. It is Republican in politics, progressive in everything, and the only

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daily paper in Riley County. For six years it has been the official paper of the county. It gives es- pecial attention to all matters of interest in the city and county, doing everything in its power to advance those interests, and care is taken to make it a journal which will be welcomed in every family cirele. The daily is a seven-column folio, and the weekly a seven-column quarto. Its advertising patronage is liberal, and it has a well-equipped and well-patronized job-printing department, its presses being all run by water motor.

George A. Atwood was married in Montpelier, Vt., Oct. 24, 1865, to Miss Rosa Ward, a native of that place, born in 1845. and a daughter of Heze- kiah Ward. The union has been blessed by the birth of three children, one of whom, Linnie, died in Boston, aged seven months; two yet make their home nnder the parental roof-Birdie, a young

lady graduate of the State University at Lawrence, and Ward. Mrs. Atwood is a lady of ability and culture. She is one of the charter inembers of the Kansas & Missouri Social Science Association, be- fore which body she has read papers and is the Secretary of that famous club. She also has musi- cal abilities, which her daughter has inherited in a marked degree.

Mr. Atwood belongs to many secret and benefi- ciary societies. He is a member of LaFayette Lodge, No. 16, A. F. & A. M .; of Manhattan Lodge, No. 17; I. O. O. F .; of Phoenix Lodge, No. 35. K. of P .; of Lodge, No. 100, A. O. U. W. and of Lew Gove Post, No. 100, G. A. R.

R ICHMOND BOND. Among the large land owners of Washington County, is the above named gentleman, who is engaged in stock raising and dealing on section 9, Charles- ton Township, where he owns and occupies over 1,000 acres of fine land. lle and his brother John are the oldest settlers of the township, and among the oldest permanent residents of the county, to which they came in 1860.

Richmond Bond was born in Wiltshire, England, July 27, 1822, and is a son of James and Mary (Young) Bond. Ilis father was a wagonmaker by

trade and our subjeet worked at that trade a little, and also employed himself on the small farm which the family occupied. When sixteen years of age he entered the employ of a railroad and assisted in building tunnels, doing carpenter work. While in this business he worked in various parts of Eng- land and Wales. In 1851 he came to the United States, the journey (which occupied the whole of the month of May) being made in a sailing vessel. He landed at Philadelphia, Pa., and found his first employment on a plank road, near Pittsburg. Later he engaged with his brother John in the blacksmith business in Wayne County, Ohio, In 1852 John Bond went to Iowa and our subject hired to a farmer at $11 per month. He remained in the farmer's employ for over two years and then he went to Linn County. Iowa. There he made but a short sojourn, and in the following spring (1857) went to Nodaway County, Mo., with his brother, John.

In 1858 Mr. Bond, with his brother John, came to Kansas and looked over the country, but as there was plenty of land unsettled he did not immediately take a claim. Later in the season he came with some men to put up hay, which they ent from un- claimed Government land. Mr. Bond was attacked by ague and was obliged to return to Missouri. In 1859 he paid another visit to this State and the suceeeding year made permanent settlement. The family, which at this time consisted of Mr. Bond, his wife and infant daughter, came from Missouri with an ox team and brought with them fifty hogs, sixty head of cattle and one pony. The family lived in the wagon until fall. Mr. Bond then pur- chased a claim on section 8, for which he paid its former owner a yoke of cattle, a gun and $10 in money. The season was very dry and crops were a failure; the hogs were fed on grape vines and elm leaves. During the fall Mr. Bond drove his stoek to Montgomery County, Iowa, where he win- lered and brought them back the following spring. In 1862 he settled on the section where he now re- sides, taking land under the Homestead Act. In 1880 Mr. Bond built a enstom mill on seetion 4, of which he is still the owner. The mill is a stone building four stories high, supplied with three run of stone and good machinery, and the power is

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furnished by Mill Creek. Once since our subject was routed out at the dead of night by Indians and had to flee for his life.

In 1859 Mr. Bond celebrated his marriage to Jennette Bolt, daughter of Charles Bolt. She was born in Indiana and has proved herself well fitted for the position which she occupies. The union has been blessed by the birth of seven children, two of whom. Henry and Hannah are now de- ceased. The survivors are: Mary, wife of Clinton Davis; John, Robert, Maud and William.

Mr. Bond is a Democrat, but of very liberal views. Ile does not desire office, having abundant use for his time and energies in the management of his own large estate and business. but is serving the neighborhood in the capacity of a school official. The fine property which he now possesses has all been made since his arrival in America, and is a standing monument to his business ability and un- failing industry.

A BSALOM WOOD. This gentleman is an old settler in Clay County, having first located here in May, 1873. He is now a prominent citizen of Clay Center, having retired from the farm life which was his for many years. Ilis town residence is on the corner of Crawford and Third Streets, and is a fine home. The grounds are 92x153 feet, on which many im- provements have been made by the owner, both house and grounds being pleasantly and beautifully kept.

Three or four generations ago, the forefathers of our subject settled in Fauquier County, Va., being pioneers there. There Elias Wood, father of our subject, was born about the year 1789. Ile grew to manhood in that county and enlisted in the regu- lary army. While serving at the Lexington arsenal, in what is now West Virginia, he was married to Miss Frankie Cheatum. Having finished the five years of regular army enlistment, Mr. Wood re- moved to a farming community and followed team- ing, which at that time was quite a calling. In 1843, the family removed to Henry County, Ind., and there and in the adjoining counties lived until

the death of Mr. Wood in 1856. The mother had departed this life in 1855, she and her husband being about the same age at the time of their decease.

Absalom Wood was born in Lexington, Rock- bridge, Co., W. Va., April 12. 1822, and is the old- est child in the parental family. He grew to ma- turity in his native State, and accompanied the rest of the parental family to Indiana in early man- hood. He acquired the trade of a blacksmith. which he followed for some years. In 1854, he re- moved to Galva, Ilenry Co., Ill., and there re- mained until the fall of 1860, when he changed his residence to Monmouth.

The bombardment of Ft. Sumter in the spring of 1861, roused his patriotic spirit, and going to Bur- lington, Iowa, he there enlisted on Sept. 18, 1861, as a member of Company A, 14th Iowa Infantry. The command was sent to Ft. Randall, Dak., and served all through the Northern Dakota frontier in Indian campaigns. In 1863, Mr. Wood was trans- ferred to the 7th Iowa Cavalry, and being mounted in 1864. he served in campaigns against the Minne- sota Indians until Oct. 31, 1865. At that date he was discharged at Ft. Randall for disability, he having almost entirely lost his eyesight from the hard service and exposure which he had undergone. His army life extended over a period of four years, one month and eighteen days, during which he had served his country faithfully and well. He has never regained his eyesight. being only able to get around, and is now drawing a $50 pension from the govenment to which he gave four of his best years. During the last years of his army life he was appointed second farrier to his company.

After returning to the ranks of civil life Mr. Wood spent his time mainly in Hancock County. Ill., until 1873. He did a little wagon ironing. but was obliged to abandon that work. He and his son Benjamin, came to Kansas. and on May 10, 1873, located in Gill Township. each taking a homestead there. Another son, Elias, came out in 1875, and took a homestead adjoining. Our subject first camped on the ground with only the canopy of heaven as a roof above him. until he had built a little stone house. He then raised wheat to get money enough to secure his homestead. Several times he found himself with nothing in the house

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for the next meal, but with the stubborn persever- anee which was shown by all our successful pio- neers, he stuck to his elaim and worked on. Dur- ing his early occupaney of his homestead he had not even the living which many hunters and trap- pers enjoy, as there was very little game in this section, except jaek rabbits and prairie chickens. Mr. Wood finally got his place improved, supplied with apples, peaches, cherries, pears, plums. grapes and small fruits. The farm is further beautified by three acres of timber, set out by himself, and when in 1884, he purchased his city residenee, and gave up active farm life, his rural home was one of the finest farms in the township.

On May 15, 1847, Mr. Wood celebrated his mar- riage with Miss Mary Johnson, who departed this life in Henry County, Ind., while her husband was in the army. The result of the union was seven children of whom five sons survive. They are: John, now living in Missouri ; Benjamin and Elias, operating their own farms in Gill Township; Frederick, who lives in Indiana; and William, who is operating the farm of our subject in Gill Town- ship.

A few years since Mr. Wood took to himself a second wife in the person of Mrs. Amanda Hard- esty, like himself an old settler here, she having come to this county in 1871. Mrs. Wood bore the maiden name of Vian, and was born in Knox County, Ohio, Feb. 12, 1847. She there grew to maturity, and on Sept. 8, 1864, was united in mar- riage with John Hardesty. Not long after their marriage they removed to DeKalb County, Ind., where they lived about three years. In 1871, Mr. and Mrs. Hardesty came to this county, and home- steaded land in Gill Township, one mile sonth of that which was afterward taken up by our subject. Mrs. Hardesty resided on their farm until 1882, when she moved into the city of Clay Center, where she ran a boarding house in order to support her children. Mrs. Hardesty bore her husband seven children, of whom Olive, Martin and Lottie, still live with their mother. The others are: John W., Willis, Pirlie and Perry. Mrs. Wood has passed through all the pioneer hardships and privations, and well knows what must be endured by those who settle in a new country. She now owns a farm

of 160 acres in Athelstane Township, which she by her own efforts, has improved from raw land, and which is now adorned by a good grove, dwelling, etc.

William Vian, the father of Mrs. Wood, was born on the 1st of September, 1790, and was engaged in the pursuit of agriculture, He married Miss Jane Perkins, who was born in Federal City, Md., Sept. 5, 1802. Her parents moved to Stillwater. Bel- mont Co., Ohio, in 1805; to Coshoeton in 1808; and to Amity, Knox County, in 1811. On May 16, 1819, she was married to William Vian, to whom she bore fourteen children. Amanda, now Mrs. Wood, was the youngest in this family of nine boys and five girls. Sarah, is now Mrs. MeMurray, of Athelstane Township, and became a resident of Kansas in 1866. Mrs. Vian died at Amity, Ohio, in August, 1881.

Mr. Wood belongs to the G. A. R. He always votes with the Republican party, of which he is a staneh supporter, but he has never had any political aspirations. He is a man of intelligence, honor and sterling traits of character, and is highly respected wherever he is known. Mrs. Wood is a member of the Relief Corps, Phil Sheridan No. 10, at Clay Center, Kan.

AMUEL ROBERTS owns and occupies one of the finest rural homes in Washington County. It is located in Coleman Town- ship, and comprises 160 acres on sections 28, 33, 34 and 27, which were taken up under the homestead act in 1869, and forty acres which he has since acquired by purchase. The beautiful resi- dence was erected in 1880. There are fully a dozen outbuildings, such as barns, eribs and an excellent wind-mill. The latter fills a reser voir in the house whence the water is carried to the stables through pipes. Mr. Roberts has set ont thousands of forest and fruit trees, the same covering ten acres of land. There are about 150 apple trees, together with varieties of plums, cherries, Siberian crabs, and peaches in abundance. There are also grapes and sinall fruits in great variety. The entire aereage is in a fine state of cultivation, and all fenced with large hedge, there being four miles of it on the

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place. The homestead is located at the cross roads, and all the improvements on it have been made by our subject and his family.

Mr. Roberts was born in Preble County, Ohio, Oct. 19, 1832. His parents were Daniel and Hannah (Rheinhart) Roberts, while his paternal grandfather was William Roberts of Virginia, and his maternal grandfather was Peter Rheinhart, also a Virginian, who removed to Ohio at an early date. The boy- hood of our subject was passed in Darke County, his native State. When a lad of twelve years he lost both his parents. The five boys who made up the family were then scattered. All of them grew to manhood and two are still surviving. .

Samuel Roberts was next to the eldest child in the family and from the death of his parents to the age of twenty-three he lived with a Mr. Gray, who proved himself a true friend. After reaching man- hood Mr. Roberts bought a small farm, and en- gaged in the pursuit of agriculture. The breaking out of the Civil War, however, interrupted this peaceful life. He turned to the defense of his country, and enlisted in the 152d Ohio Infantry. He participated in the Virginia and Maryland cam- paigus and with his comrades made one march of over 700 miles. After being mustered out of the service he returned to his family and shortly there- after removed to Randolph County, Ind. After a sojourn of about two years he went to Winnebago County, Ill., where he stayed four years. He then located in Kansas, this removal being effected by means of a covered lumber wagon which he him- self prepared. His brother-in-law, Thomas Hough- enbauch, from Pennsylvania, with his wife and four children accompanied him. They had three wagons to convey them and their possessions to their new home, which they reached Oct. 16, 1869. Our sub- ject has since been identified with the agricultural interests of this State.

The wife of our subject was in her youth Miss Lena Baursocks, daughter of George Baursocks, who had removed from Ohio to Pennsylvania. She has borne her husband five children. The first born, Adeline, died in infancy, during their resi- dence in Ohio; Maggie married John Stewart, a farmer of Strawberry Township, Washington County ; of their two children, one alone survives,

the other having died in infancy. Bella is the widow of Jesse Carson, a farmer and merchant of Enosdale. Orley remains at home, being his fa- ther's assistant on the farm. Mary is also under the parental roof.

In politics Mr. Roberts is a Republican, although he takes very little active part in the doings of the party. Mrs. Roberts is a member of the Lutheran Church, and shares with her husband the esteem of the community, in which they have many warm friends.

W ILLIAM A. LEWIS is the owner and occu- pant of a finely-improved farm in Blaine Township, Clay County, where he has for more than a score of years been engaged in the work of agriculture and its attendant stock-raising. His estate now comprises 480 acres, all in a fine state of cultivation, and bearing unusually good improvements. He raises a high grade of Short- horn cattle, Poland-China and Berkshire hogs, and is also at present interested in the Hereford breed. Norman draft horses and carriage horses from fine trotting stock are also specialties with him. and bee culture.

The father of our subject was William Lewis, a native of Pennsylvania, and a lineal descendant of Capt. Lewis, of the Revolutionary army. William Lewis was a wagon-maker, and followed his trade during his younger years. He resided for a time in Cadiz, Harrison Co., Ohio, where he married Miss Nancy Crawford, a native of Virginia. In 1831, he removed to Berlin, Holmes County, settling upon land which he had purchased the previous year, and which was his home until his death. There he engaged extensively in wool-growing, and made a fine success in life, being able to give each of his children a good education, several of them being graduates. The parental household comprised twelve children, three of whom, Dr. Joseph V., Finley D .. and Hunter T., are now deceased. The survivors are : John W., a resident of Knox County, Ohio; Mary, wife of James Boyd, of Holmes County, Ohio; Rachel, wife of the Rev. W. H. Taylor, of Bryon, Ohio; Dr. E. C. Lewis; of New Philadelphia, Ohio; the subject of this sketch, Jacob A., of Holmes

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County, Ohio; James E .. traveling salesman for Sprague, Warner & Co., Chicago, and himself a resi- dent of Fairbury, Ill .; Hattie, wife of the Rev. Frank Leever, of Ohio; and Dr. George C., of Fair- bury, Ill.

The gentleman of whom we write was born in Holmes County, Ohio, Jan. 22, 1841, and spent his earlier years upon his father's farm. He received his preliminary education in Berlin, and at the age of nineteen entered the high school, at Fredericks- burg. After an attendance of twenty-one weeks, he taught a four-months' term of school during the ensuing winter, and then entered the Ohio Wes- leyan University, at Delaware. During the next three years he attended that institution at irregular periods, and subsequently spent another short pe- riod of time in school teaching.

A few weeks after arriving at man's estate, Mr. Lewis enlisted in the Union army, his enrollment taking place April 27. 1862, and he becoming a member of Company C, 86th Ohio Infantry. The regiment became a part of the force operating in West Virginia under Gen. Banks, and participated in the numerous skirmishes in that section. Mr. Lewis remained in the service four months, although he had volunteered for but three. In the spring of 1864 he went to the gold fields of Montana, where he engaged in mining during four summers, then spent the winter in San Francisco, and returned to the Buckeye State in the fall of 1867.

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Portrait and biographical album of Washington, Clay and Riley counties, Kansas, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent citizens together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of the state, Part 150

Author: Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman Brothers Number of Pages: 1258

Author:
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman Brothers
Number of Pages: 1258