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 67
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The first five years of Mr. Condon's life were passed in Chillicothe, Ross county, Ohio, where he was born, and where his father, Shadrach Condon, for some years engaged in contracting and building, although for some time past he has made his home in Greenfield, Iowa. By his first wife, Sarah Wright, he had two sons, Webster B. and George, the latter being a contracting builder in Oklahoma City. After the death of his first wife, in Ohio, Mr. Condon married Miss Delia Myer, by whom he had four children. His
brother, John Condon, is a pattern-maker in the shops of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, at Mount Vernon, Ohio.
April 22 found him in Oklahoma City, in or near which place he has since made his home. Dur- ing that same year of 1889 he married Miss Helen Friday, by whom he has four children, Catherine, Ona, Webster B., Jr., and Vera.
Politically Mr. Condon adheres in belief to the Republican party, whose principles he sustains by his vote. At one time in Oklahoma City he was nominated for alderman, but was defeated by one vote. In 1900 he was elected trustee of Oklahoma township. In Oklahoma Lodge No. 2, I. O. O. F., he is serving as past noble grand, and he is also connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
A RTHUR C. HOLLAND. The first mem- ber of the Holland family to come to Amer- ica was the great-grandfather, James. who was born in Ireland, of English descent. When a young man he crossed the seas and settled in Maryland, near Washington, where his son Elisha was born. While quite a young man, Elisha moved to Wayne county, N. C., where he married and reared a large family of chil- dren. His son, West Holland, the father of A. C., was also a planter, and served during the Civil war in a North Carolina regiment. He was a politician of note and filled several offices within the gift of his fellow townsmen. He was elected registrar of deeds, and, upon being re- elected, resigned in the middle of his second term to come to Kansas in 1860. With his wife and thirteen children he made the journey by rail, the transportation costing $606. This little colony located near Winfield, the father setting out the first stake on the claim between Winfield and Arkansas City. After improving the farm
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they lived upon it until. 1898, at which time the children mostly had homes of their own, and the father went to live with them.
The mother of Mr. Holland was formerly Sally C. Grice, a native of Wayne county, N. C. She died in Kansas in 1886. Of her children we note the following: Cullen, who is a graduate physician and is practicing medicine in Black- well, during the Civil war served in a North Carolina regiment; Rittie, the wife of C. J. Kempton, died in Cowley county, Kans .; Need- ham died in 1871; Arthur C. is living in Perry; Mattie, Mrs. Russell, resides in Brooklyn, N. Y .; C. C., a graduate of the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, is now connected with the judge advocate general's office in Washington, D. C .; A. W., a graduate of the medical department of the university at Louisville, Ky., and also of the New York Poly- clinic Medical College, is now located at Yukon, Okla .; Lucy resides in Chandler; Jency, Mrs. Feuquay, also lives in Chandler; William is in the far west; R. B. is a merchant in Chandler; Edith is teaching in Perry; and W. Bob is a newspaper man in New York City.
In Goldsboro, Wayne county, N. C., Arthur -C. Holland was born September 21, 1850. He was educated in his native town and at the Nahunta Academy. At the age of eighteen he was appointed deputy registrar of deeds of Wayne county, to assist his father, and was act- ing in that capacity when Goldsboro fell. He sustained the position of deputy until his re- moval to Kansas in 1869. There he worked on the home farm in the summer and taught school in the winter. In 1883 he located at Dex- ter, Cowley county, and engaged in farming and stock-raising until the opening of Oklahoma. While in Cowley county he had large responsi- bilities and owned no less than eleven hundred acres of land.
In 1889 Mr. Holland identified himself with Bob Beard, the government contractor, who built the land offices at Guthrie and Kingfisher, and was sent to Guthrie. His homestead right was guaranteed by Secretary Noble, and he as- sisted in the erection of the Guthrie land office, and had it completed in time for the opening. He then located a claim on the Cimarron river, one and a half miles north of Capitol Hill, which he proceeded to improve, but which he event- ually sold, owing to the fact that it was a subject of contest. In 1893 Mr. Holland, with undimin- ished faith in the possibilities of the territory, located in Perry, where he has been interested in real estate, but is in reality retired from very active participation in the business affairs of life. In the fall of 1893 he bought a site in the town and erected a residence on the bank of Cow creek. He also finds diversion in the manage-
ment of a farm which is nine miles west of the town.
In politics a Democrat, Mr. Holland has been interested in a substantial way in the affairs of his party. Among other local offices, he has been a member of the board of education, and was vice-president of the same. He is entitled to the distinction of having been mayor of the town for two years, an honor not accorded to any one else up to that time. During his term of office, in 1895-96, he improved the opportunity to dis- play his great interest in the public welfare, and, among other advantages to the city, accom- plished at that time, was the completion of the water works, and the electric lighting plant. He became a Mason in Dexter, Kans., was a mem- ber of Guthrie Lodge No. I, and is a charter member of Perry Lodge No. 14. He is also a member of the Ancient Order of United Work- men.
In Kansas, March 1, 1883, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. Holland and Mary A. Bott, a na- tive of Illinois. Of this union there are three children, West Grover, Edith Wayne and Ar- thur P. Mr. Holland enjoys.the confidence and esteem of all who are permitted to enjoy his friendship, or profit by his stanch integrity as a business man. He is a citizen whom Perry is delighted to honor and who has proved an influ- ence for good wherever his lot has been cast.
R OBERT W. BRANDON, a well and favor- ably known citizen of Mustang township, Canadian county, is an example of what may be accomplished by an energetic, upright business man, even within a short period. Com- ing to this territory a few years ago, practically without means, yet with a brave heart and a firm purpose, he steadily pressed forward toward the goal of success, and to-day is reaping the golden harvest of his labors.
Mr. Brandon comes of an old southern family, his parents, Washington and Mary (Munn) Brandon, being natives of Tennessee. For years the family resided in Kentucky, in which state Robert W. was born on a plantation. The father then went to Alabama, where he successfully carried on a factory in which cotton goods were manufactured. Our subject early commenced his business career by working in the cotton mill, and he was but sixteen years of age when death deprived him of his father.
Deciding to follow Greeley's advice to young men, Mr. Brandon came to the west. Locating on a farm in Jefferson county, Kans., he assidu- ously devoted himself to the cultivation of the homestead, but, owing to the numerous draw- backs connected with agricultural enterprises in that section of the Union he did not acquire a
J. W. HENDERSON, Pawnee.
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fortune as readily as he had hoped to do. Accordingly, when the rich and promising terri- tory of Oklahoma was about to be opened to white settlers, he wisely decided to cast in his lot with its people. After carefully looking over the country he located in the northwestern corner of section 12, township 10, range 6, Canadian county. Here he has made radical changes for the better, thus greatly increasing the value of the place, which to-day is considered a model farm. He makes a specialty of raising Poland- China hogs and Shorthorn cattle, for which he finds a good market in this immediate locality. At present he has about three hundred and twenty acres under cultivation or in use as pas- ture lands, and abundant harvests annually bless ·his seasons of toil.
The home of Mr. Brandon is known far and near for its true southern hospitality, and the liberality and kindness of himself and wife have lightened the burdens of many a stranger and afflicted one. They are ever ready to aid and comfort their neighbors, in all their troubles, and their places in the community could not be easily filled. Mrs. Brandon is a daughter of A. A. Davis, a native of Indiana, who removed to Iowa at an early day and thence went to Kansas, where, during Quantrell's raid, he joined the state guards for the protection of property and loved ones. He is still living and is making his home with his children in this territory. The devoted wife and mother, whose maiden name was Christina McDowell, departed this life sev- eral years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Brandon have two daughters, namely: Mary Ethel and Ada Christina.
J. W. HENDERSON, a well-known dealer in agricultural implements and vehicles, is one of the leading business men of Paw- nee, and as a public-spirited citizen is thoroughly interested in whatever tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of the community. He is a native of Wellsville, Ohio, and the youngest in a family of eight children, seven of whom reached years of maturity and six are still living, though our subject is the only one in the west. His parents were James and Anna (Blakely) Henderson, the father born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the mother in Ire- land. On their emigration to America they settled in Wellsville, Ohio, where for some time the father was engaged in the wholesale grocery business, but for twenty-five years before his death served as cashier of the First National Bank of that place, being chosen to the position on the organization of the bank.
Our subject was born on the 18th of Septem- ber, 1859, and was educated in the public and
high schools of Wellsville. He began his busi- ness career as clerk and bookkeeper at that place, and in 1882 went to Kansas City, Mo., where for one year he was employed as cost clerk by the Hall & Willis Hardware Company. He next engaged in clerking in a hardware store at Carthage, Mo., until 1891, and in that year accepted a position as traveling salesman in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas. On the 16th of September, 1893, Mr. Henderson came to Perry, Okla., where he engaged in the real-estate business until the following Decem- ber, when he entered the employ of A. C. Hinde, a dealer in hardware and implements, continu- ing with him until January, 1898, when he came to Pawnee and embarked in the implement and vehicle business on his own account. He erected his present store building in 1899, and now carries the largest and most complete stock of any house of its kind in the place. He represents the Deering Harvester Company, and also carries the Canton wagons, buggies, plows and agricultural implements. By fair and hon- orable dealing he has built up an excellent trade, and is to-day one of the most successful and prominent business men of Pawnee.
In Hamilton, Canada, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Henderson and Miss Hattie J. Hill, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, by whom he has two children, Blanche and Eugene. He is a member of the Western Implement and Ve- hicle Dealers' Association; belongs to Paw- nee Lodge No. 17, A. F. & A. M., also a member of Pawnee Commandery, No. 7, K. T .; is past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, with which he is also connected, and is serving as vice-grand chancellor of Oklahoma. He is now efficiently serving as a member of the school board of Pawnee and clerk of the same. A substantial school building was erected in 1900 which is said to be the finest school building in the territory. His strict integrity and honorable dealing in business commend him to the confi- dence of all; his pleasant manner wins him friends, and he is one of the popular and hon- ored citizens of Pawnee.
JOHN WOOD, superintendent of the Anheu- ser-Busch Artificial Ice and Cold Storage plant at Oklahoma City, was also one of the incorporators and is now a director of the Oklahoma Ice and Cold Storage Company. In early life he was identified with railroad work, being a skilled locomotive engineer, and since 1893 has made his home in Oklahoma City.
Mr. Wood was born in Fort Wayne, Ind .. October 31, 1862, and is a son of Thomas and Ellen (Graham) Wood. His father, a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, and who there learned
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the trade of a blacksmith, came to America when a young man, and was employed in Toronto, Canada, for seven years, thence removing to Fort Wayne, Ind. He served as foreman of the blacksmith department of the Wabash Railroad shops until he died, in 1870, a period of fifteen years. His wife was born in Oxford, England. Her father brought his family to this country and located in Susquehanna county, Pa., where he died. She died in 1868. Ten children were born to this union, of whom two sons and two daughters are now living. One son, Joseph, is now an engineer in Mexico.
John Wood was reared in Fort Wayne, Ind., and received his education in the public and high schools of that city. At the age of fifteen years he entered the employ of the Wabash Railroad as fireman between Fort Wayne and Toledo, Ohio, at which he continued for three years. Next he served an apprenticeship as ma- chinist in the shops of the same road for three years, when he was promoted to engi- neer, running between Fort Wayne and To- ledo. Subsequently he was employed in a like capacity for the Nickel Plate Railroad until 1886, when he went to Newport, Ark. As pas- senger engineer, he ran on the White and Black River Valley Railroad between Brinkley and Jacksonport, Ark., until 1893. In May of the lat- ter year, he came to Oklahoma City as general manager of the Anheuser-Busch ice and cold storage plant, which has a capacity of twenty tons. He has since held this position.
In the spring of 1900 Mr. Wood was one of the incorporators of the Oklahoma Ice and Cold Storage Company, the other organizers being: Albert Ruemmeli, of St. Louis, who is now president and general manager; Henry Braun, of Guthrie, who is secretary and treasurer; Kay W. Dawson, of Oklahoma City; M. L. Turner, of Oklahoma City; Edwin H. Cook, of Okla- homa City, and H. Surber, of St. Louis. The board of directors includes Messrs. Ruemmeli, Wood, Braun, Dawson and Surber. The plant, located at the intersection of the Choctaw, Okla- homa & Gulf and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroads, is the largest cold storage ware- house in the territory, its dimensions being 225x100 feet, with seventeen large storage rooms, and a capacity of fifty tons.
At Jacksonport, Ark., August 20, 1889, Mr. Wood married Emma Lamb, who was born in Grandglaise, Ark., and is a daughter of Enos Lamb, a pioneer of Arkansas, and captain of a steamer on the White river. Her mother, Frances Lamb, was born in Tennessee and died in 1891. Her sister married Col. V. Y. Cook, a planter of Arkansas, and now at the head of the Confederate Veterans of Arkansas. His military record is-an exceptional one, extending from his
service as a boy in General Forrest's Cavalry to his participation in the Spanish-American war as colonel of the Second Arkansas Infantry.
Mr. Wood is a member of the division of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers at Little Rock, Ark. Religiously Mrs. Wood is a faith- ful member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The family own and occupy a commo- dious residence at No. 101 East Fourth street, in Maywood addition.
H JENRY JOHN VANDENBERG. The Vandenberg family, which is of Holland ex-
traction, has figured frequently in historic events since the early settlement of the United States, and has included among its members men noted for the hardy, determined spirit of which the world's heroes are made. The sub- ject of this article has many of the sturdy traits that characterized his ancestors, and since early manhood has been prominent in local affairs. At this writing he resides at No. 618 East Cieve- land avenue, Guthrie, and holds a position among his townsmen as one whose opinions are worthy of respect.
A native of Pella, Marion county, Iowa, born November 11, 1855, Mr. Vandenberg is a son of John and Gertrude (Evarts) Vandenberg. While many of his family, in lineal and collat- eral lines, had previously settled in America, John Vandenberg did not come to this country until 1854, when he settled at Pella. He was a general builder, and carried on a large business in Iowa, where he remained until his death, in 1879. His wife passed away in 1860. She was the mother of nine children, of whom three were older than Henry John and his twin brother.
When nine years of age Mr. Vandenberg began to work by the month, his father collect- ing his wages and using them for the support of the family. In early manhood he learned bricklaying and general building. The limited means of the family rendered it necessary that he should work constantly, without any edu- cational advantages. However, he studied of winter evenings until he had fitted himself for admission into Central University, at Pella. Afterward he followed his trade in Illinois. Ne- braska and other states. Meantime he formed the acquaintance of Miss Johanna G. Vanden- berg, who, though bearing the same name as himself, was not related to him. She was born in Wisconsin in 1864, a daughter of Christian and Johanna G. Vandenberg, and was nineteen years of age at the time of her marriage, which took place July 16, 1884, in Orange City, Iowa.
About 1883 Mr. Vandenberg went into north- western Iowa, where he followed contract- ing, his first contract being for the bank build- ing at Orange City. After three years in that
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vicinity, he went to Abilene, Kans., where he was employed as a builder. At the opening of Oklahoma, equipped with a wagon, three horses and a breaking plow, he made the run, intending to take up a claim, but found such obstacles in his way that he drove to Guthrie. In all the territory he was acquainted with only two men. Beginning as a builder, he at first found con- siderable difficulty in securing employment. Having discovered that a number of people were holding claims unlawfully, in the fall of 1889 he commenced suit against J. W. Booth, who occupied the northwest quarter of section 22, township 18, range 3, Logan county. The case was fought in every court in the county, and before the commissioner of the general land of- fice and the secretary of the interior, covering a period of five years. Finally he gained the vic- tory. He made his homestead entry in Novem- ber, 1894, and for six years afterward gave his attention to the improvements of his property, after which, in October, 1900, he returned to make his home in Guthrie, and resumed con- tracting. Among the buildings for which he has had the contracts may be mentioned Hotel Royal, Harriett block, J. M. Brooks building, 'International Loan building, Kendall building, territorial jail, the Tom Saurod building, Victor block, the Keeler, McDonald, Webster and Hen- nings buildings, the postoffice building, a whole- sale grocery house, the Beadles building. and he also superintended the construction of the Masonic Temple. In 1894 he erected the four school buildings of Guthrie, being under bonds to the amount of $200,000. He was the only bidder from the territory who bid on the Alva school. At the time of building the schools he had one hundred and sixty-five men on his pay roll.
In his ideas Mr. Vandenberg is progressive. He affiliates with reform movements in political parties, in which he has been an active worker. Fraternally he is connected with the Odd Fel- lows, Woodmen, Red Men and Ancient Order of United Workmen, and has passed all of the chairs in the order first named.
Of the eight children of Mr. and Mrs. Van- denberg, one died in infancy, and the others are John Evarts, Gertrude Johanna, Josephine May, Henry James, William Henry, Minnie Eveline and Mathel Gladys.
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H ON. J. R. KEATON is a man whose learn- ing, good judgment and sterling honesty have won for him a place among the dis- tinguished members of the bar in Oklahoma. He possesses all the essential elements of a suc- cessful lawyer-power, perseverance and deter- mination-and though these elements lead to
success in any vocation in life, especially are they essential to the eminent laywer. He is a native of Grayson, Carter county, Ky., born December 10, 1861, and is a son of Nelson T. and grandson of Robert Keaton.
The Keaton family is of English descent. Robert Keaton was born in the state of Virginia. Nelson T. Keaton was also born there, but dur- ing his early manhood he moved to Carter county, Ky., where he engaged in tilling the soil and raising stock. He and his only brother were soldiers in the Union army during the Civil war, belonging to the Twenty-second Ken- tucky Volunteer Infantry, in which he was or- derly sergeant. When General Sherman made his first attack on the north of Vicksburg Mr. Keaton was taken a prisoner, and after six months of confinement he was paroled. He then started to join General Banks, and while proceeding up the Red river he and his party were attacked by Kirby Smith, and narrowly escaped capture. He spent the remainder of his time under Generals Banks and Butler at New Orleans. At the time he was mustered out of service he was first lieutenant of his company. He is a member and Past Grand Master of the G. A. R. of Carter county, Ky., and president of the Blue and Gray Association of that county. He has served as chairman of the board of county commissioners of that county. His wife, Mary A., a native of Carter county, Ky., was a daughter of Caleb Huff, a native of Virginia, and one of Kentucky's early settlers. Both Mr. and Mrs. Keaton are members of the Christian Church. They are the parents of three sons and five daughters, of whom one daughter is de- ceased. Dr. John P. Huff, a brother of our subject's mother, is now serving his twelfth year in the state senate of Kentucky, and under Gov- ernor Bradley he was superintendent of the feeble-minded institution at Frankfort. During the Civil war he served in the Union army, being a member of the Fourteenth Kentucky Cavalry.
J. R. Keaton obtained his elementary train- ing in the district schools of his native town, and later attended the high school at Grayson. At eighteen he commenced to teach school in Car- ter and Lawrence counties, which occupation he followed three years. He then entered the Na- tional Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio. from which institution he graduated in 1884 with the degree of B. S. Upon leaving school he went to Texas, where he was principal of the Hico Normal for some years, and during a part of that time edited the Hico Courier. In the fall of 1886, as a member of the Hamilton county delegation, he was one of the delegates to the democratic state convention which nominated Gen. Sul Ross for Governor. He continued as
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principal of the school until the following year, when he resigned his position in order to devote his time to his paper, but in 1888 he sold the paper. During his stay in Texas he studied law, in 1887 becoming a student in Judge C. K. Bell's office in Hamilton. In the fall of 1888, after he had disposed of his paper, he went to Wash- ington, D. C., and entered the law department of the Georgetown University, from which he graduated in 1890 with the degree of LL. B. During his sojourn in Washington he was in the office of Col. Enoch Totten, who was counsel for the Pennsylvania Railway Company and for the Washington & Georgetown Street Railway Company. He was admitted to the bar in Texas before going to Washington in 1888, and in the latter city he was admitted to the bar May I, 1890.
In July, 1890, Mr. Keaton came to Guthrie, Okla., on a visit, but soon decided to remain and accordingly embarked in practice, continuing until September 19, 1896, when he was appointed associate justice of the supreme court of Okla- homa by President Cleveland, and was assigned to the Third Judicial District, which embraced Oklahoma, Cleveland, Pottawatomie and Greer counties. His successor was appointed and qualified April 2, 1898, whereupon Judge Keaton resumed the practice of law and opened an office in Oklahoma City. Recognizing his executive ability and his devotion to principle and the interests of the people of Oklahoma, the Territorial, Democratic and Populist conven- tions in joint session nominated him a delegate to Congress, on the 13th of July, of the same year, after two days' balloting, when on the sev- enty-fourth ballot he won over his opponent, J. Y. Callahan, the Populist candidate for said nomination. He made a thorough canvass, but was defeated at the election by D. T. Flynn, the Republican nominee. After his defeat lie re- sumed his law practice at Oklahoma City, where he has office rooms in the First National Bank Building. He is counsel in many of the largest cases in the Oklahoma courts. It is conceded that he is one of the most acute and logical rea- soners in Oklahoma, and his standing as a law- yer is high throughout the territory.
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