USA > Oklahoma > Portrait and biographical record of Oklahoma; commemorating the achievements of citizens who have contributed to the progress of Oklahoma and the development of its resources, V. 2 > Part 13
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Taney county. After four or five years he changed his residence to Ray county, where he continued his main occupation of farmer, al- though there was an interval of ten years in which he engaged in the manufacture of brick at Chillicothe, Mo.
Meantime James L. Bartlett spent his early years in Missouri, learned brick-making with his father, and followed the occupation there and in Denver, Colo., until the year preceding his ma- jority. He then went back across the Mis- souri into Iowa. In 1861 he enlisted as a soldier of the Union army in Company A, Third Mis- souri Cavalry, in which he served one year, and was then honorably discharged on account of disability. He skirmished with his comrades at Sibley, Mo., where the bushwhackers (most of them Quantrell's men) were driven to the woods, and was with the reinforcements of Blunt at Untonia, engaging in a sharp fight with the Con- federates. He arrived upon the scene of the Lone Jack battle just a little too late to have a shot at the rebels. He was scouting and skir- mishing most of the time while in service. In an accident with his horse he suffered a broken finger while on duty. In 1863, as a member of the Home Guard of El Paso county, he assisted in the erection of one of the forts, and was posted there about one month. Upon leaving the ser- vice he returned to Ray county, Mo., and later was engaged in the liquor business both in Al- bany and Camden. Subsequently he engaged in coal mining.
Going to Burlingame, Mr. Bartlett carried on mining for two years. Then, in company with eleven other men as partners, a company was formed which sunk a shaft a hundred feet and struck a rich vein in the east part of Burlingame. He officiated as weighmaster and pit boss, and was thus engaged from 1881 to 1883, laying up a fair sum of money from his labors. With this he took up a claim, but soon sold out and engaged in stock-raising until 1884. That year he left Osage county, and settled on a claim in Lyon county, Indian Trust land, where he remained until April, 1889. which date marked his advent to his present location.
Mr. Bartlett took unto himself as a life part- ner, at his old home in Ray county, Mo., Miss Sarah Rachel Vandiveer, daughter of George and Mary (Pigg) Vandeveer. Her father en- gaged in farming in Ray county, where he and his estimable wife spent their last days. The Pigg family was well known throughout that region as one of the most prominent and wealthy within its precincts. To Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett there have been born seven children. James L., upon reaching his majority, went to Arizona and met his death at the hands of Mexicans. George H. took up a claim, where he is engaged in
farming; he is married and the father of three children. Terry L., a farmer of Ray county, Mo., is married and the father of two children. Edwin H., also a resident of that county, lives on a farm with his wife and one child. Jesse E ... unmarried, lives in the same county and follows farming. Joseph R., in his minority, and Mary E. remain under the home roof with their pa- rents.
Mr. Bartlett's land lies on the southeast quar- ter of section 23, township 18, range 4, adjacent to that of his son. His fields are brought to a high state of cultivation and all the belongings of the homestead are suggestive of comfort and plenty. Fraternally he is a master Mason, be- longing to Lodge No. II, at Crescent City, and is also a member in good standing of the Grand Army of the Republic.
J AMES H. HAHN is one of the vast army who sought changed conditions in the newly opened up territory of Oklahoma. His claim in Logan county, located on the southeast quar- ter of section 18, township 17, range 3 west, has been a source of satisfaction and reventie to its fortunate owner. Mr. Hahn made the run on the famous 22nd of April, 1889, with a wagon and team, and had no difficulty in locating and retain- ing his claim. The farm is well improved with the exception of the house, which does not meet with the approval of the occupants, and a new and better house will soon be in process of con- struction. Eighty acres of the section are under cultivation, and special attention and study is given to the cultivation of fruit.
Mercer county, Ill., was the former home of inany of the settlers in the territory, and Mr. Hahn was born there November 13. 1856. His parents were George and Elizabeth (Fulton) Hahn, natives of Maryland, and married there. They came very early to Illinois, and raised a family of three boys and three girls. Nathaniel died in youth and is buried at Evansburg. Mrs. Margaret Clark lives on a farm near Carney, Okla. J. P. died after he had reached manhood, and is buried at Hubbell, Neb .: a wife and three children survive him. He was a courageous sol- dier in the Civil war, and was honorably dis- charged after the cessation of hostilities. J. W. is supposed to be living in Texas. Mrs. Mary J. Jackson resides in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Mr. Hahn's early life was like that of many other farmers' sons, and he industriously assisted in the various duties about the farm, and went to the county schools during the winter terms. In 1864 the family moved from Illinois to Towa and settled in Louisa county, where they carried on agricultural pursuits, with a fair measure of success. Here the father died and the family
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subsequently removed to Nebraska, and after three years to Kansas, where the mother died in Butler county. After a sojourn in Iowa of two years, Mr. Hahn returned to Nebraska. While in Iowa, in January, 1880, he married Miss Frances Hidlebaugh, whose parents, John HI. and Nancy (Pallet) Hidlebaugh, were farmers in lowa, and died there. In politics Mr. Hahn is a member of the Democratic party, but was formerly a Republican. He has never had po- litical aspirations, although vitally interested in all of the undertakings of his party. Fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America at Crescent City. Himself and family are members of the Holiness Church.
Mr. Hahn has been unusually successful in all of his undertakings during his residence in the territory, and is esteemed for his generosity in giving his time and attention whenever called upon to aid in the enterprises instituted for the benefit of the community.
G OTTLIEB F. GLEICHMANN, one of the most successful and prosperous farmers of Canadian county, is living on the north- west quarter of section 12, township 14, range 8 west, and owns four quarter sections of land. which he operates together with one hundred and sixty acres of school land. His early home was on the other side of the Atlantic, for he was born in Erfent, Germany, May 2, 1861, a son of George and Lessett (Schilling) Gleichmann. He was reared and educated in his native town, where he attended school until fourteen years of age, and then learned the blacksmith's trade.
Wishing to avoid military service, Mr. Gleich- mann came to the United States at the age of twenty-two years, arriving in New York Decem- ber 4, 1882, on the day he was to have entered the German army. On landing he had but $10 remaining, and $2.50 of this went to pay his fare to Meriden, Conn. For two weeks he sought employment in vain, during which time he paid $3.50 per week board, and when he finally found work in the Barner Brothers' gun factory at Meriden, he had only fifty cents left, and for six weeks was not allowed to draw his wages. He says that if he had, at that time, had any money he would have returned to his native land and will- ingly entered the army, so discouraged did he be- come. At the end of three months, however. he had paid all his bills and had Sroo remaining.
Mr. Gleichmann then went to Illinois, and for three years worked at Tremont, that state. On account of ill health he went to Wichita, Kans .. in 1886, and from there to Harper county, that state, where he opened a blacksmith shop, which. equipped, cost him $1, too, and, though he had but $300 to pay on it at that time, it was all paid
for by the end of three years. On the 22d of April, 1889, when this territory was opened up for settlement, he made the race for a farm in Canadian county and located on the northwest quarter of section 2, township 14, range 5 west, which he has converted into a good farm and still owns. After the death of his father, his mother came to America, and in 1892 took up the homestead where our subject now resides. He purchased and improved it, and now has a fine place. Although he began life in the terri- tory without means, he has, by hard work, econ- omy and-good management, steadily prospered and become quite well-to-do. When he left Kansas in 1889 he rented his land. However, in the spring of 1892 the property was so greatly damaged by a tornado that he could no longer rent it, and, being unable to pay taxes on the land, he sold $1,100 worth of property for $400. Thus he had nothing with which to begin on coming to Oklahoma, but he has been successful and believes this to be the garden spot of the earth. He is a Democrat in politics. In religious belief he is a Lutheran, and is now serving as trustee of his church.
On the 8th of March, 1888, Mr. Gleichmann was united in marriage with Miss Katie Han- hart, who was born in Russia, and came to the United States with her parents when eight years old. By this union have been born seven chil- dren, namely: Lydia, Sarah, Ida, Annie, Joseph, Frank and George.
N ELSON STRONG DARLING, Jr., vice- president of the Oklahoma Sash and Door Company, of Oklahoma City, represents this company in Oklahoma, Indian Territory and Texas, and is widely known throughout those jurisdictions.
Mr. Darling was born in Laporte, Ind., Au- gust 15. 1873, and is a son of Dr. N. S. and Lo- retta M. (Townley) Darling. His paternal grandfather was a farmer of Massachusetts, where he died. Dr. N. S. Darling was born in Chesterfield, Mass., and when a young man went to Columbus, Ohio, where he entered upon the study of medicine in Starling Medical Col- lege. He engaged in the practice of his profession at New London, Union county, Ohio, and later at Laporte, Ind., where he has since continued, being a prominent man of that vicinity. In religion he is a member of the Uni- tarian Church, and in politics a Republican. He married Loretta M. Townley, who was born near Jackson, Mich., and died in 1880. ITer ancestry is traced back to the nobility of Eng- land in the fifteenth century. and the family be- came established in New England at an early day. Her father served as county recorder for
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a period of twenty years. She had two brothers who served in the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Dar- ling were the parents of two children, namely: : Nelson Strong, our subject; and Russell T., of Wichita, Kans.
Nelson Strong Darling, Jr., received his early education in the public schools, and then at- tended the preparatory school to Princeton Col- lege, at Lawrenceville, N. J., later becoming a student in the Normal School at Oshkosh, Wis. At the age of eighteen years he began to work in the office of a wholesale tobacco house at Ashland, Wis., continuing there for one year. In 1893, going to Wichita, Kans., he became traveling representative of the United Sash and Door Company, his territory being Oklahoma and Kansas. He continued with that firm until October, 1897, when he entered into a partner- ship with Lee Van Winkle for the pursuance of the same line of business. The firm was in- corporated as the Oklahoma Sash and Door Company, and has since enjoyed a most pros- perous business. Our subject is vice-president and treasurer, and while serving in those official capacities has evidenced unusual executive and general business ability. As representative of the firm in Oklahoma, Indian Territory and Texas, he has established a large acquaintance- ship, and is everywhere held in the highest es- teem. Since coming to Oklahoma City he has acquired property interests here.
At Perry, Okla., Mr. Darling married Hattie Chesbro, a native of North Adams, Mass., and a daughter of A. W. Chesbro, who followed the business of a builder in that state, later in Omaha, Neb., and finally at Perry, Okla., where he now resides. One child, R. C., was born to this union. Fraternally, Mr. Darling is a mem- ber of the Hoo Hoo's, the Order of Elks, the Masonic fraternity, and the U. C. T. He is also connected with the Commercial Club, in which he is chairman of the railroad committee. In politics, he is a supporter of the principles advo- cated by the Republican party.
W ALTER WOOLFOURTH WINGATE, deceased, was for eight years one of the most prominent and influential business men of Norman, having located here in the fall of 1800. He was born in Hinds county, Miss., March 13, 1855, and was a son of Robert Win- gate, a native of the same state and of English descent. The latter belonged to a Mississippi regiment in the Civil war and is now a resident of Sharkey county, that state.
The boyhood and youth of our subject were passed upon a Mississippi plantation, and on leaving home he went to Anderson county. Tex .. where he was engaged in the manufacture of
lumber for a time. On selling his saw-mill he removed to Denton county, the same state, and carried on a mercantile business at Roanoke un- "til coming to Oklahoma in the fall of 1890. Here he was first engaged in the furniture and under- taking business, and in the fall of 1891 built the first large mill in Norman, becoming president of what was then known as the Norman Mill & Elevator Company, but is now called the Nor- man Milling & Grain Company. He was inter- ested in that business until 1897, when he sold out and built the Wingate mill, as president of the Wingate Milling Company. He also erected an elevator, and was successfully engaged in grain and milling business until his death, which occurred on the Ist of August, 1898. His re- mains were interred at Norman.
In 1878, at Palestine, Anderson county, Tex., was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Wingate and Miss Mary Victoria Babb, a native of Henry county, Tenn., in which state her parents, John and Anna (Broom) Babb, were also born. Her father, who was a planter of Tennessee, was killed in the Civil war, but her mother is still living and makes her home in Texas, whither she removed with her children in 1875. Two of her family survive. Mrs. Wingate began her education in the subscription schools of her na- tive state, and after the removal of the family to Texas continued her studies in the public schools of that state. She is the mother of five children, namely: Maude Elizabeth, Robert Henry. Anna Pearl. Mary Victoria and Ruth Woolfourth. She still owns an interest in the Wingate Milling Company, and in the management of her affairs since her husband's death has displayed excellent business ability and sound judgment. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and is a lady highly respected and -es- teemed by all who know her. The family have a pleasant home in the southern part of the city.
In his political affiliations Mr. Wingate was a Democrat, and his fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability, called him to public office. He represented the fourth ward in the city coun- cil for two terms, filling that position at the time of his death. He united with the Masonic fra- ternity at Roanoke, Tex., and became a charter member of Lodge No. 5. A. F. & A. M., at Nor- man. He was also identified with the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He was one of the organ- izers of both the Oklahoma Grain Dealers' .\s- sociation and the Oklahoma Millers' Association. and took a deep interest in all enterprises cal- culated to promote the moral, social or material welfare of the community. He was also an carn- est and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South and a trustee of the same.
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JOHN THREADGILL, M. D.,
Norman.
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
J OHN THREADGILL, M. D. Without question, one of the most popular members of the medical profession of Oklahoma is the gentleman of whom the following facts have been learned. With one accord, his associates and the general public speak of him only in the highest terms, praising the great work he is carrying on with such marked success. As the proprietor and superintendent of the Oklahoma Sanitarium, he has won wide notice, and year by year is adding to the laurels he already en- joys.
A sterling representative of the old south. Dr. Threadgill is the great-grandson of Colonel Threadgill, who served with that rank in the war for independence,and was a member of the con- stitutional convention of North Carolina which drew up the constitution of that state. He came from a Virginia colonial family, of English de- scent, and at an early day became the owner of a plantation in Anson county, N. C. His son, William C., grandfather of the doctor, also was a planter and prominent citizen of the state, and James, father of our subject, was born in Anson county, N. C. For a wife, James Threadgill chose Miss'Eliza Paul, whose forty-five years of life were spent in North Carolina. She was a daughter of Anderson and Mary (Kinney) Paul, natives of Richmond county, N. C., and of Scotch descent. The large plantation owned and managed by James Threadgill was situated on the banks of the Great Pedee, not far from Wadesboro, N. C. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and be- longed to the Masonic order. He long sur- vived his wife, his death occurring in 1880. Ten of his thirteen children survive, and three of his sons served in the Civil war, belonging to the Fourteenth North Carolina Infantry. William C., who died at Wadesboro in 1885, was wounded three times during his service, and Miles, now a planter of Montgomery county, N. C., was wounded twice in the army.
Dr. John Threadgill, born September 28, 1847, on the old plantation near Wadesboro, was less than seventeen years old when he became a member of Company C, Fourteenth North Carolina Infantry, and within a few days the young soldier was in the thickest of the fray, fighting valiantly for the cause in which he ar- dently believed. On that memorable Septem- ber 19, 1864, he participated in the battle of Winchester, and a month later, October 19, was in the battles of Strausburg or Cedar Creek. Many minor engagements found him at his post of duty, and at length the great and dreadful siege of Petersburg was entered upon. After three days of heroic resistance, he and his com- rades were captured by the forces under Gen- cral Grant, April 3, 1865. Sent to Hart Island,
New York harbor, he was held as a prisoner until June 29, 1865, when he returned home. To his great surprise, he found that his friends, be- lieving the report which had reached them, that he had been killed during the siege, had mourned him as dead, and two months before his return his funeral sermon had been preached.
Resuming his interrupted studies in Wades- boro Academy, Dr. Threadgill devoted another year to his literary education, and then took up the study of medicine under Dr. E. F. Ash. After spending one winter in the College of Physicians and Surgeons (then known as Wash- ington University), of Baltimore, Md., he opened an office and embarked in practice in Wadesboro, where he remained for two years. From 1870 to 1873 he practiced his profession in Brenham, county-seat of Washington county, Tex., and then matriculated in the University of Alabama, being graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1874. Subsequently he resumed his practice in Brenham, but a twelve- month later went to Williamson county, Tex., where he became wealthy and prominent, identi- fied with numerous enterprises. For some time he operated a large ranch and kept a herd of cattle, but finally disposed of them. From 1883 to 1898, when he sold out on account of his in- creasing responsibilities here, he was connected with the First National Bank of Taylor, Tex., for a period being a director and vice-president of the institution.
In 1895, when the legislature of Oklahoma passed the bill providing for the care of the in- sane by responsible parties, Dr. Threadgill or- ganized the Oklahoma Sanitarium Company, and it was incorporated under the laws of the territory. At the end of a year, he owned three- quarters of the stock, and subsequently became the sole proprietor of the institution. June 15. 1895, the sanitarium was opened, with only one patient, but since that time its capacity has been sometimes taxed. Soon after the bill was passed. in March, 1895, the grounds on which the sani- tarium is situated were purchased. The prem- ises, comprising fifty-two acres, include a fine orchard. and everything about the place in- presses the observer with the conviction that the manager is thoroughly systematic and careful. even in the least details. A third story was added to the original two-storied structure which first answered all of the purposes of the sanitarium. The casual visitor, as well as the regularly ap- pointed committee of inspection, never fails to find every department of the institution in fine order, neatness and cleanliness on every hand. commanding the admiration of all. In all re- ports made to the authorities. Dr. Threadgill has been highly commended for his excellent management, and, as is continually noted, the
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power which he exercises over his patients is really remarkable. Nevertheless, it plainly re- sults from the kindness and genial nature which are innate traits of his character. Patients from the Dakotas, Wyoming and Indian Territory, as well as from Oklahoma, are sent here by the government, and at this writing there are up- wards of three hundred inmates of the asylum.
For several years, while in Texas, the doctor served as mayor of Taylor, and he still is con- nected with business enterprises of the Lone Star state, owning a large ranch there. Initiated into Masonry in Brenham, he now belongs to Norman Lodge No. 5, A. F. & A. M .; Norman Chapter, R. A. M .; and to the Commandery and India Temple, M. S., at Oklahoma City, and Consistory of Guthrie. Moreover, he is identi- fied with the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is loyal to the platform of the Republican party. A Presbyterian in reli- gion, he is chairman of the board of trustees of the city church, and is actively interested in many works of benevolence.
In his home life, Dr. Threadgill has been es- pecially blessed. His wife, who, prior to their marriage, was Miss Frances Falwell, is a native of Memphis, and is a lady of pleasing person- ality. The two children of this estimable couple are named, respectively: Frances and John. The doctor has a daughter, Jennie, by a previous marriage.
J JOHN W. BRUSHA. Among the many who have successfully tilled the soil in Pottawato- mie county may be mentioned Mr. Brusha. whose enterprise and industrious application to the work at hand have placed him in the front rank of agriculturists in his locality.
Mr. Brusha was born in Atchison county, Mo., August 2, 1854, and is a son of Joseph and Harriet (Hurst) Brusha. After a youth spent in mastering every detail of farm work, and in acquiring the education of the public schools, he began to work out as a cowboy at the age of twenty-one. At the same time he had a herd of cattle of his own, and for several years was very successful as a buyer and seller of cattle. As early as 1875 he began to purchase stock in Texas.
When Oklahoma was opened, he settled on a piece of land near Oklahoma City, which was the scene of extended litigation, and final triumph for Mr. Brusha. When he saw what was before him, and realized that four others who claimed equal rights were as determined as himself, he disposed of his cattle and prepared for the fray. After a legal siege extending over a period of seven years, he obtained undisputed possession of the land, and still owns about
thirty acres of it. Upon the land which he has sold off there is now located a large school build- ing, several residences, and a Catholic institu- tion. In 1895 he moved into the town of Dale, and built the house in which he now lives. He is still interested in farming and stock-raising, but conducts his enterprises on leased land.
January 17, 1893, occurred the marriage of Mr. Brusha and Ollie Smith, of Choctaw City. and a native of Chautauqua county, Kans. Her parents are George and Elizabeth (Hook) Smith. To this couple have been born three children: Ruby, Joseph and James. The first two were born in Oklahoma City, and the third in Dale. In national politics Mr. Brusha is a Democrat, having changed his political views during the last few years. His father was a Re- publican, a prominent farmer, and a captain in the Missouri militia during the Civil war.
J. J. WALLACE, who early in life learned the tinner's trade, has been engaged in that line of business in Oklahoma City since June 5, 1889. He conducts an establishment on the corner of Main and Harvey streets, and makes a specialty of roofing, doing the principal business of the city in gravel roofing, also in sheet-iron and tin work. In addition to this he is prominent as a poultry fancier, giving an im- petus to that industry, which has brought it rap- idly to the front as one of the leading industries of Oklahoma.
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