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 40
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In 1868 Mr. Treaster married Jennie Poor- man, daughter of John and Mary Poorman, of Pennsylvania. Five daughters, all of whom sur- vive, as follows, Anna, Ella, G. May, Verna, Ida, were born to them, and in 1876 the devoted mother was summoned to the better land. In 1878 Mr. Treaster married Rachel Ellison, who died two years later, and for fifteen years our subject remained a widower. Five years ago he installed as the mistress of his home. and the sharer of his joys and sorrows, Mrs. Josie Cole, a widow from Guthrie, Oklahoma. The cere- mony which united their destinies took place November 14, 1895, and they now have two little daughters, Hazel and Zella.
J OHN W. LEA, who is becoming known, far and wide, as a successful, practical fruit- grower, owns a valuable homestead in sec- tion 13, Crutcho township, Oklahoma county. Within a few years he has made wonderful progress in his chosen work, and has demon- strated, beyond question, the adaptability of the soil of this region for fruit culture.
Our subject is a son of George Lea. the nephew of the John W. Lee known throughout the civilized world as a member of the firm of Lea & Perrins, who founded the immense establish- ment in Worcestershire, England, where the celebrated Worcestershire sauce is manufac- tured. Thomas Lea, paternal grandfather of
our subject, in early manhood was the propri- etor of a line of mail coaches which ran from London to Oxford, and later in life he went to Sydney, New South Wales, where he engage in mercantile pursuits until his death. His son. George Lea, was engaged in the manufacture of needles in Redditch, Worcestershire, England. where a large proportion of the fine needles used in the world are made, even in this day. For a wife he chose Elizabeth Ladberey, who was one of sixteen children, and became the mother of eleven children.
The only one of the Lea family in America is John W. of this sketch, who was born in the town of Redditch, England, and there spent his boyhood. In 1869 he crossed the Atlantic ocean and soon located in Troutdale, N. J., where he was employed in the fish hatchery establishment and was associated with Dr. Slack, fish con- missioner of New Jersey. At the end of a year he went to Washington, and became a fireman on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Rail- road, running from Port Morris to Washington. In 1877 he left that position in order to see something of the West, and, going to Osawa- tomie, Kans., he took a place as assistant en- gineer of the insane asylum, and served in that institution for six years.
In the meantime Mr. Lea invested some of his means in a tract of land situated in Franklin county, Kans., and in 1883 he went to Topeka, Kans., where he worked in the shops of the Santa Fe Railroad, manufacturing air-brakes. He was occupied in this line of business for ten years, but when'Oklahoma was declared open to the white settlers he tried to secure a good tract of land, and, failing, resumed his former pur- stit. In March, 1890, his family came here. however, and settled upon their present home place, while he continued to earn the funds to make necessary improvements. Since 1893 he has dwelt here and given his entire attention to the improvement of the place. Fifty acres have been placed under cultivation and twelve acres have been planted with a fine variety of fruits. including peach, apple and apricot trees, and grapes. Mr. Lea's five-acre vineyard produces about fifteen tons of grapes, chiefly of the "Wonder" variety, and a ready sale is found for them in the markets. Every year he makes in- novations in fruit culture, and his irrigation system for the orchard is a marked success.
In all of his joys and sorrows Mr. Lea has found a true helpmate in his wife, formerly Sarah Dolan. of Warwickshire, England. They were married in 1862 and came to the United States together. Their elder child, Mark A., a present is employed as an engineer on the Southern Kansas Railroad. The daughter, Jer nie, is the wife of Mark S. Waiver. Mr. and
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Mrs. Lea are liberal in their creed religiously, and are interested in all worthy undertakings and enterprises calculated to elevate and aid humanity. Mr. Lea is identified with the Knights of Pythias, his membership being with the Paola (Kans.) Lodge.
J. W. MILLS, born in Miami county, Ohio, October 15, 1822, came to Kingfisher at the opening of Oklahoma, and, beginning April 27, 1889, served for five years as post- master of Kingfisher. Since then he has given his attention to improving his farm, two miles north of the city, and comprising three hundred and twenty acres. He has an orchard of five hundred trees and a vineyard of five hundred vines. October 23, 1878, he was married at Greensburg, Ind., to Mrs. Sarah M. Parker, daughter of Hon. Samuel Bryan, of that place.
J OHN YOUST. It is given to few to be successful hotel men. Such an one is Mr. Youst. It is also frequently asserted that the public hosts to traveling humanity are to the calling born, and are never the result of cultivation or training. Be that as it may, and however difficult of definition are the requisites which enter into his composition, we know him when we see him, and we know him when we are under his roof and don't see him. He is a benefactor to irritated and jaded travelers, and deserves a medal for knowing how to philo- sophically bear through life. We admire him for his suavity, unfailing good humor, enormous amount of tact, intricate knowledge of the queer workings of human nature when on the move, or when trying to get their money's worth, and for the prevailing air of comfortable luxury which he infuses into the surroundings of his hostelry. An hotel in a new and promising town has much to do with the general tone and standing of the place, and may be a detriment, in the same proportion as it may be a drawing card for the trade and patronage, not only from the immediate locality, but from the surround- ing towns for miles around. A Sunday spent amid congenial surroundings is a fair equivalent for a dreary railroad journey. The whole town is therefore dependent upon mine genial host, the far-sighted innkeeper.
A native of Jo Daviess county, Ill .. neat Council Hill, Mr. Youst was born April 10, 1859. His ancestry is Swiss, the father, George Youst, having been born in Switzerland, where he was reared and educated. In 1842 he crossed the seas and upon arriving in America, located in Illinois, near Council Hill, where he engaged in lead mining on his farm. He terminated his
useful and enterprising life in 1896, at the age of eighty-four years. The mother of Mr. Youst. Anna, by name, was also a native of Switzerland, and died at the age of sixty-four years.
When a very young boy John Youst became familiar with agricultural pursuits, and worked in his father's mines. He also attended the public schools until eighteen years of age. He was an ambitious lad, and upon starting out in the world for himself began to farm in. Illinois, and afterwards continued the same occupation in Grant county, Wis. A later venture was an interest -in the livery business in Dubuque, Ia. Following this he lived in LaFayette county, Wis., at Belmont, where he was engaged in the hotel business, and was fairly successful.
In 1803 Mr. Youst took advantage of the possibilities in the newly opened strip, and lo- cated in Stillwater. He at once began the erec- tion of a part of the Youst hotel, which at the time measured 50x70 feet in dimensions, and which in 1899 was enlarged to its present pro- portions. It is now 52x120 feet. the largest building in the city, and one of the largest in the territory. Its furnishings and management are in every way a credit to the town, and the popularity of the proprietor is a foregone con- clusion.
In Fairplay, Wis., Mr. Youst married Emma Bradwell, born in Grant county. Of this union there are two children, John and Cuthbert. In politics a Democrat, Mr. Youst has been prom- inently identified with the issues of his party, and has served as a councilman from the First ward for one term, and as mayor of the town for the same length of time. He has also been a county committeeman. He is a charter miem- ber of the Commercial Club.
T. G. ADKISON. The early years of the life of Mr. Adkison were spent on his father's farm in Warren county, Ill., where he was born December 25, 1859. His father, George W. Adkison, was of English descent, and an early settler in Warren county. During the years of his activity he was a prominent agri- culturist, and upon leaving Warren county, went to Mason county, Ill., thence, in 1869, to Craw- ford county, Kans., later going to Washington, Washington county, where he died. The mother, Euphemia A. (Gardner) Adkison, was a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Truman Gardner, who removed from Ohio to Illinois. where he was a farmer in Logan county. Mrs. Adkison is now residing in Logan county, Okla. The youngest son, James W., is a traveling sales- man, with headquarters in Perry.
When sixteen years of age, T. G. Adkison started out in the world for himself, and went
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to Joplin, Mo., where he engaged in mining until 1879. He then undertook an adventurous journey, and crossed the plains to Leadville, driving a team of horses the entire way. After prospecting for about four years, he went to Glenwood Springs, Colo., and engaged in ranch- ing and in the livery business for four years. In 1887 he removed to Washington county, Kans., where he was interested in general farm- ing until September of 1893, when, upon making the run into the territory, he located a claim on Red Rock river, Red Rock township, Noble county. Six weeks later this claim was disposed of, and the owner thereof took up his permanent residence in Perry.
As a wholesale and retail grocery merchant, Mr. Adkison has been remarkably successful. He started the enterprise in May of 1894, on C street, and in the fall of 1894 bought the prop- erty which he has since owned. There are two adjoining stores, and the dimensions of the same are 25x60 feet, with a wareroom 24x60 feet. Mr. Adkison is the oldest merchant in the town, and his upright methods of conducting business and his known reliability have secured for him the confidence of the entire community. He is interested in all that pertains to the upbuild- ing of his locality, and ready to lend a helping hand when the occasion demands.
In Washington county, Kans., occurred the marriage of Mr. Adkison and Frances Annie Hawk, a native of Iowa. In politics Mr. Adki- son is affiliated with the Democratic party, but holds very liberal views regarding the politics of the administration. He is a member of the Commercial Club.
W ILLIAM E. BERRY. Long before the present prosperity of Stillwater was even dimly outlined in the minds of men, the name of William E. Berry was linked with the primitive conditions enjoyed by few but the roaming red man. In this locality of plenty and resource he used to shoot the deer and other animals, and for years, while in the cattle busi- ness, made his headquarters at the mouth of Stillwater creek, on the Cimarron river. Through the varied transitions incident to the founding and building of cities, he has left the impress of his strong and reliable personality upon its en- terprises and institutions, and is now availing himself of a well-earned respite from active par- ticipation in business affairs.
Of interest always are the early incidents and stepping stones of all who challenge our appre- ciation of the worthiness of their lives. Of Eng- lish-French descent, Mr. Berry was born in Whitley county, Ky .. March 20, 1844, and is son to Thomas N. and Juliet S. (King) Berry. His
grandfather, John Berry, who came from Eng- land, was a great hunter, and in his old age often showed his grandson where he killed bear in abundance. The grandfather King was born in Virginia, his forefathers having emigrated from France. He settled in Whitley county, Ky., near John Berry. Thomas Berry is fondly cherished in the memory of his son, William, and his life and attainments were such as to win the com- mendation of all who knew him. He was a far- mer, blacksmith and wagon-maker, and was gifted with the talent of knowing how to grasp an opportunity and turn it to the best possible account. He was born, lived and died within a radius of two miles in Whitley county, and at the time of his demise was the possessor of one thou- sand and five hundred acres of land. He reared a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters, of whom William was the oldest. Upon the family homestead this son spent the first seventeen years of his life, and, while receiv- ing excellent agricultural advantages, was some- what hampered as to the opportunities of ac- quiring an education. The first happening of importance in his life was the breaking out of the war, at which time, in 1861, he enlisted in the Federal army in Company F, Sixteenth Ken- tucky Infantry, and served for four years, six months and fourteen days. He participated in the battles of Resaca, Pine Mountain, Atlanta, Franklin and Nashville, and was discharged in North Carolina July 15, 1865.
After the restoration of peace Mr. Berry re- turned to his home in Whitley county, Ky., and remained for two years. February 17, 1870, he was united in marriage with Martha M. Brown, daughter of H. P. and Mary (Perkins) Brown, and during the following year migrated to the west and settled near Oak Grove, Jackson county, Mo. There he bought a farm and en- gaged in general farming until 1882, when he sold out, and purchased another farm in Sumner county, Kans. After a time he left this farm to the management of his sons, and, in company with a brother, came to the vicinity of Stillwater. then the undisputed possession of the Indians, and engaged in the stock business. At the open- ing of the territory in 1889 these two enterprising stockmen had accumulated worldly goods to the amount of two thousand head of cattle and three hundred horses and mules, which they found a ready market for after the people began to pour into the territory from all directions.
Upon permanently locating where Stillwater now stands. Mr. Berry was made one of the town-site company, and was among the first to build here. Later he became a director of the first bank in the town, known as the Farmers and Merchants' Bank. but after a time sold bis in- terest. He is now vice-president of the Stillwater
A. W. SWOPE, Stillwater.
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National Bank, also vice-president of the Eastern Bank of Oklahoma, at Ralston, and a director of the First State Bank of Perkins, Okla. Although of late years interested in matters pertaining more directly to the city and its institutions, Mr. Berry has never relinquished his interest in farm- ing and stock-raising, and still owns seven hun- dred and twenty acres of land in the territory, and one hundred and sixty acres in Sumner county, Kans.
In political affiliation Mr. Berry is a firm be- liever in the principles upon which the Demo- cratic party is founded. Mrs. Berry is an active worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church. To Mr. and Mrs. Berry have been born five chil- dren: Sarah J. is the wife of E. C. Mullendore, of Payne county; Thomas N. is a farmer in Payne county; Dora is now Mrs. O. Goodson, of Kay county, Okla .; James E. is at home; Bessie L. died at the age of eleven years and three months, and is buried at Stillwater.
A. W. SWOPE. As a member of the original town site company, as the organizer of the first bank started in Stillwater, and as one of the successful general merchants in the embryo days of the town, Mr. Swope is en- titled to the appreciation and esteem which he is readily accorded from his fellow-townsmen. As an all-around representative citizen, with a substantial and oft-evinced interest in the affairs of his locality, he is equally prized.
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Of the nine children in the family of which Mr. Swope is a member, six are now living. Two of his brothers, Alfred and Allison, fought with courage and distinction during the Civil war, and lost their lives for their country's sake. The former enlisted in the Forty-ninth Pennsyl- vania Regiment, and the latter in the Fifty-third Regiment of the same state. A. W. Swope was born in Huntingdon county, Pa., August 28, 1843, and his father, Moses, was also born in the Quaker state, and died there at the age of sev- enty-three years. The mother, Susan L., died in Pennsylvania.
On his father's farm A. W. Swope was reared to agricultural pursuits, and received an excel- lent education in the public schools. In 1862 he began a practical application of his knowl- edge, and taught school for a year. In 1863 he volunteered in Company A, Twenty-second Pennsylvania Cavalry, at Huntingdon, and for six months the company fought along Shenan- doah valley, and were mustered out in February, 1864, at Harrisburg. In April of 1864 he re- enlisted at Hollidaysburg, Pa., for three years, in Battery G, First Pennsylvania Light Artillery, and served until June 20, 1865. He was dis- charged at Philadelphia. He saw service at Point
of Rocks, Maryland Heights and Harper's Ferry, and after Lincoln's assassination was sent to the fort on the Potomac, and brought back to Philadelphia .:
Upon returning to his former home, after the war, Mr. Swope ran the farm until 1866, and in the spring removed to Bedford county, Pa., where he engaged in the general merchandise business until 1872. He then went to Orbi- sonia, Pa., and continued his merchandise busi- ness. He became prominent in the community and was elected county treasurer on the Demo- cratic ticket, with a majority of two hundred and nine votes. This responsible position was sustained by Mr. Swope for three years. In Feb- ruary, 1888, he settled in Winfield, Kans., and became interested in the banking business, as cashier of the Citizens Bank of Winfield, and in January of 1890 sold out his interest and came to Stillwater. Since June of 1889 he has been interested in the fortunes of Stillwater. being a member of the original town site company. In company with T. W. Myron, he started the first bank in Stillwater, called the Citizens Bank of Stillwater, and for four months was cashier of the same, after which he sold out and engaged in the general merchandise business. In 1893 he located his claim nine miles northeast of Perry. in Noble county, where he farmed and raised stock. This farm was sold in 1899, and he per- manently located in Stillwater, and, in partner- ship with J. R. Clark, started a real-estate, loan, abstract and insurance business. The firm does a large business, and handles nearly all the addi- tions in the city, as well as farm lands. Mr. Swope personally handles the real-estate part.
In Bedford county, Pa., Mr. Swope married Emma Horton, a native of Pennsylvania. Of this union there are three children living: George A., a graduate of the Iron City College, of Pitts- burg, Pa., is rate clerk for the Choctaw Railroad Company at Little Rock, Ark .; James H. is em- ployed in the Gazette printing office at Still- water; and Emma H. is a graduate of the Agri- cultural and Mechanical College. Mrs. Swope is a daughter of Thomas Horton, a prominent farmer in Pennsylvania, and an ex-member of the Pennsylvania legislature. Her great-grand- father White was a member of the Boston tea party and served in the Revolutionary war.
As a Democratic citizen, Mr. Swope has played a conspicuous part, and was a delegate. to the national convention at Kansas City in 1900. He was mayor of Stillwater in 1890 for one term, and was secretary and clerk of the school board until his removal to the country. In 1900 he was elected councilman of the second ward, and served as chairman of the committee on police inspection. He was made a Mason in Bedford, Pa., and is charter member and
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Past Master of the Lodge No. 6. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in Pennsylvania, and is also connected with St. John Commandery No. 4, K. T.
E DMOND B. WEATHERLY. With keen foresight and confidence in the future of Enid, Mr. Weatherly located a claim ad- joining the city September 16, 1893, and was the tenth person to file claim at the Enid land office. Though he was one of the first to make improvements upon his property, and from that time until the present has expended large amounts of money and given the matter nearly his whole attention, he was obliged to wage a long and severe fight for the ownership, as his claim was contested to the uttermost. He sturdily defended his own rights, and ultimately was victorious. Ranking high among the cit- izens of this place he has been actively asso- ciated with its upbuilding, and champions all modern improvements which he believes will be of permanent benefit to the community.
Our subject's father, Jesse Weatherly, was born in Virginia, and was one of the early set- tlers of Owen county, Ind., where he developed a valuable farm. He died when his son Edmond was only eight years old, and the latter's mother departed this life when the child was in his fourth year. She bore the maiden name of Har- riett Bowen, and Indiana was her birthplace. Her parents settled in that state upon their removal from Pennsylvania. The five sons and one daughter of Jesse and Harriett Weatherly who survived are George M., who served in an Indiana regiment throughout the Civil War. and now is a farmer and stock raiser of Denton county, Tex .; Alexander, who also served in an Indiana regiment during the Rebellion, and now lives in Wilton Junction, Iowa, where he manages an electric light plant; Albert, who is engaged in the drug business at Harper, Kans., and also is interested in mills there : Charles W .. a farmer of Hopkins, Mo .; Mrs. Caroline Rod- erick, a resident of Terre Haute. Ind., and Edmond B., of this sketch. By a second mar- riage Jesse Weatherly had two children-C. F. and Clara, now residents of Chicago.
Edmond Weatherly was born in Spencer, Ind., November 10, 1854, and from the time of his father's death he has been dependent almost entirely upon his own resources. Until he was fourteen years old he lived with farmers in Indiana, and then went to Maryville, Mo., where he resided for three years. In the mean- time he had succeeded in obtaining a general knowledge of the elementary branches of learn- ing, and returning to his native place he entered the high school, where he was graduated in
1876. He then entered the University of Illi- nois at Champaign, and continued in that institution until he reached his sophomore year. He deserves great credit for his perseverance in the task of acquiring an education, for he had no outside assistance. For seven years he was occupied in teaching in the district and graded schools of Champaign county, two years being connected with the St. Joseph school in the capacity of principal.
In 1883 Mr. Weatherly came to the west and for ten years was engaged in the drug business at Harper, Kans. He was successful in that enterprise, but decided to settle permanently in Oklahoma, and coming to Enid September 16, 1893, located his claim adjoining the corpora- tion. After placing his stake on the property he hurried to the land office, where he had papers made out, and, returning, immediately proceeded to make improvements on the prop- erty. First building a small house as a shelter he then broke ten acres of the prairie and engaged in farming on a small scale. Soon a three-wire fence was placed around his quarter section of land, and other improvements were made from time to time. Three months after taking possession of his land a contestant's claim was filed, and after fighting the matter before the interior department commission, and even after receiving his patent to the land, his opponent carried the case to the district court, only to be defeated. For several years Mr. Weatherly met with success as an agri- culturist, and the phenomenal growth. of the city at last suggested to him the advisability of making an addition to the place. Accordingly, in March, 1899, he platted twenty-three acres, which is known as Weatherly's Addition. Within the short period which has elapsed the property has sold at a rapid rate, only six lots now remaining, and substantial residences are being built by the score. Mr. Weatherly is now laying out what is known as his second addition-a tract of thirty acres, adjoining the other and the old town site. This promises to be the finest residence portion of the city, and in addition to this he owns valttable business property near the center.
For the past two years Mr. Weatherly has been engaged in buying and shipping live stock to Kansas City and Wichita. On his own farm he makes a specialty of raising fine horses, and at the head of his stable is the famous stallion Avignon, a Nutwood, probably one of the best trotting stallions in the territory, as he has a record of 2:213. Mr. Weatherly was one of the leaders in the organization of the Garfield County Fair Association, becoming a director of its original board and the first secretary of the same. He also is one of the
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