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 60

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers, (1901, Chapman publishing co., Chicago)
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman publishing co
Number of Pages: 1160

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 60

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In Stillwater, Okla., occurred the marriage of Mr. Bellamy to Mrs. W. C. Crawford, the daugh- ter of John C. Jones, a lady of culture and refine- ment, standing high in society, and an active member of the Episcopal Church. Of this union a daughter was born, Constance,

Fraternally Mr. Bellamy is identified with the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. The El Reno Club numbers him among its active members, as does also the Territorial Pharmaceutical Association.

C APT. P. D. KENYON. In the first flush of manhood Captain Kenyon amply proved his devotion to his country, and in later years has no less nobly supported the gov- ernment and every measure calculated to ad- vance the prosperity of his community. His record is one of which both he and his posterity have just reason to be proud, and his many friends will take great pleasure in tracing his career.

The captain is of English descent, his paternal grandfather, David Kenyon, having emigrated to this country when he was eight years of age with two elder brothers. They settled in Rhode Island, where they became extensively engaged in the manufacturing of woolen goods, and also owned and conducted flouring mills. At the commencement of the war of the Revolution the British forces burned the brothers' mills. and David Kenyon enlisted in the Continental army and for seven years fought valiantly on be- half of his adopted country. He was intensely patriotic and so thoroughly trained his sons that in the second war with Great Britain they

served in our army. At the close of the Revolu- tion he removed to Warren county, N. Y., where he bought a water-power mill and was occupied in the manufacture of flour for several years. He resided there until his death, which took place when he was about eighty-two years of age.

The youngest son of David Kenyon was P: R., father of our subject. He was born in Rhode Island May 24, 1804, and in 1843 removed to northern Illinois. He improved a farm situ- ated about six miles southwest of Mount Carroll, and raised large crops of grain, which he hauled to Chicago-with ox-teams, the journey taking ten days. Subsequently he disposed of his farm products in Savannah, rafting down the river. He was a thrifty business man and acquired val- uable property. He was a Jacksonian Demo- crat until the trouble over Kansas. when he turned his allegiance to the Republicans. He died as he had lived, firm in the faith of the Bap- tist Church. At the time of his death, in 1882, he was in his seventy-ninth year. His wife, Maria, was born in Shoreham, Vt., October 7. 18II, a daughter of Loran and niece of Ethan Allen. The father was born in the Bay state and in his early manhood he went to the Green Mountain state and engaged in teaching and farming. In 1850 he removed to Illinois, where he died upon a farm. Mrs. Maria Kenyon, who died in 1897, was eighty-six years old. Of her nine children six grew to maturity. The eldest son, J. B., died while serving as a private in the Thirty-fourth Illinois during the Civil war. Mrs. Lydia A. Smith died in Idaho and John L .. Elijah J. and Emma M. died in infancy. George C. is engaged in farming and stock-raising near Mount Carroll, Ill., and Mrs. Mary R. Logue resides in that town.

The birth of Capt. P. D. Kenyon occurred in Warren county, N. Y., July 29, 1840, and his education was chiefly obtained in the common schools of Illinois and in Mount Carroll Semi- nary. He had commenced teaching when the Civil war broke out, and with the inherited pa- triotism with which his heart was filled he has- tened to offer his services to his country. He enlisted among the first to respond to the pres- ident's call, April 22, 1861, and was mustered in as a sergeant of Company K, Fifteenth: Illinois Infantry, under Captain Pope. His first service was in the vicinity of Springfield. Mo .. and in February, 1862, he took part in the battle of Fort Donelson, after which he participated in the disastrous battle of Pittsburg Landing. where about one-half of his company were killed or wounded, and the captain and lieutenant were disabled the first day. Mr. Kenyon was promoted on the field, and as first, lieutenant was in command of his company until Novem- ber, 1862, when he was commissioned to the

PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

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captaincy, and served as such until the close of the war. He took part in the severe siege of Corinth, and then had a hard march of thirty days, when he assisted to hold Memphis against the enemy. On the 5th of October, 1862. he took part in the engagement of Hatchies Run, and he was next ordered to accompany Grant on the long march to Vicksburg. He was ac- tively engaged in the siege and capture of that city and later was occupied in the campaigns of Jacksonville and Natchez, Miss. In November, 1863, he returned to Vicksburg, and then as- sisted Sherman in some of his military maneu- vers, tearing up railroads and blocking the enemy's way. After he had veteranized and had had a thirty days' furlough at home he joined Sherman at Altoona, and took part in the opera- tions around Atlanta. At length he was placed in charge of a force of three hundred and twelve men, at Ackworth, with orders, as a rear guard, to protect about $3,000,000 worth of army rations and supplies. He and his little band heroically held out against fully nine thousand men under General Hood, leading them to be- lieve that their force was much greater than it really was, and by some of the boldest moves kept the enemy in the dark as to their pitifully few numbers. They kept the Confederates at bay by sturdy fighting from five to ten o'clock a. m., October 4, 1864, vainly hoping, in the meantime, that they should receive re-enforce- ments, but at last the overpowering numbers of their foes forced them to surrender. Captain Kenyon was sent to Andersonville prison, and later was transferred to other prisons at Greens- boro, Raleigh and Goldsboro. In the spring of the ensuing year he was paroled and went home on a thirty days' furlough, then returning to St. Louis, where he received an honorable discharge May 24, 1865. During his long and severe service he was once stricken with a sunstroke, and at other times he battled against fever and illness, but he stood at his post most of the time, and justly earned the high praise which he re- ceived from his superior officers.

The next important event in the life of Cap- tain Kenyon was his marriage, June 17, 1866, to Louisa S., daughter of John and Hannah (Sny- der) Bowman, of Mount Carroll. She is of Ger- man descent, and, with several generations of her ancestors, was born in Lancaster county, Pa. Her paternal grandfather, John Bowman, who was born in the old town of Ephrata, Pa., was 'engaged in the tannery business there, as was his father, Jacob Bowman, before him. Mrs. Kenyon's father was a farmer by occupation, and in 1861 he removed from the Keystone state to Carroll county, Ill .. He is still living upon his old homestead, four miles northeast of Sa- vannah, and is well along in years, as he was

born January 24, 1823. His wife, Hannah, was a daughter of Henry Snyder, who was an agri- culturist of Lancaster county, his birthplace, and also was successfully engaged in the manufac- ture of grain cradles for years. He died in Pennsylvania, strong in the faith of the Lutheran Church. His wife, who is a member of the Reformed German Baptist Church, now is in her eightieth year. Of her ten children two are de- ceased-Alma, who died at the age of ten years, and Albert, who was twenty-two years old at the time of his death. The sons, Henry W., John S., Simon and Benjamin, are residents of Carroll county.

After farming for a period in Carroll county, the captain removed to Caldwell county, Mo., where he bought a homestead and was exten- sively engaged in raising stock and a general line of cereals and crops common to that region. He was thus employed from 1868 until 1881, when he turned his attention to the management of a milling business at Kingston. During the thirteen years of his residence in that place he served for years as president of the school board and in other local offices of trust. In 1894 he sold out and, coming to Oklahoma City, he pur- chased the old brickyard which had been estab- lished here 1890 by Toler & King. At pres- ent its capacity is thirty thousand bricks per day, and the two kilns, thirty-horse power steam engine and other mechanical appliances are strictly modern and first-class. The clay is very fine and the demand for the products of the plant usually exceeds the amount manufactured.

Years ago the captain was a Republican, and in Kingston he served as chairman of the county central committee, and frequently he went as a delegate to conventions. Later he became a Populist, and in 1891 he attended the conven- tion in Cincinnati in the capacity of a delegate- at-large. He also took an active part in the Farmers' Alliance. In 1892 he was present at the state and national Populist assemblies, and in the autumn of that year was nominated among the electorates from Missouri. Fra- ternally he is identified with Grant Post, G. A. R.

To the marriage of the captain and wife nine children were born, namely: Mrs. Stella Brad- ley, of Kansas City; H. B., a contractor and builder of Dallas, Tex .; Albert G., a farmer of Leavenworth county, Kans .; Frank L., a brick- mason by trade and a resident of this city; War- ren J., who assists in the management of a city brickyard; Austin W., a mason and resident of Dallas, Tex .; Lydia E., who died at the age of sixteen months, and Linnie H. M. and Ben Clarence, who are at home.

Since the above was written P. D. Kenyon has sold out his brick business and removed to Greer county, Okla., where he will embark in

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the fine stock and agricultural business, on the north fork of Red river, his farm being six miles from Dennis, which is his postoffice ad- dress.

W T. PARNELL. The Parnell family, of which Charles Stewart was so distin- guished a member, is represented in Sherman township, Kingfisher county, by his kinsman, W. J. Parnell, who was born in St. Joseph county, Ind., in 1860.

The first to recognize the larger opportunities of America was his paternal grandfather, James Parnell, who came from Ireland after the Rev- olutionary war, and settled in Kentucky, later moving to Indiana. At the time the Hoosier state was unsettled and covered with dense for- ests, but this enterprising pioneer, nothing daunted, cleared the land, put in crops, and lent the aid of his industry and ability to the devel- opment of the material and social welfare of his locality. Thus he passed his latter days, and died among the scenes of his trials and suc- cesses at the age of seventy years.

His son, B. H. Parnell, the father of W. T., was born in Indiana and migrated to Iowa in 1867. After five years of residence there, he went to Harrison county, Mo., where for twenty- one years he was identified with the best inter- ests of his locality. He served as postmaster for four years at Blue Ridge, Mo., under the admin- istration of Benjamin Harrison, and was county judge of Harrison county, Mo., for several years. A reliable and stanch Republican, he repre- sented his locality at various state and county conventions. At the age of sixty-nine years he is now actively engaged in managing his claim in Sherman township, whither he removed in 1892, locating on the northwest quarter of sec- tion 25. Mrs. Parnell was formerly Cynthia Culp, and became the mother of six children, of whom W. T. is the oldest. The other children are: Mary, who is the wife of Rev. P. F. Meek, of Garfield county, Okla .: Elmer, who is living in Garfield county; Stephen, who is a farmer in Sherman township; Jennie, wife of J. O. Wright; and Benjamin, a farmer in Garfield county.

W. T. Parnell received excellent educational advantages, having studied in the public schools and Avalon College. in Avalon, Mo. His first effort to earn a livelihood was conducted in his native state, where he managed a farm of one hundred and twenty acres until 1889, when he decided to take advantage of the unimproved land in the newly opened territory of Okla- homa." Having located on his claim on the southeast quarter of section 24, Sherman town- ship, Kingfisher county, his family soon fol-

lowed, and assisted in the work of developing the untried land. One hundred of the one hun- dred and sixty acres were put under the plow, and the remainder used for pasturage. All the improvements made were of the best possible kind, and general farming and stock-raising have been followed successfully.

In 1883 Mr. Parnell was united in marriage with Ruey Meek, a native of Harrison county, Mo. To Mr. and Mrs. Parnell have been born five children: Lillah, Litta, Paul, Dollie and Whitelaw T. In politics Mr. Parnell is a stanch Republican, and has held many local offices and has been interested in all of the under- takings of his party. While living in Missouri, he served as deputy sheriff for four years. He has been a delegate to important state and county conventions. In Oklahoma, in the fall of 1895, he was elected registrar of deeds, a posi- tion which he creditably filled for two years. At present he is a member of the county central committee and the school board. Fraternally he is associated with the Masonic order, the Modern Woodmen of the World; has also been a member of the Odd Fellows for the past twenty-fouryears. He has passed all of the chairs in the Grand Lodge of Missouri and Oklahoma, and is also past master workman. The Parnell family are identified with the charities and work of the Christian Union Church.

B YRON DELOS SHEAR, clerk of the United States district court, which district includes the counties of Oklahoma, Porta- watomie, Cleveland and Greer, in the Territory of Oklahoma, was born in Hillsboro, Vernon county, Wis., May 12, 1869, and is a son of Hon. Thomas J. and Emergene. (Woodbury) Shear. The family is of Holland and English descent. His father was born in New York state, and early in life settled in Hillsboro, Wis., where he was a merchant for many years, but now lives in retirement. He was an officer of the Forty- seventh Wisconsin Infantry, and served several terms in the Wisconsin legislature, also holding various county offices. In politics he is a Re- publican and fraternally is connected with the Knight Templar Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He married Emergene Woodbury, who was born in New York state, of a New England family, and died in 183. leaving four children: Helen, wife of F. I. Pinch, of Wisconsin; Myrta, wife of O. A. Mitscher, of Oklahoma City; Wesley, a merchant of Ilills- boro, Wis .: and our subject.

Reared in Hillsboro. where he attended school. Byron D. Shear was graduated from the high school in 1885, and then entered the Uni- versity of Wisconsin, from which he received

HON. WILLIAM A. KNIPE, Perkins.

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the degree of A. B. in 1889, later receiving the degree of A. M. In the law department of the same institution he carried on the studies of that course and was graduated in 1892, with the degree of LL. B. He was admitted to practice before the supreme court of Wisconsin. In the fall of 1892 he came to Oklahoma City, and formed a partnership with Walter Scott Field, who was graduated from the University of Wis- consin in 1878, the firm name becoming Field & Shear. They engaged in a successful practice until April 4, 1898, when Mr. Shear received the appointment as clerk of the United States district court. He is a man of educational at- tainments, possesses essentially a legal mind, and is well qualified for the position he so capa- bly fills. Politically he is a Republican.

In Oklahoma City, December 8, 1898, Mr. Shear was united in marriage with Miss Ida Cunningham, who was born in Burden, Kans., and is a daughter of James and Anna Cunning- ham. Her parents now live in Oklahoma City, her father being retired.

H ON. WILLIAM A. KNIPE, the founder of Perkins, and since its inception one of the most prominent citizens of the place, is, perhaps, more widely known owing to his con- nection with Messrs. Coyle and Guss, of Guth- rie, in the laying out of the railroad through Payne county, and of several towns along the line. He laid out the now thriving town of Perkins, and named it in honor of an old Kan- sas friend, B. W. Perkins. From the time of its organization he has acted as a member of the council, and also has served as chairman of the board.

The birth of .W. A. Knipe took place in In- diana forty-four years ago. He is a son of Rev. William and Lucy Knipe, who were na- tives, respectively, of England and Indiana. The father, who has been actively occupied in preaching the Gospel for several decades, re- moved to Jackson county, Kans., in 1859, and in addition to his other duties, has always car- ried on agricultural pursuits. Since 1871 he has been a citizen of Manhattan, Kans., and stands high in the esteem of all who know him, and they are not few.

In his youth, William A. Knipe received the greater part of his education in the "little red schoolhouse," and later pursued a course in the Kansas Agricultural College. Then, turn- ing his attention to farming on his own account, he remained in Kansas until April 22, 1889, when he made the race for a claim in Oklahoma, starting from the southern border of his state. He obtained the northeast quarter of section 12, township 17, range 2, and now has it well in-

proved. A comfortable house and large barns, with needed fences and other features, make this a very desirable homestead. Mr. Knipe also owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, situated to the north of Perkins. For some years he has been the proprietor of a well-managed general store at Perkins, and recentiy built a substantial brick building, into which he trans- ferred his stock of goods. He commands an extensive trade, and by his uniform courtesy and genuine desire to meet the wants of the public has won the high regard of all with whom he has dealings.

From the time when he cast his first presiden- tial ballot until the present, Mr. Knipe has given his allegiance to the Republican party. In 1896 he was honored by election to the legislature of this territory, and took an active part in the councils of that honorable body, being the au- thor of the school lands bill, among others. He is one of the charter members of the Odd Fel- lows lodge at Perkins, and also is identified with the Masonic order here. He was influential in the building of the Methodist Episcopal Church edifice here, and, with his wife, is actively en- gaged in carrying on the noble work of this . denomination.

A quarter of a century ago the marriage of Mr. Knipe and Miss Lillian A. Paddleford took place in Kansas. Her parents, Stephen and Car- oline Paddleford, were natives of New York state, and for many years have been residents of Kansas. The oldest child of our subject and wife, Mrs. Rose Combs, though young, is al- ready widowed. The second daughter, Bessie E., is employed as a clerk in her father's store. She was appointed notary public by Governor C. M. Barnes, August 14, 1899, being the young- est person to receive such an appointment in the territory of Oklahoma. The younger chil- dren, Forrest, Frank, William, Nile, Dennis, Eusebia and Streeter, are yet at home.

W. G. WILLIAMS. A keen, wide-awake representative of the agricultural, iner- cantile and financial interests of Okla- homa, and one of the most extensive stock- growers and dealers west of the Mississippi, Mr. Williams is well worthy of being called the "Cat- tle King of the West." He was born on Green- briar Farm, Clay county, Ky., November 12, 1839, a son of Sidney Williams. His paternal grandfather, William Williams, a native of Vir- ginia, belonging to one of the most aristocratic families of the Old Dominion state, held a gen- eral's commission in the war of 1812. He sub- sequently settled in Madison county, Ky., where he became a large land and stock owner, and cashier of the Bank of Northern Kentucky.

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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Sidney Williams was born and reared in Madison county, Ky., but afterward settled in Clay county, where he acquired a competency as a general farmer and cattle-raiser. He was a citizen of influence, and as one of the leading Democrats of the county served in various pub- lic offices. He died in 1869, at the age of sixty- eight years. He married Miss Margaret T. Garrard, a daughter of Daniel Garrard, of Clay county, Ky. She was of distinguished Vir- ginian ancestry, her grandfather Garrard having been born in that state. He moved to Kentucky in early days, and figured conspicuously in its pioneer history, being honored by having one of its counties named Garrard as a reminder of his services in behalf of his adopted home. After filling other positions of responsibility, he was made governor of the state, and had the dis- tinction of being the only man that ever held the gubernatorial chair three consecutive terms. Daniel Garrard was a prominent business man of Clay county, having been a prosperous farmer and salt manufacturer, and a leader in the Dem- ocratic party. He served as colonel of a com- pany in the war of 1812. Gen. T. T. Garrard, .of the Civil war, was his son, and an uncle of Mr. Williams, having been his mother's brother, while yet another son, James Garrard, was state treasurer of Kentucky in 1859. Of the seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Williams, but two are now living, our subject's sister being Mrs. Margaret T. Cornett, of Washita county, Okla.

W. G. Williams was brought up on the parental homestead, receiving such educational advantages as were offered in the district schools. In 1859 he gladly accepted an invita- tion to go to Texas with an uncle and his fam- ily, and started on the long and tedious trip with bright anticipations for the future, the realiza- tion of which did not appear for many a long year. The journey might have been pleasant for its novelty, if nothing else, had it not been for "· the disagreeable temper of his uncle's wife, who was a veritable scold, and succeeded in making the whole party most miserable by her fault- finding, being especially vindictive toward the nephew. Unwilling to bear her abuse, Mr. Wil- liams determined to leave his uncle and family when he could, and on reaching Palo Pinto county, Tex., started out for himself. Going north a few miles, he found work in getting out stone for a fence, but as his employer could not afford to pay him much for his labors, he went from there to Young county, Tex., with but $3 in his pocket. He finally found employ- ment with a farmer, who gave him $15.50 a month at first, and a few weeks later raised his wages to $18 per month. At the end of six months, he joined a wagon train going from

Camp Cooper, Tex., to Fort Cobb, I. T., and on arriving there found work with John Shirley, whom he assisted in the building of a log house. Afterwards he worked in a hay camp, swinging a scythe for $25 a month, as he supposed, but his employer failed to pay him. He subse- quently helped Mr. Shirley erect Indian houses, for which he had the contract, receiving $450 each, and making no one would dare say the amount, but enough to make the position of In- dian agent a most desirable one for the con- tractor.

Going then to Fort Arbuckle, Mr. Williams worked for Smith Paul in making rails and put- ting up the first fence ever built in Paul's Val- ley, a region now devoted to agriculture. In 1861 he resumed work for his former employer, Mr. Shirley, helping him to bring the first herd of cattle from near Camp Cooper, in Texas, to the territory, a most perilous undertaking, the way lying .through a wild country infested by Indians and wild beasts, with frequent herds of buffalo to be encountered. Collecting a large bunch of cattle, they were driven north to Chan- dler's creek, where corrals were made, fields fenced in, and the stock allowed to range until, November, 1863, they were taken to Paul's Val- ley and kept until after the war. In 1865 the cattle were divided, Mr. Williams having one- sixth of the number in payment for his services. Thus equipped, he began cattle-raising for him- self, and has been unusually successful. In 1872 he located on a ranch at Silver City, on the Canadian, and in 1878 made another move, set- tling about forty miles from Anadarko, Okla., but there the Indians proved so troublesome that he came to his present ranch, which con- tains sixteen thousand acres of land, about five hundred acres of which he cultivates, while the remainder is devoted to grazing purposes. He keeps from two thousand to five thousand head of cattle on the range, and on his breeding farm makes a specialty of Hereford cattle and saddle and running horses. Since 1895 he has made several changes in his business life, and is now president of the El Reno Wholesale Grocery Company, of which he was one of the projectors. This is an enterprising business establishment. which operates two houses, one in El Reno, and a branch house at Chickasha, I. T. He is also president of the Minco Bank, which he assisted in organizing, and is in partnership with C. B. Campbell as a merchant, belonging to the firm of C. B. Campbell & Co. He is owner of the Bank Block in Minco, has a livery establishment there, and is a stockholder in the Minco ele- vator.

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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 60

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers, (1901, Chapman publishing co., Chicago) Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman publishing co Number of Pages: 1160

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers, (1901, Chapman publishing co., Chicago)
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman publishing co
Number of Pages: 1160