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 96
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In Marshall county, Kans., Richard E. P. Messall was born January 16, 1874. He was educated in the public schools of Marysville, and graduated from the high school in 1800, after which he went into business with his father. September 16, 1893, he made the run into Enid, where he bought a lot and built the bottling works, the first industry of its kind in the city. The rapidity of the transaction was startling. The business was started on Saturday, the build- ing erected on Monday, and the plant in full swing by Tuesday. Since then the business has been continued with unabated success. In ad- dition, Mr. Messall is agent for Garfield county, for the Pabst and Anheuser-Busch brewing concerns. The bottling works do a large busi- ness in bottling the Cherokee mineral water.
Mr. Messall's interests extend beyond his im- mediate concerns. He is generous in contribut- ing of time and money toward anything insti- tuted for the public good. Among other improvements of the city may be mentioned the
Mrs. Messall was formerly Amelia Jacdicke, a native of Hanover, Kans., and a daughter of August Jaedicke, a banker of Hanover. Mr. and Mrs. Messall have two children, Irene Viola and Richard Victor.
It is -doubtful if any resident of Enid has so far used his opportunities for the benefit of his community to a greater degree than has Mr. Messall, and he has met with the appreciation due his disinterested efforts. In politics he is a Republican, and vitally interested in all the un- dertakings of his party. For several years he has been school treasurer. September 3. 1898, he was appointed by Governor Barnes to the position of paymaster-general, with the rank of major, and attended the governor and staff to the Omaha exposition. For three years he has served as president of the Garfield County Fair Association, in which capacity he has given universal satisfaction, and won the admiration of all through his efforts toward the furthering of the success of the fair. Another enterprise that requires time and consideration is his posi- tion as president of the German-American Pub- lishing Company, which has headquarters at Enid, and which publishes the three German newspapers in the territory, viz .: the Biobachter, of Enid; the Echo, of Oklahoma City; and the Oklahoma Volksblatt, of El Reno.
Mr. Messall was instrumental in securing the telephone service in Enid, and backed its intro- duction with the necessary funds until the enter- prise was on a paying basis. Fraternally he is associated with Schiller Lodge No. I. Sons of Herman, and was the first president of the lodge. which position he still holds. He is connected with the Knights of Honor. Knights of Pythias. Improved Order of Red Men and Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a member of the Commercial Club and a worker in the Lutheran Church. Besides his residence in town, he owns a farm one-half mile east of the city
W W. FAULDS. As a promulgator of the wisest measures for the improvement of his locality, Mr. Faulds is perhaps with- out a peer in his adopted city of Perry. As a hardware merchant, he built up the first trade in that line in the town, and which, under his
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able and conscientious management, has as- sumed proportions sufficient to supply the greater part of the demand in this community of glowing possibilities. As a builder for the pub- lic good, his most ambitious effort has been the work accomplished as one of the first appointed members of the incorporating committee of the Perry, Oklahoma & Port Arthur Railroad. This road has made great headway, and is now sur- veyed from Blackwell to Sapulpa, thus opening up the coal fields, and insuring in the future cheap coal for this part of the territory. Mr. Faulds is vice-president and director of this enterprise, and for his disinterested efforts in this, as in numerous other directions of ad- vancement, he has received the appreciation and gratitude of his fellow-townsmen.
Mr. Faulds was born in Vermilion county, Ill., near Danville, June 5, 1865. The ancestry of the family is Scotch and English. The father, John Faulds, who was born in Edinburgh, Scot- land, in his native land was an extensive oper- ator in coal, and upon coming to America was the first to develop the mines in the vicinity of Danville, Ill. In the early '5os he sank the first shaft in the county, and subsequently acquired control of the mines at Catlin, Tilton and South Danville, all in Vermilion county. Owing to the jealousies and incriminations brought about by his pronounced success, Mr. Perry did not reap the deserved benefits from his efforts as the pioneer coal manipulator of Vermilion county. His ambitious and useful life came to an end through a railroad accident. His wife, Anna (Sellers) Perry, was born in Sheffield, England, and is a daughter of Abraham Sellers, of Shef- field, a blacksmith by trade. He came to Amer- ica and located at Bristol, Ill., where he plied his trade, and he died at Clifton, Ill., at the age of eighty-three years. Mrs. Faulds was reared in Illinois and is now living in Colorado Springs, Colo.
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The oldest in a family of five children, Mr. Faulds was reared in Illinois, and educated in the public schools., At the age of nine, he removed with his parents to Tuscola, and at the age of thirteen was apprenticed to a tin and sheet iron worker for three years. In 1886 he removed to Kendall, Hamilton county, where he dili- gently plied his trade, and in 1888 went to Cohner, near Springer, N. M., and engaged in the hardware business. The next year, dis- contented with the prospects in New Mexico. he came to Alma. Wabaunsee county, Kans .. bringing his stock of hardware with him, and removing it. in 1893, to the town which has since been the scene of his success. On the west side of the city square, Mr. Faulds began operation from the circumscribed interior of a tent. later graduating to a building of more or less pre-
tentious appearance, and in 1896 purchased the two-story structure at the corner of C and Sixth streets. The building is 25x150 feet in dimen- sions, with a warehouse 25x60. It contains the largest and most complete line of hardware in the city, and in it are manufactured sheet. and tinware. Mr. Faulds has erected a comfortable and commodious residence in Perry, located on E, between Seventh and Eighth streets.
In Tuscola, Ill., occurred the marriage of Mr. Perry and Jessie Morris, a native of Ohio. Of this union there are two children. In politics Mr. Faulds is associated with the Republican party, and is an ardent upholder of its issues. While serving as councilman from the third ward, he was president of the council. Fra- ternally he is a Mason, a member of the lodge, chapter and commandery here; also a Modern Woodman of America and a Knight of Pythias. With his family, he is a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church, and contributes gener- ously towards its maintenance. He is a member of the Commercial Club of Perry.
JOHN JENSEN is one of the most prosper- ous and successful farmers in Canadian county, and his homestead on section 2, El Reno township, is a marvel of thrift and in- dustry. He has been a resident of the territory since 1890, coming that year from Butler county, Neb. He was quick to see the possibilities of the untrodden wilderness, and hard labor and patient industry have vindicated his foresight.
Mr. Jensen was born in Germany, and came to this country when a lad of sixteen, in com- pany with his brother, Thomas. They landed at New York, August 24, 1864, and made their way to Scott county, Iowa, where they followed farming until 1883. At that time he owned a half-section of land and was engaged exten- sively in raising Short-horn cattle and Poland- China hogs. In 1883 he sold out and went to Butler county, Neb., where his brother had be- come a very prominent farmer. Buying a half- section of choice land, he turned his attention to blooded stock. At times he had two hundred head of cattle of high grade. In all his enter- prises he was successful. In 1890 he sold out a second time and came to Oklahoma for what he is positive will be his last settlement.
Taking a homestead on section 22, El Reno township, Mr. Jensen improved the claim to every requirement of the law. In 1898 he sold it and bought his present farm, comprising an entire section of as choice land as the country affords. On this he continues that same wise farming system by which he has been so greatly advanced. Three hundred acres are in wheat. and fifty acres in alfalfa, besides which he raises
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Hereford cattle, horses and mules. He has ex- tensive and solid improvements on the place, especially a commodious house, which makes a comfortable home for his family. He is also interested in El Reno real estate. and owns one hundred and thirty acres adjoining the city on the southwest. This he rents. In politics he is a Democrat, is a leading member of his party, and takes a lively interest in its welfare. For several years he has served on the school board and has done much for the local schools.
In 1876 Mr. Jensen went to Philadelphia to attend the great exposition of that year, and was much delighted with his eastern trip, but returned with his faith in the west unsbaken. While on that trip he crossed the ocean to revisit his native land. There he met his present wife. Her name was Marie Thiesen, and she has proved in every way a helpmate to her honest and industrious husband. They have four chil- dren: Peter, Thomas, George W. and Minna. The family are members of and active workers in the German Lutheran Church. Mr. Tensen can look back on a long and arduous life with pride and satisfaction. He and his brother had $500 between them when they reached Iowa, and only hard work and wise management could have changed that modest sum into their present ample resources.
R. W. DUNLAP. As one of the most enthu- siastic pioneers of Oklahoma, Mr. Dun- lap has impressed his substantial traits of character and attainment upon the development of this wonderful land, and has been identified with all phases of life as exemplified within its borders. Through long association with the Indians, he has become especially familiar with their life and habits, and understands and speaks their language better than the average red man himself. With the political and other under- takings of the locality he has extended his influ- ence, and has held some of the most important local offices within the gift of the people.
Born in Tompkins county, N. Y., in 1837, Mr. Dunlap is a son of Thomas and Margaret (Mc- Guire) Dunlap, who were born, respectively, in Scotland and Ireland. Until his eighth year, tive county, at which time the family removed to Allegany county, and he learned the black- smith's trade in the town of Cuba. His first experience in the west was in Topeka, Kans., where he worked at his trade for a short time. and then joined a party of Topeka young men in an expedition to Sedgwick county. Kans., on the Arkansas river, where they hunted buffalo in the summer time and wolves during the win- ter. Being thus launched upon a life of adven-
ture, he next engaged as an Indian trader, being associated mostly with the Osages. He readily learned their language, and befriended them on many occasions. During the war he had much to do with the Kiowa and Comanche tribes, and by his honest dealings with them won their con- fidence and friendship. He is known through the Indian Territory and Oklahoma as Pa Hoppy, an appellation conferred upon him by the Osage Indians during the first years of his residence among them. They had in their midst a boy named Pa Hoppy, and when Mr. Dunlap appeared among them they called him Pa Hoppy's oldest brother, and eventually gave him the name itself.
At the time of the opening of Oklahoma, Mr. Dunlap was located in the Osage Nation, just opposite the town of Cleveland site, which then belonged to a Cherokee Indian. He purchased the allotment, which is the southeast quarter of section 8, township 21, range 8, and organized a company to lay out the town and dispose of the lots. At a meeting of the townsite board there was a great discussion as to the future name of the embryo town, and some old man proposed the name of Cleveland, which was im- mediately adopted by vote. The village of Cleve- land has many natural and other advantages, and is beautifully situated in a bend of the Arkan- sas river, having bottom land on the north and east, and hills and glens and valleys on the south and west. It is small wonder that it has at- tracted from all directions enterprising people, who believe in its prospects and work for the fulfillment of its possibilities.
Mr. Dunlap erected one of the first buildings in the town, which was part frame, and used as an hotel. An entire brick structure was later built, and in this he successfully conducted an hotel for six years, but at the present time has it rented out. He also owns a livery barn, which is run in connection with the hotel, and he has erected a fine residence, in which he resides. Mr. Dunlap's prospects have been somewhat re- tarded throughout his busy life since 1876. owing to an injury sustained to his right knee by being thrown from a buggy. Of late years he has suffered keenly from the catastrophe.
In 1868 occurred the marriage of Mr. Dunlap young R. W. lived on his father's farm in his na- . and Sarah E. Westbrook, of Allegany county,
N. Y., and of this union there have been born three children. Their elder daughter is mar- ried and has four children, and the younger (laughter, the wife of E. L. McKee, of Pawnee City, has two children; the son, Fred, was drowned in the Arkansas river in August of 1897. Mrs. Sarah Dunlap died in Montgomery county, Kans., in 1874. The second marriage of Mr. Dunlap, in 1876, united him with a sister of his first wife, and a daughter of Julius West-
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brook, who died in New York state. Of this. at the opening of the Sac and Fox reservation. union there is one child, Robert W., who is a young man, and living at home.
Fraternally Mr. Dunlap is associated with the Masonic order, having joined the organization in New York in 1866, while there on a visit. In 1894 he was elected county commissioner of the first district, and held the office for four years. He was re-elected on an independent ticket, and is now performing the duties of the office, being the only elected commissioner of this district. During his residence in Lyon county, Kans., he served two terms in the Kansas legislature.
H. C. DOWNEY. In his many-sided capac- . ities Mr. Downey has been prominently identified with the different localities of which he has been a resident, and has invariably won the confidence of the community as to the soundness of his judgment and the genuineness of his interest. As proprietor of the Parkland Hotel, he has demonstrated the possession of the qualities of tact and good-fellowship which render his hostelry a desirable place in which to eat, sleep and enjoy the comforts of life. As host to the migrating public, Mr. Downey has contributed in no small degree to the growth of Parkland, for he necessarily stimulates trade by keeping the traveling man in the midst of the city's activity, and by himself keeping in touch with the various phases of life as repre- sented by the outside offices which he holds. In 1898 he was appointed postmaster of Park- land by President McKinley, and has since cred- itably discharged the responsibilities of the of- fice.
Jefferson county, Iowa, was the scene of the birth of Mr. Downey, which occurred in 1852. His parents removed, about 1860, to northern Missouri, where their son grew to manhood on the home farm, and was educated in the district schools. He also attended the Afton high school, and subsequently turned his knowledge to practical account by teaching school for ten years. In the meantime, while thus employed, he had been studying medicine under the able tutelage of a brother, Dr. B. W. Downey, but came to the conclusion that his life-work lay in other directions, and so continuied in the work of teaching.
In ISS44 he changed his field of effort to Brooks, Wilson county, Kans., where he taught for three years, and was appointed postmaster. In the spring of 1800, by way of change and a possible prospective residence, Mr. Downey went to Pueblo, Colo., and remained there until fall, when he located in Oklahoma, and started a mercantile business in Stillwater. After a year he sold his interests and went to Mulhall, and
September 22, 1891, located a claim on the southeast quarter of section 2, township 16, range 4, Lincoln county. This was well in- proved in due time, good buildings erected, and a fine orchard set out. It is now one of the best claims in the township. Although still in the possession of Mr. Downey, it is rented out to other parties.
In 1899 Mr. Downey moved into the town of Parkland, and purchased the Parkland hotel and stables, in partnership with L. Kelley. As a side issue, he is also engaged in the real-estate and loan business. In the political world Mr. Downey has yielded a wide influence as a stanch adherent of the Republican party, both here and while living in Kansas and Missouri. Since coming to Oklahoma he has been township trus- tee, and in the fall of 1894 was a candidate for nomination for representative, but withdrew be- fore the convention. Fraternally he is associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, is Past Grand Master of the lodge, and a member of the Territorial Lodge.
In 1881 Mr. Downey was united in marriage with Martha Johnson, and of this union there have been four children: Ora; Ethel, who is deceased; Leoline, and Nellie.
H I ENRY DELONG. This enterprising citi- zen of Pawnee county resides on the south-
west quarter of section 23, township 23. range 4 east, and has been actively interested in the development of this immediate locality for the past six years. He is an honored veteran of the Civil war, and always has had a warm place in his heart for his comrades who wore the blue during the dark years of our repub- lic's history. He now belongs to Slocum Post No. 38, G. A. R., of Pawnee.
As his name indicates, Henry Delong is of French extraction on the paternal side, his great- grandfather having been born in the old em- pire. Our subject is a son of Ephraim Delong, and grandson of a Revolutionary patriot, his mother's father having served in our colonial strife with the mother country. Ephraim De- long and wife were natives of Lehigh county, Pa .. whence they removed to Medina county, Ohio. The father plied his trade of shoemaking to some extent, and also carried on a farm in the Buckeye state for years.
The birth of Henry Delong occurred in Me- dina county in 1845. and his boyhood passed in the usual pursuits of country lads. He at- tended the "little red schoolhouse" of the period. and at home and school learned the lessons which have stood him in good stead throughout his career. When his fatherland's fate hung in
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the balance, he hastened to her assistance, en- listing in Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Indiana Infantry, in Steuben county, Ind. The chief engagements in which he participated were those of the Atlanta cam- paign, including the battle of Resaca, and for a period General Thomas was his commander. The winter of 1864-65 was spent in camp at Washington, by the Twenty-third Corps, to which his regiment belonged, and, after being mustered out at Charlotte, N. C., the One Hun- dred and Twenty-ninth was honorably dis- charged in August, 1865.
Later Mr. Delong located in Ogle county, Ill., and subsequently became a farmer of Polk county, Iowa, where he passed a number of years. He then traveled for four years in Ne- braska, representing McCormick's machines, and at last, in 1894, came to Pawnee county and leased the farm where he is yet living. He has placed it under good cultivation, keeping nearly ninety acres planted with crops, and every season has reaped a large harvest. Run- ning water and other natural advantages render this a very desirable homestead, and the pro- prietor makes a point of keeping everything about the place in fine condition.
A quarter of a century has rolled away since the destinies of Henry Delong and Maggie Por- ter were united in wedlock, in Polk county, Towa. Their eldest child, William, was born in the Centennial year; Guy was born in 1877, and the only daughter is Clara. All live at home, and received liberal educations, whereby they are well qualified for the serious duties of life.
From the time that he cast his first presi- dential ballot, Henry Delong has been a loyal Republican. . In 1896 he was a candidate for the office of assessor of his township, but he never has been an aspirant to political honors. He belongs to the Anti-Horse Thief Association, and uses his influence in the promotion of law and order, public improvements, and everything promising to be of benefit to the community.
M ELVIN FAIRCHILD was born in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., in 1848, and is a son of Lewis and Lucinda (Hurd) Fair- child, natives respectively of Massachusetts and New York. Members of the Fairchild family have at different times distinguished themselves in various lines of occupation, and have fought bravely for their country when duty called or inclination dictated. The paternal great-grand- father was killed at the battle of Bunker Hill, and the maternal great-grandfather was killed at Lexington.
When four years of age the youthful Melvin was taken to Wisconsin with his parents and
settled at Whitewater. One year later the family went to Beloit, where the father carried on the occupation of a molder, with which he was en- gaged during the years of his activity. He is now retired from active participation in business affairs, and is living at Rockton, Ill. The mother died in 1892.
Melvin Fairchild learned his father's trade, and also equipped himself for future independ- ence by learning the trade of blacksmith. He also received a common-school education and studied for two years at Beloit College. Enlist- ing in the Federal army January 18, 1864, in Company D, Forty-Third Wisconsin Infantry, at Beloit, he participated in the battles of Johnson- ville, Marble Hill, Newmarket, Bellpoint, Win- chester and Cowan Station, and was mustered out at Milwaukee, July 7, 1865.
After the war Mr. Fairchild returned to his former home and resumed his accustomed occu- pations. In 1867 he removed to Fayette county, Iowa, where he remained until the opening of Oklahoma. In September, 1889, he came to Payne county and located a claim on the south- east quarter of section 6, township 18, range I east, which he has improved and fitted with modern buildings and appliances. To facilitate the carrying on of the various lines of business around the farm there is running water, and the whole homestead is well fenced.
In 1874 occurred the marriage of Mr. Fair- child and Corintha Reeves, a daughter of Levi and Nira Reeves, farmers of Fayette county, Iowa. Of this union there were born five chil- dren, three of whom are living. Henry L. re- sides at home ; Mrs. Mary McHenry lives in the strip, and has two children; and Sylvia M. is at home.
In politics Mr. Fairchild is associated with the Republican party, and has been prominently identified with its undertakings. At one time he was nominated by his party for county commis- sioner, but was defeated by a small majority. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was associated with the local lodge, now dis- banded. Few of the agriculturists in the county enjoy to a greater degree the confidence and esteem of their fellow men than does Mr. Fair- child.
H ON. DANIEL FULTON JANEWAY. M. D. United in the subject of this ar- tiele, a worthy representative of a fine old Southern family, are the sterling qualities notice- able in his English and German ancestors. His father, Charles, and grandfather, Benjamin Janeway, were natives of North Carolina. whence they removed to Jefferson county. Tenn., where the latter's death occurred during
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the Civil war. Charles Janeway was a thor- ough disbeliever in the slavery system, and for that reason removed to Jasper county, Iowa. He purchased a farm situated at a point six miles east of Newton, and continued to dwell there, quietly pursuing his upright, respected course, until death freed him from his cares, in Febru- ary, 1897, when he was in his eighty-fifth year. His wife, Susanna, a native of North Carolina, was a daughter of Elisha Hammer, a noted preacher in the Society of Friends. He was born in North Carolina, of German descent, and was a pioneer of Tennessee and Iowa. Mrs. Susanna Janeway was called to her reward when seventy- four years of age, and, of the twelve children she reared to maturity, nine are left to mourn her loss.
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