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 26

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 26
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 26
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 26

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John H, Priest was born in New Hahfax, Nova Seotia, July 2, 1831. and was in his fourteenth year when the family removed to Wisconsin. He learned his trade with his father, and resided with the family until twenty-two years of age. Two years after leaving home he was married, and with his bride resided at Delhi for a year. They then spent a few months at Omro, whenee they removed to Fairwater, Fond du Lac County, where they made their home until 1879. During all these years Mr. Priest followed his trade, beginning farm life only when, at the latter date, he removed to Kansas.

The marriage of Mr. Priest took place at the home of the bride in Janesville, Wis., Feb. 19, 1855. The bride was Lovisa S., daughter of Jona- than and Susan ( Bessett) Dodge. She was born in Orleans County, N. Y., Dec. 5, 1833, and lost her mother when five years old. Mr. and Mrs. Dodge were natives of Vermont State, and their family consisted of seven children, one being theirs by

adoption. They were: Allen Brownell (adopted), Mary, Salena, Lovisa S., Henry, Emily and Perry.

The union of Mr. and Mrs. Priest has been blessed by the birth of nine ehildren. Three died in child- hood, and a son, Waldo, in 1888, at the age of twenty-one years. The living children are: Fay, Irvin, Ernest, Bessie and Bertha. The oldest liv- ing child, Fay, left home at the age of sixteen years to follow a sailor's life. He is a blacksmith by trade, and is a smith on the "Corona." Irvin is a farmer in Cass County, Neb.

Mr. Priest is a believer in and supporter of the principles of the Democratie party. Ile is an attendant of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his wife is a worthy member. Mr. Priest is a thorough workman at his trade, a reliable citizen and a man of excellent character.

ACOB F. PURSLEY. For solid worth and reliability, combined with energy, industry and integrity, Mr. Pursley represents the better elements which have been the means of effecting the growth and development of Mill Creek Township, socially, morally and financially. He is a gentleman rather above the medium size with dark eyes, hair and complexion, a fluent con- versationalist and well informed. He has aceumu- lated a comfortable property by his own exertions, and is surrounded with all the comforts of life.

The subject of this notice was born July 8, 1842; in Franklin County, Mo., near the mouth of Laba- die Creek, seven miles from Paeitic, on Merrimac River, and is the son of David C. and Elizabeth K. (Zumwalt) Pursley, the former of whom was born in Franklin County, Mo., May 26, 1808. Ile mar- ried Miss Zumwalt Oct. 1, 1833. The paternal grandfather was George Pursley, a native of Ire- land and born in 1757. He married a lady who was a native of Wales. The paternal great-grand- parents settled in Kentneky when their son. George, was but two years old, loeating near what was after- ward known as Booneville.

Grandfather Pursley, his brother Benjamin and sister Sarah, were captured by the Indians when

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the former was seven years old and held in cap- tivity seven years. Upon being released he in 1798 removed to Missouri with Daniel Boone when the city of St. Louis was but a French trading post. Both he and grandfather George Zumwalt were pion- eers together and settled near the present city of St. Charles, whose site at that time was marked by a fort built as a protection against the Indians. Mr. Zumwalt was a wheelwright and cabinetmaker by trade and put up a mill in what is now Pike County. He came to his death by drowning while engaged in repairing the machinery of his mill. The pa- ternal great-grandmother of our subject was a woman of daring courage, and during the Revolu- tionary War when her husband was wounded by Indians in the British service, she hurried to his side, lifted him up on the horse she rode and al- though under constant fire from the enemy, escaped from the field. He was destined, however, to meet his death at the hands of the hostile Indians, who afterward effected their purpose-killing him.

Grandfather Pursley setlled on eighty aeres of land in the Labadie bottoms, Mo. His son, David C., the father of our subject, after his death, pur- chased the right and title of the other heirs and became sole owner of the old homestead, Even- tually he increased his possessions to 1,000 acres, 400 acres of which he brought to a state of culti- vation, becoming a wealthy planter and stock raiser and owning a large number of slaves. He died Sept. 18, 1857, at the age of fifty-one years. The mother died Dec. 20, 1879, aged sixty-four, having been born March 4, 1815. They were the parents of twelve children the eldest of whom, a son, George W., was born Ang. 20, 1834; Sarah M. J., Feb, 27, 1836; William Levi, May 26, 1837; John Ivy, April 10, 1839; Rebecca A. F., March 22, 1841; Jacob F., of this sketch, was the next child; James A. was born Ang. 8, 1844; Thomas M., Aug. 4, 1846; Leonard E., Jan 1st, 1849; Joel D. L., in 1853; Mary E., in 1855 and Ruth S. L., in Febuary, 1857. George W. died in in- fancy; Sarah was married Oct. 9, 1852, to William C. Dawes, a carpenter and died in September, 1853; William married Miss Jane Groff and has three chil- dren ;he lives on a farm near Wichita. Kan. ; John mar-

ried Miss Maggie Davis and is a photographer of Wetmore, Nemaha County, this State; Rebecca died when eighteen years old; Joel married Miss Vir- ginia, eldest child of W. E. Dawes by his second wife and died in 1881; his son, Bacon, is engaged in the grocery busines in Pacific, Franklin Co. Mo.

Jacob F. Pursley was reared on a farm and com- pleted his studies in Bethel Academy, Franklin County, Mo., under the instruction of Prof. John- son. Notwithstanding the fact that his father was a slave-holder, Jacob F. was strongly opposed to the peculiar institution and upon the outbreak of the Civil War espoused the I'nion cause. He gave emphasis to his principles in due time by enlisting as a Union soldier in Company K, 32d Missouri In- fantry and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. He fought in the battles of Wilson Creek and Pea Ridge and was in various skirmishes in Arkansas and Missouri. He was also present at the siege of Vicksburg and the capture of Col. John S. Marma- duke who had been a Governor of Missouri and is but recently deceased.

At the expiration of his first term of enlistment -three years-Mr. Pursley re-entered the ranks and went with the Red River expedition under Gen. A. J. Smith. He fought in the battles of Mo- bile, Ft. Blakeley, Meridian and Jackson, Miss., and at the close of the war received his honorable discharge, Nov. 15, 1865. He had done his duty bravely and endured without complaint the many hardships and privations incident to army life. No man rejoiced more at the vindication of freedom and the preservation of the Union.

Upon leaving the army Mr. Pursley resnmed farming in Franklin County, Mo., and on the 28th of August, 1866, was united in marriage at Wash - ington, that State, with Miss Violet A. Brown. This lady is the daughter of James and Lucetta .J. (Dunlap) Brown, the latter a native of Pennsylvania. Mr. Pursley's family in 1869 came to Kansas and settled in Washington County, where he entered 160 acres of Government land included in his present homestead, to which he added by purchase until he is now the owner of 330 acres. In addi- tion to general farming, he is considerably inter- ested in live stock and has been successful as a breeder of Short-horn cattle and Poland. China

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swine. To him and his estimable wife there have been born twelve children, as follows: one who died in infancy; Gertrude A., Mary A., David McC., Olive L., Harlem E., Ruth Estella, Walter F., William L., Daisy M., Grace V. and Laura L. Gertrude A. became the wife of Charles Busic, a farmer of Mill Creek Township and they have two children. Mary A. is the wife of Henry Elder, of Coleman Township, and they have one child. David McC. died at the age of three years. Olive L. died when eighteen months old. The children remaining under the parental roof are receiving all the advantages of a good education and are being prepared for responsible positions in the future.

It is hardly necessary to state that Mr. Pursley is a Republican of the first water. He has been quite prominent in party politics and is frequently chosen as a delegate to the county conventions. He has been a Justice of the Peace twelve years, has been almost continuously a member of the School Board and belongs to the National Grange. He finds his religious home in the Christian Church.

On another page of this volume the reader will be pleased to notice a fine engraving of the com- modious residence of our subject, with all the evi- dences of the energy and perseverance of the master without, while the interior arrangement re- flects the care and taste of the mistress, whose gracious hospitality is extended not alone to the cherished household guest, but also to the passing stranger.

RANCIS MARION PHILBROOK. The agricultural interests of Lincoln Township are worthily represented by Mr. Philbrook who, in 1869, came to Washington County and homesteaded 160 acres of land on section 20 of this township. Subsequently he purchased 160 acres more and is now the owner of a half section, comprising as fine a body of land as is to be found in the southeastern part of the county. It is well improved, highly productive and largely devoted to live stock. During his twenty years' residence in this section. Mr. Philbrook has become thor- oughly identified with its most important interests

and has contributed his quota to the building up of his adopted county. Financially as well as otherwise he has been uniformly successful.

The State of Ohio has produced some of the most substantial men who have aided in the settle- ment of the Great West. The subject of this sketch was born in Licking County, that State, Sept. 7, 1839, and is the son of Seth Philbrook. The latter was of New England birth and parent- age, his native place being in Camden, Me., and the date of his birth 1795. He lived on the At- lantic Coast until about 1813, then emigrated to Ohio and was a resident of Licking County until 1853. He then resolved upon a change of location and emigrated with his family to Fayette County, Ill., where his death took place in 1861. When young he had spent a brief time on the ocean as a sailor, but afterward gave his attention almost en- tirely to his agricultural pursuits. He accumula- ted considerable means and is a prominent man in his community, a member of the Presbyterian Church and highly respected.

The paternal grandparents of our subject were Joel and Mary (Leadbetter) Philbrook, both like- wise natives of the Pine Tree State. They traced their ancestry to Thomas Philbrook who emigrated from England to America in 1630 and settled in Watertown, Mass., whence he subsequently re- moved to Maine. Several of the early members of the family participated in the Revolutionary War, and later, they were to be found carrying a mus- ket in the War of 1812. A number of them be- came prominent politicians and held positions of distinction. They were uniformly intelligent and almost without exception well-to-do.

Seth Philbrook, in 1817 was married in Licking County, Ohio, to Miss Margaret Ward. This lady was born in 1797. on an island in the Ohio River, and was of German extraction. To Mr. and Mrs. Philbrook there was born a family of twelve chil- dren, viz: Albert, Mary S., Sanford, Lucy, Eli, Marvin, Louisa V., Ignatius, Flavius J., Edwin, Francis M. and an infant who died unnamed. Francis was the youngest of the living children, and until a lad of fourteen years resided witlı his parents in his native county. He accompanied the family to Fayette County. Ill., sojourning there

RESIDENCE OF F. M. PHILBROOK, SEC. 20. LINCOLN TP. WASHINGTON CO.

RESIDENCE OF H . C. M$ NITT, SEC. 24. FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP WASHINGTON CO.

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until 1864. We next find him in McLean County, that State, where he engaged in shipping grain and stock. He remained there until 1869, then came to Kansas, of which he has since heen a resident. In Illinois he dealt largely in grain and hay.

Mr. Philbrook appropriately celebrated the Ist of January, 1863, by his marriage with Miss Anna Morgan of Shelby County, Ill. Mrs. Phil- brook was born in Lancaster County, Ohio, Oct. 30, 1839, and is the mother of ten children, viz: Minnie M., Herbert C., Clarence H., Rufus M., Eva L., Alta M., Claude P., Grace E. and Elmer M. and an infant who died unnamed. Mr. Phil- brook votes the straight Republican ticket, and has been a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for the long period of thirty years. He is connected with Unity Lodge No. 276, I. O. O. F. at Barnes, and belongs to the Good Templars in this township. A man honest and upright in his dealings, he commands the res- pect of his neighbors and occupies a good position among the best citizens of Washington County. Ile has a commodious and conveniently arranged country residence, a view of which appears else- where in this work. It represents one of those homes of which Lincoln Township is justly proud, as showing what can be accomplished by a life of perseverance and honest toil.

ENRY CLAY McNITT. The gentleman whose name stands at the head of this sketch is recognized as one of the most substantial farmers of Franklin Township. Washington County. He owns and operates 400 acres of choice land on section 24, and has been a resident there since 1876. In emigrating to the frontier, he came to stay, realizing that "a rolling stone gathers no moss, " and he has been rewarded with the usual results of industry and perseverance.

Mr. McNitt may be properly termed a Western man, with all his interests connected with the wel- fare and prosperity of this section of the United States. He was born in Adams County, Ill., Aug. 27, 1850, and is the son of Martin and Elvira

( Quinby ) MeNitt, natives respectively of New York State and Vermont. The McNitts trace their ancestry to Scotland, whence the paternal great- grandfather of our subject emigrated at an early day, settling in New York State, probably during the Colonial times. His son, James, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Washington County, that State, and was reared to farming pursuits. spending his entire life in his native State. Martin McNitt, the father of our subject, was likewise born in Washington County, N. Y., and like his imme- diate progenitors, was reared to agricultural pur- suits. In 1832, when a young man of twenty years, he set out for Illinois, and located in Adams County, where he was married and entered a tract of land. He improved a farm from the wilderness and lived there until 1876, becoming quite wealthy. His landed possessions embraced 640 acres in the vicinity of Quincy, which he sold in 1860. and going to Brown County, the same State, founded the town of Mound, engaging there in the mercantile busi- ness for ten years. Finally, selling out, he crossed the Mississippi, and coming to this State, settled in Washington, retiring from active business and there spent the remainder of his life, dying Jan. 15, 1887. The wife and mother is still living in Wash- ington.

To the parents of our subject there were born eight children, the eldest of whom, a daughter, Mariam, is the wife of Jacob Plowman and a resi- dent of Brown County, Ill .; Elizabeth married R. F. Tainter and they live in Washington, Kan .. Pauline is the wife of J. Oliver of Odell, Neb .; Alla M. married John Peters and lives in St. Joseph Mo .; Emma resides in Washington ; Henry C. completed his education in the city schools of Quincy and remained a resident of his native county until 1872. He then accompanied his father to Brown County, Ill., where he sojourned until 1876, coming in that year to this State.

The marriage of our subject with Miss Stella Rogers was celebrated at the home of Mr. MeNitt in Washington, Dec. 4, 1879. Mrs. McNitt is the daughter of James and Victoria ( Lewis ) Rogers, who had two children, Mrs. McNitt, and a son, James. The latter lives in Marion County, Kan .. and is engaged in railroading. He was united in

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marriage in 1885 with Elizabeth Richards, by whom he had one child, now deceased. James Rogers, the father of Mrs. McNitt, joined the United States Army after coming West and was killed in Dakota near Ft. Pierre. Her mother was subsequently married to Jesse W. Bolt, by whom she had three children, Jessie, Ida and Maud. She died in Wash- ington County, this State.

Mrs. McNitt was born in Montgomery County, Iowa, March 25, 1861. She is now the mother of three children-Fred C., Gwendoline and Ethel. Mr. McNitt has his farm finely improved and the land in a high state of cultivation. The residence is a commodious frame structure, and with its sur- roundings makes an attractive picture. A litho- graphic engraving of this home appears elsewhere in the ALBUM. The outbuildings are well suited to the general purposes of agriculture in which his stock raising forms a leading feature. In politics Mr. McNitt supports the Republican party. So- cially, he is a member of Star Lodge, No. 69, A. F. & A. M.

OHN CRAFFORD, coming to Washington County nearly a quarter of a century ago and casting in his fortunes with the few set- tlers who had preceded him, has not only witnessed most of the growth of this part of the State of Kansas, but he has been a factor in devel- oping its marvellous agricultural resources by im- proving a good farm, comprising the southeast quarter of section 4, Washington Township, and he will ever occupy an honorable place among the pioneers of the connty.

He is a Pennsylvanian by birth, coming of an old family that settled there in Colonial days, and he was born Oct. 14, 1822, a mile and a half east of Bevington Mills in Washington County. IIis father, Joseph Crafford was born in Northampton County, Pa., Oct. 11, 1780, and his father, Elijalı Crafford, was a native of the same county, April 25, 1756, being the date of his birth, and he was a gallant soldier in the Continental army during the Revolution, serving under Gen. Washington. Ilis father, John Crafford, was born in England, Oct. 15.

1715, and came to America and settled in North- ampton County, Pa., among its pioneers and there carried on farming till his death. After the revo- lution the grandfather of our subject became a pioneer of Washington County, and now lies buried there in the Florence Cross-Road churchyard be- side his wife. Her maiden name was Jane Stout, and she was born in New Jersey, April 11, 1787. The father of our subject spent the first years of his life in his native county, and in after life used to recount to his children and grandchildren, the exciting incidents of the removal of his father's family with a five horse team across the wild and lonely mountains to the pioneer home in Washing- ton County. He bought a tract of timbered land in Patrick's Run, eighteen miles from Pittsburg, and on the Steubenville Pike. He erected a woolen mill, operated by tread power, generally using oxen for the power. He was a man of much enterprise, and he subsequently opened a hotel, which he managed besides improving a farm. He was profitably en- gaged in the hotel business thirty years, as there being no rail ways in that part of the country, the pike was much traveled by stage coaches which made his tavern their headquarters for that part of their route. In 1836 he sold all his property in that part of the country, and as his forefathers had done in days of yore, became a pioneer once again, the wild prairies of Illinois being his destination, he traveling thither by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to St. Louis, and thence by team to McDon- ough County. He bought a tract of land eight miles northeast of Macomb and improved a fine farm, on which he made his home till death called him to a higher. Feb. 19, 1863. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Deborah Jackson, and she was born in Washington County, Pa., Oct. 11. 1778, her death occurring in her native county Ian. 13, 1839. Her great grandfather, Joseph Jackson, was born in Pennsylvania of Welsh par- entage. He was taken prisoner by the Indians during the Revolutionary War, but was rescued by his friends, and died peacefully at a ripe old age in Washington County. Pa.

Our subject was the eighth of twelve children, eleven of whom grew to maturity. Ile was fifteen years old when his parents removed to Illinois,

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which was then sparsely settled and in a wild con- dition, with deer and other kinds of game very plen- tiful, and amid pioneer scenes he grew to a stalwart, vigorous manhood, gleaning his education in the primitive schools of those early days of the settle- ment of the Prairie State. At the age of sixteen he commenced to learn to be a veterinary physician and practiced that calling very successfully during his stay in Illinois and ever since he came to Kansas. As soon as he was large enough he had gone into his father's mill to assist him at the carding ma- chines, and later had worked for his father on his farm, remaining an inmate of the parental house- hold till his marriage. Prior to that time he became interested in property in Bushnell, built the first house on the present site of the city, and subse- quently opened the first hotel there. He kept it nearly a year, and then turned his attention to the grain business, carrying it on two years, and then engaged in different pursuits till the spring of 1866. On the 6th of April, that year, he started for Kansas with a team, and arrived in Washington County May 6. He found this part of the country still in a wild condition, sparsely settled. and the nearest railway station was then at St. Joseph, Mo .. and Ft. Kearney and Denver were the best markets for produce. His wife and three children accom- panied him here, and when they arrived at their destination they were without a home, and twenty- five cents was all the money in the family exchequer. Mr. Crafford immediately made a claim to the southeastern quarter of section 4, Washington Township, and procuring some slabs at a mill two miles east, he was not long in building a cabin to shelter his family. Like many another pioneer, he had a hard struggle to make both ends meet for a time, but patience and perseverance overcame every obstacle in his pathway, and in a few years he had a good start, having been nobly assisted by his devoted wife, and was on the highway to sue- cess. He did not disdain any labor whereby he might turn an honest penny, and worked out by the day and job whenever he could obtain employ- ment and also practiced his calling as a veterinary physician. His wife in the meantime bravely shouldered her share of the burden in supporting the family, obtaining money by taking in sewing.

In a few years Mr. Crafford had money enough to enable him to devote his time to the improvement and cultivation of his farm, and he now has it in good shape, having erected a substantial frame house and other necessary buildings, and his land is under excellent tillage, yielding him abundant crops, and everything about the place indicates thrift and orderliness on his part.

June 19, 1846, by his marriage with Miss Han- nah M. Markham, Mr. Crafford secured a helpmate and companion who has been to him all that those terms imply, and has worked with him side by side in the upbuilding of their comfortable home, and in rearing up their children to be useful members of society. Three children have been born of their wedded life: Abba J., Edward J., Alonzo Haney. Abba J. married William Lipsic, and they have three children. Edward married Mary Allen, and they have one child. Alonzo married Alice Miller, and they have two children.

Mr. Crafford is and deserves to be respected for his good qualities that make him a desirable neigh- bor, a kind husband and a good father. In his busy career as a pioneer settler of this county, he displayed fortitude, endurance, wise thrift and good powers of management that made him not only prosperous in his undertakings, but gained him consideration as a valued citizen. He takes an intelligent interest in politics, and has always stood stanchly by the Republican party since its forma- tion, having been a Whig prior to that time. Mrs. Crafford is the daughter of Charles and Barbary (Harsh) Markham, natives of Ohio, both born in the same year, 1801.

C LAU'S PETER HANSON. The results of diligence and economy are nowhere better illustrated than in the career of Mr. Hanson, who commenced in life at the foot of the ladder, financially, and has now become the owner of a valuable estate, comprising 353 acres of highly im- proved land on sections 35 and 36, Mulberry Town- ship. The neat and substantial buildings, the good- ly assortment of live stock, the forest and fruit trees

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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 26

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

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