r CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT OF Dept, Of American History DATE DUE 1 JtO-- -^"Tias t.', .?.,- ^- ■' ■ -^.- -riT' '■ jP:'- - - • • ,■■-:■*?' Tf "M OECiJ-5 ^81 Nf^V 5 GAYLORD PRINTEDIN U.S.A. olin 3 1924 028 875 636 Overs Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028875636 < W o H O > u s 7 P\1X1S(P fbrefacc The aim of the pubHshers of this volume has been to secure for the his- torical portion thereof full and accurate information respecting all subjects therein treated, and to present the data thus gathered in a clear and impartial manner. If, as is their hope, they have succeeded in this endeavor, the credit is mainly due to the diligent and exhaustive research of the editor of the his- torical statement, James L. King, of Topeka. In collecting and arranging the material which has entered into this history, it has been his aim to secure facts and to present them in an interesting form. His patient and conscien- tious labor in the compilation and presentation of the data is shown in the historical portion of this volume. The record gives an interesting description of the aboriginal inhabitants, the natural features and the early society of this section, the story of its settlement and a comprehensive account of the organi- sation of Shawnee County and the city of Topeka, giving the leading events in the stages of their development and the growth of their industries to the present time, as set forth in the table of contents. All topics and occurrences are included that are essential to the usefulness of the history. Although the original purpose of the author was to limit the narrative to the close of 1904, he has deemed it proper to touch on many matters relating to the current year. The reviews of re.splute and strenuous lives, which make up the biographi- cal department of the volume, and whose authorship is wholly independent of that of the history, are admirably adapted to foster local ties, to inculcate patriotism and to emphasize the rewards of industry, dominated by intelligent purpose. They constitute a most appropriate medium of perpetuating personal annals and will be of incalculable value to the descendants of those commemo- rated. They bring into bold relief careers of enterprise and thrift and make manifest valid claims to honorable distinction. If "Biography is the only true 6 PREFACE. History," it is obviously the duty of men of the present time to preserve in this. enduring form the story of their Hves in order that their posterity may dwell on the successful struggles thus recorded, and profit by their example. These sketches, replete with stirring incidents and intense experiences, will naturally prove to most of the readers of this book its most attractive feature. In the aggregate of personal memoirs thus collated will be found a vivid epitome of the growth of Shawnee County, which will fitly supplement the historical statement; for the development of the county is identified with that of the men and women to whom it is attributable. The publishers have endeav- ored in the preparation of the work to pass over no feature of it slightingly, but to give heed to the minutest details, and thus to invest it with a substantial accuracy which no other treatment viould afford. The result has amply justified the care thus exercised, for in ovn^ belief no more reliable production, under the circumstances, could be laid before its readers. We have given special prominence to the portraits of representative citi- zens, which appear throughout this ^•olume, and believe they will prove a most interesting feature of the work. We have sought to illustrate the different spheres of industrial and professional achievements as conspicuously as possi- ble. To those who have kindly interested themselves in the successful prepara- tion of this work, and who have voluntarily contributed most useful informa- tion and data, we herewith tender our grateful acknowledgement. THE PUBLISHERS. Chicago, III., July, 1905. mote All the biographical sketches published in this volume were submitted to^- their respective subjects or to the subscribers, from whom the facts were pri- marily obtained, for their approval or correction before going to press ; and a reasonable time was allowed in each case for the return of the typewritten copies. Most of them were returned to us within the time allotted, or before the work was printed, after being corrected or revised; and these may, there-- fore, be regarded as reasonably accurate. A few, however, were not returned to us ; and, as we have no means of knowing whether they contain errors or not, we can not vouch for their accu- racy. In justice to our readers, and to render this work more valuable for- reference purposes, we have indicated these uncorrected sketches by a small asterisk (*), placed immediately after the name of the subject. They will all. be found on the last pages of the book. RICHMOND & ARNOLD. Contents CHAPTER I. The Shawnee Indians in Kansas — Various Treaties with the Tribe — Indian Villages in the County — Kaw and Pottawatomie Reservations — The Kaw Half-Breeds and Their Descendants — Scenes and Incidents of the Early Settlements 19-27 CHAPTER II. Organization of the County — Township Divisions — Physical Aspects of the County — Rivers and Streams — First Efforts in Agriculture — Topeka and Tecumseh Contest for the County-Seat — Territorial Elections, Judicial System, Roster of Senators, Representatives and County Officers — First Land Transactions — Bridging the Kansas River — County Buildings — Growth in Population — Assessed Valuation, Live Stock and Farm Statistics — Nursery and Creamery Industries — Post Offices and Rural Delivery Routes — A Prominent Landmark 28-43 CHAPTER III. -History of the County by Townships — The Pioneer Settlers — Organization and Names of Townships — Hardships of Frontier Life — Historic Towns and Villages — Dis- possessing the Indians — Missionary Labors — Incidents of Home-Making and Agri- cultural Development 44-53 CHAPTER IV. Continuation of Township History — Sketches of Soldier, Tecumseh and Topeka Town- ships — Names of the Early Settlers — General Sherman's Pioneer Experience — Rival Towns and Their Promoters — Famous Farms and Their Owners — Present Day Conditions S4-62 CHAPTER V. -A Glance at the History of Kansas — Early Expeditions Across the Plains — The Slavery Contest — The Struggle for Statehood — Roster of Governors and United States Senators — Population, Resources and Institutions of the State — Business and Educational Statistics 63-72 CHAPTER VI. Shawnee County in the Border Troubles — John Brown and His Followers — The Siege of Lawrence — Foraging Upon the Enemy — Gen. James H. Lane and the Free-State CONTENTS. 9 Cause— John Ritchie's Arrest— The Kansas Emigrant Route— Enlistments in the Civil War— Campaigns Against the Indians 73-83 CHAPTER VII. "Repelling the Price Raid— Second Kansas State Militia— Preparations for War in Topeka— The Home Guards— The Battle of the Blue— Colonel Veale's Regiment in the Conflict — Capt. Ross Burns and His Famous Battery — The Gage Mon- ument 84-91 CHAPTER VIII. -Shawnee County and the War With Spain — The Famous 20th Kansas Regiment — Its Battles and Glory — List of Dead and Wounded — Enlistments and Service in Other Regiments — Their Record in Cuba and Elsewhere — Praise from President McKinley and Secretary of War — The Colored Troops 92-100 CHAPTER IX. "State Officials from Shawnee County — Record of Their Appointment, Election and Service — United States Senators and Congressmen — Federal Positions Filled — Prominent Railroad Men — The Press of Shawnee County — Newspapers of Early Days — List of Papers now Published — The Mortality Sheet 101-116 CHAPTER X. The Beginning of the City of Topeka — A Farm Changed to a Town-Site — Names of the Pioneers and Their Followers — The Chase Cabin — Organization of the Town Com- pany — Reminiscences of the Early Settlers — The First Fire — Description of the Country — Marking the Site of the First Building 117-126 CHAPTER XI. Dividing the Town-Site — The First Survey — Transactions in December, 1854 — Title Acquired by Means of an Indian Warrant — Claim Jumping, and Rival Town Organizations — How Topeka Was Named, and Its Significance — The Street and Avenue Plan — Early Buildings and Schools 127-136 CHAPTER XII. 'County-Seat Location — Movements for the State Capital — Locations at Fort Leaven- worth, Shawnee Mission, Pawnee, Lecompton, Lawrence, Minneola and Topeka — The Several Constitutional Conventions — Free-State and Pro-Slavery Contests — First State Legislature — History and Description of the Finished Capitol 137-145 CHAPTER Xni. Drought of i860 — Depression Resulting from the War — How the City Appeared in 1862— Prominent Business Firms and Professional Men — The Growth from 1865 to 1870— Renewed Activity in Real Estate Transactions— The Railroad Situation —Wagon Routes from Topeka— Association of Old Settlers 146-150 CHAPTER XIV. The Railway System— Four Trunk Lines at Topeka— Mills and Factories— Commercial and Banking Institutions— Public Utilities— Finances of the City— Parks and lo CONTENTS. Resorts— Assessed Valuation, Bonded Debt and Financial Resources— Present City Officers and List of Former Mayors — The Commercial Club 151-164. CHAPTER XV. The Decade from 1880 to 1890— Results of the Boom— Territory Added to the City- Population for Fifty Years — Immigration from the South — Prohibitory Liquor Laws and Their Enforcement — Early Work in Behalf of Temperance — Activity of Women in Civic Affairs 165-173^ CHAPTER XVL Public Institutions and Buildings, Federal State and Municipal — PoSt Office Locations and Postmasters — City Hall and Auditorium — Free Public Jt-ibrary — Charitable Associations and Hospitals — Halls and Opera Houses>— Pfbminent Hotels and Their History — Political and Social Incidents — The Topeka Cemeteries 174-188^ CHAPTER XVII. Topeka's Educational Facilities — Public Schools, Colleges and Other Institutions — High School and Manual Training Departments — The City's Churches and Their His- tory — Early Pastors and Those of the Present Time — Religious Societies, Fra- ternal Orders and Club Organizations '[Sg-2o6 Powell, L. M., A. B., M. D 567 Quinton, Alfred B., Hon 270. INDEX. 15- PAGE Ream, William M 476 Reed, Joseph, Hon 623 Reid, Turner Albert 619 Roberts, Byron 378 Sardou, Freeman 374 Sheldon, Charles M., Rev 330 Sheldon, Silas E., M. D., Hon., (P).. 443 Sherer, A. W 577 Shimer, James C, (P) 49S Shull, Elias 599 Sims, William, Maj 396 Skinner, Joseph H Si9 Snyder, Cary 408 Snyder, William P 389 Spencer, Charles F 284 Stanton, John Frederick 357 Stewart, Samuel G., A. M., M. D 467 Stinson, Thomas N., Col 557 Stormont, David Wasson, M. D. (P.)- 243 Sutherin, John S07 Swan, James, (?) 593 Sweet, T. B 498 PAGE- Taylor, William L 433 Tomson, Alraon L 500 - Tomson, Thomas K., (P) 563 Trapp, William C, (P) 465 Valentine, Daniel Mulford, Hon., (P) 289 Van Vleck, Joseph 312 Voigt, Brothers 369' Walker, O. E 347 Washburn, Avery, (P) 295 - Washburn College, (P) 535 Wayne, Joseph, Rev., (P) 343 Webb, W. C, Hon 244 Wellhouse, Frederick, Hon 307 Wikidal, Louis Philip 590 Williams, Archibald F., Hon 436- Williamson, Charles R 560 Wilson, A. P. Tone, Jr 466 Wils»n, Joseph C 296 Wilmarth, George 622 Wood, Charles L 558 ■ Yager, Samuel J 452 Ne miuetrations PAGE Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway General Offices 106 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Hospital 106 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Shops 36 Baptist Church, First 226 Barnes, Ida C, M. D 422 Betts, Hon. Joseph Benjamin Burton, 362 Bird, Hon. Winfield Austin Scott.... 392 Bromich, Joseph 372 Calhoun Bluffs, Road Scene 78 Catholic Churches^ Church of the Assumption 202 St. Joseph's German 202 Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Pas- senger Station 53 Christ's Hospital 178 City Hall and Auditorium 170 Coburn, Foster Dwight 256 Cofran, Roswell L 582 PAGE College of the Sisters of Bethany.... 78. Columbian Building 88 Congregational Church, First 194 Copeland Hotel 186 Crane, David 402 Crane, David O., Residence of 68 Crosby Roller Milling Company, Mills of 154 Curtis, Hon. Charles 278 Decker, Levi M 352 Fagan, Hon. Walter E 474 Fassler, Armin, Residence of 186 Federal Building 24 . First Frame Building in Topeka 24 First Log Cabin Built in Topeka 27 Flood of 1903, The — General View of the Flood 218 Looking South on Kansas Avenue. . 210 Looking Southeast from Lukens' Opera House 210 Looking Southeast from Norris Street 21O' .i6 INDEX. PAGE Melan Arch Bridge, after Water had Fallen 6 Feet 218 One Way of Bringing Over Refugees From North Side 218 Foster, Perry T 454 Free Public Library 170 Frost, John E 316 Frost, John E., Residence of 234 ' Gemmell, Robert Brown 514 Governor's Residence, The 68 Grace Cathedral 202 Grand Opera House 122 Green, John 412 Guthrie, Hon. John 322 •Gyrator Mills 154 Horton, Hon. Albert Hovifell 300 Hotel Throop 186 Howe, Hon. Samuel T 310 Huron, Hon. George A 332 Ingleside Home 178 Inter-Ocean Mills 154 _ Johnson, Col. Alexander Soule 448 Kansas Avenue, Looking South from Fifth Avenue 132 Keck, Philip 524 Kimball, Capt. Frederick ^Marius 382 King, James L 18 Lewis, J. P., M D 612 Lucas, Albertus T 572 McAfee, Rev. Josiah B 272 McLellan, C. T 504 Martin, Hon. George W 552 Martin, Hon. John 266 Masonic Block 122 Melan Arch Bridge, Looking South... 36 ^lethodist Episcopal Church, First 226 Mid-Continent Mills 154 ]Mills, John 602 Moore, Mr. and :\Irs. Samuel 484 National Hotel 186 Ninth Street, Looking East 12 Noble, Capt. George M., Residence of. . 234 Office Block 88 Pipe Organ in the City Auditorium. . . . 170 Popenoe, Fred O., Residence of 78 Public Schools — Grant 1 14 PA ;e High 1 14 Lincoln 24 Manual Training 114 New Quincy 114 Presbyterian Church, First 194 Railroad Y. M. C. A Building 178 Shawnee County Court House 24 Shawnee County Jail 96 Sheldon, Hon. Silas E., M. D 442 Shimer, James C 494 State Capitol 12 State Hospital for the Insane — Building for Incurables 142 East End Main Building 142 State Industrial . School for Boys, Main Building 96 Stormont, David Wasson, M. D 240 Stormont, Mrs. Jane C 241 Stormont Hospital, The Jane C 178 Street Views in 1876— Corner of Kansas and Sixth Ave- nues Looking South 48 East Side of Kansas Avenue, Look- ing South from Sixth Avenue.... 58 East Side of Kansas Avenue, Look- ing North from Sixth Avenue .... 48 Kansas Avenue, Looking North from Seventh Street $8 North Side of Sixth Avenue, Look- ing East from Kansas Avenue.... 48 Swan James 592 Taylor, William L 432 Tomson, Thomas K 562 Topeka Club, The 122 Topeka in 1876, Bird's Eye View of. . 43 Topeka, Panoramic View of. .Frontispiece Topeka Woolen Mills 160 Trapp, William C 464 Valentine, Hon. Daniel Mulford 288 Van Buren Street, Looking South from Court House 132 Veale and Thompson Block 160 Vinewood Park, Scene in 78 Washburn, Avery 294 Washburn College — Boswell Memorial 534 The Chapel 534 View of a portion of the College.... Campus 534 Wayne, Rev. Joseph 342 / / / / l)i$tory of Sbawnee County CHAPTER I. The Shawnee Indians in Kansas — Various Treaties with the Tribe — Indian Villages in the County — Kaw and Pottawatomie Reservations — The Kaw Half-Breeds and Their Descendants — Scenes and Incidents of the Early Settlements. The Shawnee Indians, whose name was appropriately given to one of the counties of Kansas, comprised one of the tribes with which WilHam Penn made his celebrated treaty in the year 1682. Penn described them at that time as being generally tall, straight, well-built, and of splendid proportions. They were graceful in their movements, walking erect and strong, and with a lofty chin. * Their eyes were small and black, and their skins swarthy from exposure to sun and weather. In all respects they were typical Indians. Before the treaty of 1682 it is believed that the Shawnees, whose lan- guage is almost identical with that of the Sac and Fox tribes, occupied the country southwest of the Missouri, from Green Bay and the Fox River, to the Mississippi, and hunted over the land between the Wisconsin and the upper branches of the Illinois. In April, 1701, a further treaty was formed, the Shawnees, one of the signatory tribes, being represented by Wa-pa-tha, king of the Shawnees. In 1706 a band of Shawnee Indians was encountered by traders at Conestoga, near the Susquehanna. At a council held in Phil- adelphia, June 14, 1715, one of the participants was Opes-sah, another Shaw- nee king. The basin of the Cumberland River, in Kentucky, is marked by the earliest geographers as being the habitat of the Shawnees. A portion after- ward lived near Winchester, Virginia. From Kentucky their principal band removed to the head-waters of one of the great rivers of South Carolina. From South Carolina many of them removed to Pennsylvania and settled on 20 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY the Susquehanna, where they were soon followed by others of the tribe. Of the Indian fighting men in Pennsylvania in 1732 more than half were Shaw- nees from the South, and they were said to be the most restless of all the Indians. The small Virginia band was traced in 1745 from Winchester to the Allegheny, near Fort Duquesne, where Pittsburg now stands. In 1755 the same band, with other tribes, joined the French forces in the war between France and England, and later a number of the Indian warriors were impris- oned in North Carolina. A council fire was held at Huron, on the Detroit River, in December, 1 786, at which an address to the Congress of the United States was adopted, signed by the Five Nations, and the Hurons, Shawnees, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pot- tawatomies, Twitchwees, Cherokees, and Wabash Indians. The subject of the address related to methods for establishing a lasting reconciliation with the 13 States. BEGINNING OF THE SHAWNEE NATION. The first treaty of record between the United States and the Shawnees, in which the latter acted as a separate nation, was held January 31, 1786, at the mouth of the Great Miami, on the northwest bank of the Ohio. This treaty gave the Shawnees certain lands in the territory then occupied by them "to live and hunt on," but the grant was contested by the Wyandottes, who claimed priority. Trouble followed, not only between the government and the Shawnees, but between the Shawnees and the Wyandottes, resulting in the removal of many of the Shawnees to New Orleans in 1792, from whence they were sent into the Creek Nation of what was then known as New Spain. These Indians declared that they had been deceived, driven from their homes, and otherwise imposed upon, and that they would be at war with America as long as any of them should live. This was preliminary to a somewhat general uprising of the Indians in 1793, in which a number of the Northern tribes participated, the Indians claiming that the Americans had mistreated them and disregarded the trea- ties of their own nation. For this demonstration the Shawnees had gathered from various sources their greatest warriors, — Black Wolf, Blue Jacket and Ke-hia-pe-la-thy (Toma-Hawk). On the 13th of August, 1794, Gen. Anthony Wayne sent a letter to the hostile tribes asking for a peace conference and promising protection to all. The Indians rejected the offer and gave battle to the Americans, sustaining a bad defeat and losing much of their property. About this time a Spanish Nobleman, Baron De Carondelet, donated to the Shawnees and Delawares a tract of land, 25 miles square, between the river St. Comb and Cape Girardeau, bounded on the east by the Mississippi AND REPRESExNTATIVE CITIZENS. 21 River, and on the west by the Whitewater River. The Delawares abandoned the tract in 18 15, leaving the entire right to the Shawnees. They remained here in peace as long as the territory remained under Spanish rule. In the year 1825, the lands of the Carondelet grant were exchanged with Gov- ernor Clark for a larger tract on the Kansas River, the Indians accepting $14,000 for their improvements. The treaty provided that this tract of 50 miles square should belong to the Shawnees of Missouri, and to those of the same tribe in Ohio, who might wish to emigrate to that country. ' OTHER SHAWNEE TREATIES. The Shawnees were parties to other treaties between the government and the Indians relating to valuable lands in Ohio, Indiana and the country west of those States. They joined the Delawares and other tribes in a treaty at St. Louis in 18 15, the government being represented by William Clark, Ninean Edwards and Augustus Choteau. The first clear title to land re- ceived by the Shawnees was the result of a treaty in 181 7 at the foot of the rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie. Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur were the commissioners on the part of the United States. Blackhoof, Pi-ach-ta, Way-we-lea-py and Qua-ta-wapee were the principal Shawnee chiefs. The treaty gave the Indians a large tract of land at Wa-paugh-konn-et-ta (Ohio) and an annuity of $2,000, one of the considerations being "the faithful serv- ices of the Shawnees in the late war with England." Wapakoneta (short- ened from the Indian name) is the present county-seat of Auglaize County, Ohio. In the year 183 1, after the death of Blackhoof, the Indians in the vicinity of Wa-paugh-konn-et-ta were led to believe that the State of Ohio would soon pass laws which would compel them to pay taxes for the benefit of the white people, and that other obligations would be imposed upon them, unless they would consent to sell their lands and take up new homes in the distant West. They were offered 100,000 acres of land adjoining the tract of 50 miles square which had already been ceded to the Carondelet band on the Kansas River, a proposition to which the Shawnees reluctantly agreed. The terms of the agreement were very unfair to the Indians in respect to the matter of providing funds for the payment of their debts and to reimburse them for improvements made upon their lands, and the money unjustly with- held from the tribe was subsequently refunded by congress. The Shawnees were the first of the Eastern tribes to be located in Kan- sas. In the various treaties they acquired 1,600,000 acres of land, which was subsequently exchanged by law and treaty negotiations for land in the Indian Territory proper. 22 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Although the Shawnee Indians gave their name to Shawnee County, they were not so closely identified with its history as some of the other tribes. The Pottawatomies had a reservation of about three townships in the north- west corner of the county, and the Kaws owned an extensive tract of land in the northeastern part of the county. Many evidences remain of these early Indian settlements, and some of the descendants of the Pottawatomies and Kaws still reside in the county. KANSAS INDIAN VILLAGES. In the year 1830 the Kaws established three villages at the mouth of Mission Creek, 16 miles west of Topeka. Fool Chief's village was north of the river near Silver Lake, and contained about 800 persons. Hard Chief's village was located on the bluffs south of the river, with about 600 inhabi- tants. American Chief's village, two miles up Mission Creek, numbered about 100 persons. The ground where Hard Chief's village stood being un- broken prairie, the lodge sites may still be seen. In 1880 Secretary F. G. Adams, of the Kansas State Historical Society, visited this loc'aHty and counted 85 lodge sites. In 1901 the place was visited by J. V. Brower, of St. Paul, Minnesota, who found 70 or more of the old earthen huts. They are now rapidly going into decay or being obliterated by the plow. At the time the treaty of 1825 was made with the Indians, these lands were said to be worth seven cents an acre; later they were estimated to be worth $1.25 per acre, and afterwards the Indians were permitted to dispose of them at $3 per acre. An average of $100 an acre would not be too much for the same lands to-day. In a recent contribution to the collections of the Kansas State Historical Society, Miss Fannie E. Cole gives an account of the Kansas Indians in Shawnee County a?fter 1855. The Cole family settled in the county in May of that year, locating on a farm near the little town of Indianola, a trading post, five miles northwest from Topeka. Miss Cole says : THE TRIBE IN SHAWNEE COUNTY. "We took possession of our new home June 6, 1855. It was situated on what was known as the 'Delaware Trust Land.' I suppose that when Kansas formed part of the Indian Territory this tract was a portion of the Delaware reserve, which, upon the organization of Kansas into a Territory, was relinquished by them to the United States government, to be sold to settlers for their benefit. Our farm lay just north of the third mile of the Kaw half-breed reserve. The Kaws, being a Western tribe of Indians, I think that they once claimed all the area of Kansas, and perhaps more, as THE FIRST FRAME BUILDING IN TOPEKA FEDERAL BUILDING SHAWNEE COUNTY COURT HOUSE LINCOLN SCHOOL AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 25 their hunting grounds, and when the government made a treaty with them, for the purpose of removing various tribes of Indians from the East to these lands — the Kaws having 23 half-breeds in their tribe — reserved 23 tracts, each containing one square mile, all lying contiguous to each other on the north bank of the river, extending from the east line of the Pottawatomie reserve, about three or four miles west of Topeka, down to the vicinity of Lecompton. As these tracts followed the course of the river, as a natural consequence some of the miles extended further north than others, and when the government surveys were made there were many fractional "quarters," as they were called, between the northern lines of the tracts and the sectional lines. "Our farm consisted of one of these fractional quarters, containing something over 90 acres, and 46 acres of the regular quarter section, the re- mainder of which formed part of the Indianola town site. The tract of half- breed land just south of us was occupied by Moses Bellemere, a Canadian Frenchman, whose wife was Adele La Sert, one of the original half-breeds. She was a daughter of Clement La Sert, a Canadian Frenchman, whom I had supposed was a trader among the Kaws. While he lived among them he married a blanketed squaw, and they had two or three children. When he left the Kaws he abandoned the squaw, but took the surviving children, a boy and a girl, with him. Clement La Sert took for his second wife a woman of the Osage tribe. She was nearly white, having but very little Indian blood in her veins, and she trained his Indian daughter (Mrs. Bellemere) in the ways of the white people. "The Indian relatives and friends of the Kaw half-breeds came every summer from their own reservation, at Council Grove, in Morris County, and encamped in the dooryards and around the premises of the Bellemeres, the Papans, the DeAubries, and others. Among them was the chief. La Soupe. He was the tallest Indian I ever saw, and must have been six and a half feet tall. Mrs. Bellemere lived on her allotment for many years. When her Indian mother died, Mrs. Bellemere refused to allow any Indian ceremonies, but had her attired in neat burial clothes, and buried like white people. Mrs. Bellemere herself died about 1870, and is buried in Rochester cemetery. Her husband and three children survived her. The latter were Joseph, aged about 16, Julia, 14, and Leonard, 7. After Mrs. Bellemere's death, Mr. Bellemere married a white woman named Hetty Garmire, whose sister, Margaret, married Garland Cummins, an old Indianola saloon-keeper and ex-Kickapoo ranger. "On some of the farms just north of Menoken could be seen, within recent years, and, perhaps, are still visible, large circles in the soil. Many years ago a large village of Kaws was established there. It was probably 26 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY the village of a chief called Fool Chief, and, judging from the little I have heard of him, I imagine that he was well named. Some years ago I taught the Menoken School. In the early springtime these circles showed very plainly all over the level, freshly-plowed fields." THE KAW INDIANS. The exact beginning of the Kaw Indian settlements in Kansas has never been determined. It is certain that they were here as early as 1673, for in that year they were found by Father Jacques Marquette on his expedition to discover the Upper Mississippi. They were then known as the Canzas Indians, occupying a wide area of country on both sides of the Kansas River, from the Missouri to the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. The first treaty made with them by the United States government was that of Octo- ber 28, 1815. By a second treaty, June 3, 1825, the Indians ceded a tract United States all the lands to which they had title or claim, except a tract "to begin twenty leagues up the Kansas River, and to include their village on that river; extending west thirty miles in width through the land ceded." It was also provided that 23 sections should be located and set apart on the north side of the river for certain half-breeds. For the remainder of their domain, embracing upwards of 10,000,000 acres, the tribe was to receive an annuity of $3,500 per annum for 20 con- secutive years. By a treaty concluded January 14, 1846, the same tribe ceded to the United States 2,000,000 acres of its land on the east part of their country, the United States agreeing to pay the Indians $202,000, of which $200,000 was to be funded at five per cent., the interest to be paid for 30 years, and thereafter to be diminished and paid pro rata, should their numbers decrease, but not otherwise. The same treaty provided that there should be set apart for the use of the Kansas Indians a suitable country near the western boundary of the 2,000,000 acres ceded to the government. This reservation contained 255,854 acres, which, together with the $200,000 held in trust, and upon which they received $10,000 per annum as interest, made them a wealthy people. They lived on this reservation for man)^ years, and until the changed conditions brought about the treaty of 1859,' by which the reservation was divided into two parts, known as the "Trust Lands" and "Diminished Re- serve;" and these were subsequently disposed of under a treaty ratified in 1863. Much litigation resulted, but in all the transactions the Indians were compelled to accept whatever was offered them and to yield before the onward march of civilization. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 27 THE KAW HALF-BREEDS. The principal part of the special reservation of one mile square for each of 23 Kaw half-breeds was located in Shawnee County. The first seven half-breeds to receive allotments in this reservation were Adele and Clement, children of Clement La Sert; Josette, Julia, Pelagic and Victoire, children of Louis Gonvil; and Marie, daughter of Baptiste Golvin. An interesting account of these families appears in Cone's "Historical Sketch of Shawnee County," printed in 1877. The father of the first two children named was a Frenchman, an interpreter and trader among the Kaws. He died at the old Kaw village near Silver Lake in 1835. The daughter, Adele, married a Frenchman, Moses Bellemere, previously referred to in Miss Cole's article. Louis Gonvil, the father of the four half-breed girls above referred to, was also a trader for many years among the Kaws. At an early age Josette Gonvil went to live with the family of Frank G. Choteau, an Indian inter- preter at Kansas City, Missouri. She was married there in 1839 to Joseph Papan. Julia Gonvil was married soon after to Ahcan Papan. In 1840 the two families moved on to their Shawnee County farms, living near each other for a number of years. A Frenchman named Franceur de Aubrie married Pelagic Gonvil, in 1842, and in 1843 Louis Papan married Julia Gonvil. The name Papan appears frequently in the public records of the State and countv. FIRST LOG CABIN BUILT IN TOPEKA, 1854. CHAPTER II. Organisation of the County — Township Divisions — Physical Aspects of the County — Rivers and Streams — First Efforts in Agriculture — Topeka and Tecumseh Contest for the County-Seat — Territorial Elections, Judi- cial System, Roster of Senators, Representatives and County Officers — First Land Transactions — Bridging the Kansas River — County Build- ings — Growth in Population — Assessed Valuation, Live Stock and Farm Statistics — Nursery and Creamery Industries — Post Offices and Rural Delivery Routes — A Prominent Landmark. Kansas was admitted into the Union as a Territory in 1854. On the Sth of November of that year the Territory was divided into 17 election districts, the third one of which comprised what was afterwards known as Shawnee County. The first Territorial Legislature, held in 1855, established 33 counties. Shawnee was one of the original 33 and ranked i ith in the list. The original boundary was : "Beginning at the south-east corner of Doug- las County; thence west twenty-four (24) miles; thence north to the main •channel of the Kaw or Kansas River; thence down said channel to the north- west corner of Douglas County; thence south to the place of beginning." All of the tract thus described was south of the Kansas River. The boun- dary lines were changed in 1857, and again in i860. Under the latter change six government townships on the south were detached and became a part of Osage County, and the northern boundary of Shawnee County was extended to include all of the territory formerly belonging to Jackson County lying south of the second standard parallel. This gave Shawnee County two congressional townships north of the Kansas River. In 1868 four other con- gressional townships were added on the north. BOUNDARIES AND TOWNSHIPS. Shawnee is in the third tier of counties west of the Missouri River and embraces 357,120 acres of land, forming a square of 24 miles, with the exception that the tract lying north of the river extends five miles further west than that lying south of the river. The north and south lines are par- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 29 allel, 24 miles in length and the same distance apart, running due east and west. The adjacent counties are Jackson on the north, Jefferson and Douglas on the east, Osage on the south, and Wabaunsee and Pottawatomie on the west. The first subdivision of Shawnee County into municipal townships was made September 14, 1855. Two townships were formed, Tecumseh and Yocum, the dividing line being the Wakarusa River. In 1857 the county- was subdivided into the townships of Tecumseh, Topeka, Brownsville, Bur- lingame and Wakarusa. In i860 there was a consolidation into three town- ships : Tecumseh, comprising all of the eastern portion of the county lying south of the Kansas River; Topeka, the territory north of the river, and the northwestern portion lying south of the river; and Auburn, comprising the southwestern part of the county. Later in the same year there was another subdivision into six townships, Monmouth being cut off from Tecumseh on the south; Williamsport, from Auburn, on the east; and the new territory acquired on the north of the river erected into the township of Soldier. The change of county lines in 1868 made necessary another division into town- ships, Silver Lake being detached from Soldier. By another change, in 1871, Rossville was set off from Silver Lake, on the west. In 1879 Men- oken township was set off from Silver Lake, on the east. The permanent arrangement of townships is : Rossville, Silver Lake, Menoken and Soldier, on the north side of the river; Dover, Mission, Topeka, Topeka City, Tecum- seh, Auburn, Williamsport and Monmouth, on the south. DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTY. Most of the territory in Shawnee is prairie land, 69 per cent, being de- scribed as upland, and 31 per cent, bottom. The forest area is less than 10 per cent., the timbered portion being confined to the water-courses, and con- sisting of elm, Cottonwood, walnut, oak, sycamore, box-elder, hickory and ash, with elm and cottonwood predominating. All the land is of good quality and valuable for farming, stock-raising and orcharding. The prin- cipal stream, the Kansas River, flows directly east through the county, and the principal towns are located on its northern and southern banks. Other streams are the Wakarusa River, and Shunganunga, Soldier, Indian, Cross, Muddy, Mission, Half Day, Deer and Blacksmith creeks. Wakarusa signifies "river of weeds," and Shunganunga "the race course." Mission Creek derived its name from the old Kaw Mission; Soldier Creek was so called because the soldiers passing from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley camped upon its banks. Half Day Creek was named for a Pottawatomie chief, and 30 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Blacksmith Creek took its name from the old Kaw blacksmith shop. There are several minor creeks, — Stinson, Ward, Martin, Thompson, Colby, Linn and Vesper, — which derive their names from early settlers in the locality. There is an abundance of limestone in the county, suitable for building pur- poses, and a fine article of brick clay. Some coal has been found but not in continuous or extensive quantities. In the early '50's the belief obtained that the Kansas River was navi- gable. The material used in the construction of Fort Riley, 135 miles west of Kansas City, was transported by steamboats in 1853. A boat ascended to Manhattan in 1855. The first shipment of corn from Shawnee County was by water in 1857. Two companies were incorporated in 1857 for build- ing and operating boats upon the Kansas River, and there are numerous accounts of travel and freight shipments by the steamers "Calona," "Emma Harmon," "Gus Linn" and "Kansas Valley," the last named being the last to ascend for a distance of 70 miles from the mouth of the river. This was in April, 1861. In the early treaties with the Indians the government inva- riably reserved the right of navigation upon this stream. The river event- ually became congested with snags and sand-bars, and in 1864 the State Legislature declared it to be non-navigable, thus opening the way for the construction of dams, and limiting the transportation facilities of Eastern Kansas to wagons and railroads. FIRST WHITE SETTLEMENT. The actual settlement of Shawnee County by white men was in 1854, although there is abundant evidence of the presence of white men in the locality long prior to that date. Frederick Choteau conducted a trading post on Mission Creek as early as 1830. In the same year Rev. William Johnson commenced his missionary labors among the Kaws. In 1835 a government farm for the benefit of the Indians was established in the valley of Mission Creek, with ]\Iaj. Daniel Boone (a grandson of the famous Kentuckian), as instructor in farming. It is believed that this was the first plowing done within the limits of the county, although the Indians had previously per- formed farm work in a primitive way. The Papan brothers, Joseph, Ahcan and Louis, heretofore referred to, came in 1840, and another brother, Euberie, came in 1841. They were natives of St. Louis, their father, Louis Papan, having moved there from Alontreal, Canada, about the year 1780. The Papan brothers started the first ferry across the Kansas River in 1842, to meet the demands of travel between Fort Leavenworth and the Southwest, and later the Oregon and California travel. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 31 COUNTY SEAT CONTEST. The Territorial Legislature of 1855 designated Tecumseh as the county- seat of Shawnee County, and appointed a Board of County Commissioners with power to proceed with the erection of the necessary buildings. A site for the Court House was donated by the Tecumseh Town Association, and a substantial brick building was erected in the fall of 1855 and the spring of 1856. Its dimensions were 40 by 50 feet, two stories in height, with a lofty portico in front on pillars of brick, the whole costing $8,500, in payment of which an issue of bonds was resorted to, in the absence of other funds. There were other obligations outstanding against the county and great dissatisfac- tion was expressed at the character and extent of the expenditures. A protest was also made against the action of the Territorial, or "bogus," Legislature, in respect to the location of the county-seat and the appointment of officers, and, in 1857, when the Free-State element came into power, the Legislature provided for submitting the county-seat question to a popular vote. The election was held October 4, 1858, the contesting towns being Tecumseh, Topeka, Auburn and Burlingame — the last named town subsequently became a part of Osage County. The election resulted in favor of Topeka, which became the permanent county-seat. The hopes of Auburn and Tecumseh took sudden flight, and instead of developing into cities of pi^ominence and distinction they lapsed into mere hamlets of purely local renown. A slight change in the vote might have made Auburn or Tecumseh the county-seat and a future great city — perhaps the capital of the State. But — The owl upon Afraisiab's tower hath sung her watch-song, And round the imperial throne the spider weaves his web. The contest between Tecumseh and Topeka for the county-seat honors was really a struggle between the Pro-Slavery faction and the Free-State men. The latter were largely in the majority at Topeka, and the former in control in Tecumseh. The Pro-Slavery party elected Gen. J. W Whitfreld as delegate to Congress at the election held in November, 1854, the Free- State party declining to vote. At the legislative election of March 30, 1855, the Free State faction voted for Jesse D. Wood for member of the Council, and C. K. Holliday for representative, the Pro-Slavery candidates being H. J. Strickler for councilman and D. L. Croysdale for representative. Owing to protests and dissatisfaction. Governor Reeder ordered a new election to be held at Tecumseh, May 22, 1855, at which Wood and Holliday again received the support of the Free-State voters, but the election was contested, and the 32 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY seats awarded to Strickler and Croysdale by the Legislature which met July 2, 1855, at Pawnee. MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE. The first election for members of the Territorial Legislature was held March 30, 1855. Shawnee County was not then in existence, but the terri- tory it covered was included in the Third Council District. At this election H. J. Strickler was chosen (Senator) Councilman. Under the apportion- ment of 1857 Shawnee was included in a district of 17 counties, and in the election of that year Oscar E.Learnard of Coffey and C. K. Holliday of Shaw- nee were elected to the Council. In 1859 Shawnee was included in a district with Osage and Breckenridge (now Lyon) counties, and Chester Thomas was chosen to represent it in the Council. On the 6th of December, 1859, the first election of members of the State Legislature was held, Shawnee being in a district with Jackson and Jefiferson counties. H. W. Farnsworth was Shawnee's Senator. C. K. Holliday was elected November 5, 1861, to fill a vancancy caused by the resignation of H. W. Farnsworth. Since that date the Senators from Shawnee County have been : David Brockway, 1 863 ; Daniel H. Home, 1865; George W. Veale, 1867; W. H. Fitzpatrick, 1869- 71; N. C. McFarland, 1873; William Sims, 1875; D. C. Metsker, 1877-81; Silas E. Sheldon, 1885; Thomas A. Osborne, 1889; William E. Sterne, 1893; Thomas J. Anderson, 1897; John T. Chaney, 1901 ; Joseph B. Betts, 1905. At the election held March 30, 1855, Shawnee being then included in the Fourth Representative District, D. L. Croysdale was chosen as the first representative in the Teritorial Legislature. Croysdale was followed by M. W. McGee, James A. Delong and Charles S. McKinney. George B. Holmes was elected in 1858. In 1859 Shawnee was given two representa- tives, and elected W. H. Fitzpatrick and S. R. Caniff. In i860 W. H. Fitzpatrick and William E. Bowker were elected. Under the State constitu- tion, Shawnee, Jackson and Jefferson counties composed the Sixth District, and elected eight representatives. Those from Shawnee were S. R. Caniff, H. H. Heberling, H. W. Curtis and William E. Bowker. John P. Greer and William E. Bowker served as representatives in the last Territorial Legisla- ture. In 1861 H. W. Martin and C. H. Welch were the Shawnee represen- tatives. The Legislature of 1862 divided Shawnee into two districts, and the representati\'es chosen were W. P. Douthitt and John T. Ward. The fol- lowing were subsequently chosen in the same districts : J. F. Cummings and Henry Fox, 1863; S. D. Macdonald and James Fletcher, 1864; C. K. HolHday and W. W. Lawrence, 1865; James M. Spencer and S. E. A. Palmer, 1866; John Guthrie and James Fletcher, 1867; John Guthrie and Perry Tice, 1868; AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 33 John Guthrie and John W. Brown, 1869; George W. Veale and Jacob Has- kell, 1870; S. C. Gregg, C. K. Holliday and H. E. Bush (three districts), 1871 ; Daniel M. Adams, George W. Veale and Wesley Gregg, 1872 ; Ira C. Johnson, John Martin and Jacob Welchans, 1873; James Burgess, John Martin and F. R. Foster, 1874; Daniel M. Adams, P. I. Bonebrake and F. R. Foster, 1875; Golden Silvers, P. I. Bonebrake and F. R. Foster, 1876; M. T. Campbell, George W. Veale and Thomas Buckman, 1877; Thomas M. James, Thomas J. Anderson and W. D. Alexander, 1879; J. H. Foucht, T. J. Ander- son and J. B. Johnson, 1881 ; Thomas M. James, George W. Veale and J. B. McAfee, 1883; David Overmyer, A. H. Vance and J. B. Johnson, 1885; C. P. Bolmar, George W. Veale and J. B. McAfee, 1887; H. C. Safiford, George W. Veale and J. B. McAfee, 1889; D. M. Howard, William C. Webb and F. M. Stahl, 1891 ; A. C. Sherman, William B. Swan and James A. Troutman, 1893; A. C. Sherman, George W. Veale and S. M. Garden- hire, 1895; A. L. Brooke, Edwin D. McKeever and Harry G. Larimer, 1897; A. L. Brooke, Edwin D- McKeever and W. C. Stephenson, 1899; J. B. Sims, J. B. Betts and Edwin D. McKeever, 1901 ; J. B. Betts, A. F. Williams and John B. Sims, 1903; Robert Stone, W. A. S. Bird and John Howerton, 1905- JUDICIAL OFFICERS. Shawnee County's judicial system had its beginning in 1855, when the Territory of Kansas was divided into three judicial districts. Shawnee was in the southwestern district, and Rush Elmore was appointed judge. There were two justices of the peace appointed, — John Horner at Tecumseh, and C. K. Holliday at Topeka. Daniel H. Home was one of the constables. The other district judges, in the order of their service have been : Jacob Safford, 1859-63; C. K. Gilchrist, 1864-68; John T. Morton, 1868-83; John Martin, 1883-86; John Guthrie, 1887-92; Z. T. Hazen, 1893- 1904; A. W. Dana, 1905—. The Superior Court of Shawnee County was created in 1885 ^^d ex- pired by limitation in 1887. W. C. Webb was judge of this court during its existence. In 1 89 1 the Legislature created the Circuit Court of Shawnee county. J. B. Johnson was judge of this tribunal until it was abolished in 1895. The Court of Topeka was established in 1899. Arthur J. McCabe was appointed judge of this court in March, 1899, and was elected for three successive terms to succeed himself. He is still filling the position. The clerks of this court have been: E. L. Good, 1899; M. F. Laycock, 1895; E. L. O'Neil, 1895, present incumbent. 34 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. The first. Board of County Commissioners was elected in 1855 by the Territorial Legislature and consisted of W. O. Yeager, chairman; Edward Hoagland and William Yocum. The second board was composed of Harvey W. Curtis and Hiram Shields, with Probate Judge Edward Hoagland as ex-ofUcio chairman. The third board consisted of John Martin and C. B. Clements. They served until 1858, when the Legislature provided for one commissioner from each township. The first board under this plan con- sisted of : Jeremiah Murphy, Topeka township ; Eli Hopkins, Tecumseh ; P. T. Hupp, Wakarusa; A. H. Hale, Brownsville; George Bratton, Bur- lingame. In i860 the county was given three commissioners, those elected being William E. Bowker, George W. Spencer and J. M. Haywood. The commissioners thereafter were Hiram C. Coville, chairman, George W. Spen- cer and Francis Grasmund, 1861 ; Hiram C. Coville, chairman, Samuel Kozier and Henry K. Winans, 1862 ; B. F. Kistler, |Chairman, Samuel Benham and Jacob Haskell, 1865; B. F. Kistler, chairman, Samuel Kozier and H. L. Shumway, 1865 (Shumway resigned in 1867 and was succeeded by Reuben Struse) ; A. G. Miller, chairman, George W. Spencer and E. Car- riger, 1867; William Wellhouse, chairman. Golden Silvers and Harvey D. Rice, 1869; E. Carriger, chairman. Golden Silvers and B. J. Ricker, 1871 ; Golden Silvers, chairman, Harvey D. Rice and Bradford Miller, 1873 '> Brad- ford Miller, chairman, E. T. James and John Grice, 1875; David Brockway, chairman, M. M. Hale and Avery Washburn, 1877. After 1877 one commissioner was elected annually for a term of three years, and those who served in this position were: A. C. Sherman, 1878; John S. Branner, 1879; Avery Washburn, 1880; J. Q. A. Peyton, 1881 ; H. C. Lindsey, 1882; Thomas Buckman, 1883; John M. Wilkerson, 1884; H. C. Lindsey, 1885; Bradford Miller, 1886; John M. Wilkerson, 1887; J. Lee Knight, 1888; Samuel Kerr and J. L. Campbell, 1889; Samuel Kerr, 1890; J. Lee Knight, 1891 ; J. L. Campbell, 1892; D. A. Williams, 1893; T. P. Rodgers, 1894; Scott Kelsey, 1895; D. A. Williams, 1896; T. P. Rodgers, 1897; Scott Kelsey, 1898; S. H. Haynes, 1899; Silas Rain, 1900; Frank W. Harrison, 1901 ; S. H. Haynes, 1902; W. E. Sterne, 1903; Frank W. Harrison, 1904. ROSTER OF COUNTY OFFICERS. Sheriffs. — The first sheriff was George W. Berry, elected by the Legis- lature in 1855, but he declined to serve, and John Horner was appointed in his stead. The other sheriffs in succession have been : Benjamin D. Castle- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 37 man, 1856; Jehial Tyler, 1857; Thomas W. Maires, 1858; Alonzo H. Hale, 1859; Charles C. Whitmg, 1863; Sherman Bodwell, 1867; Chester Thomas, Jr., 1869; Spencer P. Wade, 1873; W. D. Disbrow, 1877; H. E. Bush, 1881; Chester Thomas, Jr., 1883; A. M. Fuller, 1885; J. M. Wilkerson, 1889; D. N. Burdge, 1893; R. B. Kepley, 1895; Porter S. Cook, 1897; A. T. Lucas, 1903 — . Probate Judges. — William O. Yeager, 1855; Philip C. Schuyler, 1857; Edward Hoagland, 1858; S. A. Fairchild, i860; Alfred L. Winans, 1863; John T. Morton, 1867; Louis Hanback, 1869; D. C. Metsker, 1872; G. W. Carey, 1876 ;'D. A. Harvey, 1880; A. B. Ouinton, 1886; G. N. Elliott, 1890; J. G. Wood, 1894; L. S. Dolman, 1896; Walter E. Fagan, 1900; R. F. Hay- den, 1903 — . Treasurers. — Thomas N. Stinson, 1855; A. PoUey, 1857; Loring W. Famsworth, 1859; L. G. Cleveland, i860; Jacob Smith, 1861 ; William E. Bowker, 1863; Hiram T. Beman, 1867; W. E. Bowker, 1868; Hiram T. Beman, 1869; Thomas M. James, 1871 ; Avery Washburn, 1876; Chester Thomas, Jr., 1876; Bradford Miller, 1879; A. J. Huntoon, 1883; Byron Roberts, 1887; A. K. Rodgers, 1889; Francis M. Stahl, 1893; H. M. Philips, 1897; F. C. Bowen, 1903 — . a^r/fe.f.— John Martin, 1855; Fry W. Giles, 1858; G. W. Sapp, i860 Hiram McArthur, 1862; P. I. Bonebrake, 1865; J. Lee Knight, 1875 George T. Gilmore, 1881; Charles F. Spencer, 1883; D. N. Burdge, 1885 John M. Brown, 1889; Charles T. McCabe, 1893; John M. Wright, 1897 A. Newman, 1903 — . Recorders and Registers of Deeds. — John Martin, 1855; Fry W. Giles, 1857; Loring W. Farnsworth, 1860-62; George B. Holme's, 1863; William P. Thompson, 1865; James M. Harr, 1873; S. M. Wood, 1879; Albert Parker, 1883; James Burgess, 1885; S. J. Bear, 1889;. Frank Brooks, 1893; Frank L. Stevens, 1897; John B. Marshall, 1902 — . County Attorneys. — John Martin, 1857; John P. Greer, 1858; Justus Brockway, 1859; E. E. Chesney, 1864; John G. Otis, 1865; A. L. Williams, 1866; Thomas Ryan, 1867; A. H. Vance, 1875; Charles Curtis, 1885; R. B. Welch, 1887; B. M. Curtis, 1892; H. C. Safford, 1893; A. P. Jetmore, 1897; Galen Nichols, 1901 ; Otis E. Hungate, 1903 — . Superintendents of Public Instruction. — R. M. Fish, 1859; Peter Mac- Vicar, 1861; J. S. Grififing, 1862; Peter MacVicar, 1864; John D. Knox, 1866; W. H. Butteriield, 1868; D. G. Evans, 1869: Eunice Hebron, 1875; John MacDonald, 1876; L. T. Gage, 1880; John MacDonald, 1882; Josiah Jordan, 1888; W. H. Wright, 1892; J. W. Stout, 1895 ; S. F. Wright, 1901 ; John C. Carter, 1905 — . Coroners.— G. W. Spencer, i860; E. Tefft, 1862; Americus Ashbaugh, 38 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY 1866; Silas E. Sheldon, 1869; A. M. Eidson, 1872; Silas E. Sheldon, 1873; W. B. Gibson, 1879; J. B. Hibben, 1883; F. W. Bailey, 1889; J. M. Wester- field, 1895; H. B. Hogeboom, 1899; H. H. Keith, 1905 — . Clerks of the District Court. — E. B. Smith, 1859; L. McArthur, i860; James Fletcher, 1861 ; Hiram McArthur, 1863; Arthur B. McCabe, 1874; R. E. Heller, 1878; B. M. Curtis, 1883; W. E. Sterne, 1887; S. M. Garden- hire, 1891 ; E. M. Cockrell, 1895; A. M. Callahan, 1899; I. S. Curtis^ 1902 — . Surveyors. — Joel Huntoon, 1858; J. B. Whitaker, 1861 ; W. Tweed- dale, 1870; D. A. Harvey, 1871 ; Jacob Welchans, 1875; C. H. Barton, 1879; Frank J. Baker, 1883; Robert Giles, 1885; A. H. Wetherbee, 1886; B. A. Bailey, 1889; John P. Rogers, 1897 — . Auditors. — Howel Jones, 1881; J. G. Wood, 1885; Walter E. Fagan, 1895; Clad Hamilton, 1900; C. D. Welch, 1901 ; R. H. Gaw, 1904 — . THE FIRST REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS. According to the public records the first transfer of real estate in the county of Shawnee was for "one seventh of 320 acres of land situated in the forks of the Tecumseh and California roads, including the Big Springs." This deed was recorded February 9, 1856, the consideration being $100. The California road referred to was the main highway west from Lawrence. "The forks" was the junction of the California and Tecumseh roads, the former continuing west to the Kansas River, and the latter leading to Te- cumseh, thence west to Topeka, connecting with the Kansas River ferry and the military road from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley. "Big Springs" became a small town in Douglas County, near Lecompton. It was so named because of the ever-flowing springs in the locality. The deed to this prop- erty was recorded by John Martin, first county clerk and recorder of deeds. The parties to the transaction were R. W. Custard and William Carter, the former conveying to the latter. While this was the first transfer to be regularly recorded, there were other real estate transactions in the county which antedated it. Fry W. Giles of Topeka had provided a set of records at his own expense, and carried on the business for nearly a year before the regular record books were opened, his acts being legalized by the Legislature at a later date. The first transfer appearing in the Giles record was the conveyance, April 7, 1855, by W. C. Linaker to J. T. Jones, of lot No. 8, block 54, O. S., city of Topeka. The consideration was $30, and the transaction was witnessed by Thomas G. Thornton. The lot described is now the northeast corner of Harrison street and Sixth avenue, Topeka, for many years the home of the Topeka Club. It was recently sold to B.M. Davies for $9,500. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 39 OLD AND NEW BRIDGES. Shawnee County had the first bridge that spanned the Kansas River. It was constructed by a company organized in Topeka, under a charter issued in 1857 to F. L. Crane, Thomas G. Thornton, Milton C. Dickey, S. F. Walkley and Loring G. Cleveland. F. L. Crane was president. Fry W. Giles, treasurer, and J. Fin Hill, secretary. Jones, Kidney & Company were the contractors, the contract price being $10,000. The location was from near the foot of Kansas avenue, in the city of Topeka, to the north bank of the river, 925 feet in distance. The bridge was completed May i, 1858. It was built on oak piling braced with cottonwood planks, with heavy oak caps spiked to the piles, then cottonwood stringers running from pier to pier, and floored with loose cottonwood boards. A draw, 100 feet in length, was provided, in the event of the use of the stream by boats. The structure was 16 feet wide, and would accommodate 20 emigrant teams, or 250 head of cattle, at one time. It was a very busy and popular crossing while it stood, but the entire structure was washed away July 17, 1858, by the heavy rains of that year. Seven years later, at the same point, a pontoon bridge was constructed. This restea upon 13 flat-boats, each 15 by 25 feet, placed 50 feet apart, and held in position by a wire cable. It cost $15,000, and was completed Oc- tober 12, 1865. The pontoon crossing lasted until 1870, when a toll bridge of iron was built by Mortimer Cook. This was purchased jointly by the city and county in 1871, and made a free bridge, the purchase price being $100,000. In 1895 the county voted bonds to the amount of $150,000 for the con- struction of a larger and more substantial bridge, made necessary by the increase of population and the great growth of business and travel between Topeka and the northern part of the county. The plans adopted by the com- missioners provided for a Melan arch bridge, of Portland concrete and steel, consisting of five spans varying in length from 97 to 125 feet each, and of a total length of 540 feet. The extreme length of the bridge, including embankment approaches, is 900 feet; width of roadway, 40 feet, with walks on either side six feet in width. No handsomer or better bridge can be found in the whole country, and at the time of its construction it was the largest Melan arch bridge in the world. The bridge stood the severest test in the great flood of 1903, and while numerous other bridges up and down the river were swept away, the Melan structure defied the storm and drift, sus- taining no other damage than the washing out of the approaches. These were promptly restored, and, to avoid future damage, another span was 2 40 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY added to the bridge in 1905, making it a complete, harmonious, enduring and magnificent highway. COURT HOUSES AND JAILS. Following the settlement of the county-seat controversy, the records of the county were removed to Topeka. Sessions of the District and Probate courts, were held in the Ritchie Block, the Gale Block, and a business building at No. 104 Sixth avenue east. The county offices were scattered about town, wherever suitable accommodations could be obtained. A Court House was built in 1868, the county having voted bonds for that purpose to the amount of $65,000. The bonds drew 10 per cent, interest and were sold for 82 1^ cents on the dollar of their par value. The proceeds, with $15,000 added from other funds of the county, were sufficient to erect the largest and best building to be found in the State of Kansas at that date. It was built of stone and brick, two stories in height, with a basement jail. The court room occupied most of the second floor, and the various county offices the main floor. In addition to providing amply for the county business, the building for many years accommodated the United States District Court, and the jail was utilized for United States prisoners from Kansas and Indian Territory. In 1886 a separate jail building and sheriff's residence was erected at the northeast corner of VanBuren and Fifth streets, at a total cost of $40,000. On the opposite side of Van Buren street, directly west of the jail, the county commissioners in 1884 purchased six lots as a site for a new Court House, which was completed in 1895, the cost of the site and building being $180,000. It is a fine stone edifice, three stories in height, with basement, all splendidly fitted up, and spacious enough to accommodate the business of the county for many years to come. TABLES OF POPULATION. Nothing can better illustrate the growth of Shawnee County than the following table of population, covering the years 1855 to 1904: Year. Population. Year. Population. 185s 252 1885 40,579 i860 3,513 1890 49,018 i86s 3,458 1895 47,968 1870 13,121 1900 55,372 1875 15,417 1904 57,036 1880 29,092 It will be observed that each five years' period shows a substantial in- crease with the exception of that between the years 1890 and 1895, when there was a small decrease, caused by the opening of Indian lands to settle- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 41 ment in Oklahoma, a movement which drew heavily upon the citizenship of the whole State of Kansas. The population of the county by townships for the year 1904, according to the latest available report, was as follows : Township. Population. Auburn 1,028 Dover 1,148 Menoken 824 Mission 1,092 Monmouth 1,300 Rossville city 502 Rossville township 941 1,443 Silver Lake city 267 Silver Lake township 716 983 Soldier 2,710 Tecumseh 1,041 Topeka township S,46s Williamsport 853 Topeka City — 1st ward 7,525 2d ward 10,193 3d ward 7,278 4th ward 6,987 Sth ward 4,194 6th ward 2,972 39,149 Total 57,036 PROPERTY VALUATIONS. The assessed valuation for the several townships and the city of Topeka, for the year 1904, is given in the following table: Townships. Land. Personal. City Lots. Railroad. Total. Auburn $252,770 $65,540 $9,065 $327,375 Dover 255,820 73.940 6,530 $85,421 401,711 Menoken 315.550 69,325 49,720 434.595 Mission 299,285 84,990 27,205 58,300 469,780 Monmouth . . . 295,480 78,540 7,875 30,321 412,216 Rossville 357,335 76,715 58,675 81,367 574.092 Silver Lake .. 351.365 76,7So 27,350 56,027 511.492 Soldier 643,085 94,920 56,322 231,873 1,026,200 Tecumseh ... 291,350 46,820 830 115,602 454,602 Topeka twp... 622,95s 154.580 467,945 167.875 1,413.355 Williamsport 227,285 66,000 4,920 88,233 386,438 Topeka City 2,309,390 8,413,688 501,834 11,224,912 Totals .$3,912,280 $3,197,510 $9,080,405 $1,446,573 $17,636,768 42 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Of live stock, the county had in 1904 the following: Horses, 10,379, valued at $778,425; mules and asses, 1,292, value $113,050; milch cows, 10,100, value $252,500; other cattle, 23,728, value $467,442; sheep, 816, value, $2,448; swine, 26,130, value $195,975; total value, $1,809,840. INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS. The value of the farm products of the county for the year 1904 was $4,002,982.45; value of live stock for the same period, $1,809,840. The principal field crops are winter wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, hay and sorghum. The garden products marketed in 1903 amounted to $66,883 ! ^"^ the horti- cultural products, $79,748. Shawnee is one of the heaviest fruit producing counties in Kansas. The number of fruit trees in bearing in 1904 was 318,279, of which 214,628 were apple; 5,345 pear; 91,565 peach; 6,741 plum; and 16,058 cherry; number of fruit trees not in bearing, 92,604. More than 1,000 acres are devoted to the raising of nursery stock, much of which is shipped to the older States of the Union, where it is considered superior to the native stock. The princi- pal nurseries are conducted by L. R. Taylor & Sons, F. W. Watson, Oliver Brothers and D. F. Wickman. One of the greatest industries of the county is the manufacture of butter, many farmers having gone into dairying within the last ten years. The Continental Creamery Company, which controls the dairy products of the State to a considerable extent, has its headquarters in Topeka, and the bulk of the business is transacted from this point. Its product is shipped to all parts of the State, the United States and many foreign countries. It has also filled many large government contracts, especially in supplying the American Army in the Philippines. In the year 1904 the dairy products of Shawnee County were: Cheese, 1,014,556 pounds, valued at $101,455.60; butter, 8,541,560 pounds, valued at $1,683,018.40; value of milk sold, $98,914; total value, $1,883,388. The creamery butter manufactured in Shawnee County by the Continental Creamery Company received the gold medal award at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis in 1904. POST OFFICES AND RURAL ROUTES. The present post offices of Shawnee County are: Auburn, Berryton, Dover, Elmont, Kingsville, Menoken, Oakland, Pauline, Richland, Ross- ville, Shorey, Silver Lake, Tecumseh, Tevis, Topeka, Valencia, Wakarusa, Wanamaker and Willard. No county in the State is better served in the matter of rural free delivery. There are 25 routes, averaging 24 miles each, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 43 so located that every section of the county is reached with a daily mail. Routes I to 8, inclusive, start from Topeka and Stations A, B and C ; routes 9 and 10 start from Elmont; routes 11 and 12 from Silver Lake; routes 13 and 14 from Rossville; routes 15 and 16 from Tecumseh; routes 17, 18 and 19 from Richland; route 20 from Berryton; routes 21 and 22 from Wakarusa; routes 23 and 24 from Auburn and route 25 from Valencia. One of the interesting as well as the most conspicuous landmarks of the county is known as Burnett's mound, a conical peak two miles southwest from Topeka, which took its name from Governor Abraham Burnett, a cele- brated chief of the Pottawatomie Indians, and the last to rule over his scat- tered tribe. In early territorial days he made his home at the base of the peak, and continued to live in the county for many years after the land had been wrested from the Indians. The peak was at one time called Webster mound, in honor of Daniel Webster, but custom finally settled upon the Indian name given to it by early travelers. It is the highest point of land in. Eastern Kansas. BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE CITY OF TOPEKA, 1876. CHAPTER III. History of the County by Townships — The Pioneer Settlers — Organisation and Names of Townships — Hardships of Frontier Life — Historic Towns and Villages — Dispossessing the Indians — Missionary Labors — Incidents of Home-Making and Agricultural Development. In the year 1876, the occasion of the Centennial celebration, a short historical sketch of Shawnee County was prepared by Fry W. Giles; and in 1877 William W. Cone wrote a history of the several townships in the county. From these publications, and others in the files of the Kansas State Library and the Kansas State Historical Society, the following facts and incidents bearing upon the early history of the dififerent townships, and the work of the pioneer settlers, have been conde;nsed. Auburn Township — Located in the southwestern corner of the county. It was originally known as Brownsville township, so called in honor of John W. Brown, the first white settler, but the name was changed in i860 to Auburn. The Wakarusa River flows through the township, and at a point where the three branches of the river come together the Catholics estab- lished an Indian mission in 1847, foi" the benefit of the Pottawatomie tribe. The land was subsequently relinquished to the Shawnees, who occupied the 20 log cabins built for their Indian brothers, remaining there about six years. Some of the cabins and a portion of the land were bought from the Shawnees August 10, 1854, by John W. Brown. On the following day a party of seven men, from Jackson County, Missouri, took up claims in the same locality. The new-comers were : E. Carriger, W. F. Johnston, M. A- Reed, J. J. Webb, B. B. Jones, Eli Snyder and L. T. Cook. Other settlers, and the dates of their arrival, were: James Moran, October 20, 1854; James Turner, December 2, 1854; Rev. James Gilpatrick, George Holt, Henry Fox, Milton C. Dickey, Loring Farnsworth, C. Gilpatrick and Samuel Cavender, in 185s; John Price, W. S. Hibbard, Daniel Haney and A. H. Hale, 1856; L. J. Atwood, B. Ingrund, P. S. Spangler, Barney Williams, W. A. Simmer- well and John E. Moore, 1857. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 45 THE VILLAGE OF AUBURN. One of the oldest towns in the State was estabHshed here in 1856, under the name of Brownsville, which was changed to Auburn in 1857, for the reason that a Brownsville post office already existed in another part of the Territory. At one time there were 400 people living in Auburn. Many good buildings were erectel, including a three-story hotel, a brick church and numerous brick residences of the old Dutch pattern, with walls rising- above the gables, and roofs sloping to the street. A weekly newspaper called the Auburn Docket was started in i860 by David B. Emmert, later of Fort Scott. The paper existed nearly a year. It was the ambition of Auburn to become the county-seat, but a change of county lines, and the projection of a railroad seven miles east of town, frustrated this plan. John W. Brown, the original settler, continued to occupy his farm until 1896, when he disposed of, the land and moved to Topeka, where he still resides. He was born in Bel- mont County, Ohio, May 9, 1829. Dover Township — Established in 1867, located immediately north of Auburn township, on the Wabaunsee County line, and extending north to the Kansas River. The first actual settlers were Alfred and John Sage, who opened farms within the boundaries of the township July 18, 1856. In the fall of the same year they were joined by Thomas and Albert Haskell, and John Rust. In the early part of 1859 the colony was augmented by the arrival of John and Noah Gibbs, William Collins and Jacob Orcutt; and in the fall of the same year by T. D. Parks, Daniel Sayres and Jacob Haskell. From 1857 to 1867 Dover was a part of Auburn township. TRADING POSTS AND TRADERS. The history of the township really dates from the year 1848, when a trading post was established on its northern boundary. A small settlement gathered there, to which the name of Uniontown was given. It became well known throughout the country, as the old California trail of 1849 crossed the river at this point — said to be the only rocky ford on the river. The first settlers, most of them Indian traders, were : P. E. Sarple, R. A. Kissey, O. H. P. Polk, T. D. S. McDonald, Thomas N. Stinson and W. W. Cleg- horn, in 1848; and J. R. Whitehead, J. D. Leslie and William Dyer in 1849. John W. Brown and Anthony A. Ward lived in Uniontown in 1851, the former going to Auburn, and the latter to Topeka in a later year. Large sums oi^ money were disbursed at the trading post, which was abandoned 46 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY in 1855. The 50 or more buildings comprising the town of Uniontown passed away with the post, and the site reverted to farm land. In the year 1870 the village of Dover was established, in the south- western corner of the township. The name Dover came from Dover, New Hampshire, the former residence of the Haskell family above referred to. The first officers of Dover township, elected in 1868, were: E. M. Hewins, trustee; James Bassett, treasurer; Henry A. Kellam, clerk; Jacob Haskell and George Harden, justices; M. M. St. John and W. O. Harris, constables. Albert Sage was the first postmaster at Dover, appointed in 1862. Valencia and Willard are two other small towns in the township, with populations of 100 and 120 respectively. They are located on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, running west from Topeka. Menoken Township — This is the youngest township in the county, having been established July 18, 1879. It is located in the center of the northern half of the county, and was formerly a part of Silver Lake town- -ship. Robert Forbes lived on one of the Menoken farms in 1868, and the new settlers in 1869 were B. T. Payne, W. K. Elliott and H. E. Close. E. T. Matthews bought the Payne farm in 1870, and in the same year property was bought and improvements made by S. M. Allen, Frank Workman, E. B. Robinson, F. A. Diffenbacher, R. Wells, M. Kiernan, Priddy brothers and P. Madden. Later in the same year homes were established by W. D. McCormick, G. P. Mitchell, H. Sharper, J. Blackler, J. P. Bowser, J. P. Cole, J. R. Insley, H. Ausherman, and G. W. R. Ward. In 1871 other farms were opened and homes built by W. T. Pence, W. T. Prewitt, W. Can- field and D. B. Groshong. The first settlers endured many hardships, as the only crop they could raise the first year was corn on newly-broken sod. Many additional farms were occupied in 1872 and 1873, and considerable trouble resulted from contests with squatters. A CATTLE GROWING DISTRICT. The increased population and development of the district in the next five years induced the formation of the separate township. The two branches of Soldier Creek, called Big and Little Soldier, supply the township with water. There are several large cattle ranches, and the farming and stock operations are extensive. Good schools and church buildings are to be found in all parts of the township. On the Union Pacific Railroad, five miles north- west from Topeka, the station of Menoken is located. It is a small village, with a few of the customary stores and shops, and affords a central point for trading and shipping. EAST SIDE OF KANSAS AVENUE— LOOKING NORTH FROM SIXTH AVENUE CORNER OF KANSAS AND SIXTH AVENUES— LOOKING SOUTH AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 49 Mission Township — Located in the center of the county, and extend- ing north of the Kansas River, with Topeka township on the east, Dover on the westj and Auburn and Williamsport on the south. It was until 1871 a part of Dover and Topeka townships, and belonged originally to the Potta- watomie Indian reservation. Jonas Lykins was the first white settler, com- ing from Osawatomie in 1847. He built the first Baptist mission in the county, a double log structure which is still standing on what is known as the /Robert I. Lee farm, a few miles west from Topeka. The Catholics estab- ilished a mission in 1848, north of the Baptists, in charge of Father J. B. Hoeken. At that time Chief Burnett of the Pottawatomies lived in the same locality. Of the later residents, Sidney W. Smith came in March, 1852; Dr. D. L. Croysdale in 1853; Hiram C. Coville in 1854; John Doty and J. C. Young in 1855; Amos Trott, Guilford G. Gage, W. D. Paul, J. C. French, W. W. Lewis and Thomas Scudder in 1856; James Brewer and James Swan in 1857 — Mr. Brewer is still a citizen of the county, having made his home an Topeka for nearly half a century; John McComb and Rev. J. G. Miller arrived in 1859. PIONEER CITIZENS. Most of these men played important parts in the history and upbuilding of Shawnee County, and all are well remembered. Dr. Croysdale was a gov- ernment physician in the Indian service. Hiram C. Coville was killed in the Price raid of 1864. Guilford G. Gage became a prosperous and substantial citizen of Topeka. In later years the township had such well-known citizens as Thomas Buckman, William Sims, Peter Heil^ Jr., Thomas White, D. R. Youngs and A. M. Coville, the last named a son of Hiram C. Coville. Mission is wholly an agricultural township. There are no towns within its borders, and the only neighborhood settlement of any pretension to popu- lation is Mission Center, a rural post office. The town of Wanamaker, five miles west of Topeka, was started in 1888, but accumulated only a few houses and a post office. Monmouth Township — Originally this township belonged to the ter- ritory forming Tecumseh township, from which it was set off in i860. It lies directly south of Tecumseh, in the southwestern corner of the county. Charles Matney was the first settler. He came from Tazewell County, Vir- ginia, and settled at Westport, Missouri, where he carried on the business of a freighter. On one of his trips across the plains he decided to change his occupation to that of a farmer and selected a quarter section of land in what is now Monmouth township, to which he moved August 17, 1854, bringing with 50 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY him 66 head of oxen, which were used in breaking the virgin prairie. His brother, Harry Matney, soon joined him, and in the same year other settlers arrived, including G. W. Berry, C. H. Buzzard, James Linn, Samuel E. Thompson, Dr. N. W. Moore and L. Wentworth. EARLY MONMOUTH SETTLERS. ) ) The township enjoyed a good growth in 1855, some of the new settlers being W. M. Jordan, William McCutcheon, John Morris, Hiram Shields, William and Richard Disney, J. S. Freeland, Frank Helton, R. O. Johnson, Aaron Coberly, Charles Allen, Harris Lyons, Silas Lyons, Isaiah Cox, N. L. Williams, William Linn, John Helton, J. W. Riggs, T. D. Kemp and Joseph Coberly. Most of the settlers were from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. In later years some of the best known citizens of the township were Maj. L. J. Beam, C. A. Thresher, Jacob Coblentz, Alfred A. Disney, Emmor England, Joseph P. Heil, Dr. H. M. Howard, Horace G. Lyons, Alexander McQuiston, Dr. Isaiah M. Tevis, H. M. Zirkle and William A. Zirkle. The Missouri Pacific Railroad crosses the southwestern part of the town- ship. Richland, the principal station, was established as a post office in 1856, with W. C. Murray as postmaster. The town has a population of 250. Albert Neese conducts a bank and general store. E. L. Truesdale publishes the Richland Observer. Another station is Tevis, a small farm settlement. In 1857 the town of Carthage was born in the township, but it never reached maturity. RossviLLE Township — This township lies in the extreme northwest corner of the county, and was carved out of Silver Lake township in 1871. The Kansas River forms the southern boundary of the township, and Cross Creek runs through the township north and south. The creek was first known as "Metsepa," the Indian name for Cross, the idea being suggested to the Indians by the cross formation where the creek makes a junction with the river. Rossville township was named for W. W. Ross, a Pottawatomie In- dian agent in 1862. There were white people in the boundaries of the present township in 1847-48, the records showing the names of John Barsho, Stephen McPher- son, William Martell, Alexander Rodd, Francis Bargeron, Anthony Tacier, Joseph Lawton and William Nassecau. James Baldan came in 1855, and George James, George Stackhouse and Cyrus Higginbotham in 1858. Dr. R. S. Gabbey was also one of the early settlers. A river ferry was operated in 1849 by Charles Beaubien and Louis Ogee. There were hundreds of In- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 51 dians (Pottawatomies) in the vicinity of Cross Creek from 1847 to 1870. Some of the principal chiefs were Half-Day, La-Fromboise, Mazha and Wee-wee-sa. GROWTH OF ROSSVILLE. The Union Pacific Railroad runs across the southwestern corner of the township, and the town of Rossville is located thereon. The town was established in 1871, originally known as Edna, but early changed to corre- spond with the name of the township. The town company was composed of A. C. Sherman, George W. Veale, H. H. Wilcox and Fielding Johnson, all residents of Topeka. The town-site, 100 acres, was purchased of Anthony Navarre, a Mormon preacher, and his Indian wife, So-na-ne-qua. A. C. Sherman moved to the new town in 1871, built the first hotel, engaged in the hardware and grain business, became postmaster, and was closely identi- fied with the business of the town for many years. He subsequently removed to Topeka, where he still resides. Other prominent business men of Ross- ville were: W. C. Sherman, Thomas L. Ross, S. J. Oliver, O. Leroy Sedg- wick, George E. Allen, Samuel Kerr, Samuel B. Maxwell, Dr. Henry H. Miller and Dr. E. R. Mclntire. Rossville was made a city of the third class in June, 1881. Silver Lake Township — Located north of the Kansas River, directly east of Rossville township, and extending north to the Jackson County line. Soldier Creek runs through the township from the northwest to the southeast corner. The Union Pacific Railroad and the Kansas River are along its southern boundary. The township was detached from Soldier township March 16, 1868. The first white settlers were men employed as instructors for the Kaw Indians. Maj. Robert W. Cummings and Thomas Hufifaker were on the ground as early as 1835, but there was no settlement of conse- quence until 1847, when the following names appeared upon the records: E. B. Kennedy, Charles Rodd, Joseph G. Kennedy, Lucius Darling, Stephen McPherson, J. Frap, William Martell, William Johnson, John Hard-en, Allen Harden, W. H. Wells, William Alley, John D. Scroggins, George Mullen, P. Malosh, Fred H. Counterman, John and Joseph Ogee and F. Trombley. The following came in 1848; James A. Gray, Wesley Hopkins, C. B. Riandall, H. McDowell, J. C. Vanderpool, and Messrs. VanHorne and Browne. Charles Dean and E. M. Sloan came in 1849; Samuel Cummings, L. B. M. Kennedy, Joseph Wellfelt and Joseph La Frame in 1850; Hiram Wells, J. C. Freeman, Enoch Stevens and Joseph Layton in 1852. The Pottawatomie Indians owned much of the land, and descendants of the tribe still reside in the town- ship. 52 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY TOWN OF SILVER LAKE. s Silver Lake, the principal town in the township, was platted in February, 1868, the proprietors being M. B. Beaubien and A. S. Thomas. It is located on the railroad at a point where a bend in the river forms a beautiful sheet of water, from which the name is derived. Beaubien was one of the head-men of the Pottawatomies. A. S. Thomas is still living on his Silver Lake farm. He was for many years clerk of the United States courts in Topeka. J. B. Oliver was the first postmaster in 1868. Cyrus Corning published the Silver Lake Nezi's in 1882, but the paper had a short life. H. D. McMeekin had a store in this locality in 1853, ^^'^ afterwai-ds became a well-known hotel man in Kansas. Some of the names familiarly connected with Silver Lake are Samuel Beal, C. D. Ward, Dr. A. G. McGill, Thomas Neiswender, C. W. Ed- son, B. F. Vanorsdal, Dr. H. D. Tuttle, George W. Vanorsdal, J. E. Guild, L. H. Neiswender, J. S. Kelly and O. N. Wilson. Kingsville is another railroad station in the township, the site of the H. M. Holden stock ranch, formerly operated by Andrew Wilson. Kingsville is 13 miles northwest from Topeka and does a considerable amount of ship- ping, principally of cattle. WiLLiAMSPORT TowNSHiP — This towuship lies in the southern part of the county, with Monmouth on the east and Auburn on the west, the southern limit extending to the Osage County line. It is watered by the Wakarusa River and Six Mile Creek. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway runs through the township, north and south, and the Missouri Pacific cuts across the northeastern corner. Williamsport became a separate township April 20, i860, being detached from Auburn. Rev. Robert Simmerville, a missionary in charge of the Baptist mission, was the first known settler. For the benefit of the Pottawatomie Indians he made a translation of the New Testament into their language. He built a cabin and a blacksmith shop in the township in 1854. His arrival was on the 13th of August of that year, and the second settler, Joseph Drenan, arrived August 14th. WILLIAMSPORT ACCESSIONS. On the 26th of the same month and year, two cousins of the name of William Matney arrived. William Coker, Dr. Jesse D. Woods, Joseph Her- ald and Dr. C. Lykins came in the same year. In 1855 the accessions were: William Yocum, J. Babcock, J. Carroll, H. M. Sharp, Isaac Baxter, Samuel Allen, Joseph Lykins, Robert Gault, Robert Todd, William Armstrong and J. G. Zimmerman. James Young and H. K. Winans arrived in 1856, and in AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 53 the following year came Seth Todd, Edgar Winans, R. Buttles, D. Kilby, Ches- ter Thomas, Sr., Daniel, Fred, and Cyrus Fultz, Rev. Monfort, Dr. A. J. Huntoon, Joel Huntoon, J. Nelson, L. Buttles, J. M. Waugh, T. U. Thomp- son, John Cunningham, T. H. Lescher, Simon Hawk and Mr. Curtis. Wakarusa and Pauline are the only towns, both on the railroad, the former having 90 and the latter 50 inhabitants. Wakarusa was platted in 1868 by Mills & Smith, of Topeka. It was first called Kingston, in honor of ZJenas King of Topeka, who was one of the original promoters. His asso- ciates were I. T. Lockhard, J. P. Ennis, A. J. Huntoon, Joel Huntoon and T. U. Thompson. Some of the settlers around Wakarusa, and in other parts of the township, were: W. H. Mills, A. F. Barker, S. D. Conwell, R. U. Farnsworth, William S. Hibbard, John MacDonald, Rev. John McQuiston, Walter Matney, W. H. Moffitt, J. E. Pratt, Perry Tice, James Robb, J. D. Vawter, John H. Young and John N. Young. Williamsport township de- rived its name from Williamsport in Pennsylvania. CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC PASSENGER STATION. CHAPTER IV. Continuation of Township History — Sketches of Soldier, Tecumseh and Topeka Townships — Names of the Early Settlers — General Sherman's Pioneer Experience — Rival Toums and Their Promoters — Famous Farms and Their Owners — Present Day Conditions. The location of Soldier, Tecumseh and Topeka townships, and their relation to the city of Topeka, make it desirable that their history should be given in a special group, and a separate chapter. These townships are the most populous in the county, much of their history is confluent, and many of the persons whose names make up the early record were identified to some extent with all of the townships named. For convenience the same form will be preserved as in the preceding chapter. Soldier Township — This township was erected April 20, i860, from territory added to Shawnee County on the north side of the river. One purpose of the addition was to preserve Topeka as the county-seat by making it a more central point in the county. The new territory was taken from Calhoun (now Jackson) County. Most of it was Kaw Indian land and was occupied only by the Indians and half-breeds down to 1848, except that there was a small band of French settlers in the locality as early as 1840. Among these were the Papan brothers, Joseph, Ahcan and Louis. Louis Catalon, a nephew of the Papans, joined them in 1848, and James McPherson came the same year. Fred Swice and George L. Young, both farmers, arrived in 1850. ARRIVALS IN THE '50's. New settlers in 1854 were James Kuykendall, John Cunningham, R. J. Fulton, H. D. McMeekin, Perry Fleshman, W. S. Kuykendall, John B. Chap- man, D. Milne, James A. Gray, G. P. Dorris, J. M. Hand and Charles Tip- ton. These early settlers assisted in organizing Calhoun County, and some of them were the promoters of the town of Calhoun, the first county-seat. Calhoun County was originally named for John Calhoun, first Surveyor Gen- eral of Kansas, but was changed to Jackson in 1858, in honor of Andrew Jackson, and the county-seat changed to Holton. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 55 In 1855 Soldier township gained the following settlers: Vincent Cohe, Samuel Lockhart, J. F. Gallioz, E. BoUotte, T. Bruno, A. Colomb, E. Cham- bourniere, H. Roberti, Alme Malespine, J. Seal, H. Seal, J. E. Thompson and Thomas Jenner. In 1856 the new-comers were Jacob Johnson, G. Cum- mings, J. M. Harding, Joseph Neiddaugh, J. W. Price, Ezekiel Marple and William Owen. William Tecumseh Sherman, afterwards Lieutenant General of the United States Army, was a settler in the township in 1859. At the instance of Hon. Thomas Ewing, of Ohio, he undertook the opening and management of a farm of 1,000 acres on Indian Creek, for the benefit of his grand-nephew, Henry Clark, and his grand-niece, Mrs. Walker, who joined him on the farm in the spring of that year. He fenced 100 acres and built a small frame house and a barn. He returned to Leavenworth in the fall of 1859 to resume his law business. Some of the Sherman farm buildings have been preserved as historic landmarks. Some of the persons identified with the county in later years were Rev. David Bartram, F. W. Fleischer, George W. Kistler, J. H. Miller, J. Q. A. Peyton, A. W. Pliley, W. W. Reed, Edward Sipes, John M. Wilkerson, Thomas M. James and Samuel J. Reader. A DESERTED CITY. The town of Indianola was started in the township in November, 1854, by H. D. McMeekin, who bought the site from Louis View, a half-breed In- dian. The name of the town was borrowed from an Indianola in Texas. A rival town, called Delaware City, was started about the same time by J. Butler Chapman. During its brief existence. Chapman's town was known as Delaware City, Whitfield' City, Kansopolis and Rochester, the last being the name finally settled upon it. One of the first school houses in the county was built at this point, and near it was one of the depots of John Brown's famous "Underground Railroad." The so-called depot was built in 1857 by William Owen, and was occupied for many years by Dr. Morrow. Ro- chester was too close to Indianola to thrive, and Indianola was killed by the building of the railroad three miles away. The Union Pacific Railroad runs along the southern boundary of the township ; the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe crosses the southeastern corner ; and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific extends across the western part of the township, north from Topeka. On the latter line are the towns of Shorey and Elmont. Shorey has a population of 400 and Elmont 50. Kilmer is a small station on the Atchison road. 56 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Tecumseh Township — This township formerly comprised all the territory in Shawnee County lying north of the Wakarusa River, this divis- ion being made September 14, 1855. By subsequent subdivisions it was re- duced to a tract about six miles square, with Topeka on the west and Mon- mouth on the south, its northern boundary being the Kansas River, and its eastern boundary the county line of Douglas County. As an agricultural and fruit growing section, it is not surpassed in the whole State. BIRTH OF TECUMSEH. I Col. Thomas N. Stinson was the first white man to settle in the township. He opened the first farm in 1852^ although he did not occupy it until March 20, 1853. From 1848 he lived in another part of the county, where he was engaged as a trader among the Indians. He was married in 1850 to Miss Julia Bushman, and resided at Uniontown, later moving to the Burnett farm near Topeka, and thence to Tecumseh. Stinson had but few neighbors i)rior to 1854, when a party of men moved in from Missouri. Among them were J. K. Waysman, A. D. M. Hand, H. Walker, Albert Byler, Joshua Sartain and Nathaniel Hedrick, all on May 5, 1854. Another party came on June 1st of that year, including David Copeland, James Herron, Reuben Low, John Homer, Rev. J. B. Stateler, Thornton B. Hays and Francis Grassmuck. At different periods in the fall of the same year the following arrived: Robert Edwards, J. C. Niccum, Jehiel Tyler, D. Updegraff, John Morris, James W. Small, William Vaughn, B. Sublette, Dr. D. W. Hunter, Osburn Naylor, Rev. Charles Gordon, Jesse W. Stevenson, Judge Rush Elmore, Charles Stevenson and H. J. Strickler. Arriving in 1855 were: Eli Hop- kins, W. Y. Roberts, W. A. Stewart, William Hook, S. Ripple, Joseph Weaver, Benjamin Newsom, Capt, E. Allen, J. Reed, Joseph Molton, Wil- liam Riley, T. Strother, Jesse Rumsey, Joseph Allen, A. Lovelace, Adam Bowers, John Bowers, Gus Vaughn, Samuel Ackland, Isaac Roberts, H. Carmichael, C. C. Antrim, John Martin, W. O. Yeager, B. Fogle, Kenzie Stofield, V. Rush, Edward Hoagland, Eli Stofield, Rev. Edward Piper, Dr. Snow, J. W. Lacy, N. Shadley, William Shadley, Benjamin Castleman, A. Delap, A. Imes, Erastus Moffitt, Bennett A. Murphy, William Frost, R. Carmichael, Rev. Paul Shepard, A. D. Reed, John T. Lawrence, O. Moffitt, Thomas Campbell, James Ellis, William Ireland, John Scott, Wil- liam Jones and Henry Caulfield. Mention should also be made of some of the later settlers in the town- ship : Dr. William B. Brown, Peter Bunce, Joseph Burgess, John A. Camp- bell, J. P. Campbell, James H. Dunn, Joseph England, Thomas J. Faxon, John S. Griffing, E. H. Harrop, Dwight Jarvis, Harvey Lieurance, Isaac H. H M M « to h z u > « o z o z o o 7, M X ^ O U J > h 3 -^ Id H b; h M AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 59 Milliken, Isaac Morris, W. A. Rankin, Alfred S. Roberts, Thomas D. Strong, Ralph Voorhees, Samuel B. Wade, William B. Wade, James Wottman, Luther Woodford and J. L. Wood. tecumseh's bright prospect. The town of Tecumseh is the oldest in the county, once the seat of the county government, the scene of many important events in the State's history and a strong candidate for the State capital. The name perpetuates that of the noted Shawnee Indian chief, who led his braves in the battle of Tippeca- noe, and met death in the battle of the Thames. The Tecumseh townsite covered 80 acres taken from the Stinson farm and 240 acres pre-empted for town purposes. The survey was made August 15, 1854, by C. C. Spalding. Most of the men interested in the town, whose names follow, were from the south : Thomas N. Stinson, J. M. Hunter, Samuel H. Woodson, and Abram Comings, 'from Missouri ; Rush Elmore and Albert Elmore, from Alabama ; J. W. Whitfield, from Tennessee; S. W. Johnson, from Ohio; A. H. Reeder, Territorial Governor, from Pennsylvania; and Andrew J. Isaacks, Territorial Attorney General, from Louisiana. Governor Reeder was a frequent visitor at Colonel Stinson's home dur- ing his business trips up and down the valley. He was greatly impressed by the picturesque location and splendid surroundings of Tecumseh and took personal interest in advancing its claims as a business and residence point. It was supposed that the first Legislature would hold its session there, but Governor Reeder became so indignant over the criticisms passed upon his official acts by the people of Missouri that he decided to call the Legislature to meet in Pawnee, a point remote from sectional influences, where he was also interested in another town enterprise. His change of plan was a serious blow to Tecumseh in the matter of becoming the State capital. The Pro- Slavery men adjourned the Legislature to the Shawnee Manual Labor School and succeeded in locating the Territorial seat of government at Lecompton, midway between Lawrence and Topeka, the avowed purpose being to cripple the last named towns on account of their abolition proclivities. decay of the town. For her future progress Tecumseh was forced to rely upon the tempo- rary advantage of being the county-seat, and this soon precipitated a clash with Topeka, the Pro-Slavery faction supporting Tecumseh and the Free- State men standing by Topeka. Tecumseh was at the height of her prosperity in 1858, and stood a lusty rival of Topeka in all the arts of politics and trade. 6o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY But Kansas and dl her institutions were destined to be free, and this senti- ment, coupled with the jealousy of other towns in the neighborhood, finally- located the county-seat at Topeka. Tecumseh is now a gazetteer town of 150 inhabitants — a station on the Atchison, Topeka & Stanta Fe Railway. There is no other settlement of consequence in the township. In 1855 the town of Mairsville was started by Thomas Mairs. In the same year the town of Washington was laid out by a company consisting of W. Y. Roberts,. William Frost, William Riley, Joseph Molton and Capt. E. Allen. In 1856 Joseph Allen started the town of Kenamo. All three of them were close to Tecumseh, and none of them attained to a dignified size. Topeka Township — The territory comprising Topeka township be- longed in 1855 to Yocum township, which then included all the territory in the country lying south of the Wakarusa River. The name Yocum was dropped February 23, 1857, when the county was subdivided into five town- ships, Topeka being one of them. Additional territory and later subdivisions gave it its present boundaries, from the Kansas River south to Williamsport, with Tecumseh on the east and Mission on the west — Soldier being the oppo- site township on the north side of the river. Clement Shattio, a Frenchman, was the first white settler in the town- ship, coming from Uniontown, November 15, 1852. He purchased a farm on the south bank of the river one mile west of the present city of Topeka. The farm formerly belonged to Alexander Bushman, a half-breed Shawnee Indian. Shattio was born in St. Louis in the year 1800, and moved to Union- town in June, 1848, In 1850 he married Ann Davis, a colored woman, who was born in Palestine, Illinois, in 181 7. Ten years later she was stolen from her parents and carried to Missouri, where she was several times sold as a slave. She bought her freedom in 1859, after taking up her residence in Kansas. SETTLERS IN TOPEKA TOWNSHIP. Later settlers arrived in the following order : Horatio Cox, May 5, 1854; Anthony Ward, June i; Robert Matthews, July 15; J. Jondron, A. Berringer, Isaac Edwards, L. Bivard and D. Chilson, about July 25 ; Gilbert Billard, Charles Sardou and Fred Vascalders, August 28; John Long, Thomas Warren, J. R. Warren, H. McConnell and James McConnell, Octo- ber 10. The Warrens, father and son, were from Kentucky. Thomas War- ren, the elder, became 100 years of age in 1870, and visited the Kansas Leg- islature on his centennial birthday anniversary, receiving a special welcome AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 6i at the hands of the Speaker pro tern, Hon. John Guthrie. Warren died in 1874, at the remarkable age of 104 years. Wilh'am R. Boggs moved into the township August 14, 1854, and pur- chased the farm wliich is now the site of the Kansas State Hospital for the Insane. Following him came William PickereU, October 17; Philip Briggs, October 20; John Parkinson, October 18; William Griff enstein, November i ; John T. Adams, Rev. Michael Hummer and Dr. Noble Barron, about No- vember 15; John Armstrong, November 20; Enoch Chase, Jacob B. Chase, Milton C. Dickey and George Davis, November 29 — this party settled on the farm land upon which the city of Topeka is located; Daniel H. Home, Fry W. Giles, Loring G. Cleveland, S. A. Clark, W. C. Linaker, Thomas G. Thornton, Jonas E. Greenwood, Cyrus K. Holliday and Timothy Mclntire, December 4; James F. Merriam, December 7; James A. Hickey, December 12; L. S. Long, December 15; Freeman R. Foster and Robert L. Mitchell, December 20; Dr. S. E. Martin, December 25. S. J. Case, H. F. Root, C. N. Gray and G. F. Crowe also came in December. LATER ARRIVALS. Those who settled in the township in the year 1855, as nearly as can be determined, were the following: John Ritchie, J. C. Miller, W. W. Ross, J. C. Jordan, H. W. Curtis, Charles Farnsworth, L. W. Home, R. A. Rand- lett, O. C. Nichols, S. D. Conwell, B. F. Dawson, C. A. Sexton, Henry Cowles, John Perrin, Rev. Henry Burgess, Charles Frazier, C. A. Dexter, W. H. Weymouth, Daniel Sayres, Ephraim Herriott, Horatio Fletcher, Samuel Herriott, Daniel Banta, H. Higgins, Johnston Thomas, King Smith, Antoine Bernier, H. Tyrrell, A. H. Barnard, Robert Todd, Dr. M. A. E. J. Campdoras, Henry Griffin, C. Durupt, Isaac Renfrew, J. Willetts, J. W. Jones, C. D. Howard, L. H. Wentworth, Robert Gilbert, D. Sheridan, James Goodrich, E. C. K. Garvey, F L. Crane, James Chadwick, Dean Chadwick, C. C. Leonard, C. L. Terrill, Moses Dudley, J. Orcutt, ■ William Scales, H. P. Waters, James G. Bunker, James McNamee, J. F. Cummins, Isaac Zimmerman, Loring Farnsworth, E. Seagraves, Abner Doane, A. M. Lewis, Guilford Dudley, John R. Lewis, George F. Boyd, D. Mintum, J. D. Clark- son, James Taggart, L. C. Wilmarth, A. G. Thompson, Gabriel Wright, J. C. Gordon, Asaph Allen, James Disney, Moses Hubbard, P. R. Hubbard, Eugene Dumez, P. O. O'Connor, E. S. Parker, Jesse Stone, O. H. Drink- water, Samuel Hall, Leonard Wendell, A. F. Whiting, W. E. Bowker, S. N. Frasier, M. C. Martin, William P Thompson, David H. Moore, W. W. Henderson, William Gibbons, M. K. Smith, A. F. Hartwell, David Smith, Charles L. Wilbur, G. B. French, E. Trask, August Roberts, H. C. Young, 62 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Nelson Young, James Cowles, R. M. Luce, F. T. Tucker, Richard Gustine, Henry P. Waters, Gerard C. Hooft, S. Lyford and W. W. Phillips. RIVAL TOWNS. Topeka, the county-seat and capital city, is located in Topeka township. No other city or town has ever been erected in the township, every attempt in that direction having proved a failure, or resulted in adding a suburb to the big city, as in the cases of Oakland, Seabrook, Auburndale and Potwin. Of the towns projected near Topeka at different periods, the following names are given as a matter of record, the places having long since faded from sight — almost from memory: Fremont, Paris, Washington, Council City, Glendale, Carthage, Kenamo and Mairsville. CHAPTER V. A Glance at the History of Kansas — Early Expeditions Across the Plains — The Slavery Contest — The Struggle for Statehood — Roster of Gover- nors and United States Senators — Population, Resources and Institu- tions of the State — Business and Educational Statistics. The preceding chapters have been mainly devoted to the early settlement of Shawnee County. Before attempting a record of the subsequent events relative to the upbuilding of the county, and of the city of Topeka, a brief reference to the contemporary history of the Territory and State of Kansas will serve as a useful link in the local chronicle. Kansas has been making his- tory for 50 years. Many volumes might be written about this comparatively young commonwealth, but the limits of this work permit only a cursory glance at the more important facts connected with the birth and evolution of a State, which George Bancroft characterized as "the miracle of the age." VARIOUS NAMES FOR THE STATE. The name Kansas is derived from the Indian word Kanza, having the dual significance of "wind" and "swift." Its popular title is "the Sunflower State," its heroic title "Bleeding Kansas," and its opprobrious title "the Jay- hawker State." Its State motto is : "Ad Astra per Aspera — "through diffi- culties to the stars." Exclusive of Alaska and- the islands acquired in 1898, it is the geographical center of the United States, being situated in latitude 37 degrees to 40 degrees north, longitude 94 degrees, 40 minutes to 102 degrees west; bounded on the north by Nebraska, on the northeast and east by Mis- souri, on the south by Oklahoma and Indian Territories, and on the west by Colorado. It was the 34th State to be admitted into the Union. EARLY HISTORY. The territory forming the present State of Kansas was a part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, except a fraction in the southwest corner ac- quired from Texas in 1850. It is claimed that Coronado visited the country 64 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY as early as 1541, and there are evidences of French and Spanish expeditions to this terra incognita in later years. The Lewis and Clark expedition, planned by President Jefferson^ reached Kansas in June, 1804, and, two years later, in 1806, the expedition commanded by Zebulon Montgomery Pike, who gave his name to "Pike's Peak," crossed the territory from the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains. The expedition of Maj. Stephen H. Long was made in 1819, and in 1824 was established the "Santa Fe Trail," the fa- mous highway of Kansas, extending 400 miles directly across the territory, and from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, a total distance of 780 miles. Col. John C. Freemont made his first expedition across the plains in the summer of 1842, blazing the way for a heavy overland travel to Oregon, California and Mexico. DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH. This was the beginning of the development and growth of Kansas. The outposts of civilization were being extended Westward from the Mississippi River. The Indians of Missouri and other Mississippi Valley States were concentrated with the tribes already occupying the country west of the Mis- souri River. These included the Osage, Shawnee, Pawnee, Delaware, Kicka- poo, and Kansas tribes, to which were added the Cherokee and other tribes from the States of the South, and the Ottawas, Pottawatomies, Wyandottes and others from Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Kansas became Indian Terri- tory, and remained such from 1830 to 1854. Occupation of the country by white settlers was fraught with peril and hardship, and only accomplished by marvelous heroism, perseverance and endurance. To aid in the work of civil- ization, missions were established on the frontier, and military posts located at Fort Leavenworth, Fort Scott and Fort Riley. TERRITORIAL DAYS. The admission of Kansas as an organized Territory dates from May 30, 1854, when President Pierce signed the "Kansas-Nebraska Act." This brought on what may be termed the political troubles of Kansas, and later, a result of the slavery agitation, precipitated the great armed conflict between the North and the South in 1861-65. I HOSTILE FACTIONS. It was on Kansas soil that the first battle was fought for the freedom of the negro. It was Kansas that developed the commanding figure of John Brown. From the time Congress took the first step for the admission of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 65 Kansas, with or without slavery, the Territory became the scene of conten- tion, pillage and bloodshed. The Pro-Slavery men of Missouri endeavored to gain control of the Territory in 1854, and established the first city, Leaven- worth. Soon afterwards an Anti-Slavery colony from Massachusetts settled at Lawrence. No more hostile factions ever struggled for supremacy in any part of the continent. Andrew H. Reeder, of Pennsylvania was appointed to be the first Gov- ernor of the Territory. At the first contest for Territorial delegate to Con- gress, the slavery men of Missouri crossed the river and participated in the election, the candidate of the Pro-Slavery party being successful by reason of these illegal votes. The Free-Soilers protested and held indignation meet- ings at Lawrence and other points. The Missourians repeated the same tactics at the election in the spring of 1855 for Representatives to the Legislature. When the Legislature met at Pawnee, the Pro-Slavery members were in the majority, and controllefl the proceedings, even to the extent of driving out the Free-Soil members and changing the seat of government. CHANGE OF OFFICERS. The Free-Soil party repudiated the acts of the Legislature, and refused to abide by them. Governor Reeder was removed from office, being succeeded by Wilson Shannon, of Ohio. John W. Whitfield was elected delegate to Congress by the Pro-Slavery party, and ex-Governor Reeder chosen to the same position by the opposition, but Congress refused to give either delegate a seat. A Free-Soil constitution was adopted in December, 1855, under which Charles Robinson was elected Governor, but the election was repudi- ated by President Pierce, who had recognized the "bogus" Legislature. The Free-Soil Legislature ignored the action of President Pierce, and, to meet this and other menacing circumstances, the military forces of the United States government were placed in command of Governor Shannon. Governor-elect Robinson and Congressman-elect Reeder were indicted for high treason. The Pro-Slavery party received large accessions from Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina in the troubles resulting from this conflict of authority, the Emigrant Aid Society Hotel and the Herald of Freedom and Kansas Free State printing offifces at Lawrence were destroyed, and the town of Osawa- tomie — the home of John Brown — was sacked and burned. THE STRUGGLE FOR STATEHOOD. A bill for the admission of Kansas as a State was passed by the lower house of Congress in June, 1856, but was defeated in the Senate on account of the recognition it gave to the Free-Soil constitution. A meeting of the 66 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Free-Soil Legislature in Topeka was dispersed by United States troops acting under orders from President Pierce. By this time the interest in the Kansas struggle became general throughout the United States. The suppression of slavery became a national instead of a State issue. While Congress debated and legislated, the Pro-Slavery and Free-State factions continued to virar against each other for possession of the Territory and control of the law-mak- ing machinery. Conflicting constitutions were adopted, rival Legislatures elected, and civil government overthrown. Public meetings were held in all parts of the North to lend encouragement to the movement for making Kansas a Free State. Similar sympathy and help came to the Pro-Slavery party from the States of the South. Horace Greeley and Abraham Lincoln visited the Territory, and made speeches in opposition to the further exten- sion of slavery on American soil. Governor Shannon was removed from office, and the several Governors appointed to succeed him found the duties of the position so onerous that they resigned in rapid succession. STATE CONSTITUTION ADOPTED. After numerous battles, elections and vicissitudes, a constitutional con- vention was called to meet at Wyandotte, July 5, 1859. It was composed of 35 Free-State and 17 Pro-Slavery delegates, who were now known as Repub- licans and Democrats, respectively. Under the constitution adopted by this convention, slavery was prohibited and Kansas admitted as a State, January 29, 1861. The seat of government was located at Topeka. At the election held in December, 1859, under the Wyandotte constitution, Charles Robinson was chosen to be the first Governor of the State, and Martin F. Conway the first Representative in Congress. When the first State Legislature assembled at Topeka in March, 1861, James H. Lane and Samuel C. Pomeroy were elected the first two United States Senators from the new State. In the Civil War which followed the inauguration of President Lincoln in 1 86 1, Kansas showed its loyalty to the Union by furnishing 20,000 trained soldiers out of a total population of but little more than 100,000 — a number greatly in excess of her quota, none of them drafted, and in proportion ex- ceeding the enlistments from any other State. A large part of this force was employed in defending the borders of the State from invasion by Southern troops, Indians and guerillas. During one of these border raids a force of 400 men, under the command of the notorious Quantrell, invaded Lawrence, burning and pillaging the town and killing 150 defenseless citizens. The war and the troubles with the Indians, together with a visitation of drought in i860, greatly retarded the growth of Kansas, but when these obstacles were passed an era of progress and development set in which has never since THE GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE RESIDENCE OF DAVID O. CRANE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 69 abated. The splendid soil and auspicious climate and the general adaptability of the State to farming and stock-raising purposes have attracted thousands of settlers to Kansas, and the advancement in all lines has been rapid, sub- stantial and permanent. ROSTER OF GOVERNORS AND UNITED STATES SENATORS. Governors (Territorial) — Andrew H. Reeder, 1854 to 1855; Wilson Shannon, 1855 to 1856; John W. Geary, 1856 to 1857; Robert J. Walker, 1857; James W. Denver, 1858; Samuel Medary, 1858, to i860. (State) Charles Robinson, 1861-63; Thomas Carney, 1863-65; Samuel J. Crawford, 1865-68; Nehemiah Green, 1868, to fill the unexpired term of Samuel J. Crawford, resigned; James M. Harvey, 1869-73; Thomas A. Osborn, 1873- yy; George T. Anthony, 1877-79; John P. St. John, 1879-83; George W. Glick, 1883-85; John A. Martin, 1885-89; Lyman U. Humphrey, 1889-93; Lorenzo D. Lewelling, 1893-95; Edmund N. Morrill, 1895-97; John W. Leedy, 1897-99; William R. Stanley, 1899-03; Willis J. Bailey, 1903-05; Edward W. Hoch, 1905 — . During the official interruptions incident to the Territorial period, the following persons served brief terms as acting Gover- nor; Daniel Woodson, Frederick P. Stanton, James W. Denver, Hugh S. Walsh and George M. Beebe. United States Senators — James H. Lane, 1861-66; Samuel C. Pomeroy, 1861-73; Edmund G. Ross, 1866-71; Alexander Caldwell, 1871-73; Robert Crozier, 1873-74; James M. Harvey, 1874-77; John J. Ingalls, 1873-91; Preston B. Plumb, 1877-91 ; William A. Peffer, 1891-97; Bishop W. Perkins, 1892-93; John Martin, 1893-95; Lucien Baker, 1895-01; William A. Harris, 1897-03; Joseph R. Burton, 1901, term expires 1907; Chester I. Long, 1903, term expires 1909. GOVERNMENT. The Legislature consists of 40 Senators and 125 Representatives. Ses- sions are held biennially, in odd-numbered years. The Legislature of 1905 was divided politically as follows : Senate, 37 Republicans and 3 Democrats ; House, 109 Republicans, 14 Democrats and 2 Independent; Republican ma- jority on joint ballot, 127. The elective State officers include Governor, Lieu- tenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auchtor, Treasurer, Attorney General, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Printer, Commissioner of Insurance, seven justices of the Supreme Court, and three members of the State Board of Railroad Commissioners. Kansas has eight Representatives in the lower house of Congress. Women have the right of suffrage at muni- 70 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY cipal, bond and school elections. In numerous instances women have been elected to municipal and school offices, and in some cases to county offices._ STATISTICS. Population — The local census of 1855 gave Kansas a population of 8,501; this increased in i860 to 107,206; in 1870 to 364,399; in 1880 to 396,096; in 1890 to 1,427,096; in 1900 to 1,470,495. The present popula- tion of the State, according to the local census of 1904, is 1,535,160. There are 119 cities and towns having a population of 1,000 or more. The 14 largest cities and their population are: Kansas City, 57,710; Topeka, 39,149; Wichita, 31,857; Leavenworth, 22,791; Atchison, 16,925; Pittsburg, 14,368; Fort Scott, 14,081; Coffeyville, 12,306; Lawrence, 11,544; Independ- ence, 11,456; Hutchinson, 11,189; 1°^^; 11.069; Parsons, 10,789; Chanute, 10,116. Topography — Although a part of the great plains which form the east- ern slope of the Rocky Mountains, the physical character of the Kansas coun- try is best described as rolling prairie. There are no mountains, and no marshes. The altitude varies from 750 feet in the eastern to 4,000 feet in the western part of the State. The bulk of the land is tillable, but crops are un- certain in the western third of the State on account of deficient rainfall. In this deficient area the vast stretches of prairie are largely used for grazing purposes. The rivers of Kansas are the Kansas, Arkansas, Republican, Smoky Hill, Solomon, Saline, Neosho and Verdigris — none of them navigable. There are numerous smaller streams, giving abundant water and drainage in the eastern two-thirds of the State. The land area comprises 82,144 square miles (52,572,160 acres), extending 408 miles from east to west, and 208 miles from north to south. Climate — The climate is mild, the great proportion of the days being fair and sunny. In summer the temperature ranges from 80 to 100 degrees with cool nights, and dry, pure air. In winter it rarely falls below zero. The violent winds of winter and spring, known to the early settlers, have been greatly mitigated by the cultivation of the soil and the planting of trees. Agriculture and Stock-Raising — Fully 30 per cent. (25,000,000 acres) of the farm land of Kansas is in a high state of cultivation. The cultivated farms have an aggregate value of $600,000,000. The acreage in field crops in the year 1904 was exceeded by only one State in the Union — Iowa. The total value of the farm products of the State for the year 1904 was $208,406,- 365.61, the leading items being wheat ($51,000,000), corn ($50,000,000), and animals sold for slaughter ($52,000,000). AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 71 The numbers and values of live stock for the same year were : Horses, 835^580 — $62,668,500; mules and asses, 103,436 — $9,050,650; milch cows, 792,712 — $19,817,800; other cattle, 2,757,542 — $51,014,527; sheep, 167,721 — 503,163; swine, 2,127,482 — $15,956,115. Total value of live stock, $159,- 010,755; total value of farm products and live stock, $367,417,120.61. Horticulture — Kansas ranks well in the production of fruit and is sur- passed by but few States in the growth of nursery stock. The number of apple trees in bearing in 1904 was 7,307,253 ; peach trees, 4,548,642 ; cherry trees, 814,114; plum trees, 641,977; pear trees, 245,515; numbers of acres in nurseries, small fruits and vineyards, 17,269. Manufactures — The natural material for manufacturing is limited. There are no timber lands of consequence, and no deposits of iron. Manufac- turing, therefore, is confined to the conversion of farm products into market- able commodities, such as flour and meat, and these industries are important and extensive. Including the large plants at Kansas City, Kansas, the slaughtering and meat-packing business of the State for the year 1900 amounted in value to $77,411,883. The flouring and grist mill products for the same year aggregated a value of $21,926,768. Other manufacturing- interests for the same year amouted to the following sums : Car construction and railroad-shop work, $6,816,816; zinc smelting and refining, $5,790,144; foundry and machine-shop products, $3,652,530. The total value of the prod- ucts enumerated was $118,402,409, covering the work of 860 establishments and 18,288 employees. Mineral Resources — These consist principally of coal, zinc, lead, natural gas, petroleum, cement and gypsum. With the exception of the three last- named products, the mining industry is chiefly located in the southeast corner of the State, embracing the counties of Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Bour- bon, Montgomery, Chautaugua, Neosho and Allen. Cherokee leads in coal, lead and zinc ; Crawford is second in coal ; Allen is first in natural gas ; and Neosha first in petroleum. Extensive mines of coal are also found in Osage and Leavenworth counties. Reno and Kingman counties have the principal salt mines. Building stone of excellent quality is found in various parts of the State. Underlying the surface of Kansas are the three common formations known as the Carboniferous, Triassic and Cretaceous systems, running from north to south, and dividing the State into three belts of nearly equal extent. In the year 1900 the values of the mineral products of Kansas were : Coal, $5,516,534; zinc, $3,000,000; salt, $1,675,000; clay, $975,500; stone $714,- 750; natural gas, $695,000; cement, $669,685; oil, $355,118; lead, $324,- 859; gypsum, $267,500; total, $14,193,946. Railroads — The total mileage of railway tracks operated in Kansas is 10,483. The prominent lines and systems are: Atchison, Topeka & Santa ^2 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Fe; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; Union Pacific; Missouri Pacific; Mis- souri, Kansas & Texas; St. Louis & San Francisco. The gross earnings of all Kansas railroads for the year 1902 were $28,000,000. Banking — There are 502 State and private banks in Kansas, with a total paid capital of $8,156,500, and deposits of $47,690,056.14. The 146 national banks have a paid capital of $9,936,400, and deposits of $50,973,- 729; making a total capital of $18,092,900, and total deposits of $98,663,- 785.14, these figures being for the year 1903. Of the total deposits it is estimated that 68 per cent, is owned by farmers and stockmen. Education — Kansas spends more than $5,000,000 annually in the support of public schools. The school population is 500,000, the enrollment, 390,000, and the average attendance, 265,000; number of teachers employed, 11,698. The percentage of illiteracy in the State is very low, being less than 3 per cent. Colleges — Baker University, Baldwin; Bethany, Lindsborg; Campbell University, Holton; Highland University, Highland; Kansas Wesleyan Uni- versity, Salina; McPherson, McPherson; Midland, Atchison; Ottawa Uni- versity, Ottawa; Southwest Kansas, Winfield; St. Benedict's, Atchison; St. John's, Salina; St. Mary's, St. Mary's; State Agricultural, Manhattan; State Normal, Emporia; State University, Lawrence; Sisters of Bethany, Topeka; Washburn, Topeka. Religion — All of the religious denominations are represented, the Meth- odist being the largest numerically, followed in order by the Roman Catholic, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, United Brethren, Congregational, Lutheran, Friends, African M. E., and Evangelical Association. The moral standard of the population is very high, Kansas being one of the few States that has adopted an amendment to its constitution prohibiting the manufac- ture and sale of liquor. Newspapers and Libraries — Kansas has 837 newspapers, including 51 dailies, 634 weeklies, 4 semi-weeklies, 116 monthlies, 14 semi-monthlies, 2 bi-monthlies, 11 quarterlies, and 5 occasionals. Of public, college and high school libraries, there are 112, with a total of 525,519 volumes. Charitable and Penal Institutions — The institutions of this class, and the number of inmates of each, are: Insane Asylum, Oswatomie (990); Insane Asylum, Topeka (780) ; Insane Asylum, Parsons (430) ; Blind Asy- lum, Kansas City (93) ; Imbecile School, Winfield (210) ; Deaf and Dumb School, Olathe (263); Soldiers' Orphans' Home, Atchison (150); Soldiers' Home, Dodge City (146); State Penitentiary, Lansing (1,020); Industrial Reformatory, Hutchinson (260); Industrial School, girls, Beloit (125); Reform School, boys, Topeka (209). The Federal government maintains a military prison and a branch of the National Soldiers' Home at Leavenworth. CHAPTER VI. Shawnee County in the Border Troubles — John Brown and His Followers — The Siege of Lawrence — Foraging upon the Enemy — Gen. James H. Lane and the Free-State Cause — John Ritchie's Arrest — The Kansas Emigrant Route — Enlistments in the Civil War — Campaigns Against the Indians. Free-State meetings at Big Springs and Topeka in the fall of 1855 led to a clash of authority in Douglas County which has passed into history as "The Wakarusa War.' It was precipitated by a personal encounter between Charles W. Dow and Franklin M. Coleman over the occupancy of a piece of land at Hickory Point, 10 miles south of Lawrence, Dow being shot and killed by Coleman as he was leaving the latter's house, November 21st. Dow was a Free-State man, and Coleman a Pro-Slavery immigrant from Missouri. The Free-State men threatened to avenge the death of their comrade, and one of the friends of Dow, Jacob Branson, was arrested by Sheriff Samuel J. Jones, of Douglas County, an appointee of the Pro-Slavery Legislature. The Free-State men accomplished the rescue of Branson, and conveyed him to Lawrence, where the early-day troubles seemed to concentrate and the Free- Soilers were in greatest force. Sheriff Jones appealed to the Governor for as- sistance, and Governor Shannon invoked the aid of the militia. Missouri fur- nished most of the Pro-Slavery troops, and the Free-State towns of Kansas rallied to the defense of Lawrence, in the resultant melee. THE SIEGE OF LAWRENCE. Lawrence was in a state of siege for two weeks ending December 7, 1855, when Governor Shannon disbanded the militia and declared peace. Incidental to the war, Thomas W. Barber was killed, December 6th, by a party of raiders from the camp at Lecompton. The war produced no other casualties, but it was one of the most significant events in early Kansas history, as it brought into prominence such well-known characters as Charles Robinson, James H. Lane, Samuel C. Pomeroy, Samuel N. Wood, Wilson Shannon and John BroAvn. The last named arrived in Lawrence December 7th, from Osa- 74 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY watomie, with four of his sons. They were ah well armed, and traveled in a wagon, from the front of which floated the American flag. Shawnee County contributed one of the companies that went to the de- fence of Lawrence. It was organized November 27, 1855, with Daniel H. Home as captain; Asaph Allen, ist lieutenant; Loring Farnsworth, 2nd lieu- tenant ; John Ritchie, 3rd lieutenant ; non-commissioned officers, — Leonard W. Home, William F. Creitz, W. W. Henderson, James G. Bunker, Andrew S. Waters, Moses Hubbard and Henry B. Cowles; privates, — Augustus H. Bar- nard, George F. Boyd, Leroy L. Brown, Philip Briggs, Franklin L. Crane, Peter O'Connor, Humphrey Coburn, Jesse H. Crane, J. F. Cummings, George Davis, Francis Davis, Abner Doane, Henry Damm, Guilford Dudley, James Disney, Moses Dudley, Joseph W. Emerson, Charles Farnsworth, Charles N. Gray, Richard Gustin, Benjamin F. Gatchel, George F. Hartwell, Paul K. Hubbard, George Hill, Abel F. Hartwell, Cyrus F. Howard, George W. Hathaway, George L. King, Robert M. Luce, Christopher C. Leonard, David H. Moore, W. G. R. Miles, Joseph C. Miller, McClure C. Martin, Rob- ert L. Mitchell, Alonzo W. Moore, John Long, Ozias Judd, John W. Parsons, James Pierce, W. W. Ross, James Redpath, David Smith, Charles A. Sex- ton, William P. Thompson, Charles L. Tyrrell, Charles H. Thompson, James Taggart, Theron Tucker, Peter J. Wendell, Thomas G. Thornton, Henry P. Waters, John A. Wirt, William H. Weymouth, Charles L. Wilber, Nelson Young, Harvey G. Young, George H. Woods and George F. Warren. FORAGING FOR SUPPLIES. In 1856 the relations between the Free-State men of Kansas and the Pro- Slavery faction in Missouri became so strained that it was impossible to get supplies from the Missouri towns, the sale and transportation of provisions and merchandise being almost entirely shut off, or accomplished at great loss and risk. It was feared that the Missourians would continue their raids into the new settlements and that the lives of the Free-State men and their families would be in constant jeopardy. Most of the towns fortified against invasion and many of them organized military companies for further protection. The Shawnee County company was organized as Company B of the 2nd Regiment of Kansas Volunteers. Aaron D. Stevens, alias Whipple, was colonel of the regiment. L. C. Wilmarth was chief of commissary, and William F. Creitz, captain of the Topeka company. Colonel Whipple was in the United States Army in the Mexican War. He was imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth for attacking an officer who was abusing a soldier. He escaped from prison and came to Topeka, hoping to hide his identity under the name of Stevens. He was a prominent factor in the early history of Kansas, followed John Brown AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 75 to Harper's Ferry in 1859, and was executed at Charleston, Virginia, March 16, i860. Captain Creitz' company, aided by Colonel Stevens, Daniel H. Home, John Ritchie and others, foraged upon the neighboring towns of Osawkie, Lecompton, Indianola and Tecumseh, and took from the Pro-Slavery faction a considerable quantity of provisions and ammunition. This continued for several weeks, until supplies could be received in a regular and legitimate way. The Topeka company marched to Bull Creek, under orders from Gen. James H. Lane, to repel a party of Missourians, commanded by Capt. John R^id, who was leading the raid on Osawatomie. After coming up to the raiders. General Lane decided that an attack would not be wise, and the troops fell back to Lawrence. Here the Topeka men learned that Colonel Cooke had been ordered by Secretary Woodson to take possession of the town of To- peka, and disarm the insurrectionists who were defying the laws enacted by the Pro-Slavery Legislature. The company returned at once to Topeka, where assurance was given that Colonel Cooke would not execute his orders. HELPING A FREE-STATE CHAMPION. Many of the same men who were in Captain Creitz' company responded to the call for help from General Lane when he attempted to leave the Terri- tory in the fall of 1856, by what was known as the "Kansas Emigrant Route," between Topeka and Nebraska City, a distance of 140 miles. When Lane reached Osawkie, September nth, he feared that he would be intercepted by a large force of Pro-Slavery men, known to be in that vicinity. The Topekans to the number of 50 went to his assistance, under command of Colonel Whip- ple, arriving at Osawkie on the morning of September 12th. About this time there was another outbreak at Hickory Point, in which a soldier named New- ball was killed, and General Lane repaired to the scene of the conflict, accom- panied by some of his men, with Col. John Ritchie as chief of his staff. Find- ing no serious trouble, the General returned to Osawkie, and, upon receipt of Governor Geary's proclamation ordering all armed forces to disband, gave up the idea of further resistance, and sent the Topeka company home. On the i8th of September, United States Marshal Donaldson, under direction of Governor Geary, arrested several of the members of the Topeka company for participating in the fight at Hickory Point, where Newball was killed, and for rebellion against the laws of the Territory. Among the per- sons arrested were Robert L. Mitchell, John Ritchie, J. E. Rastall, J. H. Kagi and Charles A. Sexton. They were imprisoned at Lecompton, some of them being afterwards transferred to Tecumseh. Sexton established an alibi and was released. The others escaped or were pardoned. Ritchie and Rastall 76 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY absented themselves from the Territory for a time, to escape prosecution. Kagi was released on bond, but continued his efforts in behalf of the Free- State cause, and finally followed John Brown to Harper's Ferry, where he was shot. Under an amnesty act passed by the Legislature, February ii, 1859, Ritchie and Rastall returned to Kansas. A deputy U. S. marshal, Leonard Arms, attempted to arrest John Ritchie on a charge of mail robbery, said to have been committed in 1856. Ritchie resisted, standing in his own doorway, and fired upon the officer as he approached, after repeated warnings, killing him instantly. This happened April 20, i860. Ritchie surrendered to Justice Joseph C. Miller, was tried the next day and acquitted, one of his counsel being Gen. James H. Lane. THE CIVIL WAR. During the Civil War of 1861-65, several companies were organized in Shawnee County for the defense of the Union and the further protection of the State from invasion by Missouri guerillas, and there were many individ- ual enlistments in companies organized elsewhere. A complete record of the enlistments can not be given here, but the references which follow give an indication of the part taken by Shawnee County in the great war : In the First Regiment, Kansas Volunteer Infantry were Assistant Sur- geon Charles King, M. McNamara, Capt. Theron Tucker, Lieut. Shubal P. Thompson, Simon Atkinson, William H. Stone, Charles W. Harper, Daniel Updegraff and Sidney Dudley (killed at Wilson's Creek). Second Kansas Regiment, Infantry — Capt. Leonard W. Home; Lieuts. Thomas Fulton, Luther H. Wentworth and James C. French; John A. Lee, Charles A. Stringham, John Mofifitt, L. Newell, Charles F. Harwood, Sher- man Bodwell, Charles Schmidt, Albert, W. Knowles, F. A. McKenna, David O. Crane, John H. Banks, W. H. Boutwell, A. A. Blair, R. Biedermann, Charles Barger, Amos Boutwell, N. H. Cogn, J. D. Greer, Nathan P. Gregg, Noah Gibbs, John Hovender, G. F. Hartwell, Thomas H. Haskell, S. W. Higbee, Albert Hubbard, Lewis S. Long, H. S. Mayhall, C. W. Miller, C. S. Mills, John Morrissey, E. B. Morley (killed at Wilson's Creek), J. H. O'Neill, William P. Phillips, Nicholas Roberti, James Roberti (killed at Wil- son's Creek), J. W. Raker, J. F. Simmons, Larkin C. Shields, George B. Winans and Josiah A. Everett. Second Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — Henry L. Isbell, John Q. C. Searle, Samuel K. Cross, John P. Hyde, G. W. L. Johnston, Lieut. William P. Phil- lips, David Hubbard, Elias Shaffer, George W. Reese, Henry P. Moore, Lucius Kingman, Edwin M. Hewins, James Bassett, Almon Hunter, Samuel Horton, Randolph G. Brown, James B. Evans, Frederick E. Jilson, James ^;'>i^ V 1 ^}K^- M'^^^ ^m ^YlfSiV^SSHI ^^^^^^B ^B *^^Ni^ K^^^^^^^^^B ' ^[ '^H^BI B t^IHBM ^B ^^ I^^hH^B ^^^^^It^^^v lB^'^"^H^^^PiSI^Hv'' '^P^^^l ^^Bff. 'j^~ ^ '^^^r^ - ' ' sffl^H^^^^^^S^^I AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 79 N. Martin, Charles B. Pearson, William C. Anderson, John W. Boyer, J. S. Bryan, John Cummins, J. C. Dennitt, George W. Eddy, Chas. Fowler, Ma- rion Lyon, James Longnecker, Samuel McBride, John McMaster, Thomas Provost, Robert N. McPherson, T. J. Ragland, Charles Ross, Daniel Shipley, A. S. Waters, S. Worcester, W. H. Widener, A. W. Boyce, John W. Hiatt, Henry Hirsch (killed at Fort Smith), James T. Reynolds, M. L. Foltz, Francis M. Stahl, George Neil, William Beckes, M. E. Cowee, L. B. Stone, Carey Walton, T. S. Williams, T. R. Palmer, S. E. A. Palmer, Henry F. Drake, Loudon Huntoon, Joseph H. O'Neill and William O'Neill. Third Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — Grover Young. Fifth Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — Lieut.-Col. John Ritchie, Maj. Thomas W. Scudder, Surgeon A. J. Huntoon, Stephen J. Jennings, \'\'. C. Gilpatrick, Reuben A. Randlett, Joseph McCarty, C. L. Tyrrell, H. M. Ket- chin, L. Housel, M. A. Palmer, Samuel B. Wade, Jacob D. Orcutt, Thomas J. Anderson, Nelson M. Johnson, G. M. Blackhart, A. J. Link, Harvey A. Miller, Robert Allen, John M. Ashbaugh, N. W. Babcock, John Armstrong, Daniel W. Boutwell, J. W. Emmerson, F. R. Fields, H. Fletcher, J. Goodrich, Peter Heil, E. Herriott, J. C. Palmer, Earnest Palmer, J. W. Rue, J. M. Reno, J. W. Ridgeway, L. E. Ridgeway, J. J. Shields, E. Scranton, W. H. Smythe, S. Williams, Thomas Archer, H. B. Anderson, John Furnish (killed at Mark's Mills), George E. Flanders, Cyrus Lindsey, John McHale, A. C. Hurd, Richard Broad, Henry Blanchard, Charles H. Brown and Miles W. Thompson (killed at Mark's Mills). Sixth Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — Maj. George W. Veale, Charles W. Jewell, Capt. H. S. Greeno, J. M. Clay, James Davis, Benjamin D. Russum, Willis D. Disbrow and Lieut. Leonard J. Swingley. Seventh Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — Andrew J. Battey, James A. Hun- ter, Eber D. Herring, Frank Sharrai, A. A. Blair, Joseph Farrar and Albert Hubbard. Eighth Kansas Regiment, Infantry — Chaplain John Paulson, E. D. Rose, Milton Rose, Leonard A. Heil, V. N. Brown, Cyrus Gi^ant, W. L. Wendall, John McNutt, Lewis V. Bryan, J. T. Hiller, Ettina Bullette, Eugene Kagi, W. Hindman, W. H. Kemp, R. Russell, A. Rambo, Martin Stamp, Thomas Stamp, Napoleon Sharrai, H. Davidson, Joseph Laramie, James Ste- wart, A. Stanley and Ferd F. Wendall. Ninth Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — Milton R. Moore, Charles H. Ander- son, S. M. Cunningham, Theodore J. Dickenson, M. I. Gilpatrick, John L. Price, Henry Fitzpatrick, J. W. Fox, G. T. Fitz, Lester F. Buttles, J. F. De- long, James B. Thomas, Joseph Emerson, John R. Emerson, William H. H. Fox, J. C. Hyde, B. Heintzman, Auletas Leonard, L. R. Vail, M. N. Mc- 4 8o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Ginley, W. S. Bennett, S. Brumfield, W. Brumfield, A. Dixon, A. C. Whit- low, A. B. Whitlow, and J. M. Whitlow. Tenth Kansas Regiment, Infantry — Alfred J. Lloyd, Albert Clark, William H. Jaquith, W. L. Burke, A. Riley, Lieut. Joseph K. Hudson, A. F. Birum, Lieut. John F. Hill, George W. Weed and David Whitaker. Eleventh Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — Maj. Edmond G. Ross, Adj. James E. Greer, Daniel H. Home, W. H. Cowan, A. Ashbaugh, John Albin, John James, W. P Woods, Lieut. Nathan P. Gregg, Spencer P. Wade, Lieut. Henry C. Lindsey, Rufus T. Conwell, H. E. Close, John F. Carter, C. P. Hunger, William Marlatt, George Ross, Richard Alfriend, P. S. Crawford, Neut. A. Johnson, W. D. Bartlett, Samuel Blandon, James M. Conwell, Franklin L. Crane, S. B. Enderton, J. Farren, R. Frizzle, Nathan Girt, J. D. Greer, J. M. Hunter, M. S. Judd, Albert Kees, J. Keatley, J. H. Mills, A. O'Neil, J. P. Ogee, George Ross, W. J. Ragland, J. J. St. John, Don A. Sweet, H. H. Smith, Perry C. Tuttle, John G. Anderson, B. F. Adams, C. D. Correll, Henry H. Cook, J. B. C. Cook, E. W. Davis, A. Delap, C. L. Freeman, J. A. Givens, J. W. Gilpin, J. G. Harriott, E. W. Houston, George Heberling, C. A. Metcalf, L. J. Mossman, G. W. Morris, John C. Paine, H. , A. terry, S. Sage, C. G. Town, E. S. Underwood, J. A. White, E. A. Went- worth, N. t). Wentworth, Charles W. Welch, James J. S. Garvey, Capt. Joel Huntoon, Lieuts. J. W. Ridgeway and Sherman Bodwell, O. C. Ward, Will- iam H. Morris, Daniel Dodge, John Kappil, L. O. Snoddy, Robert McMaster, J. Raney, Joseph S. Jordan, Emanuel Crowe, Abner Doane, J. B. Clogston, James Mecham, J. H. Weaver, Charles Schmidt, W. H. Ridgeway, Orson Howard, W. R. Black, D. J. Moore, J. D. Wood, J. F. Ward, H. P. Streeter, J. T. Adams, J. E. Antrim, J. H. Ashlein, Charles Aye, C. L. Bogue, Moses Brown, William Brown, F. D. Campbell, J. H. Copeland, G. M. Copeland, Isaiah Cox, Samuel Cox, R. Clements, W. T. Dixon, J. G. Dodge, Peter Elliott, Jacob Evans, W. T. Goodnight, A. M. Harden, George Heil, W. Holzle, A. Hoppe, Nathan P. Horton, O Hooper, Philip John- ston, Jesse Long, W. B. Long, W. H. Lynne, A. J. Marshall, Thomas Mc- Evoy, J. N. Miller, D. E. Miller, W. H. Moffatt, . Joseph Molton, S. Ogee, H. P. Penny, Ferdinand Schaffer, Samuel Sproul, C. L. Stevenson, A. Upde- graff, W. Vickers, R. H. Forsythe, James Forsythe, R. A. Hathaway, J. M. McCartney, Harrison Nichols, J. T. Penny, S. B. Raney, F. M. Williams, Edward Shepard, A. F. Bliss and J. N. Doty. Twelfth Kansas Regiment, Infantry— David Anderson, Edward Smith, George W. Smith and R. N. P. Treadwell. Fourteenth Kansas Regiment, Cavalry— Lieut.-Col. J. Finn Hill, W. J. Peak, A. S. Copeland, Francis LaFromboise, Mitchell LaFromboise, H. An- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 8i thony, Joseph Bourassa, J. M. Greenwood, Joseph Latouned, Isaac McCoy and Alexander Rodd. Fifteenth Kansas Regiment, Cavah-y — Lieut.-Col. Henry C. Haas, Sur- geon A. E. Denning, Asst. Surgeon Samuel Ashmore, D. H. Neally, J. F. Linville, Lieut. Luther H. Wentvvorth, John M. Bryan, H. H. Kirby, W. H. Smith, N. R. Bickle, Taylor Horn, F. R. Ward, M. W. Rock, Jacob Horn, O. E. Chapin, Thomas Pickerell, John C. Porter, Eli Miles, M. Burk, S. Bonum, J. Bellemere, William Glasscock, P. Hullsapple, Thomas Hall, J. W. Hopkins, W. A. Jones, D. Lemmons, Peter Mann, M. Obrey, Lewis Papan, Henry Papan, Benjamin Paine, H. Puckett, S. Wilkinson, David Zimmerman, J. Cohee, Frank Harmes, R. Newman, J. W. Ridenour, John Shipley, Alma Shipley, Capt. C. O. Smith, Lieut. L. Craig Shields, W. A. Simmerwell, W. H. Bell, Haney McCaslin, S. E. Thompson, N. A. Clark, W. A. Young, Nathan Briles, John H. Young, John Coyne, Alonzo Davis, Michael Moriarty, James Rundle, H. Salsbury, John Smith, Eugene Hagar, Christopher Columbus, W. J. Wallace, C. H. Brown and Richard Broad. Sixteenth Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — J. L. Wightman, Capt. M. M. Neely, Capt. S. P. Thompson and D. W. Seagraves. Seventeenth Kansas Regiment, Infantry- — ^Lieut. Nelson M. Hovey, George A. Dailey, C. F. Kiff, Fletcher Jackson, Charles O. Knowles, G. W. Gabriel, R. H. Hyde, J. H. Brownlee, Leverton Clay, W. M. Copeland, Al- bert Cowan, J. S. Diimmer, M. Dougherty, J. W. Farrington, J. J. Hoeback, H. T. Howell, Abram Marple, Albert McClain, B. Morriarty, W. M. Nichols, L. Norbury, J. D. Pogue, Cyrus Reamy, T. P. Reed, Daniel Rundle, Adding- ton Sawyer, Levi Snyder, W. K. Thompson, Anthony Vohs, John A. Woods and Martin Young. First Kansas Colored Regiment, Infantry — ^John Carter, Douglas Grimes, Whitfield Ross, H. Crittenden, James Austin, Thomas Brown, David Barber, Edward Deane, James Hockley, Adam Hill, Samuel Howard, Beardsley Hightower, Lazarus Johnson, Charles Martin, Jackson Perrin, William Richardson, David Thompson, John Williams, Monroe Williams, T. H. Phillips, John Farrell, Lieutenant W. T. Edgerton, W. L. Lane, Will- iam Parker, Ephraim Peererly, Elijah Smith and George Washington. Second Kansas Colored Regiment, Infantry — Chaplain Josiah B. Mc- Afee and Capt. M. F. Gilpatrick. First Kansas Battery — Lieut. John B. Cook, Alfred J. Lloyd, George R. Anderson and Scott Greer. Third Kansas Battery — Lieut. Oscar F. Dunlap. Eighth Regiment United States Volunteers — John M. Ashbaugh, Wesley Boyles, N. M. Johnson and J. McCarty. Eighteenth Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — Capt. Henry C. Lindsey, Lieut. 82 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY John H. Wellman, Lyon B. Stone, J. C. Norvell, J. W. Ragland, J. T. Mar- shall, G. A. McKinney, W. F. Davidson, Charles D. Carroll, J. A. Wilker- son, J. A. Bailey, R. E. Brown, J. J. Bunce, T. S. Bourassa, C. J. Boyles, G. W. Dale, E. W. Duncan, J. Everhart, E. A. Green, J. H. Green, John Knee- land, George Mitchell, C. S. Metz, F. S. Metz, George Rake, Guy Service, Eugene Sharrai, W. M. Sherman, William Tice, George Woolary, Stephen Wilmarth, J. W. Wilkerson, Lieut. John W. Price, Lieut. Francis M. Stahl, William D. Milne, H. D. Courtney, William Jenner, L. A. Howell, S. P. Miller, S. Armstrong, B. J. Butler, J. W. Cook, C. Carey, R. A. Cooper, James Cripps, E. J. Davenport, S. W. Emmerson, D. J. Garrison, Joseph H. Gordon, Perry Griffith, J. G. Herriott, J. W. Hays, W. Kirkpatrick, B. M. Kennedy, Lewis Lafarmer, J. M. Large, T. H. McCune, William Mills, M. McDole, W. McNown, Thomas Neill, Charles Norton, G. W. Price, W. T. Roberts, W. R. Stewart, D. C. Salladay, A. C. Vangundy, B. Heinzman, W. H. Smith and Lieut. Henry Hewger. Nineteenth Kansas Regiment, Cavalry — S. J. Crawford, colonel; Horace L. Moore, lieutenant-colonel; Charles Dimon, R. W. Jenkins and Milton Stewart, majors; Mahlon Bailey, surgeon; E. P. Russell and Robt. Aikman, assistant surgeons; James W. Steele, adjutant; L. A. Thresher, quarter- master; John Johnston, commissary. Company A. — Capt. A. J. Pliley; Lieuts. B. D. Wilson, R. C. Powell and Joseph Beacock ; W. E. Adams, Olof Alton, W. G. Andrews, F. M. Brown, F. E. Bryan, H. C. Butler, J. B. Cald- well, T. P. Canfield, Charles Carlson, Peter Cart, J. W. Casebier, J. Cohee, J. M. Conwell, J. Cooper, W. C. Cooney, Isaiah Creek, O. A. Curtis, F. E. Dau- bon, George Davidson, W. Davis, E. B. Davis, C. C. Dollaway, T. W. Duer, A. Dunner, J. Eckley, S.' Enoch, C. O. Fowler, P. Ferguson, William Gay, J. A. Hadley, J. Hanson, J. M. Hays, L. A. Henson, A. Hilbish, J. Herrington, L. Herrmian, L. A. Howell, J. H. Hudson, A. Jacobson, Martin Johnson, A. P. Johnson, M. V. James, S. Jordan, C. F. Laiblin, J. Laramie, M. B. La- zelle, J. Linton, G. Lundgren, T. H. Maddox, J. P. Maddox, John Maley, A. J. Marshall, W. Mason, W. W. Mather, I. B. Moffitt, J. L. Morrison, John McBee, Jeremiah McBee, W. A. McClain, J. H. McClain, Reed McCarter, D. McCarty, J. P. McDowell, C. McHazard, B. McMahon, C. P. Nelson, Otwain Papan, Stephen Papan, J. D. Perkins, S. N. Peterson, S. D. Powell, G. Razer, William Rice, T. Riddle, F. M. Rogers, G. W. Rogers, Charles Seavey, William Sherman, Charles Shutts, William Smith, Andrew J. Smith, George D. Smith, C. Stackhouse, J. Stanley, S. Stumbaugh, J. C. Templeton, A. Thompson, J. Turner, A. Updegraff, T. B. Vanderpool, F. M. Vane, L. Walker, W. Watkins, F. M. Williams, Henry Williams, J. M. Wilson and Robert M. Wright. Company B — Capt. Charles E. Reck; Lieuts. Henry H. McColIister and Charles H. Champney. Company C — Capt. Charles P. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 83 Twiss; Lieuts. Walter J. Dallas and Jesse E. Parsons. Company D — Capt. John Q. A. Norton; Lieuts. John S. Edie and Charles H. Hoyt. Company E — Capt. Thomas J. Darling, Lieuts. William H. Bidwell and Charles T. Brady ; James McMahon and Barnabas Welch. Company F — Capt. George B. Jenness ; Lieuts. DeWitt C. Jenness and John Fellows ; Allen F. Baird, Allen F. Bund, John P. Chess, J. C. Claypool, David Emerson, Calvin Holmes, George L. Miller, J. McCullum, John Tabor and George W. Warner. Com- pany G — Capts. Charles Dimon and Richard D. Lender; Lieuts. Myron A. Wood and H. C. Litchfield. Company H — Capt. David T. Payne; Lieuts. Mount A. Gordon and Robert M. Steele. Company I — Capt. Roger A. Ells- worth; Lieuts. J. T. Clancy and J. M. May; J. H. Baker, O. M. Beall, O. W. Belt, J. H. Carpenter, Hubert Calkins, John M. Dailey, G. W. Deatly, D. P. Faler, E. Finn, J. Fightner, W. M. Fitzgerald, J. R. Guise, T. M. Lowry, J. R. Maphet, Norman Mead, A. F. Meats, J. R. Merritt, Isaac McCoy, M. Odiorne, J. O'Neil, Henry Pearson, N. Peterson, A. M. Pittman, Chas. Roberts, John S. Stone and Thomas Warren. Company K — Capts. Milton Stewart and Emmett Ryus; Lieuts. Charles H. Hallett and R. I. Sharp; John Cesseviske and Robert Chase. Company L — Capt. Charles H. Finch; Lieuts. Henry E. Stoddard and W. S. Tilton. Company M — Capt. Sargent Moody; Lieuts. James Graham and J. P. Hurst; Moses Allen, Edward B. Baldwin, William Chalender, George Clark, Isaac Colvin, George Dale, J. N. Denny, F. Grew, D. K. Hardin, William Hester, M. McCullough, David Nocton, John Parker, Charles Phenis, F. N. Snyder and Henry N. Vander- case. The 1 8th and 19th regiments were volunteer organizations employed in the protection of the State from Indian depredations. The i8th was in service in 1867, under command of Major Horace L. Moore, and the 19th in 1868-69, under Gen. Phil. H. Sheridan. CHAPTER VII. Repelling the Price Raid — Second Kansas State Militia — Preparations for War in Topeka—The Home Guards — The Battle of the Blue — Colonel Veale's Regiment in the Conflict — Capt. Ross Burns and His Famous Battery — The Gage Monument. Martial law was declared in Kansas, October lo, 1864, in anticipation of a raid by the Confederates under command of Gen. Sterling Price, and, in response to the call of Governor Thomas Carney, the Second Regiment of Kansas State Militia was organized in Shawnee County, October 12th. George W. Veale was made colonel of the regiment, which contained 561 men. Most of the men were mounted, upon their own horses and ponies, and the wagons and supplies were largely their own property. Accompanying the regiment was a battery of one 24-pounder brass howitzer, and 22 men, commanded by Capt. Ross Burns. Its ammunition was carried in a lumber wagon contributed by Edward Rape. The artillery team of four horses was furnished by John Armstrong and William P. Thompson. The regiment was ordered into im- mediate service at Olathe, joining the command of Gen. M. S. Grant. TOPEKA HOME DEFENDERS. A battalion of home guards was also organized for the special defense of the city of Topeka against a threatened calamity similar to the one which had befallen Lawrence at the hands of Quantrell. This battalion was in com- mand of Maj. Andrew Stark and consisted of six companies, under Capts. Fry W. Giles, L. Craig Shields, H. S. Gale, Thomas Archer, Joseph Trew and Edward Krappe, and a small battery in charge of Lieut. Tobias Billings. Topeka soon assumed a warlike appearance. Trenches were cut at the inter- sections of Sixth avenue and Jefferson street, and Eighth and Madison streets, to embarrass the enemy's approach. At the intersection of Sixth and Kansas avenues, the most central point in the city, a circular stockade was constructed of Cottonwood timbers standing 10 feet above the ground. The drilling and marching and anxiety continued for two weeks, but the expected attack was not made, and the battalion soon disbanded. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 85 BATTLE OF THE BLUE. Ten days after Colonel Veale's regiment had been mustered in, it was called upon to engage in battle with a brigade of Price's army, a part of General Shelby's division, commanded by General Jackman. This was the famous battle of the Big Blue. It was fought on the afternoon of the 22nd day of October, 1864, at the Mockabee farm, near a crossing of the Big Blue River known as Byrom's Ford. Colonel Veale's command was outnumbered six to one by the enemy, and the latter had the additional advantage of sea- soned troops and modern equipment. Against fearful odds Colonel Veale's men fought desperately for three quarters of an hour, but they were finally overcome and driven from the field at great loss. The short engagement and the loss inflicted on the enemy by the raw and untrained recruits from Kansas, had the effect of checking General Price's advance, and he was ultimately repulsed. The dominant feature of the battle of the Blue, as it will live in song and story, was the wonderful work of the little battery handled by Capt. Ross Burns and the gunners. The battery was planted in a lane leading from the Mockabee farm to the crossing of the stream. It withstood two charges from a sti'ong force of General Jackman's cavalry. The third charge was so power- ful, the cavalry riding six abreast and closely massed, that the battery could not resist it, although Captain Burns stood by his single field-piece until he was taken prisoner and clubbed into insensibility. Eight of his men were killed, four wounded, and 10 taken prisoners. Colonel Veale's total losses were 24 killed, 20 wounded and 68 taken prisoners. He also lost 100 horses and his only piece of artillery. In all the official reports the fidelity and courage of the Second Regiment were highly commended by the commanding officers. A record of the casualties follows : Killed — J. B. Alverson, Samuel Allen, Nicholas Brown, Moses Banks, C. H. Budd, Robert Bolls, H. C. Coville, Robert Campbell, Albert Chapman, James Eagle, David Fultz, George Ginnold, Daniel Handley, Ben Hughes, McClure Martin, Robert McNoun, Dennis Ray, David Rake, D. M. Race, Elias Roberts, W. P. Roberts, Lear Selkin, William Mann and Harvey G. Young. Wounded — Lieut.-Col. H. M. Greene, Capt. Ross Burns, Capt. H. E. Bush, Capt. S. B. Miles, Lieut. W. H. Delong, Isaac Bickel, Allen Blandon, John S. Branner, Brock Crawford, Martin Dreck, Peter Flick, John P. Greer, H. M. Howard, John Keiser, Dr. A. F. Neeley, James Norris, T. F. Prather, John Thompson, William P. Thompson and John A. Ward. Prisoners — James Anderson, Lieut.-Col. John W. Brown, Isaac Bickel, Samuel Blandon, J. J. W. Clark, L. T. Cook, H. Cunningham, Frank Daw- 86 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY son, H. M. Deming, George Duncan, R. Fitzgerald, George Fix, Henry Fix, William Flanders, Perry Fleshman, F. M. Fletcher, J. B. Follansbee, Lieut. H. P. Gilland, Guilford G. Gage, J. T. Gage, J. H. Glenn, James R. Greer, W. S. Hibbard, R. W. Hoback, J. Holman, C. G. Howard, James Huggins, Dr. A. J. Huntoon, Baxter Ingrund, Ephraim Johnson, John Keiser, John Kemp, Robert Kemp, Jacob Kline, Samuel Kosier, J. A. Link, Horace Linn, F. K. Mackey, John P. Majors, J. S. Markham, William Marx, Oscar McCon- nell, G. B. McKee, A. G. Miller, Osburn Naylor, Willard S. Nichols, Edward Pape, J. A. Policy, Alfred Quiett, S. J. Reader, John Reed, John Robinson, James Russell, Simon Schafifer, Eli Snyder, Jerome Stahl, J. S. Stanfield, David Stevens, J. B. Taylor, Wallace True, David Vaughn, Lieut. Hiram Ward, James Warren, E. B. Williams, Levi Williams, Granger Wood, G. H. Wood and Nelson Young. SECOND MILITIA REGIMENT. At the time the Second Kansas Regiment of militia was called into service, the city of Topeka had less than i,ooo population, and in the entire county the population was not more than 3,500. For this reason the roster of the regiment is a fairly good index to the farriilies then residing in the county. The original muster-roll was not preserved, but the following is a nearly com- plete roster of the regiment : Field and Staff — George W. Veale, colonel; H. M. Greene, lieutenant- colonel; Andrew Stark, major; S. E. Martin, surgeon; S. J. Reader, A. Q. M. ; E. P. Kellam, adjutant ; F. R. Foster, sergeant major ; Dan Thompson, Q. M. sergeant ; Jacob Smith, commissary sergeant. Company A (Topeka) — Daniel H. Home, captain; S. R. Remington and George O. Wilmarth, lieutenants; John Martin, ist sergeant; G. Y. Arnold, F. P. Baker, H. T. Beman, Edward Bodwell, W. E. Bowker, James Brewer, W. R. Brown, Enoch Chase, E. E. Chesney, John F. Cole, James Conwell, David Edwards, Peter Fisher, S. H. Fletcher, M. Gabriel, Asbury Gordon, Louis Grasmuck, J. H. Holman, W. Marshall, L. H. McArthur, Robert McGinnis, S. H. McGowan, Peter MacVicar, A. B. Perine, D. W. Ross, W. W. Ross, L W. Shipley, M. K. Smith, Z. D. Smith, D. Thompson, Charles Thresher, J. B. Whitaker, A. L. Williams, and D. Zimmerman. Company B (Topeka) — Dr. A. J. Huntoon, captain; J. R. Parker and S. W. Higbee, lieutenants; J. A. Policy, ist sergeant; A. B. Alverson, W. T. Berryman, E. Bradshaw, A. H. Case, J. S. Cook, H. C. Coville, M. B. Craw- ford, B. F. Dawson, William Dawson, John Elliott, William Flanders, F. M. Fletcher, John Fletcher, G. S. Freeland, J. R. Greer, John P. Greer, John Harriott, G. W. Herron, A. S. Hollenberg, C. G. Howard, Paul Hubbard, £S 2fliiiJ» ^!fe OFFICE BLOCK COLUMBIAN BUILDING AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 89 Fred Huntoon, George M. Kellam, Hugo Kullak, R. M. Luce, Oscar Mc- Connell, William McElhaney, J. M. McQuiston, Dr. A. F. Neeley, Willard S. Nichols, James O'Neal, John Oyster, L. Palmer, N. Ritchey, S. B. Schaffer, H. Stagg, J. S. Stanfield, G. H. Taylor, J. A. Ward, J. A. Warren, E. L. Whleeler, C. C. Whiting, George Wolf, G. H. Wood, Harvey G. Young, John Young and Nelson Young.. Company C (Tecumseh) — ^J. B. Hannum, captain; Ishiel Tyler and Hi- ram Ward, lieutenants; J. M. Vaughn, ist sergeant; J. A. Adams, J. K. Bar- tleson, F. M. Coppage, A. Chapman, C. B. Chapman, Lewis Clogston, J. J. Driver, J. Fletcher, T. H. Gage, J. T. Gage, R. W. Hoback, Joseph F. Hop- kins, S. A. Hopkins, William M. Jordan, John Keiser, S. Keiser, William Marx, William Massey, G. B. McKee, Albert G. Miller, Osburn Naylor, Mar- tin Norris, Alfred Quiett, R. Quiett, Jacob Rankin, John M. Reed, W. T. Reynolds, Harvey D. Rice, Elias Roberts, C. H. Sharp, George W. Sharp, Henry M. Sharp, Jaques Sheedy, George L. Smith, Jesse W. Stevenson, B. F. Stillwell, Hiram J. Strickler, Elias Taylor, James Taylor, C. T. Ward, Luther Woodford and Perry T. Woodward. Company D (Indianola) — Sterling B. Miles, captain; W. H. Morgan and T. H. Miller, Heutenants; John G. Irwin, ist sergeant; O. T. Angel, Moses Banks, J. F. Bell, Isaac Bickel, J. H. Brown, A. R. Button, M. A. E. J. Campdoras, J. M. Clark, J. J. W. Clark, J. Q. A. Cope, Timothy Downey, Everett Eaton, W. K. Elliott, G. P. Fied- erling, F. W. Flesher, Perry Fleshman, John Griffith, James Hug- gins, J. F. Jenner, Ephraim Johnson, Moses Kellis, John Kemp, Robert Kemp, Thomas Kemp, B. F. Kestler, C. M. Kestler, George W. Kestler, J. J. Kopp, J. M. Kuykendall, J. P. Majors, Ezekiel Marple, Thomas Marple, Robert McNoun, David Mitchell, Isaiah A. Pasley, Austin W. Pliley, William Pliley, Edward Plumer, William Prusait, Dennis Ray, Roswell Rose, John Stamp, Charles B. Steward, David Vaughn, Thomas J. Wallis and S. T. Woodard. Company E (Topeka) — ^John H. Banks, captain; William P. Douthitt and S. C. Herriott, lieutenants; E. A. Goodell, ist sergeant; E. A. Alward, G. F. Boyd, Hugh Campbell, W. W. CHmenson, Lester M. Crawford, Thomas J. Crawford, George Doane, S. Dunham, Charles Engler, Charles Farnsworth, W. H. Fitzpatrick, H. Kline, Albert Knowles, S. D. McDonald, Joseph C. Miller, J. H. Mills, Theodore Mills, John Murray, John Nichols, John G. Otis, James Samuels, Charles A. Sexton, John Sharrai, A. H. Slay- ton, Geo. W. Spencer, Nathan Warner, John Weir and William H. Wey- mouth. Company F (Big Springs) — James Thompson, captain; Dennis Mo- riarty and H. P. Gilland, lieutenants; John Banning, ist sergeant; Frank 90 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Brown, Robert Campbell, D. A. Cardwell, T. H. Clark, J. A. Davidson, Henry Drummers, George Duncan, William Duncan, James Eagle, George Fix, Henry Fix, J. H. Glenn, J. H. Hall, L. H. Hilligoss, J. J. Howell, Thomas Johnson, Theo. Kreipe, D. H. Lawrence, J. D. Lemschule, William Lemschule, J. B. Miller, T. S. Murray, J. C. Niccum, T. F Prather, A. S. Roberts, J. W. Roberts, Oliver Spencer, W. A. Thompson and Wallace True. Company G (Auburn) — H. E. Bush, captain; H. L. Shumway and W. H. Delong, lieutenants; P. I. Bonebrake, ist sergeant; Samuel Allen, George Barker, Isaac Baxter, John Baxter, Allen Blandon, S. Blandon, J. W. Brown, W. H. Combs, L. T. Cook, H. Cunningham, H. M. Deming, W. A. Engle, Peter Flick, Charles Garrison, P.obert Gault, J. M. Hastings, M. C. Hendrick, W. S. Hibbard, W. A. Hogaboom, Ira Hyde, Bartholomew Ingrund, Baxter Ingrund, George Johnson, C. C. Lewis, J. S. Alarkham, F. D. Mills, C. C. Moore, W. H. Penfield, W. W. Phillips, Henry Pifer, W. P. Roberts, F. Richerhauser, John Robinson, James Russell, B. P. Seymour, Eli Snyder, Peter Snyder, Peter Spangler, Jerome Stahl, F. M. Stahl, R. Stees, D. Stevens, J. Thompson, W. Walker and Granger Wood. Company H (Williamsport) — Perry Tice, captain; J. L. Young and H. K. Winans, lieutenants; Oliver Selover, ist sergeant; James W. Brown, James Carroll, Leviston Clay, William Coker, E. W. Hungerford, J. W. Lacey, T. Lawler, T. H. Lescher, H. Matney, J. Matney, J. McDowd, David McMaster, J. R. Nelson, Charles Owen, John Porter, D. Randell, Thomas Reynolds, E. W. Rudolph, Isaac Seamans, J. C. Thomas, W. Wellhouse, J. B. Whitlock, S. H. Wilson, E. W. Winans, M. S. Yarrington, Jesse Yocum and W. G. Yocum. Company I (^Monmouth) — William Disney, captain; John Helton and William Reed, lieutenants; Samuel Kosier, ist sergeant; J. P. Allen, Robert Allen, R. J. Bales, Robert Bolls, Adam Bowers, C. D. Bush, J. W. Coberly, Edward Davis, A. A. Disney, Richard Disney, Martin Dreck, David Fultz, H. D. Healy, J. A. Heberling, E. J. Heil, F. Helton, D. Hopper, S. Hopper, William Hotze, H. M. Howard, G. W. Johnson, H. Linn, J. W. Little, S. J. Livingston, H. G. Lyons, Silas Lyons, James Norris, J. A. Oliver, S. W. Stowall, T. E. Strode, A. M. Thornton, W. G. Toney, William Wann, E. B. Williams, S. E. Williams and Harrison Wright. Company K (Topeka Battery) — Ross Burns*, captain; Tobias Billings and Charles H. Wyckoff,* lieutenants; Charles H. Gibson, ist sergeant; James Anderson*, John Armstrong*, John S. Branner*, Justus Brockway, Nicholas Brown*, Charles H. Budd*, Daniel Copson, J. F. Cummings, Dan- iel Dawson, John Devine, William Farren, R. Fitzgerald, J. E. Follansbee*, Guilford G. Gage*, C. K. Gilchrist, George Ginnold*, Daniel Handley*, Nathan Harvey, A. Herboldsheimer, J. H. Holman*, Ben Hughes*, A. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 91 Kingsley, Jacob Kline*, John A. Link*, Jeremiah Logan, Fred K. Mackey*, Henry Mackey, Martin McClure*, Thomas McGuire, D. L. Morse, Phihp Moeser, WilUam Moeser*, Edward Pape*, Lorenzo Pauley, Morris Pickett, Meric D. Race*, John Ryan, Lear Selkin*, John A. Shaffer, William P. Thompson*, G. B. Wade, William B. Wade, Levi Williams*, Samuel Wilson and John Worth. It should be explained that companies A and E of the Second Regiment, being unmounted, were attached to an infantry regiment on duty at another point on the Missouri border, and did not participate in the battle of the Blue. In the list of men in the Topeka Battery only those designated by stars were with Captain Burns in the same battle, the others remaining in Topeka to guard the city. THE GAGE MONUMENT. On the 30th of May, 1895, in connection with the memorial exercises of the day, a beautiful and imposing monument of granite was dedicated to the memory of the soldiers who fell in the battle of the Blue. The monument was erected in the cemetery at Topeka, and was the gift of Guilford G. Gage, one of the survivors of the historic encounter. He lived to witness the dedi- cation, and to recount the story of the event which it so eloquently perpetuates, but he has since passed away, as have most of his comrades. Col. George W. Veale, who is still living, presided at the dedication, and made an address covering the main incidents of the battle. Other addresses were made by Gen. John C. Caldwell and Howel Jdnes, that of the latter being devoted to a review of the character and services of Capt. Ross Burns. Prayer was offered by Rev. Francis S. McCabe, D. D., and the unveiling of the monu- ment was gracefully performed by Katie Ost, a little girl whose grandfather was killed in the battle. An invitation was extended to Gen. Joseph Shelby, whose advance force opposed the Kansas men in the Mockabee lane, to attend the dedication of the monument, but he sent a courteous letter or regret filled with warm praise for the valor of the Second Regiment and the conspicu- ous bravery of Captain Burns and his skillful gunners. Upon the suggestion of Mr. Gage, a detailed history of the battle of The Blue was written by James W. Steele, and published in 1899. The memorial volume is dedicated "To the survivors of the Second Regiment, K. S. M., and to the memory of those who died; to their descendants wher- ever scattered, and to all who honor the courage that is without glory, and the devotion which hopes for no reward." ^ CHAPTER VIII. Shawnee County and the War with Spain — The Famous 20th Kansas Regi- ment — Its Battles and Glory — List of Dead and Wounded — Enlistments and Service in Other Regiments — Their Record in Cuba and Elsewhere — Praise from President McKinley and Secretary of War — The Colored Troops. During the progress of the Spanish- American War, in 1897-98, two full companies and parts of other companies were organized in Shawnee County for service in Cuba and the Philippine Islands. Company A of the 20th Kan- sas Volunteer Infantry was almost wholly recruited in Topeka. Its officers were: John E. Towers, captain; succeeded by Capt. Clad Hamilton, who enlisted as a private and was promoted first to corporal, then sergeant, 2nd lieutenant, ist lieutenant and captain in succession; Everett E. Huddlerton and John J. Deeming, lieutenants; Joseph W. Morris and Charles A. Wool- worth 1st sergeants; Orville S. Taylor and Emory A. Bailey, quartermaster sergeants; J. W. Kershner, Butler J. Haskins, Harry Jones, Fred A. Recob, Samuel J. White, Robert D. Maxwell, Irenaeus Wisner, Joseph H. Sea- graves and Francis M. Pribble, sergeants; Joseph C. Spendlove, Frank A. Smith, Charles D. Rouner, Charles Ramsey, Clarence Sharon, John J. Haisch, Milo L. Lamont, Terence Montgomery, John J. Johnston, Charles A. Waters, Steve S. Kirby, Walter E. French, Edwin Barrett, Ellis G. Davis, George W. Lewis, J. H. Redinger, Edwin W. Sheard, Percy McCoole, Albert Cotton, Walter C. Swartz and Edward L. Pinkerton, corporals; Seth A. Hemmel, Coryell Faulkner, William E. Hungerford and John A. Buchanan, hospital stewards; H. E. Wagner and Mitchell Bundy, wagoners. Privates — Harry J. Adams, William F. Ayers, Edward E. Banks, Frank J. Beaghen, Edward H. Brennan, Harry H. Banks, Etcyl P. Blair, John R. Boyd, Harvey Chandler, Walter J. Coleman, James C. Coleman, Walter C. Campbell, Chase Cole, Fred Fox, Fred Graft, W. L. Garretson, John J. Humbert, Fred Humphries, George H. Helwig, D. S. Hewitt, Charles Hetrick, Lester C. Jennings, Earnest E. Kirk, Lewis G. Laws, James D. Leahey, Arthur W. Long, Thomas E. Lawrence, George W. Lemley, Guy AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 93 Ludington, Clarence R. McDowell, Frank M. McFadden, Isaac K. McKin- ney, Herbert T. Miller, Henry D. McKinney, Edwin A. Myers, Clark W Marsh, Reseil Manahan, Charles Peters, Ira M. Payne, Charles H. Reasoner^ E. A. Rethemeyer, John A. Stevens, Margus J. P. Smith, William R. Smith Walter L. Sherburne, Raymond Slater, Arthur W. Snapp, Theo. H. Sutton Fred Shaufele, Frank Steward, Jerry C. Springstead, William L. Sullivan Roy Timmons, Herbert W. Turner, G«orge W. Turner, Losson B. Whitaker^ Elmo L. Wilkinson, Henry N. Wingfield, Eugene Willett, Theodore Q, Whitted, Wilbur Wilson and John D. Young. The Shawnee County men in other companies of the 20th Kansas were : Company B — Jacob Guffey, Elmer E. Urie, George Rethemeyer, Edward Barrett, William F. Duensing, Edward W. Ellis and Claud S. Phillips ; Com- pany C — Clare A. Coe; Company E — James J. Corkill, Norman F. Ramsey and Walter D. Vance; Company F — George F. Hedenberg and William E. True; Company H — Charles F. Rice; Company I — George W. Mills, Harry Pepper and George H. Billings ; Company K — Milton W. Hogaboom, Arthur E. Ellison, Frank A. Huling and Arthur C. Snow; Company L — Charles A. Hurd, Carl Myers and Noble B. Urie; Company M — Charles Kleinhans and Albert Dooley; Regimental Band — Charles E. Gormly, Erve C. Strick- land, Carl H. Dreyer, George E. Ellison, James L. Wilcox, Edward A. Rethemeyer and Owen Mcintosh. A NOTED REGIMENT. The 20th Kansas was the most noted regiment that participated in the Philippine campaign. Its first colonel was Frederick Funston, who led his men in many venturesome engagements and was the captor of General Agui- naldo. Upon his promotion to be brigadier-general. Major Wilder S. Metcalf was made colonel. Edward C. Little served through the entire campaign as lieutenant-colonel and was in command of the regiment at San Francisco. In a letter written September 30, 1899, President William McKinley paid this tribute to the Kansas soldiers : "The American nation appreciates the devotion and valor of its soldiers and sailors. Among its hosts of brave de- fenders, the 20th Kansas was fortunate in opportunity and heroic in action, and has won a permanent place in the hearts of a grateful people." Casualities sustained by Topeka members of the regiment were the fol- lowing: Killed in action — Reseil Manahan and William Sullivan; died of disease — Etcyl P. Blair, Harry Pepper, Frank M. McFadden, George W. Mills and Edward A. Rethemeyer; Wounded — Charles A. Woolworth, Fred A. Recob, Charles A. Waters, J. W. Kershner, Ira M. Payne, Frank Steward, Losson B. Whitaker, Elmer E. Urie, Daniel S. Hewitt, Frank A. Huling, 94 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Arthur C. Snow and Albert Dooley. A bronze tablet to the memory of Reseil Manahan has been placed in the Topeka High School by his fellow pupils. The 20th Kansas Regiment was in camp at Topeka from May ist to Tvlay 1 6th, and was then ordered to San Francisco, where it remained for five months, before embarking, for the scene of war. Many of the soldiers were young men just out of school, farmer boys, mechanics and laborers, and when mustered into the government service all of them were able to sign their names without the use of a crossmark. During the time of their enlistment there were only four desertions. They participated in the following engage- ments: Advance on the enemy, February 4, 1899; independent skirmish, February 7; Caloocan, February 10; Tulijan, March 25; Malinta, March 26; Poli, March 27 ; Marilao, March 28 ; Bigoa, March 29 ; Guiginto, March 29 ; advance on Malolos, March 30 and 31 ; defense of Malolos, three weeks; Bag- bag River, April 25; Calumpit, April 26; Grand River, April 27; Santo Tomas, May 4; San Fernando, May 6; Bacolor, May 13; Santa Rita, May 15; defense of San Fernando, May 25 THE WELCOME HOME. Governor W. E. Stanley and representative citizens of Kansas met the regiment at San Francisco when it returned on the transport "Tartar," Octo- ber 10, 1899, and the home-coming at Topeka on November 2nd was in the nature of a general reception by the people of the entire State. In response to an invitation to attend this reception, Secretary of War Elihu Root sent the following letter : "The records of the War Department show that the Twentieth Regiment of Kansas Volunteers sailed from San Francisco on the steamship 'Indiana' on the 27th of October, 1898, and on the steamship 'Newport' on the 9th of November, 1898, arriving at Manila on the ist and the 6th days of December following; that the regiment was engaged in actual battle sustaining losses by death or wounds, on each of the following days, viz : The 4th, 5th, 7th, loth, nth, I2th, 17th, 23rd, 24th, 26th and 28th of February, 1899; the nth, I2th, 13th, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 29th and 31st of March; the 25th and 26th of April; the 4th and 24th of May, and the i6th and 22d of June. Their participation in engagements is specially mentioned in cablegrams from Gen- eral Otis on the 8th of February, the 28th of April, and the 25th of May, 1899. The regiment left the Philippines for home on the 3rd of September, 1899, just six months after it was entitled to be discharged from service under the act of Congress. "The greater part of the engagements above mentioned were fought, and most of the losses of life were incurred, at a time when there was no obli- MAIN- BUILDING, STATE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS SHAWNEE COUNTY JAIL AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 97 gation for further service resting upon the members of the regiment, except that which was self-imposed upon them by their own love of country and their determination to maintain the rightful sovereignty of the United States and the honor of its flag. The character of the regiment's services in the field is well indicated by the following recommendations for brevet promo- tions made by Major-General Arthur MacArthur, commanding the second division of the Eighth Army Corps, and- approved by Major-General Elwell S. Otis, commanding the Corps. I quote from the official document : " 'Frederick Funston, Brigadier-General, U. S. Vols., to be Major-Gen- eral, U. S. Vols., by brevet. (For) Gallant and meritorious services through- out the campaign against Filipino insurgents from February 4th to July i, 1899; particularly for daring courage at the passage of the Rio Grande de la -Pampanga, May 27, 1899, while Colonel 20th Kansas Vols.' " 'Wilder S. Metcalf, Colonel, 20th Kansas Vols., to be Brigadier-Gen- eral, by brevet. (For) Gallant and meritorious services throughout the cam- paign against Filipino insurgents, from February 4th to July i; 1899, during which period he was wounded on two separate occasions.' "The officers and enlisted men of the regiment; exhibited the same high ■quality of bravery and efficiency which characterized their commanders. I beg to join with the people of Kansas iir welcoming to their homes these citi- zen-soldiers, so worthy of the heroic origin and patriotic history of their State." TWENTY- FIRST REGIMENT. Topeka and Shawnee County enlistments in the 21st Kansas Regiment were: Company A — Dolie M. Metcalf; Company C — Harry C. Davis, James G. Dick, Edward A. Evans, Albert Goode, Frederick Lane, Walter M. Spear, Henry Supple, M. 1. Wagner and Edward Wilkinson; Company D — Clar- ence Bush, Charles Boyles and W B. Heinecke ; Company F — Frank P. Bab- bett and John E. McBrian; Company G — -Elmer Bratton, Thomas Clark, W. W. Gaines, Isett D. Myers, R. S. Montgomery, Albert Morrison, W. F. McLaughlin, Louis J. Reed and Henry Schaefer; Company I — George E. Boardman ; Company K — Clinton A. McFadden ; Company L — Isaac R. Cur- tis, John F. Doane, Joseph W. Godfrey, John W. Jenkins, William Nash, Henry Pyetzki and Bert Powers. The 2ist Regiment was mustered into service May 12, 1898, and on May 17th started for Lyle, Georgia, where it went into training at Camp George H. Thomas, remaining there until August 25th, when' it was trans- ferred to Camp Hamilton, Kentucky. It remained there until September 25th, and was then ordered to Fort Leavenworth. The regiment was fur- 98 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY lough ed for 60 days, and mustered out Dec. 10, 1898, its services being no longer required. While in camp at Lysle, Georgia, the regiment lost 20 men by death from typhoid fever. TWENTY-SECOND REGIMENT. In the 22nd Kansas Regiment were the following officers and soldiers from Topeka: Col. Henry C. Lindsey, Majors Alexander M. Harvey and Chase Doster; Assistant Surgeon Frank H. Martin, Quartermaster Sergeant Herbert C. Streeter and Hospital Steward Fred J. Gordon; Company B — Edward Boyer, Fred M. Stevenson and Henry T. Shultz; Company C — Henry Anderson, Frederick Buechner, Clarence Dudney, Paul Herman, Wil- liam McKirahan, William H. Rouner and Frederick Smith; Company D — Joseph Anderson, Laban Davis, F. H. Nuzman; Company E — Floyd Mc- Pherson; Company G — Danford B. Thrapp, John F. Vandervoort, James W. Bennett, Josiah B. Clarke, William B. Heller George F. Hill, Herbert L. Stratton and John W. Thomas ; Company H — Frank R. Ritchie, James "M. Todd, Samuel Adams, Loren G. Disney, Otto B. Ireland, Frederick T. Ly- man, Ralph E. Skinner, Clarence W. Stahl and Lloyd L. Stahl; Company I — John L. Benefiel, Charles F. Clark, Clarence Evans, Adolph Gougal, Caleb M. C. Holt, William G. Kelly, George H. McGee, Jack A. Mercer, J. C. Wat- terson and William B. Wetherholt; Company L — Roland C. Medlicott, George A. Elliott, Reuben M. Spivey, Jr., Horace G. Swayze and Louis P. Wikidal; Company M — James Kimes, Stirling A. Kimes and Robert B. Stewart. This regiment saw no field service. It was mustered in at Topeka early in May, 1898, and was ordered to Camp Alger, Virginia, where it arrived May 28th. After two months' drill and instruction, the regiment marched from Camp Alger to Thoroughfare, Virginia, a distance of 50 miles, camping en route at Burke's Station, Bull Run, and Bristow, arriving at Thorough- fare August 9th. On August 27th it was transferred to Camp Meade, near Middletown, Pennsylvania, and on September 9th from thence to Fort Leav- enworth, Kansas, where it was mustered out November 3, 1898. TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT. Officers and soldiers of the 23d Kansas Regiment (colored) enlisting from Topeka and Shawnee County were the following: John M. Brown, major; Charles S. Sunday, assistant surgeon; Theophilus T. Jones, sergeant major ; James F. White, hospital steward ; George W. Jackson, leader of regi- mental band; Charles A. Brown, William A. Brooks, Benjamin Burton, Vir- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 99 gil Chatman, Thomas Jackson, Simeon McCarroll, Leander Northington, Robert Parks, Hollie E. Searcie and William Vaughn, members of band; Company A— Captain William Reynolds, ist Lieuts. Thomas McAdoo and Henry Taylor; 2nd Lieutenant Oscar Overr; Quartermaster Sergeants Ar- thur C. Harris and Robert Maddox; Sergeants Charles Birdwhistle, M. W. J. Brown, Paul L. Caldwell, Benjamin H. Bailey, Benjamin F. Perkins and James Harper; Corporals James E. Turner, James Harris, Alfred Lewis, Charles W. Ford, William Ellis, Robert H. Todd, Marcus J. Owens, Clar- ence Bradshaw, D. L. Wadlington, Thomas Tyler, Henry C. Horton, Presley Reynolds, Fred Collins, Robert J. Rector and John W. Johnson. Privates — Bert Bell, Isaiah Brown, James Buford, Lewis Butts, James Carvey, Grant Crosswy, Abe Ellis, Albert Etherly, Walter Ewing, Zeroha Ewing, Robert Garvin, Edward Gentry, Franc D. Glenn, George W. Gayden, William Goff, Charles H. Hedge, John M. Hightower, Edgar Holloway, Oscar W. Horton, Bedford B. Hunter, James Hooper, Edward I. Henderson, W. W. Jackson, George Jones, Thomas Jackson, Charles A. Jackson, Bert King, John Lawson, Virdell Link, Isaac A. Long, Robert Marshall, J. R. Martin, Lee A. Martin, Lemuel Martin, John McCrow, Allen A. Miller, Sidney Miller, John Moore, Robert C. Morgan, Sandy Mothell, Benjamin McCowan, William D. Nixon, William G. Northington, John A. Overr, Ellison Owens, Colonel Parker, Thomas Parker, Samuel Patten, Alfred J. Payne, Benjamin F. Payne, Mitchell Pennington, Edward Pillow, Charles Pillow, Robert Ransom, John Rider, Walter Rosson, John B. Radford, Charles Slaughter, John Small, Charles Sneed, William Solomon, H. M. Spradley, H. S. Taborn, Frank Thomas, J. W. Thompson, Arthur Todd, George Trice, Henry Walker, Rob- ert Walters, William Wheatman, William Williams, Edward D. Wilson, James C. Wilson, George W. Wheeler, George W. Weddington, Henry Young and Manning Youngman. Company B — James King, lieutenant ; John Banks and Charles Gooden, sergeants; John A. Gregg, quartermaster sergeant; Pearl J. Porter and J. W. Thomas, corporals ; Fred D. Kuykendall, musician ; Prdivates — Abraham Thomas, Charles Alexander, Arthur Albriton, George Batty, J. G. Bowers, Luther Bryant, William Buchanan, Spotwood Ellis, Noah E. Freeman, Bert Hester, Edward Parks, A. W. Porter, Jr., Robert Reed and William Thornton. Company D — Van Boyd, William Ewing, Ernest Jordan and William Shaw. Company E — John Medina, Joseph Mil- ford, George Murphy and Frank West. Company F — Sergeant George E. Payne and Charles F. Seals. Company G — Corporal Joseph Crump and Addi- son Parker. Company H — Sergeants David E. Overr, Albert W. Link and Albert Martin; Corporals David Pierre and William E. Thompson; George Anderson, James Brown, O. D. Dupree, William Finley, James Grant, An- drew Jamison, George Jordan, Albert Jordan, Albert E. Hordan, Thomas 5 lOo HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Jackson, Edward Moss, James Murdock, John North, John S. Stamp, H. M. Spradley, Aaron R. Thompson and WilHs White. This regiment was a model organization of colored men, and while not called upon the firing line its whole duty was promptly and efficiently per- formed. After being mustered in at Topeka in July, 1898, it went to New York and sailed from there August 25th on the steamer "Vigilancia" for Santiago, Cuba, arriving there August 31st. It was in camp at San Luis from September i, 1898, to February 28, 1899, and sailed from Santiago March ist for Newport News, Virginia, arriving there March 6th. On the loth of March it proceeded by rail to Fort Leavenworth and was mustered out on April 10, 1899. GENERAL HUDSON'S SERVICE. In connection with the subject of the war with Spain, mention should be made of the service of Joseph K. Hudson, of Topeka, who was commis- sioned May 29, 1898, to be brigadier-general of volunteers. General Hudson was assigned to the Fourth Army Corps at Tampa, Florida, under Major General Coppinger. He was given command of the Second Brigade of the Second Division. General Hudson was a soldier and an officer in the Civil War and his experience was of vast service in bringing his brigade into soldierly trim and military efficiency. After his service at Tampa he was transferred to Huntsville, Alabama, and mustered out in November, 1898, the shifting of the scene of war rendering it unnecessary to call his command into active fighting service. CHAPTER IX. State Officials from Shawnee County — Record of Their Appointment, Elec- tion and Service — United States Senators and Congressmen — Federal Positions Filled — Prominent Railroad Men — The Press of Shawnee County — Newspapers of Early Days — List of Papers noiv Published — The Mortality Sheet. Exclusive of membership in the legislative assemblies and constitutional conventions, and service on the District Bench, the first citizen of Shawnee County to fill a Territorial position was William W. Ross, who was made pub- lic printer in 1857. Rush Elmore became an associate justice of the Supreme Court by appointment in 1858, and John Ritchie was a member of the Board of Penitentiary Commissioners in 1859. That was the full extent of Shaw- nee County's officeholding during the Kansas Territorial period. Judge El- more served as associate justice from June 29, 1854, to September 13, 1855, but at the time of his first appointment he was a citizen of Alabama. STATE OFFICERS. In looking over the list of State officers, the surprising fact is encountered that no citizen of Topeka, or of Shawnee County, has had the honor of being elected to the office of Governor. Three of the Governors, Samuel J. Craw- ford, Thomas A. Osborn and George T. Anthony, became residents of the city after the close of their terms. Only two Topeka men have filled the office of Lieutenant Governor: James A. Troutman, 1895-97, ^"d A. M. Harvey, 1897-99. Jacob Safford is the only Topeka man ever elected to the Supreme bench (associate justice), 1865-71. George W. Clark was a judge of the Court of Appeals, 1895-97. B. F. Simpson was a Supreme Court commis- sioner, 1887-93. Gasper C. Clemens was Supreme Court reporter, 1897-99. Topeka has had three of the clerks of the Supreme Court: Andrew Stark, 1861-67; E. B. Fowler, 1868-70; and John Martin, 1897-99. Rufus W. Johnson, of Topeka, was appointed Secretary of State in Au- gust, 1862, and served five months. William Higgins was Secretary from 1889 to 1893. David L. Lakin was Auditor of State in 1862, by appointment. I02 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and P. I. Bonebrake filled the same office from October, 1876, to January, 1883. Archibald L. Williams was Attorney General for four years, 1871-75, and A. A. Godard was elected to the same position, 1889-1903. Maj. William Sims was State Treasurer by appointment, March i to December 30, 1890. Peter MacVicar was State Superintendent of Public Instruction for four years, 1867-71. Topeka has furnished five of the State printers: S. S. Prouty, 1869-73; Chfford C. Baker, 1887-91; Joseph K. Hudson, 1895-97; George A. Clark, 1903-05; Thomas McNeal, 1905 — . Capt. J. B. Johnson was Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1881-82 and 1885-86. John Guthrie was Speaker pro tem in 1870, George W. Veale in 1873, and Edwin D. McKeever in 1901-02. Under the system prevailing in early years, A. H. Case was district attorney for the Third District (Shawnee and other coun- ties), 1861-63. SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN. Covering a period of 30 years, except the term from 1889 to 1891, Topeka has supplied the Member of Congress from the district in which the city is located: Thomas Ryan, 1877-89; John G. Otis, 1891-93; Charles Cur- tis, 1893-1907. Two United States Senators have also been elected from among her citizens: William A. Peffer, 1891-97, and John Martin, 1893-95. It will thus be seen that during the years 1893-95 Topeka had two United States Senators and a Congressman in the public service — an unusal circum- stance, if not altogether without a parallel in the annals of Congress. In the State military department Topeka has furnished seven adjutants general, — Guilford Dudley, Cyrus K. Holliday, Thomas J. Anderson, Josiah B. McAfee, Hiram T. Beman, Alexander B. Campbell and J. W. F. Hughes ; two majors general, — Thomas J. Anderson and J. W. F. Hughes; three brig- adiers general, — Robert A. Freidrich, Andrew M. Fuller and J. W. F. Hughes ; one inspector general, — Nelson H. Loomis ; six engineers in chief, — George T. Robinson, L. C. Wilmarth, James Moore, William P. Wilcox, George W. Porter and Pancoast Kidder; one judge advocate general, — W. A. S. Bird; two paymasters general, — Frank M. Bonebrake and Charles S. Elliott; and three surgeons general, — D. C. Jones, J. B. Hibben and F. H. Martin. NON-ELECTIVE POSITIONS. Other State positions filled by citizens of Topeka and Shawnee County have been : President State Board of Agriculture, — Hiram J. Strickler and William Sims ; secretary of State Board of Agriculture, — Franklin G. Adams, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 103 Hiram J. Strickler, Joseph K. Hudson and William Sims ; President of State Board of Health, — Milo B. Ward ; secretary of State Board of Health,— J. W. Redden, Michael O'Brien, H. A. Dykes, William B. Swan and Charles Dowry ; president of Kansas State Historical Society, — Samuel A. Kingman, Floyd P. Baker, Cyrus K. Holliday, Thomas A. Osborn, Eugene F. Ware and John Martin; secretary of Kansas State Historical Society, — Floyd P. Baker and Franklin G. Adams; State superintendent of insurance, — Harrison Clarkson and Orrin T. Welch; State librarian, — Samuel A. Kingman, Annie D. Diggs and James L. King; school text book commissioner, — D. O. McCray; State architects, — D. M. Wood, George Ropes, Seymour Davis, J. C. Holland, T. H. Descher and J. F. Stanton ; president of Academy of Science, — Joseph T. Lovewell and A. H. Thompson; secretary of Academy of Science, — George P. Grimsley; librarian and curator of Academy of Science, — Francis W. Cragin and Bernard B. Smyth; railroad commissioner, — Samuel T. Howe; secretary of Board of Railroad Commissioners, — Charles S. Elliott and M. D. Henderson. FEDERAL POSITIONS. Judge United States District Court, — Archibald Williams (1861-63); clerks, — John T. Morton (i 861 -63 ),Frankhn G. Adams (1863-65), Adolphus S. Thomas (1865-74), Joseph C. Wilson (1874-95); marshals, — J. L. Mc- Dowell (1861-64), Charles C. Whiting (1867-69), William E. Sterne (1898- 1902) ; assistant district attorneys,— -A. H. Case (1865-69) ; A. L. Williams (1869-70), Thomas Ryan (1875-77), Lewis Hanback (1877-79), Charles Blood Smith (1879-86), Eugene Hagan (1886-89), P. L. Soper (1889-95), Rankin Mason (1885-97), H. J. Bone (1897-1901), Edwin D. McKeever (1901-05). The most important Federal position ever obtained for the county of Shawnee or the city of Topeka was that of United States Ambassador to Mex- ico, and honor bestowed upon Thomas Ryan by President Harrison 1889-93. This is the only diplomatic station of the first-class to which a citizen of Kan- sas has ever been appointed. Mr. Ryan was elected to Congress in 1876 and re-elected for six successive terms, resigning in 1889 to go to Mexico. In 1897 Mr. Ryan was appointed by President McKinley to be First Assistant Secretary of the Interior, being reappointed in 1901, and again in 1905 by President Roosevelt. Thomas A. Osborn was appointed United States Minister to Chile in 1879 by President Garfield, and was subsequently promoted to the Brazilian mission, 1881-85. James W. Steele received the appointment of United States Consul to Mantanzas, Cuba, and served from 1874 to 1879. Charles K. Holliday was 104 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY charge d'affairs at Caracas, Venezuela, 1888-90, by appointment from Presi- dent Cleveland. In 1887-90 Oscar Bischoff was United States Consul at Son- neberg, Germany. Gen. John C. Caldwell was appointed to be United States Consul at San Jose, Costa Rica, in 1897, and is still in the diplomatic service at that post. During the period from 1881 to 1885 Noah C. McFarland served as Commissioner General of the Land Office, under the administration of President Garfield. Eugene F. Ware was appointed to be Commissioner of Pensions in 1902, by President Roosevelt, and served until 1905, when he resigned. OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON. Ward Burlingame has been clerk and chief clerk in the Dead Letter Office at Washington from 1885 to the present time. Prior thereto he had been the private secretary of four Governors of Kansas and three United States Sen- ators from this State. Alex. R. Banks has been a special examiner of the Pensions Office from 1880 to the present date. Robert M. Fulton is an inspec- tor of the Post Office Department, appointed in 1897. Everett J. Dallas is one of the members of the Board of Pension Appeals, in service since 1901. Charles Allen Mills is a special agent of the rural free delivery service, 1901-05. B. A. Allen is one of the chief clerks in the office of the auditor for the Post Office Department, 1892- 1905. T. F. Dennis has been connected with the Pension Office for many years, and is now a member of the Board of Review of that office. THE RAILROAD LIST. Former citizens of Topeka now filling important railroad positions out- side of the State are the following : A. A. Robinson, president Mexican Cen- tral ; H. R. Nickerson, vice-president, Mexican, Central ; H. U. Mudge, vice- president, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; Samuel T. Fulton, assistant to president of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific ; John Sebastian, passenger traffic manager, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; George T. Nicholson, passenger traffic manager, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe system ; George R. Peck, solici- tor, Chicago, Milwaukee Si St. Paul ; W. H. Brewer, assistant to general man- ager, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe coast lines ; W. F. Evans, general attorney, St. Louis, Kansas City & Colorado ; Lewis Kingman, chief engineer, Mexican Central; W. B. Biddle, third vice-president, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; C. F. Jilson, assistant treasurer, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; Charles R. Hudson, president, San Antonio & Arkansas Pass ; Thomas J. Norton, solicitor, Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix ; W. B. Jansen, assistant to president, Atchison, ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILWAY GENERAL OFFICES ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILWAY HOSPITAL AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 107 Topeka & Santa Fe ; James Dun, chief engineer, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe ; Avery Turner, vice-president and general manager, Pecos Valley & North- eastern; Don A. Sweet, auditor and secretary, Pecos Valley & Northeastern; F. J. Shubert, assistant general freight agent, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific ; H. H. Embry, general freight agent, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific lines west of Missouri River; Robert Dunlap, general attorney, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; R. J. Parker and H. W. Sharp, division superintendents, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; W. H. Simpson, manager advertising department, Atchi- son, Topeka & Santa Fe. Charles S. Gleed and Howel Jones, of Topeka, are resident directors of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. NEWSPAPER HISTORY. Shawnee County has from the very beginning been a great field for news- papers, and Topeka has for more than half a century maintained its reputation as an important news center. The first newspaper venture was the Kansas Freeman (weekly), edited and published by E. C. K. Garvey in 1855, at Topeka, the first number being dated July 4. Mr. Garvey was from Milwau- kee. In aid of his newspaper he received from the Topeka Town Association a valuable piece of property at the southeast corner of Kansas and Fifth ave- nues, now described as lots numbered 146 to 156, inclusive. The association built for him on the corner lot a substantial frame building, the first to be erected in Topeka of sawed lumber. It is still standing at the original loca- tion, although its appearance has been materially changed. The paper was discontinued in the spring of 1856. During the month of October, 1855, it was published as a daily, and contained the proceedings of the Topeka consti- tutional convention. JOHN SPEER's paper. The second newspaper was the Kansas Tribune. It was established at Lawrence in January, 1855, and renewed at Topeka December 10, 1855, by John Speer and William W. Ross. The Tribune appeared first as a weekly. A daily edition was printed in March, 1856, while the Legislature was in ses- sion, the publishers being W. W. Ross and E. G. Ross — Mr. Speer having retired. The Ross brothers continued the weekly publication until September, 1858, when they sold to Shepherd & Cummings. Later J. F. Cummings became the sole proprietor. Andrew Stark bought the paper in 1863, and published it until, the spring of 1865. Garvey & Holliday became the proprie- tors May 5, 1865, and resold to John P. Greer, October 27, 1866. Mr. Greer continued it, part of the time as a daily, until February 23, 1867, when it was io8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY suspended. It reappeared as a daily December 6, 1867, and continued under the proprietorship of Greer & Williams until the spring of 1868, through the legislative session, when it was finally discontinued. A LEADING JOURNAL IN ITS DAY. The third newspaper was the Kansas State Record (weekly), published at Topeka, October i, 1859, by E. G. and W. W. Ross, the latter retiring in 1861. E. G. Ross continued it until August 19, 1862, when he sold to S. D. McDonald and F. G. Adams. Floyd P. Baker bought the Adams interest February i, 1863, and the McDonald interest February 6, 1868. In addition to the weekly, a daily edition was started June 3, 1868. Capt. Henry King bought a half interest in the paper April 20, 1869, and became the editor-in- chief. Baker and King were the proprietors until February 15, 1871, when King retired. The daily Record was consolidated with the Commonwealth, December 7, 1871. The weekly Record was continued by G. D. Baker and S. D. McDonald until May 25, 1875, when it was also transferred to the Com- monzvealth. During the time that Captain King was in charge of the Record, his associate editor was Noble L. Prentis. THE FAMOUS COMMONWEALTH. The Topeka daily and weekly Commonwealth was established by S. S. Prouty and J. B. Davis May i, 1869, with Ward Burlingame as editor. A. W. Edwards and George W. Crane became identified with the paper July i, 1869, and a month later the firm became Prouty, Davis & Crane, Edwards retiring. Davis and Crane subsequently sold their interest to F. L. Crane and S. D. McDonald, and the firm name was changed to S. S. Prouty & Company. Upon the consolidation of the Record with the Commonzuealth, December 7, 1 87 1, the publication was continued by the Commonwealth Company, of which S. S. Prouty was president and manager, and Henry King, managing editor. W. H. Rossington and James L. King were connected with the paper in 1872, and in 1873 Mr. Rossington became the managing - editor. S. S. Prouty retired from the company August 17, 1873, and Henry King became the publisher and chief editor. The paper was seriously crippled by a fire which destroyed its entire plant October 20, 1873. Under the reorganization, George W. Veale succeeded to the proprietorship and continued the business until January i, 1875, when he sold to Floyd P. Baker. The latter took possession March 7, 1875, and engaged Noble L. Prentis as editor. After June i, 1876, the paper was continued by F. P. Baker & Sons. May i, 1881, they organized the Commonwealth Company, and published the paper under that name for AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 109 several years, with T. B. Murdock as managing editor. The Commonzvealth was discontinued in 1888, the franchise and good will being purchased by the publishers of the Capital. HISTORY OF THE CAPITAL. The Topeka daily Capitol was established April 21, 1879, by J. K. Hudson and E. E. Ewing, the latter retiring January 31, 1880. It was an evening paper at first, a five-column folio, but grew to metropolitan proportions within a year, and was enlarged to eight pages January i, 1881. It was changed to a morning paper in that year, and a stock company formed, with J. K. Hudson as business manager, and Henry King as editor. Mr. King retired from the paper March 26, 1883, and J. K. Hudson assumed the entire editorial and business management. A part of the editorial work was afterward done by William A. Peffer. The Capital absorbed the Commonwealth November i, 1888, the principal owners at that time being J. K. Hudson and Dell Keizer. In June, 1890, the Topeka Capital Company was formed, with J. K. Hudson as president; James L. King, vice-president; Dell Keizer, business manager; and Harold T. Chase, associate editor. November 19, 1895, the property of the company was transferred to John R. Mulvane, under the operation of various mortgages held by him. The paper was continued under the business direction of Dell Keizer, and the editorial management of Harold T. Chase, until August I, 1899, when a sale was made to the Capital Publishing Com- pany, organized by F. O. Popenoe and others, Mr. Keizer remaining as busi- ness manager and Mr. Chase as editor. It was during the Popenoe adminis- tration that Rev. Charles M. Sheldon was placed in charge of the business management and editorial direction of the paper for one week, to demonstrate his idea of what a daily newspaper should be in order to conform to the relig- ious sentiment of the community in which it is published. Another change occurred April i, 1901, when a majority of the stock of the company was purchased by Arthur Capper, Richard Thomas, Harold T. Chase and W. B. Robey. Mr. Keizer retired from the company at this date. Early in 1905, Arthur Capper purchased the interest of his associates, and he is now the sole proprietor, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Robey retiring, and Mr. Chase remaining as managing editor. Through all its changes and vicissitudes, the Capital has for more than 25 years been the leading Republican morning newspaper of Kansas. The Topeka daily Blade was established as an evening newspaper (inde- pendent) August I, 1873, by J. Clarke Swayze. Its publication was suspended January 31, 1874, but resumed under the same management January 7, 1875. Mr. Swayze continued the Blade until March 27, 1877, when he was shot and no HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY killed by John W. Wilson, the homicide resulting from a newspaper contro- versy. The Blade was bought Feburary 28, 1878, by George W. R'eed, who conducted it as a Republican paper until September, 1879. AN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL. The Topeka State Journal, daily and weekly, was the successor to the Blade, and was founded October i, 1879, by George W. Reed. The political policy of the paper was changed in December, 1880, when it became the State organ of the Greenback and Labor Reform parties. This change brought Rev. D. P. Mitchell to the editorial chair. Mitchell died in September, 1881, and Col. S. N. Wood, succeeded him as editor. Both the daily and weekly gained a wide circulation throughout the State, and a stock company was formed to conduct the business upon an enlarged scale. This proved to be the undoing of Colonel Reed, who was the principal owner, and he was obliged to dispose of the property. It was purchased October 29, 1885, by Frank P. MacLennan, who converted it into an independent newspaper, and has con- tinued its publication up to the present time. Mr. MacLennan is the sole owner and chief editor, and in 20 years has built up one of the finest newspaper properties in the State. The State Journal occupies its own building, equipped with every facility for gathering and disseminating the news, and is a splendid example of the modern American daily newspaper. Fred H. Collier, now of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, was formerly employed on the State Journal. The present associate editor is Llewellyn L. Kiene. A NEW VENTURE. The daily JJerald, an evening Republican newspaper, was founded by Dell Keizer July i, 1901, with J..K. Hudson as editor-in-chief, the business being carried on in the name of the Herald Publishing Company, in which Mr. Keizer owns a large majority of the stock. The Herald was launched in midsummer of a dull year, with limited backing, and against the advice of prudent and far-seeing business men. Through his ability, energy and expe- lience, Mr. Keizer has obtained a secure foothold for his paper, and has stead- ily increased its business and influence. It is now the official paper of the State and of the city of Topeka. At the present time there are three daily newspapers in Topeka — the Capital, State Journal and Herald — and this challenge may be put forth with absolute safety : That no other city of 50,000 population in the United States can show three daily papers so well printed, so well edited, so well conducted from every journalistic standpoint. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. iii FORTY YEARS OF THE FARMER. One of the oldest newspapers in the State is the Kansas Fanner, an agri- cultural and stock journal, founded by the State Agricultural Society May i, 1863, and managed by F. G. Adams, secretary of the society. It was first published as a monthly at Topeka, but on January i, 1865, it was sold to J. S. Brown, and removed to Lawrence. George T. Anthony bought the paper August 1, 1867, and removed it to Leavenworth, where it was changed from a monthly to a semi-monthly, George A. Crawford being the associate editor and traveling representative. In January, 1873, M. S. Grant became the owner, with Dr. A. G. Chase as editor. J. K. Hudson purchased the paper November 15, 1873, ^"d removed it to Topeka January i, 1874, where it has ever since been published as a weekly. E. E. Ewing bought a half-interest in the business May i, 1878, which was repurchased in a year by Mr. Hudson. The firm of DeMotte & Ricks purchased from Mr. Hudson in 1882, and organized the Kansas Farmer Company, of which H. C. DeMotte was presi- dent; R. R. Brown, treasurer; H. A. Heath, business manager; and W. A. Peffer, editor. DeMotte and Ricks subsequently retired from the company. The present officers of the company are : E. B. Cowgill, president and editor ; J. B. McAfee, vice-president; D. C. Nellis, secretary and treasurer; H. A. Heath, business manager; I. D. Graham, associate editor. The Farmer has had a continuous existence for more than 40 years. The first number of the Topeka Leader appeared December 9, 1865, J. F. Cummings and Ward Burlingame, proprietors. Burlingame retired in a few weeks and Cummings continued the paper until March 4, 1869, when it was absorbed by the Coinmonzvealth. Mr. Cummings undertook to revive the Leader in 1876, but the effort was a failure. Rev. Peter MacVicar conducted the Kansas Educational Journal (monthly) at Topeka, in 1866-67. It was started in 1864 at Leavenworth, and its publication continued for 10 years at Leavenworth, Grasshopper Falls, Topeka, Emporia, Topeka and Leavenworth, successively. KANSAS MAGAZINE. The most ambitious literary venture ever undertaken in Kansas was the publication of the Kansas Magazine, a monthly periodical, by a stock company which included S. S. Prouty, Henry King, D. W. Wilder, Thomas A. Osborn, C. W. Babcock, John A. Martin, D. M. Valentine, M. W. Reynolds and W. H. Smallwood. The first number was printed January i, 1872, with Henry King as editor. Only four volumes were completed, covering the years 1872 112 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and 1873. In the latter year James W. Steele succeeded Henry King as editor. NORTH TOPEKA ENTERPRISES. The North Topeka Times (weekly) was started March 16, 1871, by C. Maynard. He sold to J. V. Admire May 30, 1872. V. P. Wilson became the owner January i, 1874. From March i, 1875, to May 25, 1876, it was pub- lished as a daily, having been transferred to Topeka proper, with James L. King as editor. It was then sold to N. R. Baker, and six weeks later was transferred to the Commonwealth and discontinued. A second North Topeka Times appeared June 8, 1876, under the man- agement of Frank A. Root, as a weekly Republican paper. September 22, 1877, George S. Irwin bought a half interest in the concern, and in December, 1879, he became the sole owner. It was purchased in November, 1881, by F. H, Roberts, J. S. Temple and J. A. Carruth, who sold to C. G. Coutant, February 15, 1882. F. S. Stambaugh and A. B. Whiting came into posses- sion of the Times October 7, 1882. Harry S. Whiting was one of the editors. During a part of its career the Times appeared in daily form. Publication was discontinued in 1885. THE MAIL AND BREEZE. The North Topeka Mail was established as a weekly in 1882 by F. H. Collier and W. E. Coutant. From that time until 1893 it was published suc- cessively by C. G. Coutant and F. H. Collier; F. H. Collier and J. E. Layton; J. E. Layton, F. H. Collier and B. F. Seibert; Collier and Layton; the Mail Company ; F A. Root & Sons ; and F. A. Root. The paper was purchased by Arthur Capper September 29, 1893. It was enlarged and improved by Mr. Capper, and subsequently transferred from North Topeka to Topeka, where it has since been published. September 19, 1895, it absorbed the Kansas Breeze and has since been known as the Mail and Breeze. Arthur Capper is the owner and publisher; Thomas A. McNeal editor, and 'George M. Craw- ford business manager. The Kansas Breeze was started in 1894 by Thomas A. McNeal and Frank C. Montgomery and continued for one year, until merged into the Mail. LIST OF CURRENT NEWSPAPERS. There are 40 newspapers published in Topeka at the present time. The classification and names of editors or publishers are shown in the following list: Annuitant, monthly- fraternal, W. N. Glass; Ark Light, monthly-fra- ternal, Harry C. Wright; Club Member, weekly-social, Mrs. Margaret Hill AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 115 McCarter; Children's Home Finder, monthly-charitable, Rev. O. S. Morrow; Climate and Crop Service, weekly-meterorological, T. B. Jennings; Commer- cial and Hotel Register, monthly-trade, Charles H. Trapp; Congregational Kansas, quarterly-religious, Home Missionary Society; Farmers' Family Journal, monthly-miscellaneous, George H. Gillies; Glada Biidskapet (Glad Tidings), monthly-religious. Rev. G. Nyquisf; Household, monthly-literary. Household Publishing Company; Inland Investor, monthly-real estate, Leslie F. Randolph ; Investors' Guide, monthly-financial, E. W. Poindexter ; Journal of the Kansas Medical Society, monthly-medical, Dr. W. E. McVey; Kansas Baptist Watchman, weekly-religious, Rev. G. W. Harts; Kansas Farmer, weekly-agricultural, Kansas Farmer Company; Kansas Issue, monthly-tem- perance, Kansas State Temperance Union; Kansas Kinderfreund, monthly- charitable, Rev. A. Schmid; Kansas Messenger, monthly-religious, W. S. Lowe; Kansas Telegraph, weekly-Democratic, Leo VonLangen; Kansas Worker, weekly-religious, Seventh Day Adventist Conference Association; Labor Champion, weekly-labor, J. W. Mitchell; Knights and Ladies of Security, monthly-fraternal, George M. Crawford; Mail and Breeze, weekly- Republican, Arthur Capper; Memorial Chimes, monthly-religious. Rev. H. A. Ott ; Merchants' Journal, weekly-trade, Charles P. Adams ; Missouri Val- ley Farmer, monthly-agricultural, Missouri Valley Farmer Publishing Com- pany; Modern Mercury, weekly-social, Nanon L. Herron and Mrs. Eugene Wolfe; Orient of Kansas, semi-annual-Masonic, T. B. Jennings; Poultry Ga- zette, monthly-agricultural, George H. Gillies; State Ledger, weekly-Afro- American, Fred L. Jeltz ; State Record, semi-mpnthly-Populist, W. R. Eyster ; Sunflower Undertaker, monthly-trade, L. M. Penwell; Topeka Capital, daily and semi-weekly-Republican, Arthur Capper; Topeka Herald, daily- Republi- can, J. K. Hudson; Topeka Legal News, daily-court calendar, Nanon L. Herron; Topeka Plaindealer, weekly-Afro- American, J. Hume Childers and Nick Chiles; Topeka State Journal, daily and weekly-independent, Frank P. MacLennan ; Washburn Review, weekly-college, John V. VanDeMark ; IVest- ern Odd Fellow, monthly-fraternal, H. C. Stevens; Western School Journal, monthly-educational, John MacDonald. Outside of the city of Topeka there are only two newspapers now being published in Shawnee County: The Blade, at Oakland, weekly-Republican, by W. S. Anderson; and the Shawnee County Ncivs, at Rossville, weekly-in- dependent, by U. S. Stewart. SUSPENDED DAILY PAPERS. The following is a list of the defunct daily newspapers of Topeka, and the period of their publication: Freeman, 1855 ; Tribune, 1856; Tribune 1864; ii6 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Leader, 1865; Record, 1868-71; Commonwealth, 1870-88; Blade, 1873-79; Democrat, 1874-82; Times, 1875; Argus, 1876; Leader, 1876; Times, 1878; Tattler, 1879; Post, 1880; Pantograph, 1881 ; PF/w'm Wham, 1881 ; Argus, 1881-82; Twnw, 1881-82; Herald, 1882; Republic, 1882; CnYzc, 1884; OV- i^^M, 1885-86; Democrat, 1886-98; A/'^it'j, 1888; Courier, 1888; Ma//, 1888; Leader, 1888; Suniiower, 1888; Globe, 1889; Topics, 1891-92; Truth, 1892; Sentinel, 1892-93; Pr^jj, 1893-96; Populist, 1893; Ca//, 1893; Ledger, 1893; Kansan, 1894; Co-operator, 1895-96. From 1865 to 1905 more than 300 weekly, monthly and quarterly jour- nals of various classes had their birth in Topeka, strutted their brief hour upon the stage and were gathered into ponderous tomes in the stack room of the State Historical Society, where the remains are marked with the customary headstones. CHAPTER X. The Beginning of the City of Topeka — A Farm Changed to a Town-Site — Names of the Pioneers and Their Followers — The Chase Cabin — Organi- zation of the Town Company — Reminiscences of the Early Settlers — The First Fire — Description of the Country — Marking the Site of the First Building. The fathers of the city of Topeka were Cyrus K. Holhday, Fry W. Giles, Daniel H. Home, Enoch Chase, Jacob B. Chase, George Davis, Milton C. Dickey, Charles Robinson and Loring J. Cleveland. Holliday was from Penn- sylvania, Giles arid Dickey from New Hampshire, Cleveland from Iowa, and the others from Massachusetts. All were attracted by the opening of a new country to settlement, and the opportunities thus presented for young men to engage in business. In the case of some of them, at least, there was the natural American love of adventure, and a patriotic desire to assist in making Kansas a free State. Most of them came through the instrumentality of the New England Emigrant Aid Company, of which Charles Robinson was the agent, with headquarters at Lawrence, Kansas. Mr. Robinson arrived in Kansas early in July, 1854; Mr. Holliday in October, 1854; Enoch and Jacob B. Chase, George Davis, Fry W. Giles, Milton C. Dickey and Loring G. Cleveland in November, 1854; and Daniel H. Home December 2, of that year. topeka's inception. Enoch Chase, Jacob B. Chase, George Davis and Milton C. Dickey pre- ceded the others to the town-site of Topeka, in the latter part of November, 1854 (about November 29th), although it is probable that Holliday and Robin- son had visited the locality prior to that date. Mr. Holliday claims to have been on the site November 22nd, with a party of seven men, and that the idea of establishing a town originated at that time. The record shows that Fry W. Giles, Daniel H. Home and Loring G. Cleveland left St. Louis in the fall of 1854 on the steamer "Lenora", bound for Kansas City. Accompanying the trio were Thomas G. Thornton, Timothy Mclntire, Jonas E. Greenwood, George F. Crowe, William C. Linaker and Samuel A. Clark. This party ii8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY , ,' walked from Kansas City to Lawrence, arriving there on Saturday evening, December 2, 1854. A meeting was held in that city on Sunday evening, December 3rd, participated in by the Giles party and Robinson and Holliday, at which the organization and location of the town of Topeka were definitely determined upon. The town was accordingly established on the 5th day of December, 1854. There is no controversy as to the date of the founding of the town, but there have been so many conflicting statements regarding the circumstances of the founding, the selection of the site and the precedence of the original settlers, that it is necessary to give here the personal recollections of some of the founders in order that complete justice may be done to all concerned. These statements are condensed from books, newspaper articles and personal inter- views, and while there may be some variation as to dates and incidental circum- stances, the general facts are in perfect accord. ABOUT ENOCH CHASE. / V In the year 1854 Enoch Chase was living in Boston, and engaged at his trade, that of an upholsterer. A circular issued by the New England Emi- grant Aid Company fell into his hands, relating to affairs in Kansas, and he determined to make a personal investigation of the conditions in the new Territory. He reached the Kansas border in November, 1854. With eight companions and a wagon-load of provisions drawn by a team of oxen, he set out for Lawrence, arriving there November 24th. The party built a sod house for their own accommodation, and lived in it about five days, at the end of which time Enoch Chase, Jacob B. Chase, Milton C. Dickey and George Davis bought the interest of their associates in the load of provisions, and decided to try their fortunes at a point further west on the Kansas River, where it was thought a new town might be located. Upon their arrival at the point in view, according to Mr. Chase's statement, they selected the section of land (section 31), upon which the town was afterwards located. Each man took a quarter of the section, and a log house was built near the river, at a point now known as the northwest corner of Kansas and First avenues. While the house was being built, Mr. Dickey went back to Lawrence for sup- plies, and returned a few days later, bringing with him the other parties who had become interested in the new town. Mr. Chase and his three associates surrendered their section of land for town purposes, and took a quarter section each of the adjoining lands. Mr. Chase's quarter was near the present site of Washburn College. The section these four men surrendered became the property of the Topeka Town Association. Mr. Chase built a house on his quarter section, which he occupied with his family in March, 1855. In October, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 119 1855, he moved into town, and later conducted a boarding-house. He built a large frame house on Sixth avenue, which was used as a hotel, and in 1857 he opened the Chase House, afterwards converted into the Capitol Hotel, and later into a part of the Stormont office building. He also built and resided in the stone house at the northwest corner of Sixth avenue, now used as a store building. COLONEL HORNE's STATEMENT. Daniel H. Home, a tanner and furrier by trade, left Massachusetts in November, 1854, and reached Kansas December 2nd, of that year, stopping at Lawrence. He attended the meeting of 13 men in Lawrence on the evening of December. 3rd, at which the Topeka enterprise was suggested. Mr. Home says that these men were acting for themselves, and that Cyrus K. Holliday, Charles Robinson and Milton C. Dickey were not included in the thirteen. The three last named gentlemen came into the meeting after it had been organized. Robinson and Holliday, whose business it was to direct the Kansas immigrants to places of settlement, spoke of the possibilities of a new town 25 miles west of Lawrence, and Mr. Dickey stated that the proposed town was ready for settlement, and that the necessary land had been obtained by himself, George Davis and Enoch and Jacob B. Chase, the last three being then on the ground. A committee consisting of Daniel H. Home, Fry W. Giles, Loring G. Cleveland and Samuel A. Clark was appointed to inspect the proposed site. These four men proceeded at once to the point designated, arriving there Monday evening, December 4th, accompanied by Holliday, Robinson and Dickey. They found Enoch Chase, Jacob B. Chase and George Davis on the ground, and working on the log cabin abyve referred to by Enoch Chase. The party of 10 men slept in the cabin that night, or a part of the night, for it was partially destroyed by fire before morning. Robinson returned to Lawrence on Tuesday, after articles of agreement had been executed for laying out the town. Home maintains that Charles Robinson was acting only as a guide for the party, and that he did not sign the articles of agreement for the organization of the town, but Robinson's name appears on the instrument, and Mr. Home is evidently in error. In the negotiations over the site, Enoch and J. B. Chase, Milton C. Dickey and George Davis were given their choice of 160-acre tracts outside the town limits, for relinquishing the section upon which the town was to be erected, and they were likewise to have equal shares in the town company. The committee adopted a resolution that no other distribution of lots or claims should be made until the men who had been left at Lawrence should arrive. After their arrival a distribution was made by lottery, Jonas E. Greenwood securing the first choice and selecting a claim east of town, where the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe shops are now located. 6 I20 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY ; ■Greenwood immediately sold his claim to Thomas G. Thornton for $15. Daniel H. Home obtained second choice, selecting a claim west of town, where he resided for many years, and which afterwards was sold for town-lot purposes. Of the party that came up from Lawrence to join the Home committee, the following names are given : Thomas G. Thornton, George F. Crowe and his son, Zenas, aged 15 years; W. C. Linaker, Jonas E. Greenwood, Timothy Mclntire, and a man named Williams — the last named disappeared after re- maining a short time. After the destruction of the Chase cabin by fire, Daniel H. Home and Loring G. Cleveland proceeded to erect a sod hut, which was occupied as a residence during the winter. The Chase cabin was also rebuilt and retained its prestige as the first building on the town-site. THE GILES HISTORY. In his book, "Thirty Years in Topeka," published in 1886, Fry W. Giles corroborates all that has been said of the transaction on the 5th of December. He notes the presence of the nine men whose names are above given, and ■states that on the morning of that day these men walked over the proposed town-site to a point midway between the Kansas River and Shunganunga Creek, and then returned to the Chase cabin to conclude the details of organiza- tion. Milton C. Dickey called the assemblage to order and moved that "the fellow with the white hat" (pointing to Colonel HoUiday) be invited to pre- side. This was agreed to, and Mr. Giles was made secretary. Mr. Giles further states that Charles Robinson did not remain with the party that day or take any active interest in the proceedings. The Chase cabin is thus described in the Giles book : "Its dimensions were about 12 by 14 feet, and five feet in height at the sides. The gables were extended up some three feet above the sides. Poles upon these, supported, first a layer of brush, and then a thatch of prairie grass. At the west end, just outside of the logs, was piled a parcel of stones somewhat in the form of the fire-place of old, without mortar, and extending upward just above the roof, the logs of the gable forming the inside wall of the chimney. A banking of earth was thrown up against the logs on the north, and the interstices between the logs chinked with brush and plastered •with mud. The only opening left for light or ingress was to the south, and a strip of cotton cloth hung there to keep out the cold. THE FIRST FIRE. "A few days after the little party had settled down to the necessities of the case, and got in a few supplies, it became apparent that the flames that roared up the chimney occasionally came in dangerous proximity to the MASONIC BLOCK AND GRAND OPERA HOUSE THE TOPEKA CLUB AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 123 thatch of the roof. As they straightened themselves one night upon the litter of hay that matted their cabin floor, and sought repose, it was re- marked that the cabin would be on fire before morning, but with jesting and indifference the subject was dismissed, and in weariness all eyes were soon closed. They had not slept long, however, before a flash of light brought all eyes open again, and they gazed upon a mass of fire enveloping the brush and thatch, and burning straws falling upon the hay on which they lay. There was work to be done, and that right quickly. In one corner was stored flour, meal, beans, coffee, tea, clothing, arms, a keg of molasses and a keg of powder. To remove these was the important work in hand, and it was fortunate that the men had gone to rest without removing their hats and boots. One caught the keg of powder and hurled it down the declivity toward the river, while others seized what they could, and in a twinkling all except a few garments and a gun or two was safely strewn upon the prairie. The 'city' was in ruins, and the people thereof in anxiety queried how best to guard themselves against the cold during the night. They had a small tent, which they erected, and in vain attempts to sleep on the naked ground with their canvas alone over them, a part suffered through the night, while others secured such shelter from the piercing winds as they could in the thicket of brush near by." It will be observed that Mr. Giles records the fire as occurring several days after the arrival of the party from Lawrence, whereas Daniel H. Home says it occurred on the night of their arrival, December 4th. Colonel HoUiday and others agree that it was on the night of December 4th, but there is good reason to believe that the Giles account is the correct one, in this instance. COLONEL HOLLIDAy'S ACCOUNT. Col. Cyrus K. Holliday's story of the founding of Topeka is best told in his own words : "On November 21, 1854, a party consisting of eight persons left the town of Lawrence for a trip up the Kansas River to its head, at the con- fluence of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers. The party consisted of Charles Robinson, Rev. S. Y. Lum, Rev. Clough, Franklin Billings, George Davis, W. T. A. H. Bolles, John Armstrong and C. K. Holliday. During the trip three points were agreed upon as eminently suited for town pur- poses: First, the site of the present city of Topeka; second, that of Man- hattan ; and third, that of Junction City. Our party stayed at Tecumseh on the night of November 21, camping out, and left Tecumseh at 9 o'clock on Wednesday morning, November 22, 1854. Having crossed the Shunganunga 124 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and emerged from the timber, near what was afterwards known as Khne's grove, our whole party were in raptures at the beautiful conformation of land spread out before us, and its complete adaptation to the building of a city, so far as the new site was concerned. "Immediately after the return of our party to Lawrence, November 27 or 28, the remnant of the fifth party under the auspices of the New Eng- land Emigrant Aid Company arrived at Lawrence. These were the few who had the courage to remain — most of the party had started on their homeward trip without even entering the Territory. The remnant that re- mained consisted of Enoch Chase, Jacob B. Chase, Milton C. Dickey and George Davis. These gentlemen were counseled with by Charles Robinson and myself, and informed about our trip up the river, and were advised and requested to take hold with us and help build a town at the point selected, near Papan's Ferry. After a thorough understanding of the whole matter, they consented to do so, and were fully instructed precisely where to go and what claims to take up ; and to hold the same for a few days until Charles Robinson and myself, and such other proper persons as we could influence, could join them, when the town organization would be perfected. POSSESSING THE LAND. "The next day, November 29, 1854 — the day of our first election for delegate to Congress — these four gentlemen went exactly as they were ad- vised and instructed to do and took possession of the land we had indicated ; and on the next day, November 30, 1854, they commenced the erection of the first house in Topeka, at the southwest corner of Kansas and First avenues, locally known as the Mill Block. A few days after, December i or 2, the remnant of the sixth party under the auspices of the New England Emigrant Aid Company arrived at Lawrence. The project of a new town near Papan's Ferry was also presented to them, and favorably received, and on Monday, the 4th day of December, 1854, the following members of that party, to-wit : Fry W. Giles, Daniel H. Home, Loring G. Cleveland, and Samuel A. Clark, in company with M. C. Dickey, who had returned to Lawrence, and Charles Robinson and myself, came up from Lawrence to the new town-site, and took quarters at the new, unfinished cabin, with the party which had come up the preceding Wednesday. "The next day, Tuesday, December 5, 1854, articles of association were agreed upon, and duly signed, the limits of the town-site were indicated, surveys were arranged for, and the founding of the new city, which had been selected and located two weeks before, became an accomplished fact. Those present and participating in the founding of the city, as their names appear AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 125 in the records, were M. C. Dickey, J. B. Chase, George Davis, C. K. Holh- day. Fry W. Giles, D. H. Home, L. G. Cleveland and S. A. Clark. Charles Robinson ably assisted in the inauguration of the new town, but declined to act as a member proper of the town company, deeming it unwise to do so, inasmuch as he was representing the interests of the New England Emigrant Aid Company. Taking advantage of his absence, however, he was promptly voted is as the tenth member of the Topeka association. THE COUNTRY 50 YEARS AGO. "On our trip of November 21, we took the California or ridge road from Lawrence, and passed west over the high prairies, with the valleys of the Kansas and Wakarusa to the right and left, skirted in the distance by dark fringes of timber. For a distance of six or eight miles there were numerous log cabins scattered along the road, but from this on to the few cabins at Tecumseh, the country was almost a wilderness. At Tecumseh there were probably a dozen log cabins. Leaving there we followed the river for a distance of five miles and came to the beautiful rise of ground where Topeka was to be located, although the name had not then been determined upon. We had other locations in view, as I have stated, at Manhattan and Junction City, but for the purposes of a little colony of New Englanders who were to be first provided for, Topeka was by far the better location. It was 25 miles west of Lawrence, the Kansas River was north with its rich bottoms and the Pottawatomie Indian reservation extended for 30 miles westward. The site itself was a beautiful one, and it possessed many of the requisites for the building of a city, stone, sand and lumber in abundance. In addition Papan's Ferry was already a well-known institution, where the two great trails of the continent crossed the Kansas River — the one from Fort Leavenworth and St. Joseph to Santa Fe and interior military posts, and the other from Inde- pendence and Westport, Missouri, to California and the Pacific Coast." THE FIRST HOUSE. In another part of his account Colonel Holliday speaks of the Chase cabin as being constructed of unhev^rn logs and covered with prairie sod, its dimensions being 12 by 13 feet, with a door so low that persons entering or going out were obliged to stoop. Speaking of the occupancy of the cabin by 10 men on the night of December 4th, Colonel Holliday says : "In this rude hut the entire party slept for the night, but unfortunately the dry grass between the logs caught fire, and a good portion of the first house was destroyed. The next two or three huts were built entirely of sod, in 126 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY which the first settlers of Topeka spent their first winter, which fortunately for them was of an extremely mild and pleasant character, perhaps uniformly more so than any winter that has succeeded it. After the sod houses, the most popular style of tenement was called the 'shake'. These 'shakes' were oak logs sawed in lengths of about four feet, riven in a manner similar to shingles, and made to look like clapboards." October 19, 1901, upon the completion of a large brick business block on the site of Topeka's first cabin, a tablet was placed in the wall of the front corner to mark the historic incident and locality. The exercises were in charge of the Topeka chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Mrs. A. H. Thompson, regent, presiding. The unveiling of the tablet was performed by two young misses, Elizabeth Holliday and Katherine Kellam, granddaughters of Cyrus K. Holliday. The inscription upon the tablet is in these words : "This building marks the site of the first cabin in Topeka, where the town company was organized, December 5, 1854 — Dedicated by the Topeka Chapter, D. A. R., September 19, 1901." The exercises of the dedication were postponed one month on account of the death of President McKinley. The building was erected by Joab Mulvane, and occupied by the Parkhurst-Davis Mercantile Company. It was entirely destroyed by fire in February, 1903, but was rebuilt in 1904, and the stone tablet restored. CHAPTER XI. Dividing the Toivn-Site — The First Survey — Transactions in December, 1854 — Title Acquired by Means of an Indian Warrant — Claim Jump- ing, and Rival Tozvn- Organisations — How Topeka Was Named, and Its Significance — The Street and Avenue Plan — Early Buildings and Schools. Although the agreement to erect a town on the section of land relinquished by Messrs. Dickey, Davis, and Enoch and Jacob B. Chase was entered into on the 5th of December, 1854, the plans were not consummated until the 14th day of that month. The agreement first entered into was in the following form : "We, the undersigned, agree that we will proceed to select and stake out claims in the vicinity of the dwelling house erected by M. C. Dickey, J. B. Chase, Enoch Chase and George Davis, situated near the Kansas River, to be disposed of as follows, namely: One and a half miles square shall be surveyed for a town-site. Four claims are to be selected by M. C. Dickey, J. B. Chase, Enoch Chase and George Davis, respectively, and the remainder to be assigned by lot when fifteen or more persons are on the ground and ready for a drawing. The town shall be divided into fifty shares, and the lots apportioned among the stockholders by lot, from time to time, as the association may direct, reserving, however, one-sixth of the lots of the town, to be donated to such persons as will improve them as directed by the asso- ciation, and also one-sixth to be donated to the Emigrant Aid Company, of Massachusetts, as a consideration for the erection of a mill, a school house, receiving house, etc. Moreover, we agree, that the timber and wood on 'our claims may be used by any member of the association for his own- improvement for one year, provided that no person shall take more than four thousand feet of timber, board measure, and six cords of wood, except from his own claim. "Signed : C. K. Holliday, F. W. Giles, Daniel H. Home, George Davis, Enoch Chase, J. B. Chase, M. C. Dickey, C. Robinson, L. G. Cleveland. Dated : Kansas Territory, December 5, 1854." 128 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION. Further articles of association were adopted December 14th, and the following officers were elected December i8th : President, Cyrus K. Holli- day; vice-president, Enoch Chase; secretary, William C. Linaker; treasurer, Fry W. Giles; trustees, — Milton C. Dickey, Jacob B. Chase, Thomas G. Thornton, Loring G. Cleveland and Daniel H. Home. The original four settlers who had camped upon the town-site for preemp- tion purposes, and had surrendered the same to the town company, selected compensatory claims in the following order : Jacob B. Chase, — the northwest quarter of section 6, township 12, range 16; Milton C. Dickey, — the north- east quarter of section i, township 12, range 15; Enoch Chase, — the north- west quarter of section i, township 12, range 15; and George Davis, — the northeast quarter of section 2, township 12, range 15, according to the subse- quent government survey. A preliminary survey for lot purposes was made by Fry W. Giles, Cyrus K. HoUiday, Daniel H. Home and Enoch Chase. They had a cheap compass and two pieces of rope, about four rods each in length, which had been used to tie boxes and bales of supplies. Holliday and Giles held one of the ropes, and Enoch Chase and Home the other, Giles also handling the compass. With these crude implements, and guided by the shining sun and a fire on the distant prairie, the pioneer surveying party put in an entire day running the lines of the embryo city, which they decided should be enlarged to twice its original dimensions. The two pairs of amateur engineers were often two miles distant from each other on the open prairie, and it is probable that their survey showed a still greater dis- crepancy in measurement, but it was the beginning of the first division of Topeka into business and residence lots. SOME OF THE PIONEERS. In addition to the 10 persons forming the original town company, 17 other men joined the colony on the 17th of December, and selected farm claims adjacent to the city of great expectations. It has not been possible to obtain an absolutely accurate list of the 17 accessions, but it is known that the following persons were on the ground at the date named, and that most of them participated in the second farm drawing: Abel F. Hartwell, James A. Hickey, Harvey G. Young, Sidney J. Case, Philip Briggs, H. F. Root, George F. Crowe, Thomas G. Thornton, Jonas E. Greenwood, Timothy Mclntire, L. S. Long, J. F. Merriam, C. N. Gray, Freeman R. Foster, John Armstrong, Edwin S. Dexter and Robert L. Mitchell. Including the 10 original settlers, the 17 who arrived December 17th, and William C. Linaker, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 129 who preceded tliem, there were just 28 individuals on the town-site on the December date referred to, most of them being connected in some way with the town company. Of the entire number only two are known to be Hving at this time : John Armstrong and James A. Hickey — both residents of Topeka. By action of the association on December nth it was decided that the limits of the town sliould be diminished from the extravagant survey of HoUiday, Giles, et al, and made to cover territory only one and one-half miles square. A regular survey was commenced about December 20th by A. D. Searle, of Lawrence, who used as a basis the incomplete plat which had already been prepared. The Chase cabin was the starting point, the first stake being placed near that structure, which was designated as the southwest corner of First and Kansas avenues. The lines of Kansas avenue were run from that point southward to Sixth avenue, and the lots properly designated, fronting 75 feet on Kansas avenue, by 150 feet deep; and from this plat an allotment was made on the 28th day of December to each of the 28 persons belonging to the Topeka association. As originally agreed upon, the property of the association was to have been divided into 50 equal parts by allotment, but on the 3rd of January, 1855, the number of shares was increased to 100, with the understanding that the first 28 members of the association should have, at each general division of lots that might be made, one additional or "award" lot. Immediately after the allotment on the 28th of December, the surveys were extended over other parts of town as detailed by Mr. Giles in his sketch of Topeka. All of the tract lying between First and Sixth avenues, west- ward to Topeka avenue and eastward to Jefferson street (then known as Eastern avenue), was surveyed and platted into streets and avenues as at present existing, but the squares formed by the crossings of the streets were designated as blocks, and numbered from west to east, beginning with No. 5, at the intersection of First and Topeka avenues, and ending with No. 60, at the intersection of Sixth avenue and Jefferson street. Each block was divided into 12 lots, 75 by -150 feet, and numbered from the northeast corner south- ward, one to six, and from the southwest corner northward, seven to 12. This plan was abandoned at a subsequent period, after the completion of the entire survey, and the lot plan now in use was adopted. The land embraced in the original town-site consisted of 684 acres, being the whole of section 31 and the southeast fractional quarter of section 30, township 11, range 16. PURCHASE OF THE INDIAN TITLE. For the purpose of acquiring title to the tract of land, the trustees resorted to the expedient of purchasing what was known as a "land float" — a govern- I30 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY ment warrant authorizing a Pottawatomie Indian or his assigns to locate a piece of unoccupied land in any district he might prefer. This right was accorded to Isaiah Walker, and 34 other members of the Wyandotte Nation, by a treaty made in 1842, and modified in 1854, and under one of its pro- visions a patent from the government was thought to be immediately avail- able. The Topeka association purchased No. 20 of this series of floats from Isaiah Walker for the sum of $1,200. In order to provide funds with which to pay for the float, the association sold its surplus land above 640 acres to Franklin L. Crane, John Ritchie and Cyrus K. Holliday for $1,300. It was not until February 14, 1859, that the patent to Walker was issued, and Walker did not deed to the Topeka association until July i, 1859. These delays caused confusion and uncertainty in disposing of lots. Rival claims were set up, and in one instance a rival town company, called "The Valley Town Company," chartered by the Territorial Legislature, undertook to assert its ownership of the town-site, a proceeding which the Topeka association resisted vigorously and successfully. There was the usual jumping of claims incident to the open- ing of a new town and country. One such attempt was made at the corner of Eighth and Topeka avenues, where a stranger unloaded material for a log house. A vigilance committee drove him away on the night of January 8, 1855. In the spring of 1855 ^ T^^n named Michael Hummer, a preacher, set up a cabin on the homestead of A. A. Ward, having induced Ward to sign a paper giving him a color of right. It soon developed that Hummer's purpose was to start a rival town under the name of Fremont. He built a cabin on First avenue, just east of the present D. L. Lakin home. Ward insisted that he had been imposed upon, and upon receiving this explanation his friends pro- ceeded to Hummer's cabin and filed a protest. Hummer exhibited a document which he claimed was a deed from Ward, and one of the party snatched the paper from him and tore it into fragments. In the melee Hummer was knocked down by Robert Edwards. Upon his revival, he was placed in a wagon with his wife and other belongings and driven across the Shunga- nunga, southwest of Topeka, and told to go his way in peace. Most of the disputes over titles were settled by conveyances from Cyrus K. Holliday, as trustee of the Topeka association, and these titles were subsequently confirmed by the District Court of Shawnee County. NAMING THE NEW TOWN. The important question of bestowing a suitable name upon the city which was to be erected around the Chase cabin was not taken up until the evening of January i, 1855, at a general meeting held in the cabin. It was discussed that night and the following night, the deliberations resulting in the choice KANSAS AVENUE, LOOKING SOUTH FROM SIXTH AVENUE VAN BUREN STREET, LOOKING SOUTH FROM COURT HOUSE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 133 of Topeka. Cyrus K. Holliday wanted to call it Webster, after the great ora- tor and satesman, but was overruled. Papan's Ferry was proposed, but rejected as being too provincial, and Mid-Continent was too cumbersome. The suggestion of Topeka came from Rev. S. Y. Lum, who said it was a new word, not to be found in any dictionary, atlas or post office directory. All agreed that it was novel, euphonious and appropriate. Its Indian flavor could not be questioned, and its equal division of vowels and consonants gave it a tripping and cadent sound. Topeka was born on the spot. There was no formal ceremony of christening, no festal rites — Bacchus, Gambrinus and the goddess of hop tea had not yet penetrated beyond the confines of the Missouri River, and the joint-keeper and boot-legger were likewise unknown. The significance of the name "Topeka" has engaged the thoughtful atten- tion of philologists, linguists and nomenclaturists in all parts of the country. Col. William A. Phillips, a Kansas correspondent of the New York Tribune in the '50's, claimed that the word was synonymous with "Topheika," found in the language of the Pottawatomie Indians, and meaning "mountain potato." A similarity to the Indian word "Tohopeka" was traced, until it was found that the latter signified "barricade or fortification" — being so used by the Choctaw- Muscogee Indians, and not applicable to the conditions in Kansas. Chief White Plume, of the Kaw tribe of Indians, claimed that his people applied the name "Topeka" to the principal stream of Kansas long before the govern- ment designated it as the Kansas River. The name was so applied to the stream by the aborigines on account of the vast quantity of wild potatoes which grew along its banks, the full significance of the word being "the river upon whose banks grew the wild potato plant." Prof. John B. Dunbar, erst- while professor of languages at Washburn College, maintains that the Kaw Indian name for the river was Kansa, meaning "swift," although the Iowa and Omaha tribes may have referred to the stream as Topeka River. Pro- fessor Dunbar, who went to the root of the subject, gave the following analysis of the derivation and meaning of the word "Topeka :" SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORD. "It is made up of three words, common, with a slight dialectic variation, with the languages of the Iowa, Omaha and Kansas or Kaw Indians. These words are, to, a word meaning potato (the wild kind) pe, an adjective (short- ened from pekae) meaning good, and okae, a word meaning to dig. In the process of composition the e of pe is dropped, or rather hardened to the conso- nant y, making from the three words to-pyo-kac, which means literally, 'a good place to dig potatoes.' In the language of the Iowa and Omaha tribes the word was applied as a general term to the Kansas or Kaw River, or the 134 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY valley along its course. The historical origin of the application of the term was the fact that not infrecjuently in the spring, when the supply of food fell short, the various tribes of Indians resorted to this region, and for some weeks secured a scanty sustenance by digging and eating the wild artichoke that abounded in certain parts of the area named. The name of the city, therefore, very appropriately perpetuates the most important aboriginal asso- ciation connected with its immediate vicinity." In harmony with these views, it may be added that in later years the entire Kansas River Valley became one of the greatest potato producing sec- tions in the whole country, thus indicating the judgment and natural acumen of the untutored savage. Even as early as the year i860 it is related that Cyrus K. Holliday, who farmed a part of the site of Topeka, raised more potatoes in a single season than he could gather with men who would consent to dig them "on the halves." Potatoes are now shipped from Kansas Valley points by car-loads and train-loads to all parts of the country, and the indus- try is growing year by year. PLAN AND NAMES OF STREETS. In designating the streets of Topeka those running east and west were given numbers, and those running north and south were named for the Presi- dents of the United States, from Washington to Taylor. President Pierce was in office at the time of this action, but he was in such disfavor with the Abolitionists of Kansas that his name was ignored, and Fremont street sub- stituted — Fremont street finally gave way to Fillmore. A street was named for John Adams, but when John Quincy Adams was reached in chronological order the name Quincy street was substituted. The names of the Presidents were employed in regular order except that the principal business street, inter- vening between Quincy and Jackson, was called Kansas avenue, and the prin- cipal residence street, intervening between Harrison and Tyler, was called Topeka avenue. Western avenue also intervened between Taylor and Fill- more streets. Some of the wider thoroughfares running east and west were designated as avenues instead of streets, notably Sixth and Tenth avenues. Practically the same system of numbering and naming the streets was con- tinued in later years, with a few variations made necessary by peculiar bounda- ries. Henry Clay was honored with a street, immediately preceding Buchanan, and Lincoln follows Buchanan. Streets have been named for Grant, Cleveland and Garfield, but not in regular order. Rutherford B. Hayes, Andrew John- son and Chester A. Arthur have not been recognized, and President Roosevelt is on the waiting list. The numbered streets run up to 28, although the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 135 original plat of the town stopped at nth street. The total number of lots in the original plat was 4,228. In 1905 the lots exceed 30,000 in number. NEW ARRIVALS. During the winter of 1854-55 the colony of 28 Topekans was increased to 64, by the arrival of 36 persons — 30 males and six females. Early in the spring of 1855 another party of 42 arrived, known as the Robinson party. New cabins and sod houses were built, and a few board shanties erected. One of the latter was a boarding house built by A. W. Moore. Sidney J. Case built a log residence, with a blacksmith shop in the rear. Another and longer cabin was constructed for hotel purposes, with berths one above another, and called the Pioneer House. Gradually the character of the buildings im- proved, as sawmills and brickyards were established. In April, 1855, J. T. Jones built and opened a grocery store. On the 13th of the same month the Farnsworth brothers commenced a stone building on the west side of Kansas avenue, between Fourth and Fifth streets, which afterwards became known as Constitution Hall. The stone for this building was taken from a ravine back of the present Throop Hotel. Topeka was made a post office, in March, 1855, with Fry W. Giles as postmaster. The office was first established in a log house belonging to Sidney J. Case, on the east side of Quincy street, near Second, but was soon removed to a frame building on the southeast cor- ner of Kansas avenue and Fifth street. J. C. Gordon and Asaph Allen started a store at No. 103 Kansas avenue in the summer of 1855. J. C. Miller started the first brick house on the i8th of April of that year, near the corner of Kan- sas and Sixth avenues. A little later Robert L. Mitchell opened a cabinet shop at the northwest corner of Sixth and Harrison, afterwards the residence for many years of William Marshall, and now the property of the Topeka Club. In September, 1855, this was the meeting place of the first delegate convention looking to the formation of a constitution and State government. From that convention sprang the Topeka constitutional convention. PIONEER SCHOOLS. The first school was kept in a little house belonging to Dr. F. L. Crane, situated on Madison street, just north of the present Lincoln School. The teacher was Miss Sarah C. Harlan, niece of United States Senator Harlan, of Iowa. Others of the early teachers were Miss Carrie Whiting (afterwards Mrs. L. C. Wilmarth) and Miss Jennie Allen (afterwards Mrs. I. E. Perley). The first public school building was erected by the New England Emigrant Aid Company in the summer of 1857. It was built of brick, on the rear end of 136 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY lots 145, 147 a.nd 149, Harrison street, fronting on Fifth street, the room being 24 by 18 feet in size. On these lots was afterwards built the present residences of Jacob Smith and W. A. L. Thompson, and a part of the brick from the old school house went into the construction of Mr. Smith's barn. Topeka continued to improve in the winter of 1855-56, and there was a great change in the character of the buildings. The work of establishing roads, ferries and bridges was enthusiastically commenced and vigorously prosecuted. In the year 1856 the first three-story building, the Topeka House, was erected by Walter Oakley. The Chase House, another three-story build- ing, was erected in the same year. Buildings were also constructed by Jere- miah Murphy, I. E. Perley, M. K. Smith, E. C. K. Garvey, F. L. Crane and John Ritchie — the last named erecting what was known as the Ritchie Block. In 1857 and 1858 there was still greater activity in building and real estate transactions. There was a gratifying increase of immigration, money became plentiful, and property advanced to high figures. These conditions were main- tained throughout the years 1859 and i860 except that the city's progress was impeded to some extent by the "border ruffian" troubles, Indian uprisings and a protracted season of drought, from all of which the State and city emerged triumphant. CHAPTER XII. County-Seat Location — Movements for the State Capitol — Locations at Fort Leavenworth, Sliawnee Mission, Pawnee, Lecompton, Lawrence, Min- neola and Topeka — The Several Constitutional Conventions — Free-State a}id Pro-Slavery Contests — First State Legislature — History and De- scription of the Finished Capitol. Topeka was made county-seat of Shawnee County by a vote of the people on October 4, 1858, her rivals in the election being Tecumseh, Auburn (Brownsville) and Burlingame. The electors of Tecumseh refrained from voting on the county-seat proposition, although they voted on other questions at the same election. When it became known that the majority expression was in favor of Topeka, the citizens of Tecumseh contested the results, claiming that the election was illegal; and the probate judge, Edward Hoagland, to whom the poll-books were returnable, refused to certify the vote until compelled to do so by a higher judicial authority. While the controversy was pending, a part of the county records were forcibly removed from Tecumseh to Topeka. On the 24th of January, 1859, the Legislature legalized this election, and de- clared Topeka to be the permanent county-seat. THE CAPITAL CITY. Under the constitution framed by the Wyandotte convention, July 29, 1859, Topeka was designated to be the capital of Kansas, and this action was ratified by a vote of the people, October 4, 1859. The events leading up to this action are so much a part of the general history of the State that it is not necessary to do more than epitomize them in this connection. By act of Congress, May 30, 1854, the Territory of Kansas was thrown open to settlement, a Territorial government provided, and the seat of govern- ment located temporarily at Fort Leavenworth. Governor Andrew H. Reeder, the first of the Territorial Governors, established his headquarters there Octo- ber 4, 1854. The executive office was removed, November 24th, to the Shaw- nee Methodist Episcopal Indian Mission, near the Missouri State line, about two and one-half miles southwest from Westport, and seven miles from Kan- 138 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY sas City. On June 27, 1855, the Governor transferred the seat of government to Pawnee, on the north side of the Kansas River, at the eastern Hne of the Fort Riley Mihtary Reservation. FIRST CAPITOL BUILDINGS. A stone building was erected at Pawnee for capital purposes. The walls of the building are still sanding, and the spot has received its historical mark of preservation. The Legislature met in this building July 2, 1855, and changed the seat of government back to Shawnee Mission, the Governor re- turning there July 12th. On August 8th of the same year the Shawnee Mis- sion Legislature, by vote in joint session, located the capital at Lecompton. The United States government spent $50,000 in the construction of a capitol building at this point, and sessions of the Legislature were held at Lecompton in 1855, 1856 and 1857. The Legislature of 1857 adjourned to meet at Lawrence, where it assembled January 8, 1858, Lawrence thus becoming the temporary capital. An act was immediately passed removing the capital to Minneola, but it was vetoed by Governor Denver. Sessions of the Legislature were held alternately at Lecompton and Lawrence in 1858, 1859, i860 and 1861. FREE STATE MOVEMENTS. The foregoing account relates in most part to the acts and attitude of the Pro-Slavery party in Kansas, which had control of the official machinery. Of far greater importance to Topeka was the action during the same years of the Free-State men, who were trying to wrest the control of the govern- ment from the other faction. The proceedings of the Free-State men, in their meetings and conventions, are very clearly and concisely set forth in an article prepared by th^ late Franklin G. Adams, who was for many years secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society. In his paper Secretary Adams says : "The Free-State party in Kansas named Topeka as the capital of the State as early as in 1855. It became the capital under the Free-State constitu- tional movement. That was the movement through which the Free- State party in Kansas in 1855 framed a constitution, organized a State government, and applied to Congress for admission into the Union. This movement began by reason of the Shawnee Mission legislative usurpation and the oppressive legislation enacted. It was an effort of the body of the actual settlers of Kan- sas to free the territory from the thralldom of that usurpation. At a mass convention held in Lawrence August 14 and 15, 1855, among other proceed- ings, a resolution was passed declaring that the people of the Territory ought AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 139 to select delegates to a convention to frame a constitution for the State of Kansas, with a view to an immediate admission into the American Union. This convention also indorsed a call which had been issued for holding a gen- eral delegate convention of the Territory at Big Springs on the 5th of Septem- ber. Another convention, held at Lawrence on the 15th, appointed a delegate convention to be held at Topeka on the 19th of September, to take action to- wards the formation of a State constitution and government. The Big Springs convention, on the 5th of September, approved the constitutional-convention movement, and adopted a resolution to respond to the call made for the Topeka convention on the 19th of September. THE TOPEKA CONVENTION. "The convention at Topeka, September 19th, adopted elaborate resolu- tions setting forth the reasons in favor of the constitutional movement. The convention appointed an executive committee, with instructions to issue an address to the people and to appoint an election to be held in the several dis- tricts of the Territory on the 9th of October, for the election of delegates to convene at Topeka on the 23rd of October to form a constitution for the State of Kansas. Thus was an executive committee, appointed by a spontaneous movement of the people and representing the dominant sentiment of the people, clothed with the power to organize the machinery of government in the pros- pective commonwealth. The force which inspired life and impelled and directed the movements for a State government lay in the executive committee. It continued to issue its proclamations through its chairman, James H. Lane, and to do in the most efficient manner the work of a provisional and semi- revolutionary government through the darkest and most disordered and dangerous period of the Territorial existence. "The constitutional convention elected in pursuance of the call of the executive committee met at Topeka October 2^, 1855, continued in session until November nth, and framed the celebrated Topeka constitution. The constitution was sent by messengers to Washington and for years continued to engage the attention of Congress and to agitate the country on the question of its ratification. "Other constitutional conventions were held in the meantime at Lecomp- ton and Leavenworth." TOPEKA AND HER RIVALS. The location of the capital for the new State was an interesting subject in the proceedings of the Topeka constitutional convention, for there were many towns or projected towns at this period having capital aspirations, among 7 I40 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY them being Council City, Cottonwood, Bloomington, Topeka, Leavenworth, Lawrence, Lecompton, Blanton, Prairie City, Manhattan and Wabaunsee. On the third day of the sitting of the Topeka convention, Cyrus K. Holhday moved that among the standing committees there should be one on the loca- tion of the capital. On November 6th the convention voted on the temporary location, Topeka being chosen, the final ballot standing 20 for Topeka and 16 for Lawrence. This action was not immediately effective, as the Topeka convention was not recognized by the existing government, but in the end it resulted in fixing Topeka as the capital of the State. At that time there were but a few buildings here. The building which was known as Constitution Hall was the most substantial. It was a stone building, erected by Loring Farnsworth on Nos. 425 and 427 Kansas avenue (under the new system of numbering), and the walls still remain as a part of the present building in the same place. The building was so far completed as to be occupied by the constitutional conven- tion of October 23rd, and also by the Legislature in its session held under that constitution. The Adams statement continues : FIRST LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS. "Under the Topeka constitution, five meetings of the Legislature were had in Constitution Hall. Under the constitution three elections were held for the election of State officers or members of the Legislature, or both. The constitution became the banner under which the Free-State party rallied in its struggle to free the Territory from the clutches of the Pro-Slavery despotism under which it was placed through the fraudulent election of March 30, 1855. The outrageous laws passed by the Shawnee Mission Legislature made out- laws of the members of the Free-State government. The Topeka constitu- tional movement became the special object of the hatred of the Pro-Slavery party. Their bogus laws contained provisions making it treason for the people thus to combine for the object of annulling them. Their packed grand juries indicted the Topeka State officers and members of the Legislature. Marshals and sheriffs, supported by squads of so-called militia or by United States sol- diers, hunted them down like wild beasts. "The first Legislature under the constitution met March 4, 1856. It did little legislation. It memorialized Congress for the ratification of the Topeka constitution. It appointed committees to prepare a code of laws. It adjourned to mxet again July 4th. When that memorable 4th of July came, and the mem- bers of the legislature gathered for their sepond meeting, through orders from Acting Governor Woodson, backed by authority from Washington, Gen. E. V. Sumner appeared with a force of United States troops and dispersed them. BUILDING FOR INCURABLES, STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE EAST END MAIN BUILDING, STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 143 They met again, the third time, January 5, 1857. At this meeting a committee was appointed to prepare another memorial to Congress for admission into the Union. The second day of the session a large number of the members, includ- ing the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, were arrested by a United States marshal and taken under guard to Tecumseh. Then the body took a recess to June 9th. On that day the fourth meeting of the Topeka Leg- islature convened. A census law was passed, an election ordered in August, a State University was located at Lawrence, the State capital was again estab- lished at Topeka, and Congress was gain memorialized to admit Kansas into the Union under the Topeka constitution. January 5, 1858, the fifth and last meeting of the Topeka Free-State Legislature was held. Little was done except the reading of Governor Charles Robinson's message, in which he advised the keeping up of the State organization. THE LEAVENWORTH CONVENTION. "But by this time little hope remained of the admission of the State into the Union under the Topeka constitution. The population of the Territory had become so large and was so overwhelmingly Free-State, that the Free- State votete had already seized the lawmaking power by the election of the Territorial Legislature, and that body was at this time in session. The Topeka constitutional movement had performed its mission. For Topeka it had surely paved the way for the permanent capital of Kansas. Mention has been made of the Minneola capital and the Leavenworth constitution. The Leavenworth constitution served a purpose, that of a foil to the Lecompton constitution, steeped in fraud as that was. But there seemed no hope that Congress would ratify the Leavenworth constitution. The Territorial Legislature of 1859 therefore passed a law providing for a fourth constitutional convention. This became known as the Wyandotte convention, and it framed the present consti- tution of Kansas. This convention was held in Wyandotte, now Kansas City, Kansas, in July, 1859. The constitution was adopted by vote of the people, October 4th, but it was not until January 29, 1861, that the act of Congress ratifying it was approved by President Buchanan." THE FINAL CONVENTION. The Wyandotte constitutional convention provided that Topeka should be the temporary capital, and that the Legislature should submit the question of the permanent location to a vote of the people. In the Wyandotte conven- tion two votes were had upon the temporary location. There were many can- didates, and the first vote resulted as follows: For Mound City, 2 votes; 144 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Mapleton, i; Minneola, 2; Topeka, 15; Olathe, 2; Lawrence, 6; Burlington, I ; Stanton, i ; Atchison, 5 ; Manhattan, 2 ; Le Roy, i ; Emporia, 2 ; Burlin- game, i; Louisville, i; Kickapoo, i; Troy, i; Humboldt, i; Palermo, i; Paola, I ; Big Springs, i ; Pike's Peak, i ; Superior, i. The second ballot resulted in favor of Topeka, the delegates voting as follows : For Topeka : J. M. Arthur, F. Brown, J. T. Barton, W. P. Button, R. C. Foster, John W. Forman, John P. Greer, William R. Griffith, Samuel Hippie, E. M. Hubbard, S. D. Houston, J. Lamb, G. H. Lillie, E. Moore, W. C. McDowell, A. D. McCune, C. B. McClelland, W. McCullough, H. D. Preston, P. S. Parks, R. J. Porter, John Ritchie, E. G. Ross, J. A. Signer, John P. Slough, Samuel A. Stinson, J. Stairwalt, J. Wright and B. Wrig- ley — 29. For Lawrence : J. G. Blunt, J. C. Burnett, John T. Burris, J. Blood, N. C. Blood, A. Crocker, William Hutchinson, James Hanway, S. E. Hoffman, Edward Stokes, B. F. Simpson, S. O. Thatcher, P. H. Townsend and R. L. Williams — 14. For Atchison : Robert Graham, John J. Ingalls, Samuel A. Kingman, J. A. Middleton, L. R. Palmer and T. S. Wright— 6. The location under this action being only temporary, the L^islature of 1 86 1 authorized a vote of the people on the subject, and at the general election in November of that year the capital was definitely located at Topeka by the following vote: Topeka, 7,996; Lawrence, 5,291; all others, 1,184. FIRST STATE LEGISLATURE. The first State Legislature under the Wyandotte constitution met in Topeka March 26, 1861, the city at that time having about 800 inhabitants. Governor Robinson rented rooms for the executive offices in the Ritchie Block, which was afterwards destroyed by fire. The location was at the southeast corner of Sixth and Kansas avenues, where Rowley & Snow's drug-store now is. The first State Senate met in the third story of this building for three years. The first House of Representatives met in the Gale Block, now known as Crawford's Opera House, and here the joint convention was held which elected James H. Lane and Samuel C. Pomeroy to the United States Senate. Later in the session the House adjourned, on account of a leak in the roof, to the Congregational Church, on the corner of Seventh and Harrison streets. In 1862 the House again met in the Gale Block, and the session of 1863 was held in the Methodist Episcopal Church on Quincy street, where Odd Fel- lows' Hall is now located. The Legislature of 1864 met in Constitution Hall, which was enlarged for the purpose and leased to the State for a period of five AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 145 years, until the east wing of the permanent State Capitol was ready for occu- pancy, in 1869. SITE FOR THE CAPITOL. The square of 20 acres of ground upon which the State Capitol stands was donated for that use by the Topeka association, the reservation being first made in 1855. The site, which is equivalent to four city blocks, was accepted by the Legislature in 1862, and in 1866 a law was passed to proceed with the erection of a State House in accordance with plans prepared by E. Townsend Mix. An appropriation of $50,000 was voted, the money to be raised by the sale of 10 sections of land which the State had received from the Federal gov- ernment. On October 17, 1866, the corner-stone of the Capitol was laid by the Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. M., assisted by Topeka Lodge, No. 17. In the construction of the first, or east, wing of the building, the contractors used a brown sandstone from a quarry near Vinewood Park, but this was found to be defective and the wing was completed with Junction City stone. This also proved to be unsatisfactory, and the other parts of the structure were built of a more durable stone from Cottonwood Falls. • DIMENSIONS AND COST. Rooms in the new Capitol were first occupied by State officers December 25, 1869, and the first legislative session in the building was in 1870. The west wing was built in 1880, and work commenced on the central portion in 1883. It was not until March 24, 1903, that the finished structure was turned over to the State. The dimensions of the building are as follows : Extreme diameter or breadth of the building, including the porches, north and south, 399 feet; east and west, 386 feet; square of the dome at the base, 80 by 80 feet; height of dome to balcony at lantern, 258 feet; height of dome to extreme top, 304 feet. The total cost of the finished Capitol was $3,200,588.92, of which $481,000 was for the east wing, including the remodeling; $314,237 for the west wing; $1,289,611.30 for the central portion, including dome; and $416,876.19 for decoration and furnishings. Most of the money was ex- pended under the supervision of a State House Commission, which had charge of the letting of contracts. The following architects have been employed at dififerent times on the work: E. Townsend Mix, John G. Haskell, L. M. Wood, E. T. Carr, Kenneth McDonald, Van Brunt & Sutton, J. C. Holland, E. J. Putnam, Seymour Davis, W. C. Hills, T. H. Lescher and John F. Stanton. CHAPTER XIII. Drought of i860 — Depression Resulting from the War — How the City Ap- peared in 1862 — Prominent Business Firms and Professional Men — The Growth from 1865 to 1870 — Renewed Activity in Real Estate Transac- tions — The Railroad Situation — Wagon Routes from Topeka — Associa- tion of Old Settlers. Topeka' s growth, as well as that of Shawnee County, was greatly re- tarded by the memorable drought of i860. The labors of agriculture at that time were entirely confined to the raising of corn and vegetables, of which a scant supply matured. It is estimated that the population of the city and county decreased fully 20 per cent, in that year and the general stagnation was added to by the outbreak of the Civil War. Following the close of the war, the tide of immigration again set in, capital sought investment, property felt the stimulus of increased value, there was abundant work for the mechanic and laborer, and enterprises of great pith and moment were undertaken with a confidence inspired by the general firmness, politically and socially, that marked the new life in Kansas. RETROSPECTIVE. In the year 1862 Topeka had a population of less than 700. All that portion of the country north of the river was practically uninhabited, there being but a few log houses in the valley between Indianola and the river. Dr. Franklin L. Crane was farming that portion of the city lying north of Fifth street and east of Monroe, including the land where the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe depot now stands. Col. Cyrus K. Holliday lived on the farm ad- joining Dr. Crane's on the south, now the center of a big city where the family residence has been maintained for 50 years. South and east of Kan- sas and loth avenues was John Ritchie's farm. South and west of the Ritchie property were the claims of Col. Joel Huntoon, Milton C. Dickey, J. C. Gor- don and Daniel H. Home. Southeast of the city were the farms of W. B. Wade, L. C. Conwell and Justus Brockway, and close by were farms belong- ing to Dr. S. E. Martin, R. S. Martin, John Long and D. R. Young. Fry AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 147 W. Giles had a farm on the Shunganunga, and was operating an express and stage oifice in town. The Topeka House stood on the present site of the Gov- ernment Building, and opposite it was the Garvey House. The Chase House stood where the Stormont office building now stands, and on Sixth avenue were the Tuttle and Ashbaugh hotels. The lawyers of that time were John Martin, A. H. Case and W. P. Douthitt. The physicians were S. E. Martin, Deming & Miller and B. F. King. The ministers were Revs. Lewis Bodwell, Charles M. Calloway, J. H. Defouri, Ira Blackford, John A. Steele and E. Alward. The leading store was conducted by Hamilton & Company, Fielding Johnson and George W. Veale being the "Company." H. W. Farnsworth and Willis Gordon were millers, Jacob Smith was the proprietor of a tin shop, George O. Wilmarth owned the post office book-store, Charles C. Kellam was postmaster, William Marshall was the only tailor, Thomas Archer was constable and J. C. Miller, justice of the peace. In the block on the west side of Kansas avenue, between Sixth avenue and Seventh street, there was then only one building, and south of that on the avenue was vacant prairie. The young ladies of that period were Miss Mary Ward, Miss Belle Chase, Miss Murphy, Miss Miller, Miss Allen, Miss Blush and Miss Farnsworth, and the list of young men included George, Frank and Orville Crane, T. B. Mills, J. C. French, George Trott, David Seagraves, Perry Tuttle and Henry C. Lindsey. The only business men of the early '6o's who have continued uninterruptedly from that date to this are John W. Farnsworth and Jacob Smith. Mr. Farnsworth changed his business from dry goods to queensware, and Mr. Smith's tin-shop became the basis of the present W. A. L. Thompson Hardware Company. AFTER THE WAR. Topeka's activity suffered no abatement between the years 1865 and 1870. In that period many fine business blocks were erected and handsome residences built. It was also the era of bridge building, railroad projection and general improvement. School houses and churches were built, sidewalks laid and much public work done. The city rapidly outgrew its original dimen- sions, and the first farm claims were nearly all converted into town lots. Many additions were platted and taken into the city, known as Young's, Home's, Crane's, Ritchie's, King's, Holliday's and Huntoon's additions. The Kaw Indian land opposite the city, on the north side of the Kansas River, came into market through an act of Congress authorizing the Indians to sell their property, and reservation No. 4 of the land belonging to the half-breeds was bought and platted for town purposes. Eugenia was the name first given to the town, but the territory was attached to Topeka in April, 1867, and thence- 148 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY forth took the name of North Topeka, being the first ward of the main city. Some of the buildings erected and new institutions established in the period between 1865 and 1870 were the following: The Mortimer Cook Building at the southwest corner of Kansas and Sixth avenues; the Baker & Tinkham Block, opposite Crawford's Opera House; Grace Episcopal Church, at the northwest corner of Jackson and Seventh streets ; the Tefft House, where the First National Bank Building now stands ; Charles F. Kendall's dry goods store; E. W. Baker & Company's wholesale grocery establishment; an iron foundry established on the corner of Second and Jefferson streets; a flouring mill erected at the corner of Kansas avenue and Third street, and another one in North Topeka, built by L. Laurent; the Topeka Bank, Kansas Valley National Bank, Capital Bank, and the Giles & Jewell Bank, opened for busi- ness; the Adams Building, North Topeka; and the Union Pacific Hotel and Depot, North Topeka. The principal residences built were those of Jesse H. Crane, on Madison between Fourth and Fifth streets ; Hugo Kullak, north- west corner of Topeka avenue and Seventh street; and Jacob Smith, south- west corner of Harrison and Fifth streets. BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MEN. In addition to those already named, the well-known business and profes- sional men of that period were: Barnum & Company, George C. Kenyon, Bates & Company, C. A. Butts, Geiger & McGrath and G. F. Merriam, dry goods ; A. J. Arnold, Rowley Brothers, Stringham & Brown and C. C. Kellam, druggists; Benjamin Haywood, John Worth and Andrew Seller, furniture; Guilford Dudley, private banker ; Crane & Byron, blank books ; A. H. Thomp- son, dentist; John P Cole, Whitton & Weiss, E. G. Moon, Rodgers Brothers, Craigue & Company and R. E. Randolph, groceries; J. A. McLaughlin, fire- arms ; Smith & Hale, J. M. Baird, E. H. Blake & Company and T. H. Whit- mer, hardware; Burkhard & Oswald, harness; Hartsock & Gossett, hides; Henry Clarkson, Gavitt & Scott, Orrin T. Welch and Stone & Bodine, insur- ance; J. & R. Thomas, Shellabarger & Leidigh and C. Reed, lumber; J. Lee Knight and J. V. Wintrode, photographers; James Douglass, John Lahmer and Fred Ortman, jewelers ; David Brier, Bishop Crumrine, Edgar W. Dennis, M. P. Garretson, John Guthrie, N. F. Handy, Lewis Hanback, A. W. Hayes, John M. McDonald, Noah C. McFarland, Ross Burns, John Mileham, J. H. Moss, J. H. Putnam, B. J. Ricker, Thomas Ryan, John G. Searle, Hugh M. Spalding, A. H. Vance, J. G. Wood, J. G. Waters and A. L. Williams, attor- neys; W. S. Baker, George Dick, Eli Lewis, John McClintock, M. Bailey, L. G. Murphy, M. F. Price, W. W. Rodgers, Silas E. Shelden, E. Tefft, D. W. Stormont and George Wyman, physicians. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. I49 The Episcopal Female Seminary was in operation at the corner of Topeka avenue and Ninth street, under the patronage of Bishop Thomas H. Vail. Rev. J. N. Lee was principal and Mrs. R. N. Baldwin, vice-principal. Miss Minnie Beales, Kansas' most famous vocalist, was one of the teachers. The Masons, Odd Fellows and Good Templars were the only secret societies in existence. The Union Pacific Railroad had been extended as far west as Carson, Colorado, and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe line was running trains to Emporia. The wagon roads leading out of the city were marked as follows : To Grasshopper Falls, Kansas avenue due north across Soldier Creek; to Tecumseh, Sixth avenue east; to Clinton, loth avenue to Shunga- nunga bridge, thence south ; to Burlingame, Jackson street south ; to Auburn, loth avenue west to Fillmore street, thence in a southwesterly direction; to Mission Creek, on the Auburn road to the crossing of nth street, and then branching off to the west ; to Wabaunsee, Sixth avenue west. ASSOCIATION OF OLD SETTLERS. At various meetings of the Old Settlers' Association of Topeka, the fol- lowing persons signed the roll of membership, giving their names and the date of their citizenship : 1854 — ^John Armstrong, Freeman R. Foster, Caroline S. Scales, L. S. Long, William C. Gibbons, J. S. Freeland, S. E. Martin, W. W. Phillips, Fry W. Giles, George W. Berry, J. S. Freeland, J. W. Miller, E. J. Haynes, John Long and Mrs. E. J. Dailey. 1855 — H. W. Curtis, Mrs. John Long, Mrs. C. A. Giles, Mrs. Augusta W. Lescher, Mrs. Mary Herbert, Charles H. Lovejoy, Josiah Jordan, Sarah C. Stone, Franklin G. Adams, C. G. Howard, W. H. Moffitt, G. W. Gillis, Martha Allen, William P. Thompson, Mrs. C. S. Baker, Mrs. Susanna M. Weymouth, Marion E. Thomson, A. H. Slayton, Josiah B. McAfee, Anna R. McAfee, T. B. Pitcher, Samuel J. Reader, Susan Howey, Richard Russell, Hale Ritchie, William H. Weymouth, Mrs. Celeste M. Forbes, Mrs. Jennie M. Nellis, Mrs. Louisa T. Oakley, Sarah E. Doane, Abner Doane and Mrs. Sarah Curtis. 1856 — Joel Huntoon, John S. Firey, John ElHott, W. H. Fitzpatrick, George E. Flanders, Thomas H. Haskell, G. S. Gordon, Walter Oakley, John P. Greer, Kate Farnsworth Akin, Harvey D. Rice, William Owen, Maria M. Martin, Jasper M. Howard, Samuel Dolman, Minda K. Dolman, E. Marple, H. K. Winans, Alpheus Palmer, R. A. Randlett, W. D. Paul, William Wal- lace, J. B. Miller, James M. Harvey, Mrs. G. S. Gordon, Edward Chapman, Mrs. Edward Chapman, Hiram W. Farnsworth, John W. Farnsworth and William Chase. ISO HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY 1857 — Avery Washburn, Mrs. L. P. Huntoon, Rebecca Brittain, E. G. Moon, N. J. Moon, Henry W. McAfee, Mrs. Freeman R. Foster, Mrs. J. M. Foster, Martha M. James, Mrs. W. H. Fitzpatrick, Miss Rena Fitzpatrick, Miss Mary Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Ehzabeth Fisher, Jacob Smith, William P. Douthitt, E. M. Chase, Jane T. Randlett, T. H. Lescher, Olive A. Owen, Flora C. Harvey, M. J. Freeland, Amanda G. Person, Charles F. Spencer, J. S. Stansfield, James Mecham, V. B. Howey, G. W. Packard, J. M. Bryan, D. W. Boutwell, Mrs. E. V. Boutwell, Emily R. Douthitt, Christian Bowman, Josephine Stafford, A. J. Huntoon, Ellen S. Huntoon, Daniel Thompson, Frank A. Root, William S. Bennett, W. W. Climenson, Mrs. C. Crawford, L. M. Ayers, Peter Fisher, Henry Taylor, David L. Lakin, Mrs. Ann Spencer, Castorn Washburn, Sarah A. Elliott, M. P. Hillyer and Georgiana Packard. 1858— A. F. Barker, T. A. Barker, Kate Rudolph Wilson, James V. Douthitt, H. D. Fisher, E. M. Fisher, Lucius Kingman, E. A. Goodell, Sarah Goodell, Mrs. Martha Paine, Mrs. Emma Campbell Hudson, Allen Holcraft, George W. Weed, D. O. Crane, Mrs. H. M. Prouty and Mrs. F. A. Root. 1859 — F. M. Fletcher, R. J. Miller, Amond Benton, Mrs. Ella Phillips, Mrs. Mary A. Rice, Emma Bodwell Stagg, Miss Zu Adams, Mary Marple, Sophie G. Ashbaugh, John F. Carter, Allan Maxson, Mrs. W. W. Phillips, Hattie Fletcher, Emily Thompson and Elizabeth Taylor. i860 — Guilford Dudley Baker, Elizabeth Flanders, G. W. Dailey, Matilda Steele McFarland, Martha A. Herriott, Floyd P. Baker, Robert B. Steele and Marcia G. Gordon. 1 86 1 — Emma B. Stagg and Josephine E. Ashbaugh. 1862 — Miss Lou Climenson. 1863— George D. Butts and Mrs. C. A. Butts. 1864 — Sarah A. Elliott and C. S. Baker. 1865 — Robert Robinson and James A. Troutman. 1866 — Anna Foster, Henry Evans, Mrs. Henry Evans, William J. Stagg and Anna S. Crane. 1867 — Celestine Stoker, George D. Hale, George S. Evarts and Emma Evarts. 1868— Francis S. McCabe, George P Bates, Oresta H. Bates. B. F. Golden and Mrs. S. A. Robinson. 1869 — Joseph Andrews, J, Gandion, A. A. Ripley and Sarah E. Evarts. CHAPTER XIV. The Railway System — Four Trunk Lines at Topeka — Mills and Factories — Commercial and Banking Institutions — Public Utilities — Finances of the City — Parks and Resorts — Assessed Valuation, Bonded Debt and Finan- cial Resources — Present City Officers and List of Former Mayors — The Commercial Club. A general railroad convention was held in Topeka, October 7, i860, attended by 125 delegates, to consider plans for a State railway system, and to inaugurate a movement for securing the same. Five lines of railroad were favored by the delegates, as the result of their deliberations, two of which were to run to Topeka. One of them was a line from the city of Wyandotte, up the Kansas Valley, by way of Lawrence, Lecompton, Tecumseh, Topeka, Manhattan and the Fort Riley Military Reservation, to the western boundary of the Territory; and the other, a line from Atchison, by way of Topeka, through the Territory in the direction of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Previous to that, in 1855, the Union Pacific system had received a charter from the Legislature under the title of the Leavenworth, Pawnee & Western Railroad Company, and in 1857 the Legislature granted a charter to a corpo- ration to build the St. Joseph & Topeka Railroad, of which Cyrus K. Holliday, Franklin L. Crane, Milton C. Dickey and John W. Forman were the Topeka directors. In 1858 th^ Kansas Central Railway was projected by W. Y. Roberts and others, proposing to build a line of railroad from Wyandotte, up the Kansas Valley, on the north side of the river, by way of Lawrence and Topeka, to Fort Riley. UNION PACIFIC. From these beginnings the present railway facilities of Topeka were realized. The Union Pacific, then known as Kansas Pacific, was completed to Topeka, January i, 1866. The arrival of the first train at North Topeka on that date was an occasion of great rejoicing, the people of Topeka extend- ing the hospitality of the city to the mayors and councilmen of Wyandotte and Lawrence, and to the president of the road, R. M. Shoemaker. The 152 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY principal address was delivered by Gen. James H. Lane. North Topeka was at that time known as Eugene, and contained more Indian than white inhab- itants. The Union Pacific was completed to Denver in 1872.1'^) SANTA FE. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe system was the outgrowth of the St. Joseph & Topeka Railroad Company. Work was commenced at Topeka in October, 1868, the first section being built to Carbondale, to tap the Osage County coal fields. It was opened to Carbondale, 18 miles south from Topeka, in July, 1869, and to Emporia in 1870. More than four years elapsed before the construction had progressed to the State line on the west. The inception of this enterprise was in very great measure due to Col. Cyrus K. Holliday, of Topeka, who was the first president of the company, and one of its directors up to the date of his death, March 29, 1900. Citizens of Topeka subscribed $30,000 to the original St. Joseph & Topeka Railroad, and the county voted $250,000 in bonds to aid in the construction of the Atchi- son, Topeka & Santa Fe road. A further sum of $100,000 was voted by the city for the location of the general offices and shops. The shops were located here in 1872, and a general office building erected in 1884. To aid in the construction of this road the government made a grant of nearly 3,000,000 acres of the public lands of Kansas. Under the original plan of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company the eastern terminus of the road was at Atchison, no provision having been made for connecting Topeka with Kansas City on the south side of the Kansas River. To meet this oversight the city of Topeka, in April, 1874, subscribed $160,000 to the capital stock of the Kansas Midland Rail- road Company, which had been projected some years before, but left in a languishing condition by reason of financial embarrassment and the opposi- tion of rival cities. This line was completed in 1874, and in June, 1875, was leased to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, \Vhich eventually absorbed it. The Santa Fe system also operates the Leavenworth, Topeka & Southwestern road, which it jointly owns with the Union Pacific. The extent of the Santa Fe system, and its importance to Topeka, is shown by the fact that it employs more than 2,000 men in its various shops, and 800 in its general offices, at this point. The local pay-roll of the road exceeds $1,000,000 a year, and the product of its Topeka shops will average in value more than $2,000,000 a year. ROCK ISLAND. Topeka is also the Western headquarters of the great Rock Island rail- way system. This road was extended from St. Joseph to Topeka in 1887, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 155 and later by three lines across the State, to Oklahoma, Indian Territory and Texas ; to Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo ; and to the Mexican border at El Paso. The Rock Island also maintains a train service between Topeka and Kansas City over the Union Pacific tracks. The Rock Island may well be called one of the great trunk lines of the West, and Topeka is one of its principal business points. A fine passenger station at the intersection of Kansas and First avenues is also the headquarters of the division and of the local officers of the road. The company employs a force of 100 men at Topeka, and the number is being increased from year to year. MISSOURI PACIFIC. Topeka is connected with the Missouri Pacific system by means of a branch line built in 1886 from Fort Scott to Topeka. It opened a rich farming coun- try tributary to Topeka and increased the transportation facilities of the capital city to a needed and important extent. The stations immediately south of Topeka are Berryton, Tevis, Richland, Overbrook, Michigan Valley and Lomax. Connection is made at the last named point with the main line of the Missouri Pacific extending from the Missouri River to Colorado. MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES. Without claiming to be a great manufacturing center, Topeka has a number of extensive and well-known manufacturing concerns, of which the milling industry is the most important. The principal institutions are the Central Mill and Elevator, Crosby Roller Milling Company, Farmers' Ex- change Mill, Gyrator Mills, Inter-Ocean Mills, Kansas Valley Cereal Mill, Mid-Continent Mills, Shawnee Milling Company and Topeka Milling Com- pany. The combined capacity of the several mills is 4,500 barrels of flour a day. Topeka's proximity to the great wheat belt of Kansas and the splendid shipping facilities make it one of the leading flour markets of the United States. The mills employ 175 persons, and the total product of the industry in 1904 amounted to $4,000,000. The Charles Wolff Packing Company, an independent company em- ploying 200 men, did a business in 1904 aggregating nearly $2,000,000. Two creamery companies, the Continental Creamery Company and the Topeka Pure Milk Company, did a business amounting to $2,773,850 and gave em- ployment to 108 men and 64 women. There are three cold storage plants, — the Topeka Ice & Cold Storage Company, the Continental Creamery Com- pany and Seymour & Company, — which reported a total business of nearly $1,000,000 last year. The combined printing and book-binding product for 156 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY the year 1904 amounted to over $800,000, giving employment to 500 persons, who received wages amounting to $350,000. The total value of all manu- factured products for the year 1904 was $16,752,540, the number of firms engaged in manufacturing, 345; total capital invested, $7,273,129; number of employees, — male 5,379, females 1,080; total annual wages paid, $3,224,- 427; value of material used, $10,000,000. COMMERCE AND FINANCE. Topeka has 30 wholesale and jobbing houses, whose total business in 1904 amounted to $17,000,000; the total retail business was $7,000,000. There are 22 builders and contractors in the city, value of wor£ last year, $924,000, and wages paid, $252,000. The product of the lighting and heat- ing plants in 1904 was $431,700, employees, 206, and wages paid, $123,700. The six planing mills employed 200 men, paying $100,000 in wages, and yielding a product of $300,000. The banking institutions of the city are the following : Bank of Topeka, capital $210,000; Central National Bank, capital $250,000; Citizens' State Bank, capital $25,000; First National Bank, capital $300,000; Merchants' National Bank, capital $100,000; Shawnee State Bank, capital $60,000; State Savings Bank, capital $25,000. The several banks have a total capital of $970,000, a total surplus of $281,518, and total deposits amounting to $6,000,000. PUBLIC UTILITIES. Topeka owns its own water-works system, recently purchased at a cost of $620,000, and its own street lighting plant, installed at a cost of $150,000. In the year 1900 the city built a public auditorium which cost $100,000, seats 4,000 people, and provides offices for the city government and quarters for the Fire Department. The building has a frontage of 350 feet, and is equipped with a four-manual pipe organ which cost $15,000. Two telephone systems, the Independent Telephone Company and the Missouri & Kansas Telephone Company, provide the city with 5,000 tele- phones, and afford long distance connections with all important points in Kansas and the leading cities of other States. There are 38 miles of paved streets — granite, asphalt and vitrified brick. The Topeka Railway Company operates T,y miles of street railway, reaching all parts of the city, the princi- pal suburbs and Vinewood and Garfield parks. Topeka is well provided wnth light, heat and power by the Edison Illuminating Company and the Excelsior AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 157 Coke & Gas Company. A pipe line is now being constructed from the gas fields of Southern Kansas, which will provide the city with natural gas before the close of the year 1905. PLEASURE PLACES. The public play-ground and recreation system of Topeka is embraced in the following parks : Central, City, Chesney, Gage, Holliday, Huntoon, Gar- field and Vinewood, well distributed throughout the city and convenient of access by trolley lines. The improvement and promotion of the park interest is in charge of a pubhc commission composed of M. A. Low, Edward Wilder, M. C. Holman, A. B. Quinton and J. P. Griswold. A new organization under the name of the Topeka Country Club, with 200 members and a capital stock of $25,000, will in the near future provide ample grounds near the city for golf links, tennis courts and other forms of outdoor amusement. The Topeka Base Ball Park and Washburn Athletic Park afford excellent facilities for athletic sports, and riding and driving exhibitions are well provided for on the Shawnee County Fair Grounds. In connection with the subject of parks it may be added that the entire residence district of Topeka is an umbrageous forest of stately elms and glowing maples, — With seats beneath the shade For talking age and whispering lovers made. The property assessment of the city for 1904, upon a one-third valuation was as follows: Real estate, $8,425,450; personal property, $2,348,070; railroad property, $501,900; total, $11,275,420. Bonded, indebtedness — city at large $525,600; internal improvement, $514,800; sewer and drain bonds, $52,388. The general revenue fund of the city for the last year amounted to $106,399.63; the general improvement fund, $102,629.56; school tax levy, including building, interest and sinking funds, $180,426.72. CITY GOVERNMENT. The present city government of Topeka is composed of the following officers, elective and appointive: Mayor, William H. Davis; president of Council, L. A. Ryder; clerk, J. H. Squires; attorney, Frank G. Drenning; treasurer, M. M. Hale ; physician, H. B. Hogeboom ; fire marshal. George O. Wilmarth; chief of police, A. G. Goodwin; food inspector, W. H. Gilfillan; license collector, R. F. Clough; plumbing inspector, E. A. Chaney; superin- tendent of water-works, Jesse Shaw; police judge, S. S. Urmy; engineer, James F. McCabe; police matron, Laura E. Thorpe; commissioner of elec- 1=^8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY tions, Charles H. Titus; street commissioner, James Ramsey; superintendent of electric light, H. K. Goodrich; weighmaster, O. A. Peck; councilmen — First Ward, L. A. Ryder and F. B. Simms ; Second Ward, Charles K. Holli- day and Joseph Griley; Third Ward, William Green and Fred E. Nipps; Fourth Ward, S. S. Rice and C. W. Horn; Fifth Ward, Samuel T. Howe and J. C. Shimer; Sixth Ward, J. W. F. Hughes and S. A. Swendson. Mayors. — Since the organization of the city the following persons have been elected to the office of mayor, for the years named : Loring Farnsworth, 1858-59; Lorenzo Dow, 1859; Cyrus K. Holliday, 1859-60; Hiram W. Farnsworth, 1860-61; Harris Foster Otis, 1861-62; Noah W. Cox, 1862-63; Joseph F. Cummings, 1863-64; Samuel H. Fletcher, 1864-65; William W. Ross, 1865-66; Ross Burns, 1866-67; Cyrus K. Holliday, 1867-68; Orrin T. Welch, 1868-69; Cyrus K. Holliday, 1869-70; Josiah B. McAfee, 1870-71; Orrin T. Welch, 1871-74; Henry Bartling, 1874-75; Thomas J. Anderson, 1875-77; Milton H. Case, 1877-81; Joseph C. Wilson, 1881-83; Bradford Miller, 1883-85; Roswell L. Cofran, 1885-87; Dkvid C. Metsker, 1887-89; Roswell L. Cofran, 1889-93; Thomas W. Harrison, 1893-95; Charles A. Fellows, 1895-99; Charles J. Drew, 1899-1901; J. W. F. Hughes, 1901- 1902; Albert Parker, 1902-03; W. S. Bergundthal, 1903-05; William H. Davis, 1905 — . COMMERCIAL CLUB. A great factor in promoting the business growth and material interests of the city is the organization known as the Commercial Club of Topeka, of which Charles K. Holliday is president, T. F. Garver, vice-president, L. M. Penwell, treasurer, and Thomas J. Anderson, secretary. The membership roll of the Commercial Club for 1905 includes the following firms and indi- viduals : Adams Brothers, Printers and Publishers. Auerbach, H. A., Palace Clothing Company. American Steam Laundry. Austin & Hungate, Attorneys. Abrahams, John V., Lawyer. Auto Fedan Hay Press Company. Arnold, W. J., Architect. Bauer, A. D., Printer. Baumgartner, John, Merchant Tailor. Barns, T. L., Steward Elks Club. Black, W. J., General Passenger Agent, Santa Fe. Blaine, R. D., Real Estate, Loans and Col- lections. Beal, L. G., Loan Broker. Bowman, C. H., Topeka Desiccating Com- pany. Brigham, R. S., Street Car Advertising. Bischoff, Oscar, Capitalist. Barnum, S., Co., Dry Goods. Bird, W. A. S., Lawyer. Blakely, C. G., Insurance. Bowman, H. C, Insurance. Bates, A. H., Capitalist. Bergundthal, W. S., Real Estate. Betts, J. B., Contractor. Bromich, Joseph, Steam Boiler Works. Buffkin, J. A., Manufacturer. Brown, Milton, Lawyer. Bennett, A. H., Grain Commission. Butler, J. N., Signs. TOPEKA WOOLEN MILLS VEALE AND THOMPSON BLOCK AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. i6i Brown, Frank J., Financial Agent. Blitz, I. M., Jeweler. Bradshaw, George L., Harness and Sad- dlery. Bailey Brothers, Insurance, Real Estate and Steamship Agents. Burghart, George, Cigar Manufacturer. Crane & Company, Publishers, Printers and Binders. Crosby Brothers, Dry Goods, Carpets, Fur- niture, Shoes. Crosby, Warren M., Dry Goods, Shoes, etc. Capper, Arthur, Pres. Daily Capital, Prop. Mail and Breeze. Crane, D. O., Supt Topeka Cemetery Ass'n. Cuthbert & Sargent, Contractors. Capital City Vitrified Brick and Paving Co. Chicago Lumber Co. Chase, G. M. & Co., Shoes. Central National Bank. Coughlin Hardware Company. Currie Windmill Co. Continental Creamery Co. Cooper, John G., Capitalist. Combs, W. M., Chief Dispatcher, Santa Fe. Council, M., Contractor. Calkins, Charles R., Orchestra Director. Clemens, G. C, Lawyer. Clark, Elon S., Mgr. Mutual Life Ins. Co., New York. Chappelle, James, Prop., Copeland Hotel. Central Sash and Door Company. Conklin & Gustafson, Plumbers. Crawford, George M., Business Mgr. Mail Printing House. Crockett, J. E., Dry Goods. Grain, Ralph W., Mgr. Remington Type- writer Co. Colville, J. P., Photographer. Campbell, Dr. A. C, Oculist. Durell & Cummings, Proprietors Oxford Hotel. Davis, W. L., Parkhurst-Davis Mercantile Company. Devlin, Charles J., Pres. Mt. Carmel Coal Co. Dudley, John, Ranchman. Dun, R. G. & Co., Commercial Agency. Dougherty, George E., Shorthand School. Dreisbach & Wallace, Groceries and Meats. Elliott, Charles S., Shawnee Insurance Agency. 8 Excelsior Coke & Gas Company. Edison Electric Illuminating Co., Heat, Power, Light. Edson, Frank P., Plumbing and Steam Heating. Embree, Rev. A. S. Eagle, Charles S., Wholesale and Retail Cigars. Emerson, Z. A., Manager Postal Telegraph Company. Evans, Clinton J., Attorney. Elliott, E. T., Manager Grand Union Tea Company. Felix & Sons, Clothes Store for Men. Fleishman, S. M., Topeka Pants Co. First National Bank. Fellows, C. A., Contractor. Findlay, George W., Special Agent Mass. Mut. Life Ins. Co. Frost, John E., Real Estate, etc. Foster, Frank H., Lawyer. Freeman, F. W., Vice-President Merchants' National Bank. Ferry & Doran, Lawyers. Forbes, D. H., Hardware. Foote, C. E., Financial Broker. Godard, A. A., Attorney, President State Savings Bank. Greenwald, D. J. Green, William & Sons, Groceries and Meats. Guthrie, John, Postmaster. Glenn, H. H., "The Fair." Gavitt, W. W., Medical Company, Manu- facturing Chemists. Guild, Charles W., Marble and Granite Works. Gleed, Charles S., Attorney. Garver & Larimer, Lawyers. Griley & Griley, Capital Barber Shop. Guild, E. B., Music Co., Pianos, Organs and Musical Mdse. Garvey, H. O., Manager Massachusetts Mu- tual Life Ins. Co. Guibor, Charles R., Shirt Manufacturer. Grear, Frank, New Era Department Store. Goodwin, A. G., Automobiles. Garvey, W. C, Freight Agent, Santa Fe. Heinz, Peter, Capitalist. Hanley & Ritchie, Contractors. l62 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Henderson, M. D., Real Estate. Hubbard, C. E., Hardware and Seeds. Howe, Samuel T., Manager Missouri & Kansas Telephone Co. Hall Lithographing Company. Heery, Michael, Contractor. Holman, M. C, President Western Woolen Mill Co. Hammel, George M., Merchant Tailor. Heil, Peter & Sons, Dairy Supplies. Hayden, James B., Jeweler and Oculist. Holland & Squires, Architects. Howard, H. B., Sporting Goods and Ma- chine Shop. Horn, E., Planing Mill. Holliday, C. K., President Excelsior Coke & Gas Company. Hankla, T. J., Proprietor Fifth Avenue Hotel. • Hutton, W. W., General Secretary Railway Conductors. Horsfield, Thomas, Meat Market. Harvey, A. M., Lawyer, Hayden, R. F., Probate Judge. Hulse, Hiram, Florist. Hurley, J. E., General Manager, Santa Fe. Herron & Middaugh, Clothing and Shoes. Hollcraft, M. E., Florist. Hamilton, Charles B., Proprietor Hotel Throop. Hodgins, Fred H., Sixth Avenue Pharmacy. Hagan, Eugene, Lawyer. Jones, J. K.J Paints and Glass. Jordan, E. P., Electrical Construction and Supplies. Judd, Dr. C. E. Jones, George H., Agent U. S. Express Company. Jones Dry Goods Company. Kuehne, Otto, Proprietor Kuehne Preserv- ing Works. Kane, A. S., Manager Crawford Opera House. Kaczynski, Vincent, Wood, Coal and Feed. Knights and Ladies of Security, Fraternal Insurance. Kansas Book Company, School Books. Keizer, Dell, General Manager Topeka Daily Herald. Kistler-Metzler Mercantile Co., Wholesale Grocers. Kansas Farmer Company, Publishers Kan- sas Farmer. Klingaman, A. C, Druggist. Kelly & Kelly, Bond Attorneys and Brokers. Keith, Dr. H. H. Koontz, J. R., General Freight Agent, Santa Fe. King, J. J., Attorney and Real Estate. Kohl, Chas. W., Proprietor Kohl's Phar- macy. Kraushaar, Henry F., Proprietor Royal Bakery. Kinney, John J., Sec. Coughlin Hardware Company. Klauer, Herman, Tobacco and Cigars. Kellar, N. E., Contractor. King, W. E., Assistant City Engineer. King, Thomas L., Ticket Agent, Santa Fe. Kutz, Charles H., Teacher. Klinge, William, Merchant Tailor. Lake, W. F., Druggist. Leahey, Daniel, Contractor. Lewis, F. A., Agent Pacific Express Co. and U. P. Ry. Longaker, Amos, Contractor. Lytle, J. F., Wells Fargo & Co. Express. Low, M. A., General Attorney, Rock Island. Lindsay, W. S., Physician and Surgeon. Loomis, Blair & Scandrett, Attorneys at Law. Lindsey, H. C, Prop. Fashion Stables. Lucas, A. T., Sheriff Shawnee County. Lux, Philip, Retired Farmer. Lux, Samuel E., Commission Merchant. Lee. 'E. S., Druggist. Lewis, Charles W., Provident Savings Life Insurance Company. Lyman & Lyman, Dentists. Lord, John E., Mgr. Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company. Mulvane, Joab, Pres. Edison Electric Illu- minating Co. Mulvane, John R,, Pres. Bank of Topeka. Mulvane & Gault, Attorneys. MacLennan, Frank P., Editor and Prop. State Journal. Miller, W. I., Lumber. Moore, J. E., Mgr. Symns Grocer Company. Moore, C. A., Manufacturer. Montgomery, E., "Star Grocery." Montgomery, H. S., Gen. Watch Inspector, Santa Fe. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 163 McEntire Brothers, Mattress Manufacturers and Spring Beds. Mid-Continent Mills, Flour and Mill Stuffs. Iilerchants' Transfer Company. McAfee, Henry W., Stockman. McClintock, Dr. J. C, Physician and Sur- geon. Myers, C. W., Groceries and Meats. MacDowell, E. B., Office Supplies. Miller, W. S., Prop. Miller's Pharmacy. Matthews & Drechsel Shoes. McCormick, O., Rug Factory. MacDonald, John, Editor and Prop. West- ern School Journal. McCabe, James F., City Engineer. Merriam Mortgage Co., Real Estate Mort- gages. Massey, Arthur, Horse Shoer. Morehouse, R. H., Watch Inspector, Santa Fe. Morrison, James E., M. D. Monroe & Schoch, Attorneys at Law. Mills, A. M., Vice-Pres. The Mills Dry Goods Co. McKeever, J. R., Furniture, Carpets, etc. Maxwell, William A., Vinewood Stone Co. McManus, John F., Gas Expert. Mullin, A. B., Meats. Morrison, C. H., Jeweler. Maxwell, John, Contractor. McCaslin, C. L., Contractor. Milligan, William, Loan Agent. Mize, L. D., Barber. McKnaught, J. F., Transfer. Neil, George, Pres. Topeka Woolen Mill Co. Norton, Jon. D., Sec, and Asst. Treas. Mt. Carmel Coal Co. Newland, F. M., Groceries and Meat Mar- ket. Noble, George M. & Co., Fin. Agents, Real Estate and Ins. Neiswanger, W. A., Mgr. Capital Real Es- tate Co. Newman, A., County Clerk. Nipps, F. E., Agent Missouri Pacific. O'Neil, Edward L., Bookkeeper. Ott, S. S., Real Estate, Osborn, W. L., Mgr. Topeka Desiccating Co. Poindexter, E. W., Gen. Agt. Northw. Mutual Life Ins. Co. Philips & Chaney, Real Estate. Parkhurst-Davis Mer. Co., Wholesale Gro- cers. Prescott, F. M., Real Estate. Plass, Dr. Norman, Pres. Washburn Col- lege. Penny, George B., Dean Fine Arts Dept. Washburn College. Plank, M. C, Contractor. Penwell, L. M., Undertaker. Quail, William L., Stockman. Quinton & Quinton, Lawyers. Roudebush, Emmett E., Real Estate, Loans and Insurance. Redden, A. L., Lawyer. Robinson, Marshall & Co., Clothing and Fupiishings. Robinson, A. A., Pres. Mexican Central Railroad. Reinisch, A., Superintendent City Parks. Rees, B. L., General Agent International Harvester Co. Roehr, W. F., Music Co., Pianos, Organs, and Musical Instruments. Reynolds & Childers, Props. Topeka Pan- tatorium. Ruff, W. H., Pension Office. Roof, C. H.. Grocer. Rodman, J. E., Florist. Roediger & Son, Dyeing and Cleaning Works. Radges, Sam, Publisher "Topeka City Di- rectory." Rinner & Warren, Tin Shop. R,obinson, F. A., Manager Fox Typewriter Co. Sells, Wm., Sells & Forepaugh Shows. Sterne, W. E., County Commissioner. Switzer, John F., Attorney. Strickler, L. H., Principal Topeka Business College. Schich, William, Mfr. & Jobber, Mattress & Iron Beds, Couches. Stephenson, W. C, Real Estate, Loans, and Fire Insurance. Stansfield, George W., Druggist. Smith, James C, Hides and Tallow. Shawnee Building & Loan Association. Standard Oil Company. Stewart, Dr. S. G. Squires, J. H., City Clerk. 1 64 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Strauss Agency, Real Estate, etc. Sullivan, James D., Art Store. Saxon, Theodore, Farmer. Steves, F. M., & Sons, Printers and Pub- lishers. Scrinopskie, Albert, Prop. Fitwell Shoe Company. Snyder, C. W. & Son, Bankers. Scott, C. L., Cremerie Restaurant. Stump, Albert D., Meat Market. Sheard & Logan, Western Baseball Asso- ciation. The Southwestern Fuel Co., Coal. Thompson, W. A. L., Wholesale Hardware. The Topeka Trunk Factory. Topeka Laundry Co. Topeka Water Co. Topeka Railway Co. The Exchange Grocery Co. Trapp, C. T., Merchant Tailor. The Mills Dry Goods Co. The State Savings Bank. The Ewart Lumber Co. The A. B. Whiting Paint & Glass Co. Thomas, J., Lumber Co. Topeka Milling Co. Troutman & Stone, Lawyers. Thurston & Van Kirk, Abstracters. Thurston, J. W., Cashier Bank of Topeka. Trapp, Charles H., Printer. Topeka Pure Milk Co. Thompson, E. W., Mgr. National Life Ins. Co., Vermont. Taylor, W. L., Pres. Taylor Grain Co. Topeka Independent Telephone Co. The People's Ice & Fuel Co. Taylor, R. E., Groceries and Meat Market. Topeka City Troop. Topeka Bridge & Iron Mfg. Co. Topeka Transfer Co. Taylor, Dr. W. T. Van Ostrand, Byron D., Gen'l Agent, Pru- dential Insurance Co. Van VIeck & Co., Wall Paper. Van Valkenburg, M. W., State Agt. Liver- pool, London & Globe. Van Dorp, Louis, Cornice and Sheet Metal Works. Valentine, H. E., Lawyer. i Wagner, George, Editor Kansas Democrat. Wilson, A. P. Tone, Jr., Real Estate and Lawyer. Wilson, Anthony P., Kansas Collection Agency. Wilder, E., Treasurer, Santa Fe. Wolff, Chas., Packing Co. Woolverton, L. S., Druggist. Wright, John M., Deputy County Treasurer. Warner & Potter, Agric. Implements, Car- riages and Wagons. White Star Laundry. Weber, W. F., Groceries. Wood, C. L., Prop. National Hotel. Waters, John C, Lawyer. Webster-Tulloch Coal Co. Willis Norton & Co., Inter-Ocean Mills. Webb & Nichols, Real Estate, Insurance and Loans. Wood, L. M., Architect. Western Woolen Mill Co. Wilson, Richard, Conductor, Santa Fe. Whitcomb, Geo. H., Lawyer. Wood, J. G., Receiver U. S. Land Office. Wear, Norman S., Wear Coal Co. Walker, Fred T., Drugs and Photo Sup- plies. Wilson, Carey J., Insurance. Ware, E. F., Lawyer. Williams, A. F., Lawyer. Young, Clarence, Drugs. Zercher Book & Stationery Co. Zanditon Company, Men's and Women's Clothing. Zahner, A,, Mortgage Loans. Zeis, Burg E., Retired Merchant. CHAPTER XV. The Decade from 1880 to 1890 — Results of the Boom — Territory Added to the City — Population for Fifty Years — Immigration from the South — Prohibitory Liquor Laws and Their Enforcement — Early Work in Be- half of Temperance — Activity of Women in Civic Affairs. From 1880 to 1890 was another very prosperous decade in the history of Topeka. During that period an era of unexampled activity in real estate transactions and all branches of business set in, culminating in the great boom of 1886-88. The boom proved to be a splendid thing for Topeka, but a very unfortunate one for the private fortunes of most of her citizens. Property values soared far beyond reasonable bounds, and the collapse of it all at the end not only caused the failure of many enterprising firms and indi- viduals but gave the city a temporary setback from which it was slow in recovering. In the year 1886 there were 23 new additions platted and thrown upon the market, some of them two miles distant from the former extreme limits of the city. The real estate transfers averaged $30,000 a day, or $600,000 a month, and were more than those of any other Western city. The bank clearings averaged more than $1,000,000 a month. This period of advancement continued through the years 1887 and 1888, with a steady increase. In the year 1888 it is estimated that 3,000 new buildings were erected, at a total cost of $3,000,000. One firm, Bartholomew & Norton, built 315 residences in the several additions which they laid out. Forty-five blocks of street pavement, equivalent to four miles, were laid in that year, at an expense of $375,000. Twelve miles of sewers and five miles of brick sidewalks were laid, a $35,000 viaduct built, and an electric light plant in- stalled, the total expenditure for public improvements being $598,000. The bank clearings for the year reached the high figure of $17,000,000 and the real estate transfers aggregated $7,879,569. Some of the prominent buildings erected in that year were : The Joseph Black building (Oxford Hotel), electric power station. Hotel Throop, Para- more Block (North Topeka), Crawford's Flats, Clugston's residence block, George H. Evans' residence block. Sells Building, Chesterfield Hotel, Edison i66 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY electric light plant, Crawford office block, Columbian Building, Episcopal Guild Hall, First Presbyterian Manse, Hammatt Building, Thompson Block, Thatcher Building, and the private residences of Joseph C. Wilson, M. Snat- tinger, David L. Lakin, John Brier, J. W. Davis and John E. Frost. The cotton mill and the sugar works were also Topeka enterprises of 1888, and the Martin's Hill investment by Boston capitalists was made in the same year. I A GROWING CITY. The number of city additions platted in that year was 69, most of which were rapidly settled. It was in that year that the greater part of the lots in Potwin Place and Oakland were disposed of. Potwin Place was bought in 1869 by Charles W. Potwin, of Zanesville, Ohio, for $14,400. It comprised a tract of 70 acres northwest from the central part of Topeka. He platted it into 80 lots, each 122 feet front by 205 feet deep, laid out beautiful drives with circular parks, and planted a large number of shade trees. In selling lots he made a condition that no residence should be built costing less than $2,000. Most of the lots were disposed of in 1888, and most of the resi- dences cost much more than the stipulated figure. It is estimated that Mr. Potwin made $140,000 profit on his investment. There are probably 600 persons living in Potwin Place at this time, and it is a most attractive and desirable suburb. Oakland is in the northeastern part of the city, in the railroad shop district, and contains a population of 500, a majority of them owning their own houses, ranging in cost from $1,500 to $5,000. Oakland now has a separate municipal organization, having been incorporated as a city of the third class in 1903. The present city officers are: Mayor, F. A. Brigham; treasurer, F. E. Jordan; clerk, B. W. Steinhour; police judge, B. P. Wil- liams; marshal, Egbert B. Wilson; street commissioner, C. G. Sherer; assistant marshal, A. W. Sherer; councilmen, — G. H. Ensign, Charles M. Stockham, A. J. VanSant, Oscar W. Neil and N. E. Copeland. Other additions which were active in the year 1887-88 were: Lowman Hill, Highland Park, Quinton Heights, Euclid Park, Ladies' Addition, Veal's Addition, Orchard Hill, College Hill, Martin & Dennis' Addition, West Side, Washburn Place, Cottage Grove, Auburndale, Knox' Addition, Fair View, Wilder's Addition, Boston Heights, Seabrook, Brooklyn Heights, Steele's Addition, Franklin Park, Orchard Highlands, Bel! View, Crystal Springs, Deer Park, Brentwood, Kaw Reserve, East Hill, South Park and Chicago Heights — the last named "heights" being a flat piece of raw prairie, nine miles out. Some of these additions eventually came into neigh- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 167 borly affinity with the city of Topeka, but many of them lapsed with alacrity into aromatic clover beds and fields of forgiving daisies. POPULATION BY YEARS. Following the experience of boom days, Topeka settled down to legiti- mate business, and there has been no reverse or cessation of growth in any of the succeeding years. The population of the city is shown in the following statement covering a period of 50 years : 1855 408 1880 15.528 1856 432 1881 16,240 1857 507 1882 21,562 1858 512 1883 22,425 1859 700 1884 22,693 i860 759 1885 23,499 1861 600 1886 25,005 1862 -. 670 1887 29,973 1863 86s 1888 34,199 1864 990 1889 35,622 1865 1,310 1890 31,809 1866 2,020 1891 33,247 1867 2,810 1892 33,685 1868 ; 3,120 1893 31,422 1869 3,465 1894 30,724 1870 5,790 1895 30,151 1871 7,355 1896 31,612 1872 9,220 1897 31,842 1873 8,770 1898 32,651 1874 6,865 1899 35,365 1875 7,272 1900 36,782 1876 7,863 1901 38,067 1877 8,496 1902 38,809 1878 9,003 1903 38,952 1879 1 1,204 1904 39,149 The effect of the unhealthy boom to which reference has been made is shown in the loss of population in the year 1890. A partial recovery of this loss was made in the two succeeding years, when the depression of 1893 set in, and during the ensuing three years there was another slump in population. One of the principal causes of the decrease in the years 1893, 1894 and 1895 was the removal of several hundred of the citizens of Topeka to the new Territory of Oklahoma, then being thrown open to settlement. This new field was especially attractive to the colored people, who at that time constituted a large factor in the population of Topeka. In the year 1880 it was estimated i68 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY that one-third of the population of the city was of the colored race, a propor- tion much larger than obtained in most of the leading cities of the South. THE EXODUS. In explanation of this fact, it should be stated that for many years various inducements had been held out to the negro of the South to find homes in Kansas. Conventions were held in different sections of the South in 1878 and 1879, at which the proposition of removal to the North and West was earnestly considered by the blacks. The result was a general hegira to Kansas. It started in April, 1879, and by August ist fully 7,000 refugees had arrived in this State, many of them stopping at Topeka. It became necessary to establish barracks in North Topeka for the purpose of sheltering and caring for the refugees. To meet this condition the Kansas Freedmen's Relief Association was formed, composed of Governor John P. St. John, president; John Francis, P. I. Bonebrake, Albert H. Horton, Cassius G. Foster, James Smith, J. C. Hebbard, Willard Davis, Noah C. McFarland, Thomas W. Henderson and A. B. Jetmore. Under the direction of this organization, colonies were located in Wabaunsee, Graham, Morris and Hodgeman counties, but at least 3,000 of the refugees remained in Topeka. The exodus movement continued through the years 1879 ^^'^ 1880, adding at least 40,000 men, women and children to the population of Kansas. During the first year of their residence the sum of $150,000 was contributed from different parts of the country for their support. The refugees came from Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia and Alabama. Those who settled in Topeka were principally from Mississippi and Tennessee. Additional school buildings were constructed for the accommodation of the children, and night schools were established for the benefit of the adults. Most of them were field hands, but they adapted themselves to their new condition and found employment as mechanics, laborers, teamsters, and in various other branches of industry. A settlement was built up in the western part of the city called "Tennesseetown," where many of them continue to reside, although a considerable number emigrated to Oklahoma at the time of the opening. PROHIBITION. It is not an extravagant claim to make that there are young men in Topeka of voting age who can truthfully declare that they have never seen a saloon sign, a public bar or any other evidence of a place where intoxicating liquor is sold. There is not at this time, nor has there been since 1885, a single open saloon in the city of Topeka. The amendment to the State con- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 171 stitution prohibiting the manufacture and sale of liquor was submitted by the Legislature of 1879 to a vote of the people, which was had at the general election of 1880. It was adopted by a majority of 8,998, the vote for the amendment being 93,302, and against, 84,304. The amendment, as adopted, was written by a citizen of Topeka, Noah C. McFarland, at the request of a mass meeting of temperance workers held on February 7, 1879, in Topeka. Upon the adoption of the amendment, the Legislature of 1881 enacted a law making it effective May i, 1881. There was considerable difficulty in enforc- ing the constitutional provision at first, and succeeding Legislatures enacted several laws to carry it into effect, notably the Murray drug-store law, the metropolitan police law and the Hurrell search and seizure law. The mietro- politan police law was subsequently repealed. It is undeniable that there have been many infractions of the law throughout the State, and in some localities it is totally ignored, but in Topeka it has been as well enforced as most other statutes of restraint. It was not until 1885 that its strict enforcement was accomplished in Topeka. At the beginning of that year there were probably 100 saloons in the city. All were closed within 60 days, and since that time no open saloons have existed. The question of prohibition has been a source of endless contention and litigation, both in the city and the State, and Several attempts have been made to have the amendment submitted, so that the people might have an opportunity to express themselves as to its wisdom, but all such efforts have thus far proved futile. EARLY TEMPERANCE WORK. Topeka was the foe of liquor from the very beginning. A majority of its founders were strong advocates of temperance. When the Topeka Town Association adopted its first code of by-laws, March 12, 1855, the following provision was incorporated therein: "No member of this association shall be permitted to buy, sell or give away, where profit accrues, any intoxicating liquors of whatever kind, nor permit them to be bought, sold or given away, where profit accrues, upon his premises ; and the full force of this article shall attach in all its particulars to the entire shares which any member may sell, exchange, transfer, give away or make over by any process, to any other person whatever, and shall be so mentioned in any article or deed of sale which may hereafter be made in the exchange of city shares or parts of shares ; and further, the full force of this article shall attach in all its particulars to the city lots to be donated to actual settlers, and also to any interest now held by the Emigrant Aid Company in this city property: Provided, That nothing in this article shall be con- strued to prevent the sale and use of such liquors for medical, mechanical or 172 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY sacramental purposes, under penalty of the forfeiture of the premises on which such sale, use or gift of liquors may be made, to the Topeka Associa- tion." In violation of this agreement, and in defiance of the well-known senti- ment of the little community, a saloon was opened on lower Kansas avenue in the spring of 1857, with all the necessary goods and appurtenances and sales were made for several days to Indians and whites without interruption. Finally, a mass meeting was called, presided over by Dr. S. E. Martin, at which resolutions of protest were passed, and a committee appointed to wait upon the offender and request him to discontinue the dramshop. The resolu- tions failed to produce the desired result and more rigorous measures were resorted to. The committee seized the barrels and kegs of liquors and rolled them out into the street, where they were destroyed. Not satisfied with this, the committee and their abettors visited other places in the town where it was suspected that liquor was kept for sale, and a wholesale destruction of the inhibited article ensued. Liquors to the amount of $1,500 in value were disposed of in this way. The local paper, the Kansas Trihiine, in commenting upon the affair, said : "The liquor spilling was participated in by a large number of our most prominent and highly respected citizens, and, what is equally important, with the entire approval of the ladies." The above incident transpired July 11, 1857. On the occasion of the first picnic in Topeka, held May 17, 1855, -when a number of toasts were given and responded to, this one is recorded : "The Maine Law — May it be to Topeka what the main pillar is to the Temple of Liberty; having its founda- tion in the hearts of the people ; may the superstructure be such as shall with- stand the shafts of adversity untilits topmost stone shall be laid in triumph, crying grace! grace! unto it!" Harking back to 1855 and 1857, it is easy to discover the source from which Topeka inherited its intense prohibitory proclivities and its zeal for "smashing". Regular organizations are now maintained for the enforcement of the prohibitory liquor law, and to bring the offenders to punishment. Foremost •in this movement is the Kansas State Temperance Union, which has its head- quarters in Topeka, and employs lecturers to stimulafe the moral sentiment, and attorneys to conduct the militant campaign. The officers of this organiza- tion are : President, E. B. Cowgill ; vice-president, A. C. Pearce ; secretary. Rev. W L. Dexter; treasurer, William Macferran. HELP OF THE WOMEN. The women of Topeka play an important part in supporting prohibition and advancing the cause of temperance. They have the privilege of voting AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 173 at municipal and school elections, and in most instances take an active interest in the campaigns for municipal officers, their influence often controlling the result. The women have always been a power in the governmental affairs of Topeka, and many of the local reforms and public improvements are due to their efforts. The beautifying and decorating of school rooms, the in- auguration of manual training, the preservation of historic landmarks, the promotion of the musical and artistic interests of the city, the establishing of traveling libraries and traveling art displays, and many kindred movements for civic betterment, are due to the wisdom and perseverance of the women of Topeka. CHAPTER XVI. Public Institutions and Buildings, Federal, State and Municipal — Post Office Locations and Postmasters — City Hall and Auditorium — Free Public Library — Charitable Associations and Hospitals — Halls and Opera Houses — Prominent Hotels and Their History — Political and Social Incidents — The Topeka Cemeteries. Of the public buildings of Topeka, the State Capitol is the most extensive and conspicuous. The location is central, the grounds spacious and taste- fully adorned with trees, shrubbery and flower gardens, through which are wide and well-kept drives and walks. The lofty and graceful dome of the building, rising above all other spires and eminences within its radius, can be seen for many miles in either direction from the city, and forms an object from which local distances and directions are measured. HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE. Two miles from the city, near the Kansas River, are the buildings of the Kansas Hospital for the Insane. This institution was located here in 1877, and the first of the buildings erected in 1878, the citizens of Topeka and Shawnee County donating the site of 80 acres, to which the State subse- quently added other tracts by direct purchase. The hospital was opened to patients in 1879, under the superintendency of Dr. D. B. Eastman. Since that time the State has expended more than $800,000 in the erection of build- ings and the purchase of additional land. The site now covers 360 acres, comprising farm divisions, pastures, orchards and one of the finest lawns in the State. More than 1,000 patients are accommodated in the group of brick and stone buildings, where every attention and comfort are provided. The general management is in the hands of the State Board of Control, appointed by the Governor. Dr. T. C. Biddle is the present superintendent, and has been unusually successful in managing the institution and maintaining its high standard of efficiency. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 175 REFORM SCHOOL. The State Industrial School for Boys is located about three miles north from the Capitol, on a tract of 160 acres, purchased for that purpose by the city of Topeka and the county of Shawnee, and donated to the State. Build- ings were erected in 1880 and 1884, the first at a cost of $35,000 and the last at a cost of $43,000. The school was opened in 1881, with accommoda- tions for 100 boys. Additional buildings have increased the capacity of the institution to 350, the total expenditures being about $200,000. Since the school was established more than 2,000 boys have had the benefit of its train- ing and discipline. H. W. Charles is the present superintendent. THE FEDERAL BUILDING. The United States Custom House and Post Office was commenced under a contract awarded in January, 1879, for basement and area walls, and was completed and occupied March i, 1884, the cost of the construction being $286,058.24. The first purchase of land on account of this building was made in September, 1878, when 100 feet of ground fronting on Kansas avenue at the northeast corner of Fifth avenue was secured for $20,000, one-half of which was contributed by the citizens of Topeka. The first appropriation for structural work was obtained by Congressman Thomas Ryan. Additional land on the north was purchased in 1897 by the government for $25,000. Under act of Congress, passed in March, 1899, through the influence of Con- gressman Charles Curtis, an enlargement of the building was provided for at an expenditure of $85,000. At the same session of Congress another act was passed making a further provision for enlargement at a cost of $71,394.73. The entire cost of building, grounds, furnishings, elevator, tower clock and repairs has been about $550,000. White stone was used in the construction, and the building is one of the best in Kansas. It accom- modates the Post Office, Pension Office, the United States Circuit and Dis- trict courts, the United States Land Office and other Federal offices. Postmasters. — Thomas J. Anderson was the first postmaster to occupy the new building. Previous to that the office had been located in store build- ings in various parts of the city. In 1855 it was on Quincy street near Second, and later on the southeast corner of Kansas and Fifth avenues, directly across the street from its final location; in 1858 it was on the south- east corner of Kansas and Sixth avenues; in 1861-69 it occupied quarters at Nos. 147, 131 and 194 Kansas avenue, respectively, and at No. 104 East Sixth avenue — where it was burned out; in 1870 it was at No. 129 Kansas avenue, and again, in 1871, at No. 104 East Sixth avenue; in 1873 it was 176 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY moved to the Crawford Opera House Block, in 1878 to No. 117 East Fifth avenue, and in 1880 to No. 136 Kansas avenue. The postmasters of Topeka and their terms of service are shown in tlie following list : Fry W. Giles, 1855-57; E. C. K. Garvey, 1857-58; Charles C. Kellam, 1858-61; Samuel Fletcher, 1861-69; Hiram W. Earns worth, 1869-73; Henry King, 1873-81; Thomas J. Anderson, 1881-85; John Mileham, 1885-89; James L. King, 1889-93; Frank S. Thomas, 1893; Andrew J. Arnold, 1893-97; John Guthrie, 1897-05. CITY HALL AND AUDITORIUM. A building in which the citizens of Topeka take great pride is the new City Hall and Auditorium, built in 1900 at a cost of $102,000. It is located on Quincy street, occupying a frontage of 300 feet between Seventh and Eighth streets. The City Hall and Fire Department are on the Seventh street corner, and the Auditorium connects on the south. In the Auditorium are held all the conventions that select Topeka as their meeting place, as well as all of the large local gatherings, lectures and concerts. For many years the city officers occupied leased quarters, generally the second floor of a store building, but in 1878 a City Hall was erected at the southwest corner of Kansas avenue and Seventh street, and the city became a landlord instead of a lessee, as the City Hall project included two business rooms on the first floor, which were readily rented at $1,000 each per annum. The total cost of the building and site was $38,000, and it was subsequently disposed of to the Knights and Ladies of Security for $40,000. The basement of the build- ing was fitted up as a city prison, but this plan was abandoned after three years trial and a new prison built at the northeast corner of Fifth and Jackson streets. CITY LIBRARY. In 1 88 1 the Union Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad companies joined in providing funds for the construction of the Topeka Free Public Library Building, stipulating that the location should be upon the block of ground known as Capitol Square. Permission was obtained from the Legislature to locate the library upon the State grounds, using a space 200 feet square in the northeast corner of the square. The two railroad com- panies contributed $12,500 each for the library, which was built in 1882, the total cost being $44,000, the excess above $25,000 being loaned to the Library Association by prominent citizens who were friendly to the enter- prise. Direct contributions, in various sums and for various purposes, have been made by James D. Burr, C. W. Potwin and John R. Mulvane, of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 179 Topeka; C. C. Wheeler of Chicago, the late Barney Lantry of Cottonwood and others. The negotiations for the railroad donation were conducted by Edward Wilder, who has been president of the association since 1875. Mr. Wilder has also been a generous contributor to the artistic collections of the library, and has given time, money, labor, ability, patience and zeal to the upbuilding of all its departments. Founders of the Library. — Topeka's Free Public Library was founded by the Ladies' Library Association, which was organized November 12, 1878, with the following members : Mesdames Daniel M. Adams, Floyd P. Baker, W. S. Baker, Marcus Bosworth, E. B. Clarkson, Clara M. Crane, William Carpenter, George W. Crane, E. Chrisman, James Douglas, W. P. Douthitt, Esther F. Ekin, Hiram W. Farnsworth, John W. Farnsworth, George Geiger, Fry W. Giles, A. J. Huntoon, Benjamin Haywood, L. M. Higgins, C. H; Hayes, Joel Huntoon, Thomas L. King, Maria L. King, Ella King, Charles C. Kellam, S. S. Lawrence, F. A. Lighter, T. F. Leidigh, Thomas B. Mills, L. H. Merrill,, S. D. MacDonald, Noah C. Mcparland, Francis S. McCabe, H. C. Price, C. Reed, L. A. Rudisill, W. S. Rankin, H. A. Rain, Thomas Ryan, Irene A. Safford, Emma Swallow, James M. Spencer, Ann Eliza Sheldon, M. V. Snyder, O. P. Smith, Mary C. Todd, J. B. Thompson, E. W. Tweeddale, Shipman Thompson, E. O. Taylor, James Veale, Edward Wilder, M. E. Whitton, George Work, W. E. Webb, A. P. Wilder, S. Walley, Margaret Walker, M. A. Winchip, Orrin T. Welch, and Misses Anna Ekin, Mary Johnson, Jennie Kimber, Sarah Webb, Sara Petit, Sarah G. Wright, Nancy Smith, Harriet J. Wetmore and Fannie Woodard. The library now contains 20,000 volumes, with a circulation of 80,000 books a year. Mrs. Evelyn S. Lewis is librarian. The board of directors is composed of John R. Mulvane, J. L. Shellabarger, J. P. Davis, C. F. Men- ninger, Eugene F. Ware, Charles S. Gleed, N. F. Handy, Harold T. Chase, M. A. Low, T. F. Garver, E. B. Merriam, Charles J. Devlin and Edvvard Wilder. The law under which the library was located provides that the Governor of the State, the Chief Justice, the Speaker of the House and the mayor of the city shall be ex officio directors. PROVIDENT ASSOCIATION. The Topeka Provident Association, the leading charitable organization of the city, recently came into possession of a permanent home through the generosity of Norris L. Gage, of Ashtabula, Ohio, who purchased and deeded to the association a two-story brick block at the northwest corner of Fourth and Jackson streets. Mr. Gage's contribution was $6,000 and an additional ;$i,ooo has been spent in improvements. The building contains an ample i8o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY number of rooms to accommodate the many different departments of the association. The Provident organization has charge of the systematic charitable work of Topeka. The departments include general relief, medical aid, employment, the boys' club, the girls' sewing club, mothers' club, nursery and kindergarten. Officers of the institution are: J. E. Nissley, president; Thomas Page, vice-president; Rev. O. S. Morrow, secretary; William Mac- ferran, treasurer; Dr. C. B. Van Horn, general secretary and physician in charge. orphans' home. The Topeka Orphans' Home, an organization chartered in 1889, owns a substantial building at the northeast corner of Third and Fillmore streets. Beneficiaries of the home are orphans and friendless and destitute children. It has cared for 1,500 children, an average of 100 a year, since its organiza- tion. It is supported by the city and county, and receives a small annual appropriation from the State. The value of the property is $7,000. Mrs. J. F. Daniels is president ; Mrs. M. J. Hunter and Mrs. C. E. Hawley, vice- presidents; Mrs. L. S. Wolverton, recording secretary; Mrs. M. E. Stewart, corresponding secretary; Mrs. William H. Davis, treasurer; and Dr. C. Hammond, house physician. HOME FOR AGED WOMEN. Ingleside, a home for aged women, is located at the corner of Huntoon and Tyler streets. It was established in 1886, and a building erected through the efforts of the public-spirited women of Topeka. In the year 1902 an addi- tional building was constructed, the expense of which was borne by Jonathan Thomas. The buildings are of great architectural beauty, and the interior appointments of the most cheerful and convenient character. Many of the venerable women who make Ingleside their home are contributors to its support, and others are cared for from the revenues of the association, to which the citizens of Topeka are liberal subscribers. The officers of the asso- ciation are: Mrs. Jonathan Thomas, president; Mrs. Joab Mulvane, ist vice- president; Mrs. M. A. Low, 2nd vice-president; Mrs. M. C. Hammatt, secretary; Mrs. George F. Penfield, treasurer; Mrs. Margaret Dowding, matron. HOSPITALS. There are six hospitals in the city, having a total capacity of 500. The largest is the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Hospital, Sixth avenue and Jefferson street, occupying 10 acres of ground. The building cost AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. i8i $125,000, and is in charge of Dr. J. P. Raster, chief surgeon. It was built for the special care of employees of the railroad company, and accommodates 100 patients. Christ's Hospital occupies a tract of 14 acres of ground in the western part of the city, and was founded by the late Bishop Thomas H. Vail, of the Kansas Diocese of the Protetstant Episcopal Church, in 1882, although the charter provides that the hospital shall be in no sense sectarian. Buildings were erected in 1883 and 1884, at a cost of $25,000, of which Bishop Vail contributed $7,000, and Mrs. Ellen S. Bowman Vail, $5,000. Bishop and Mrs. Vail obtained the additional $13,000 from friends living in Topeka and elsewhere. Through their instrumentality, and the help of the church, an endowmait fund of $25,000 was also provided. Through donations from other sources the hospital was subsequently enlarged, and now accommodates 100 patients. Bishop Frank R. Millspaugh is the president of the hospital; Rev. James P. de Beavers Kaye, vice-president, and J. G. Slonecker, Jona- than Thomas, Charles S. Gleed and August Zahner, directors. In the year 1895 Mrs. Jane C. Stormont made a contribution for the founding of The Jane C. Stormont Hospital and a fine brick building was con- structed at No. 332 Greenwood avenue, Potwin Place. It is managed by a board of trustees and a staff of physicians: Jonathan Thomas, president; Dr. Lewis Y. Grubbs, vice-president; Frank G. Willard, secretary; Dr. Clarence A. McGuire, treasurer; Charles J. Devlin, additional trustee. Officers of staff: Dr. Lewis Y. Grubbs, president; Dr. George W. Hogeboom, vice- president; Dr. L. M. Powell, secretary; Dr. L. H. Munn, treasurer; Catherine Strayer, superintendent. In 1889 Mrs. Guilford G. Gage built an addition to the hospital, known as the Gage Annex, at a cost of $15,000. There are accommodations for 50 patients, and 2,000 have been cared for within the past 10 years. In connection with the hospital a training school for nurses is conducted. The whole property is valued at $40,000. Other hospitals in the city are the Detention Hospital (an annex to the city prison), built by Rev. Charles M. Sheldon in 1901 ; Keith's Hospital, a private institution, at No. 603 Clay street ; and Bedwell Asylum, a private hospital for insane patients, on East Sixth avenue. HALLS AND OPERA HOUSES. Museum Hall, in the old Ritchie 'Block, on the southeast corner of Kansas and Sixth avenues, was the scene of the first public dramatic per- formance in Topeka, in 1858, and hence may be taken as the beginning of the city's places of amusement. Museum Hall was afterwards known as Wilmarth's Hall. Prior to the above date. King Smith's Hall, at No. 104 9 i82 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Sixth avenue east, was used for lyceums, conventions and religious meetings, but it never aspired to the dignity of a playhouse. The first regular theater, with curtain and stage, was known as Union Hall, occupying the second -floor of the Shorb, Tinker & Baker Block, built in 1869, at Nos. 619 and 621 Kansas avenue. A stairway ran almost directly into the main part of the auditorium, the opening being railed off from the seats, the stage was aS feet wide and 20 feet deep, with wings, flats and sky borders of a crude pat- tern. Prof. Henry Worrall painted the drop curtain — a Topeka street scene in lurid' colors, with a border filled with advertising cards. Across the top of the curtain a Union Pacific train was shown at full speed. In one corner was a portrait of Chief Burnett, of the Pottawatomies, and in the opposite corner the picture of "Kaw Charley," ringing a bell. "Kaw Charlie" was a half-breed Indian, a well-known character of that day. Some of the early performances on the stage of Union Hall were given by Charles W. Couldock and daughter, Duprez & Benedict's minstrels, the Louise Sylvester company, and the "As You Like It" Club of Topeka. In 1870 Lorenzo Costa built the first opera house, known as Costa's Opera House, at Nos. 612 and 614 Kansas avenue. It was opened January 12, 1871. In 1880 the property was purchased by Lester M. Crawford who reconstructed the interior, and opened it September 3rd of that year, as Crawford's Opera House. It has remained under his management since that time, being a part of the Crawford circuit of theatrical enterprises, which embraces many of the principal theaters in the West, and includes two of the leading theaters in St. Louis. Crawford's Opera House was destroyed by fire December 2, 1880, and rebuilt in 1881. A corporation was organized in 1881 for the construction of the Grand Opera House, the most pretentious amusement enterprise ever undertaken in Topeka. The Grand was built on lots Nos. 193, 195 and 197, Jackson street, at a cost of $40,000, and opened in September, 1882, with the Emma Abbott opera company as the attraction. It was operated under various managers for a period of 12 years, with a limited financial success, and finally passed into the hands of the Crawford syndicate, and has been closed for the past five years. When in actual running order it was a model playhouse, with a stage 60 by 60 feet, a splendid equipment and a seating capacity of 1,500. HOTELS OF TOPEKA. When Horace Greeley visited Kansas in 1859, he wrote a series of letters to the Nezv York Tribune, giving his impressions of the country and its characteristics. On the subject of hotels his impressions were jotted down in this manner: "May 23rd — Leavenworth — Room-bells and baths make AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 183 their last appearance; May 24th — Topeka — Breakfast and wash-bowls (other than tin) last visible — barber ditto; May 26th — Manhattan — Potatoes and eggs last recognized among the blessings that brighten as they take their flight; May 27th — Junction City — Last visitation of a boot-black, with dis- solving views of a broad bed-room — Chairs bid us good-bye; May 28th — Pipe Creek — Benches for seats at meals have disappeared, giving place to bags and boxes — We write our letters in the express wagon that has borne us by day, and must supply us lodgings for the night." If the shade of the great journalist could come West at this time, it would be rejoiced to find modern hotels and all the comforts of civilization — telephones instead of room-bells, marble lavatories instead of tin wash-bowls, and every known variety of breakfast food to supplement the matutinal potatoes and eggs. Topeka's hotels began with the Pioneer House, built of poles and rough lumber, in June, 1855, by Mitchell & Zimmerman, on the southeast corner of Kansas avenue and Third street. It was conducted by Enoch Chase, and for a short time by Guilford Dudley. In 1856 Walter C. Oakley built the Topeka House, at the northeast corner of Kansas and Fifth avenues — a two-story, frame building with a flat roof, which was subsequently enlarged to three stories, with a shingle roof. It stood until 1870, when it was destroyed by fire. The building constructed in September, 1855, on the southeast corner of Kansas and Fifth avenues, where the first newspaper in Topeka had its home, was also used in part as a hotel, under the name of the Garvey House. Enoch Chase built the Chase House, in the autumn of 1856, on the south side of Sixth avenue, near the corner of Kansas avenue, afterwards known as the Capitol House. Other early enterprises were the Curtis House, North Topeka; the Quincy House, on the east side of Quincy street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues; the Ashbaugh House, at No. 205 West Sixth avenue; the Farmers' Hotel, at the southeast corner of Kansas and Fifth avenues; the Carney House, on the southwest corner of Fifth avenue and Jackson street; and the Parks House, opposite the Union Pacific Depot, in North Topeka. MR. Gordon's enterprises. The Gordon House, on the northeast corner of Kansas avenue and Fifth street, built and conducted by J. C. Gordon, was one of the most popular of the early Topeka hostelries, and held its position as the leading hotel for many years. It was rebuilt in 1877, and sold in 1881 to Dr. J. J. Burtis, of Davenport, Iowa. Dr. Burtis sold it to H. P. Throop, who remodeled it throughout at an expense of $80,000, and changed its name to the Throop I §4 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Hotel, by which it is now known. It is one of the finest buildings on Kansas avenue, and its cost seriously impaired the fortune Mr. Throop had accumu- lated. The property was sold in 1901 to J. J. O'Rourke, and is now under the management of the Hamilton Hotel Company, composed of C. B. Hamil- ton, James L. Brooks and Harry H. Hamilton. After disposing of the Gordon House, J. C. Gordon built a new hotel on the southeast corner of Kansas avenue and Ninth street, called the Cope- land Hotel. It is a four-story building, with a spacious annex, and has been in successful operation since 1883, the date of its construction. The Copeland is located near the State Capitol and has long been a sort of. headquarters for politicians, especially those of the Republican faith, and this fact led a news- paper correspondent, Ferd L. Vandegrift, to give it the popular designation of "Copeland County," by which it is familiarly known. Many of the State officers, who are temporarily located in Topeka, make their home at the Copeland. James Chappelle is the present proprietor of the hotel. When the Populists came into power in Kansas, their Topeka gathering place was at the Button House, a small hotel at No. 407 Kansas avenue, now managed by A. T Pigg. The name was recently changed to the Savoy, and the building is being added to on the north by the reconstruction of the old County Court House. The Savoy no longer claims any special political clientele, but appeals to the general public and has a liberal patronage. The Fifth Avenue Hotel was constructed in 1870, and was at that time the most modern hotel, as well as the handsomest from an architectural stand- point, in the city. J. B. Fluno and the firm of Hankla Brothers were among the early managers, and T. J. Hankla is the present manager. The most noted event connected with the history of the Fifth Avenue Hotel was the entertainment on January 22, 1872, of the Grand Duke of Russia and his party who were just returning from a buffalo hunt in Western Kansas. The party included Grand Duke Alexis, Vice Admiral Poissiett, Lieutenant Tuder and Lieutenant Stortdegraff, of the imperial navy ; Chancellor of State W. T. Machin, Consul General Brodisco, Count Olsenfieff and Secretary Shuveloff. The American wing of the party was made up of Gen. Phil. H. Sheridan, Gen. George A. Custer and Colonels G. A. Forsythe, M. V. Sheridan and N. B. Sweetzer. The Kansas Legislature gave a reception and banquet at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in honor of the visitors. A NOTED RESORT. The most famous hotel in Topeka was known as the Tefft House, situated on the northwest corner of Kansas avenue and Seventh street. It was a modest building at first, occupying a single lot on the corner, which AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 187 was bought in 1859 by Dr. Erasmus Tefft for the sum of $300. It was an isolated location, far above the center of business, but is now the most cen- tral business corner in Topeka. Dr. Tefift erected the original building in i860, — a stone structure, 17 by 25 feet, and two stories in height. In 1865 he added the lot on the north at an expense of $700, and made the hotel into a three-story building, 50 by 60 feet in dimensions. Two years later an addi- tion was constructed in the rear of the original buildings, 95 by 35 feet in dimensions, four stories in height, with a mansard roof. In 1868 the front part was also increased to four stories. The building was leased in 1866 to James Harris and John Beasley. Harris sold his interest to J. A. Burr, and the firm become Burr & Beasley. It was leased in 1867 to Henry D. Mc- Meekin, an old and popular citizen of Kansas, under whose management it was again enlarged, and became the political and legislative headquarters of the State — a position it retained up to the time of the opening of the Cope- land Hotel. Some of the most celebrated senatorial elections in Kansas were planned and practically consummated in the so-called "dark and fitful recesses of the Tefft House." In the period between 1867 and 1880 it entertained all of the public men of Kansas and was the scene of many brilliant social functions. McMeekin retired from the management in 1871, but returned in 1875, with Samuel Hindman as his partner, the business in the meantime having been conducted by E. A. Smith and Williams & Babcock. J. W. Hartzell became associated with McMeekin in 1876, and in 1878 the build- ing was bought from Dr. Tefft by Dr. J. J. Burtis for $24,000. Three years later Burtis sold to Allen Sells for $25,000. After undergoing extensive repairs, it was leased to Hankla Brothers and opened as the Windsor Hotel. In later years the managers were C. M. Hill & Company, Passmore & Wig- gin, Odell & Forward and W. W. Smith. The entire property was bought in 1889 by the First National Bank of Topeka, and the building reconstructed into its present form, the bank occupying the corner room on the main floor, and the rest of the building being devoted to hotel purposes, under the name of the National- Hotel. The National was opened in 1890 by Hankla Brothers, and a few years later passed into the hands of Manager Charles L. Wood, who is now at the helm. THE TOPEKA CEMETERY. The beautiful sloping ground directly west from the city was set apart in 1859 by Dr. Franklin L. Crane for the purposes of a cemetery, and the general arrangement of the grounds remains as he planned it 45 years ago. The first burial in the new cemetery was of Mrs. Marcia Gordon, who died i88 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY about December 20, 1859. Since that time it has afforded a resting-place for nearly 11,000 deceased persons. Soon after coming to Topeka, Dr. Crane settled upon this tract of land, and built a small house on the west side of the tract. In Topeka's infancy there was considerable difficulty ex- perienced in obtaining a proper place for the interment of the dead, and interments were first made at the southeast corner of Kansas and loth avenues. By an arrangement with the Topeka Town Association, Dr. Crane set apart his original claim to meet this contingency, and took up other land near the city for his personal homestead. The interments made at Kansas and loth avenues were removed to the new cemetery in i860. Officers of the Topeka Cemetery Association are: A. B. Quinton, president; George W. Crane, secretary, and D. O. Crane, superintendent and treasurer. The other cemeteries near Topeka are the following : Catholic Cemetery, on loth avenue road, three miles west; Foster Cemetery, on Burlingame road, three miles southwest; Jewish Cemetery, on East loth avenue, adjoin- ing Topeka Cemetery ; Ritchie Cemetery, directly south from the city ; Mount Hope Cemetery, on Sixth avenue, four miles west; and Rochester Cemetery, two miles Northwest from North Topeka. CHAPTER XVII. Topeka's Educational Facilities — Public Schools, Colleges and Other Insti- tutions — High School and Manual Training Departments — The City's Churches and Their History — Early Pastors and Those of the Present Time — Religious Societies, Fraternal Orders and Club Organizations. If any one thing more than another can be said to have made Topeka famous, it is her magnificent school system, which is hardly surpassed by that of any city in the United States. The founders of Topeka were educated men, some of them coming here directly from college, and after organizing the Topeka Town Association, and reducing the territory to lots, almost their first thought was to provide educational facilities in keeping with the plans they had formed for establishing a large and important city. Early in the month of February, 1856, the association took up a collection for building a school house, and levied an assessment upon its shares for the same purpose, a suitable site having been donated near the corner of Harri- son street and Sixth avenue, where the Harrison School now stands. Before the school house could be erected, private schools were opened in convenient locations, so that the school system was practically inaugurated in 1856, before the new city was three months old. In 1857 the New England Emi- grant Aid Company erected the first school building. The first direct tax for school purposes was levied in 1862, providing for the running expenses of the schools and for a building fund. The old Harrison street school was the first school building erected at public expense. The first of the school buildings erected in North Topeka was at No. 128 Kansas avenue north, the cost being $1,350. Beginning with the year 1868, the city made liberal appropriations for educational purposes and for additional buildings, the amount for that year being $10,000. In 1869 the sum of $40,000 was appro- priated, and buildings commenced at Nos. 50, 52 and 54 Monroe street, and at the southeast corner of Monroe and Fifth — the latter being known as the Lincoln School. The Lincoln School, when completed, cost $55,000. An- other school building was erected in 1871 on the southeast corner of Quincy and Gordon streets. North Topeka, at a cost of $28,000. The building occupied by Washburn College, at the northeast corner of loth avenue and igo HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Jackson street, was also purchased by the city, for $15,000, and a small building for school use erected on the corner of Quincy and 13th streets. From 1 86 1 to 1871 the sum of $155,000 was spent for buildings and equip- ment, providing facilities for 2,000 pupils and 28 teachers. During the ensuing 10 years several new buildings were constructed and most of the old ones enlarged, the value of the public school property at the close of 1880 being over $200,000, and the school population, 4,728. GROWTH OF SCHOOLS. The school idea which possessed the founders of the city has retained its hold upon their successors, and at the close of the year 1904 Topeka had 23 first-class public school buildings, valued at $700,000, a school population of 10,665, an enrollment of 6,437, ^^'^ employed 211 teachers. The annual cost of conducting the city schools is $150,000. A ' model High School building was constructed in 1893 on the northwest corner of Harrison street and Eighth avenue, at a cost of $85,000, and in 1904 a Manual Training School was completed on the southwest corner of the same streets, at a cost of $100,000. These institutions are the culmination of the hopes and efforts of Topeka's progressive and far-seeing Board of Education, which is composed of the following members : First Ward, — C. C. Nicholson and E. E. Miller ; Second Ward,— F. E. Mallory and W. H. Wilson ; Third Ward, — J. W. Gleed and Edward Wilder; Fourth Ward, — Jonathan D. Norton and T. F. Garver; Fifth Ward, — C. F. Hardy and D. L. Hoatson; Sixth Ward, — E. E. Roudebush and L. C. Bailey. F. E. Mallory is presi- dent of the board, and T. F. Garver vice-president, and J. E. Stewart, clerk. L. D. Whittemore is the present superintendent of the city schools. His predecessors in the office have been: W. H. Butterfield, 1867-69; J. A. Banfield, 1869-71; A. W. Haines, 1871-72; W. H. Butterfield, 1872-81; D. C. Tillotson, 1881-86; John M. Bloss, 1886-92; William M. Davidson, 1 892- 1 904; L. D. Whittemore, 1904 — . The Board of Education has had the following clerks: L. C. Wilmarth, 1867-69; J. A. Banfield, 1869-71; E. B. Fowler, 1871-72; R. H. C. Searle, 1872-75; T. H. Church, 1875-76; Hiram W. Farnsworth, 1876-99; J. E. Stewart, 1899-1905. The following table shows the designation of the several schools, names of principals and enrollment of pupils : School. Principal. Enrollment. High School H. L. Miller 897 Grant E. A. Simmerwell 455 Quincy E. F. Stanley 482 Lincoln W. H. Wright 478 AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 191 School. Principal. Enrollment. Branner H. W. Jones 4S2 Lafayette E. H. Roudebush 35° Garfield Carrie Goddard 340 Van Buren Elizabeth Guy 6l Jackson Fenella H. Dana 61 Polk Elizabeth Tharp ■ • ■ 412 Euclid Madge E. Moore 290 Lowman Hill Lola A. Graham IQO Clay O. P. M. McClintock 3S0 Potwin Eliza Nagle 220 Sumner G. H. Mays 352 Harrison Eli G. Foster 324 Lane S. G. Watkins 131 Madison R. H. Wade 123 Washington J. L. Harrison 145 Monroe Fred Roundtree 139 Douglas Mary E. Langston Si • Buchanan C. F. Clinkscale 134 Manual Training H. L. Miller Total 6,437 WASHBURN COLLEGE. In 1858 John Ritchie donated 160 acres of land directly southwest from the city as the site for a college, which was proposed to be established by the Congregational churches of Kansas. The college was located in Topeka in 1858, changed to Lawrence in 1859, and relocated at Topeka in i860, under the name of Topeka Institute. When the incorporation was efifected in 1865, at the close of the war, the name of Lincoln College was substituted. The first building was erected in that year on the northeast corner of loth avenue and Jackson street, at a cost of $8,000, and in the month of January, 1866, the institution was opened with Rev. Samuel D. Bowker as principal, and Professors E. D. Hobart and George H. Collier as assistants. The first president was Rev. H. Q. Butterfield, who was suc- ceeded in 1 87 1 by Rev. Peter MacVicar. The catalogue issued in 1867 gave the number of students as 92, and contained the following names of trustees : Lewis Bodwell, S. D. Storrs, J. D. Liggett, Ira H. Smith, Richard Cordley, Harrison Hannahs, John Ritchie, Harvey D. Rice, William E. Bowker, J. W. Fox and Hiram W. Farnsworth. The name of the institution was changed to Washburn College in 1868, in honor of one of the benefactors, Ichabod Washburn, of Worcester, Massa- chusetts, who contributed $25,000 to the endowment fund. A new building was erected on the permanent site in 1870, at a cost of $60,000, and since that date 10 other large and substantial buildings have been erected, the last 192 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY one — a Carnegie Library — in 1905. The buildings represent a cost of $300,- 000, and the campus of 160 acres is one of the most valuable pieces of prop- erty in the suburbs of Topeka. Dr. Norman Plass became the president of the college in 1902, after the death of Dr. Mac Vicar. The college is conducted under the auspices of the Congregational Church, through a board of trustees officered as follows : Norman Plass, president; L. H. Greenwood, secretary; James F. Griffin, treasurer ; Rev. D. M. Fisk, field secretary ; Norman Plass, L. H. Greenwood, Jonathan Thomas, John R. Mulvane, Arthur J. McCabe, Albe B. Whiting, Timothy B. Sweet, Francis L. Hayes, Marcus A. Low, John C. McClin- tock and William S. Lindsay- executive committee ; D. L. McEachron, dean of college ; Dr. H. L. Alkire, dean of medical department ; Ernest B. Conant, dean of law department; George B. Penny, dean of fine arts department; W. W. Silver, principal of academy; and Dr. A. H. Thompson, dean of dentistry department. The college has well-equipped laboratories, a fine ■library of 12,000 volumes, and employs 25 professors and instructors in the various departments. The present enrollment is about 700. BETHANY COLLEGE. On a large square of 20 acres fronting Capitol Square, west on Ninth street from the Capitol, stands the College of the Sisters of Bethany, an institution for the education of girls. It was founded as the Episcopal Female Seminary of Topeka, under a charter from the Territorial Legisla- ture. In 1870 a new charter was granted and in 1872 the name was changed to "The College of the Sisters of Bethany," the name not referring to any order of Sisters, but to the scriptural model and example of the two sisters of Bethany — Martha and Mary. The main building is of the Gothic, rock- faced, broken ashlar style. Wolfe Hall and other adjacent buildings are in harmony with the main structure, and, together with the large park, present a most beautiful appearance. The college is under the general management of Bishop Frank R. Millspaugh. The course of study embraces not only a primary and preparatory branch, a scientific and classical branch, but also departments for thorough instruction in vocal and instrumental music, draw- ing and painting. The original site was donated by the Topeka Town Association in 1857, being a tract at the northeast corner of Topeka avenue and Ninth street. Rev. Charles M. Callaway, a missionary of the Protestant Episcopal Church, conducted the negotiations with the town company, and in addition to the original site the association gave the 20-acre tract now known as Bethany Square, where the permanent buildings were erected. The incor- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 195 porators were Rev. N. O. Preston, Rush Elmore, Wilson Shannon, Cyrus K. Holliday, J. P. Bodine, George Fairchild and J. E. Ryan. Wilson Shan- non was president until September 14, 1864, when he was succeeded by Bishop Thomas H. Vail. The main college building was completed in 1871, and is known as Wolfe Hall, named in honor of John D. Wolfe, of New York, and his daughter, Catharine L. Wolfe, who gave $32,000 to assist the institution. Holmes Hall w-as constructed in 1882 at an expense of $16,000, the money being contributed by Miss Jane Holmes, of Baltimore. There are five buildings in all, the total value of the property being $450,000. Fifteen teachers are employed, and the average attendance is 200. The build- ing at the corner of Topeka avenue and Ninth street, first occupied by Bethany College, and still belonging to the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, is now used for a theological school, of which Bishop Frank R. Millspaugh is president and dean, and Rev. Irving E. Baxter, Rev. James P. deBeavers Kaye, Rev. Charles B. Crawford and Rev. DeLou Burke, instructors. INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE. The Topeka Industrial and Educational Institute was organized in May, 1895, following the plan of the Booker T. Washington Institute at Tuske- gee. It is located three miles east of the city on a tract of land sufficient in extent to afford facilities for instruction in farming. It is non-sectarian and its beneficiaries are the colored youth of Kansas, of both sexes. There are two brick and stone buildings and one frame shop building, the value of the property being $12,000. The enrollment is 140, and 750 pupils have been cared for in the past 10 years. The institution has no endowment, but receives an annual appropriation of $1,500 from the State, in addition to help from other sources. William R. Carter is principal of the school, which is managed by a board of trustees comprised of Joab Mulvane, president; J. B. Larimer, vice-president; Robert Stone, secretary; and John M. Wright, treasurer. OTHER SCHOOLS. A convent of the Sisters of Charity is maintained at No. 723 Jackson street, and in connection therewith is a Catholic parochial school, which has an average attendance of 225. The convent is in charge of Sister Alberta, superior, and five Sisters of Charity make their home in the institution. The German Catholic Church also maintains a school near the corner of Third and VanBuren streets, with accommodations for 200 pupils. Alois Nusang is principal of the school, and Christine Seitz and Minnie Sonderman, teachers. 196 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY In addition to those named, the following educational institutions are conducted in Topeka : Studio of Voice Culture and Piano Instruction, No. 8i6 Kansas avenue, Gertrude Tracy, teacher; Dougherty's Shorthand School, No. ii8 West Eighth avenue, George E. Dougherty, principal; Standard School of Shorthand and Typewriting, No. 630 Kansas avenue, Anna E. Canan, principal; Topeka Business College, No. 523 Quincy street, L. H. Strickler, superintendent; Pond's Business College, No. 521 Kansas avenue, M. A. Pond, principal; Homeopathic Night School, No. 704 Kansas avenue, Dr. Eva Harding, president; Art Studio, No. 630 Kansas avenue, George O. Beardsley, instructor; School of Dramatic Art, No. 816 Kansas avenue, Nellie Lincoln, instructor; Music Studio, No. 109 West Sixth avenue, Kate B. Whittlesey, instructor; School of Pianoforte Playing, No. 722 Kansas avenue, Annie Parry Bundy, principal; Violin Studio, No. 704 Kansas avenue, W. C. Stenger, instructor; Reid-Stone School of Art, No. 501 Jackson street, Albert T. Reid and George M. Stone, directors. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES. There are 80 separate church organizations in Topeka, representing 17 different denominations. The First Congregational Church is the pioneer, its organization dating from October 14, 1855. The first deacons were Hiram W. Farnsworth and James Cowles, and the first trustees, Milton C. Dickey, John Ritchie and H. P. Waters. Meetings were held in Constitu- tion Hall and other places, occasional sermons being preached by Rev. S. Y. Luni, Rev. Paul Shepherd and Rev. Jonathan Copeland. The first reg- tilar pastor was Rev. Lewis Bodwell, who assumed charge in October, 1856, and on Sunday, Noveruber 2nd of that year, the communion of the Lord's Supper was celebrated for the first time in Topeka. A donation of lots by the Topeka Town Association, and a popular supscription at home and in the East, enabled the Congregationalists to begin the first church struct- ure in Topeka, at the northwest corner of Harrison and Seventh streets. The walls were twice blown down by wind storms, but the building was finally completed in 1861, at a cost of $7,000. In the year 1880 a new and more substantial church building was erected at a cost of $35,000. Since its organization, the church has had the following pastors : Lewis Bodwell, Peter MacVicar, James G. Merrill, Linus Blakesley, D. M. Fisk and Francis L. Hayes. Rev. Mr. Blakesley was pastor from 1870 to 1899 — nearly 30 years — the longest continuous service ever performed by any of the Topeka pastors. The Central Congregational Church, at the corner of Huntoon and Buchanan streets, is one of the most famous in the West, by reason of the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 197 personality of its pastor, Rev. Charles M. Sheldon, who came to the city in 1889, and is best known perhaps, as the author of "In His Steps," a semi- religious novel which has had a remarkable circulation. Rev. Mr. Sheldon also established a library and kindergarten in what is known as "Tennessee- town," a colored settlement in Topeka, and added to his fame in 1900 by editing the Topeka Capital for one week as a distinctly Christian daily. There are four other Congregational organizations in the city : North Congregational, Rev. T. J. Pearson, pastor; Seabrook Congregational, Rev. P. B. Lee, pastor; Swedish Congregational, Rev. Peter Persson, pastor; and the Mission or Central Congregational Church, B. E. Crane, superin- tendent. METHODIST CHURCHES. The Methodist Episcopal Church had an organization in Topeka in 1855, but was not regularly estabhshed until a later date. In 1859 the Topeka and Tecumseh circuit was formed, and in 1861 Topeka was orga- nized as a station, with Rev. J. Paulson as pastor. Religious services were conducted prior to that date by Rev. J. S. Griffing. Other pastors of the church have been : J. V. Holliday, T. A. Parker, John D. Knox, T. J. Leak, Ira Blackford, James E. Gilbert, J. J. Thompson, O. J. Cowles, D. P. Mitchell, S. McChesney, D. J. Holmes, W. G. Waters, J. A. Lippincott, A. S. Embree and J. T. McFarland. Rev. W. C. Evans is the present pastor. A church building was commenced in 1857, on lots numbered 157 to 169 Quincy street, donated by the Topeka Town Association. The lots so donated were at the time covered with stone fortifications, which had been erected to defend the town against an invasion of border ruffians. The church was built during the period between i860 and 1867. It was en- larged in 1870 and continued to be the home of the church until 18^, when a new building was erected on the southwest corner of Harrison street and Sixth avenue, at a cost of $30,000. Other Methodist churches and their pastors at this time are the follow- ing: Kansas Avenue, Rev. J. A. Stavely; Oakland, Rev. J. W. Reed; Walnut Grove, Rev. F. E. Adell; Parkdale, Rev. J. T. Sawyer; Lowman Hill, Rev. J. R. Madison; German, Rev. H. Bruns; Asbury, Rev. J. D. Smith; Mount Olive, Rev. J. S. Burton; Brown Chapel, Rev. J. M. Pope; Euclid, Rev. J. J. Skinner; St. John's African, Rev. J. F. C. Taylor; Wesleyan, Rev. C. F. Carkuff; Second Wesleyan, Rev. William Walters; Free Methodist, Rev. C. J. Chaney; St. Mark's, Rev. J. W. Williams; and Lane Chapel, Rev. J. W. Jacobs. 198 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. Rev. A. T. Rankin organized the First Presbyterian Church, December 9, 1859, but it made indifferent progress until the following year, when Rev. John A. Steele, assumed the direction of its affairs. After his death, in 1864, Rev. S. T. McClure became the pastor, and he was followed by Rev. John Ekin in 1866. Rev. Francis S. McCabe, D. D., became the pastor January i, 1869, and his long pastorate of 15 years was the most flourishing in the history of the church. He was succeeded in 1883 by Rev. H. W. George. Following Rev. Mr. George, the church had the services of Rev. Edward C. Ray, Rev. S. B. Alderson, Rev. J. D. Countermine, and the pres- ent pastor. Rev. S. S. Estey. In 1864 the Presbyterians built a small brick church at No. 230 Kansas avenue, which was afterwards sold to the city for a school. In 1868 they built a chapel in the rear of the lots now occu- pied by the building of the Topeka Capital, enlarging it and adding a spire in 1870. The present church, on Harrison street, was dedicated April 12, 1885. The Second Presbyterian Church is located on Quincy street. North Topeka, Rev. John S. Glendenning, pastor; and the Third Presbyterian Church on Fourth street, Rev. William M. Cleaveland, pastor. Other Pres- byterian churches in the city are: Westminster, Rev. Frank Ward; Oak- land, Rev. S. A. Alt; Cumberland, Rev. A. H. Kelso; Second Cumberland, Rev. J. E. Gary; First United, Rev. J. A. Renwick, and Second United, Rev. J. P. White. A new building for the First United Presbyterian Church has just been completed, at the northeast corner of Topeka avenue and Eighth street, at a cost of $12,000. BAPTIST CHURCHES. About March i, 1857, the First Baptist Church was organized by Rev. David Seagraves, Joseph C. Miller, Jesse Stone, J. F. Merriam and William Jordan, assisted by Rev. J. Gilpatrick, who had charge of an Indian mission near Auburn. The first regular pastor was Rev. C. C. Hutchinson, author of "Resources of Kansas." Services were held in i860 on the second floor of a mercantile building at No. 191 Kansas avenue. A permanent site for the church was donated by the Topeka Town Association, being the lots at the northeast corner of Jackson and Ninth streets, where a building was erected in 1 87 1, at a cost of $15,000. This continued to be the home of the church until 1905, when a more commodious structure took its place, upon the same site. It is a magnificent edifice, built of bowlders of varying shades, and crowned with a stately and symmetrical dome. The cost of the new church was $40,000. The several Baptist pastors have been the following: AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 199 E. Alward, Isaac Sawyer, H. P. Fitch, E. O. Taylor, C. Monjeau, C. C. Foote, T. R. Peters, J. B. Thomas, M. L. Thomas, P. W. Crannell and Thomas S. Young, the last named being the present pastor. Rev. J. Barrett organized the North Topeka Baptist Church, April 4, 1869, and was its pastor for many years. There are 10 other churches of this denomination in the city, the principal ones being: First German, Rev. Jacob Albert; Swedish, Rev. Gustaf Nyquist; Second Baptist, Rev. C. H. Duvall; Third Baptist, Rev. W. P. Banks; "B" Street, Rev. W. H. Hart; Central, Rev. H. W. White; Shiloh, Rev. C. G. Fishback; and Mount Hope, Rev. A. B. Stoner. CATHOLIC CHURCHES. The Church of the Assumption was organized and the first building erected in 1862, the first service being held on Christmas Day of that year, conducted by Rev. James H. Defouri. The church was dedicated August 16, 1863, by Rt. Rev. J. B. Miegie. Rev. Elmira Fourmont, Rev. Eugene Bonoveini, Rev. Felix Swembergh and Rev. Sebastian Favre were Father Defouri's assistants during the early years of the church's history. The present church building on Eighth avenue, opposite the Topeka Free Library, was erected in 1882 at a cost of $20,000. One of the first workers in behalf of the church was Daniel Handley, afterwards killed in the battle of the Blue. A relic of the church is a bell presented by E. C. K. Garvey in 1862, now used in the Catholic school. Father Defouri continued in charge of the church for 14 years, and was succeeded by Rev. J. F. Cunningham, who remained until 1882, and was then succeeded by Rev. James O'Reilly. Very Rev. Francis M. Hayden became dean and rector of the church in 1887 and is still in charge. His sacerdotal silver jubilee was celebrated here May 17, 1900, and was attended by four bishops and 60 clergymen. St. Joseph's German Catholic Church was established in 1889 through the instrumentality of Rev. Francis Henry, who has since served continu- ously as its pastor. He has not only organized a large congregation but has caused to be erected one of the finest church buildings in the city, at the northwest corner of VanBuren and Third streets — a massive brick structure, with double towers and cathedral chimes. Father Henry has been promi- nent in the charitable work of the city, and his general influence in the com- munity is as strongly felt as that of any citizen of Topeka. GRACE EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL. A mission of the Protestant Episcopal Church was begun by Rev. Charles Callaway in 1857, resulting in the organization of Grace Episcopal 200 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Church, September 9, i860, with Rev. Mr. Callaway as rector, the first vestrymen being Charles C. Kellam, James Fletcher, John W. Farnsworth, Cyrus K. Holliday and Joseph F. Cummings. Rev. N. O. Preston suc- ceeded to the rectorship December 7, i860. From 1864 to the present time the church has had the following rectors and deans : R. W. Oliver, John N. Lee, John Bakewell, Henry H. Loring, J. F. Walker, Richard Ellerby, James W. Colwell, Percival Mclntire; Assistant Bishop E. S. Thomas, Henry I. Bodley, John W. Sykes, and James P. deBeavers Kaye, the last named being the present dean. Rev. J. F. Walker was the first dean, the church having been accepted as a cathedral chapel in 1879. Services were first held on the third floor of the Ritchie Block, corner of Kansas and Sixth avenues, and then at the old Episcopal Female Seminary, corner of Topeka avenue and Ninth street. A building was erected in 1863, at the southwest corner of Jackson and Seventh streets, known as Grace Church. The build- ing was enlarged in 1874, and while the improvements were in progress services were held in Union Hall. The property at the corner of Jackson and Seventh streets was subsequently sold and a guild hall and chapel erected on Bethany square, where the permanent cathedral is to be built in the near future. In connection with the cathedral are the churches of the Good Shep- herd, Calvary Mission, and St. Simon the Cyrenian Mission, conducted by Rev. DeLou Burke, canon. LUTHERAN CHURCHES. The English Lutheran Church, now known as the First Lutheran, had its beginning April 7, 1867. It was organized by Rev. Morris Officer, and had as its original members Rev. Josiah B. McAfee, John Guthrie, C. H. Ellison, A. P. Benson, George Rubble, A. S. Halmburg and Hugo Kullak. Rev. A. J. Hasson was the first pastor, followed by Rev. B. F. Alleman and Rev. T. F. Dornblazer. Services were first held in Germania Hall. A small frame church was built in 1871 on lots 163, 165 and 167 Topeka avenue. In 1885 a large brick structure was erected at the northeast corner of Harri- son and Fifth street, which is the present home of the church, with Rev. H. A. Ott as pastor. The German Lutheran Church, evangelical, has a building at the corner of VanBuren and Second streets. Rev. H. F. Eggert, pastor. The Swedish Lutheran Church has its home at the northeast corner of Fourth and Tyler streets, with Rev. A. M. L. Herenius as pastor. This church was organized in September, 1869, by Rev. A. W. Dahlsten, the succeeding pastors being Rev. C. J. Scheleen, Rev. C. V. Vestling and Rev. John Holcomb. Another of the Lutheran organizations is the St. Paul's German Evang'elical, corner ST. JOSEPH'S GERMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION GRACE CATHEDRAL AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 203 of Monroe and Fourth streets, of which Rev. Silverman is pastor. Swedish Bethel, on Polk street, is conducted by Rev. Mr. Peter Persson. CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. The First Christian Church is located in a handsome stone building on the east side of Topeka avenue, between Sixth avenue and Seventh street, the present pastor being Rev. Charles A. Finch. The church was established January i, 1881, by Rev. S. T. Dodd, with the following officers: Dr. S. T. Dodd, pastor; Willard Davis, clerk; Alfred Ennis and W. D. Stone, elders ; J. A. Mullen, W. M. Hess and J. O. Leary, deacons ; Ira Miller, David Eckert, William Niccum, E. H. Roudebush and G. W. Fought, trus- tees; and Buel Shuler and A. A. Stewart, ushers. There are four other Christian churches in the city, known as the North Topeka, Rev. J. T. Purvis; Second, Rev. B. C. Duke; Third, Rev. F. E. Mallory; and Oakland, Rev. N. Overman. UNITARIAN CHURCH. The First Unitarian Church had its beginning in June, 1883, when the society was organized by the following persons : Mr. and Mrs. George W. Wood, Dr. O. B. Morse, Robert Pierce, Mrs. Anna G. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Wilder, Mr. and Mrs. George R. Peck, Miss Belle Wilder, John A. Dailey, F. M. Hayward and Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Foster. The first pastor was Rev. Enoch Powell. The present pastor is Rev. Abram Wyman. The church building at Nos. 302, 304 and 306 Topeka avenue was erected in 1885 at a cost of $8,200. NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH. In 1880 the Topeka Society of the New Jerusalem, Swedenborgian, was organized, the first meetings being held at the home of Edward Wilder. In the following year a chapel and parsonage were erected at the southeast corner of Topeka avenue and Harrison street. The first ministers were Rev. Howard C. Dunham and Rev. Frank L. Higgins. The church is now with- out a pastor and regular services have been discontinued. CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST. Topeka has two Christian Science organizations, with a rapidly growing affiliation. The First Church of Christ is located at the corner of Huntoon 10 204 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and Polk streets, in its own building, with W. C. Fisk as first reader. The Second Church of Christ occupies leased rooms at No. io8 West Ninth street, with Willis D. McKinstry as reader. MISCELLANEOUS RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. A church of the Evangelical (Albright) German denomination is maintained at the corner of Fourth and Monroe streets, with Rev. Peter Schuman as pastor, and the Seventh Day Adventists have a church at the corner of Fifth street and Western avenue, with Rev. E. T. Russell in charge. The Salvation Army conducts a shelter at No. 312 Kansas avenue, in charge of Captain and Mrs. E. Stinnett, and its splendid work among the poor is cordially cooperated with by the churches. CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS. The officers of the Young Women's Christian Association are : Mrs. C. J. Evans, president; Mrs. J. B. Larimer, vice-president; Mrs. A. Vander- pool, recording secretary; Mrs. W. H. Holmes, treasurer; Miss M. E. Reid, general secretary; Anna H. Waldron, house secretary; and Miss Ethel Estberg, physical director. The organization was formed February 10, 1887, and has rooms in the Masonic Building. Topeka is the Kansas headquarters of the State Executive Committee of the Young Men's Christian Association, of which Andrew Baird is state secretary and Charles Fenstamacher, office secretary. The Y. M. C. A. Central Department of Topeka is located at Nos. iii to 117 East Eighth avenue. It is managed by a board of directors consisting of J. B. Larimer, Harold T. Chase, H. B. Lautz and H. S. Morgan. The officers are : George E. Lerrigo, general secretary; F. G. Mitchell, assistant secretary; J. E. Manley, assistant secretary; J. L. Montgomery, office secretary; and J. A. Augustus, physical director. The Railroad Branch occupies a fine building on Fourth street, near the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Depot, which was erected in 1902, the corner-stone being laid by President Roosevelt. Other branches are maintained at Washburn College and the Kansas Medical Col- lege. Negotiations are in progress for the erection by the Central Depart- ment of a new $80,000 building. FRATERNAL AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. There are 34 Masonic organizations in Topeka, the parent body, Topeka Lodge No. 17, having been chartered October 18, 1859. Most of the organi- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 205 zations have their headquarters and hold their meetings in the Masonic Building at Nos. 619, 621 and 623 Jackson street. The Grand Lodge offices are in the Real Estate Building at No. 701 Jackson street. A Masonic library and office building is now in process of construction at the northeast corner of Eighth avenue and Harrison street, to cost $20,000. Lincoln Post, No. i, is the parent organization of the Grand Army of the Republic in Kansas. There are five other posts in Topeka, a camp of the Sons of Veterans and three women's auxiliaries of the G. A. R. Topeka is the headquarters of the National Council of the Knights and Ladies of Security, of which W. B. Kirkpatrick is president; C. A. Gower, vice-president; J. M. Wallace, secretary; W. M. Forbes, treasurer; and H. A. Warner, medical director. The council owns the Security Building at the southwest corner of Kansas avenue and Seventh street, representing an investment of $50,000. There are five local councils. The total membership throughout the country is more than 50,000, and the total insurance in force exceeds $60,000,000. Topeka Lodge, No. 204, was the first lodge organized in Kansas of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. It has 450 members and occupies the whole of the third floor of the Masonic Building. The officers are: Leroy M. Penwell, exalted ruler; Henry Ruff, esteemed leading knight; Arthur M. Mills, esteemed loyal knight ; Harry W. Donaldson, esteemed lect- uring knight; Joseph E. Morgan, secretary; Clarence S. Bowman, treasurer; and H. B. Hogeboom, esquire. The Kansas Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows has its headquarters in Topeka, in charge of W. H. Kemper, grand secretary. There are 12 subordinate organizations in the city, inclusive of the Rebekah lodges. Shawnee Lodge, No. i, the oldest of the Topeka organizations, owns a business block at No. 523 Quincy street, in which its hall is located. Topeka has six lodges of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, four lodges of the Degree of Honor and two of the Select Knights and Ladies. The Modern Woodmen of America and the Woodmen of the World have seven distinct organizations; the Knights and Ladies of the Maccabees, six; Knights of Pythias, six; the Patriotic Legion of America, three; and the Independent Order of Red Men, two. Most of the other fraternal and benev- olent societies of the country are represented in Topeka by one or more lodges, the total list running into the hundreds. The labor organizations and trades unions are numerous, covering nearly every vocation and industry. The Catholic societies embrace the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Muttial Benefit Association, Ladies' Catholic Benevo- lent Association and the Catholic Knights and Ladies of America. 206 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY CLUB ORGANIZATIONS. Of clubs and societies, from the field of athletics to the arena of philsophy and politics, there are probably lOO organizations. In addition thereto the women of the city have a total of 46 separate organizations, which are grouped with the Topeka Federation, with the following general officers : Mrs. Clement Smith, president; Mrs. James W. Going, ist vice-president; Miss Lucy D. Kingman, 2nd vice-president; Mrs. Eli G. Foster, secretary; Mrs. E. D. Robertson, treasurer; and Mrs. George A. Huron, auditor. Had the founders of Topeka known what was coming, they might have christened the new town "Clubville," instead of delving into aboriginal lore to find a name with a purely vegetable significance. CHAPTER XVIII. The Disastrous Flood or 1903 — Principal Events in North Topeka — Hozv the Sufferers Were Rescued — Boats atid Cables in Service — Loss of Life and Damage to Property — Systematic Relief Afforded — Strange Experiences and Odd Incidents — Major Harvey and His Salvage Corps — North Topeka Restored. A calamity befell Topeka in 1903 so appalling is its nature that it will be recalled in future years, no doubt, as the most famous event in the history of the city. For a period of one week, beginning May 30, 1903, the city was the scene of an almost unexampled flood, by which the entire northern part of the city, and a considerable territory south, east and west from the main business district, were inundated by water from the Kaw River and its tribu- taries, resulting in the loss of 29 lives by drowning and exposure, the destruc- tion of a vast amount of property, and the eviction of 8,000 persons from their homes. CAUSE OF THE FLOOD. In the general district drained by the Kaw River rain had been falling almost continuously from May i6th. The waters of the Saline, Blue and Smoky Hill rivers, added to that of the Kaw, forced the latter out of its banks at Topeka on Friday, May 29th, completely submerging the valley. By Sat- urday night, May 30th, that part of Topeka lying north of the river, and known as North Topeka, was entirely under water, endangering the lives of thousands of citizens who had remained at home to make a valiant effort for the protection of their property. At this time 8 inches of water had fallen at Topeka. West from Topeka, at Manhattan, the rainfall was 9 inches, and at Salina, further west, it amounted to 17 inches. SCENE OF THE OVERFLOW. North Topeka, which is the First Ward of the city of Topeka, had a population of 9,000, and was the seat of some of the larger manufacturing industries of the city, such as flouring mills, woolen mills, elevators, planing 2o8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY mills, lumber yards and smaller concerns. The Union Pacific Railroad passes through the place, and maintains the Union Pacific Hotel and extensive freight and passenger depots there. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail- way also has a station on the north side for the accommodation of its line to Atchison. All kinds of business were represented in the business district, as it was the trading point for a large community of farmers living north, east and west. When it became apparent that the flood was about to reach the point of danger, many families living close to the river abandoned their homes and moved to the south side. Those residing further away felt secure in the belief that the water could never reach them. Old settlers, who had lived there for 40 years or more, insisted that the water could rise no higher than it did in the time of former freshets, through which they had passed in safety. By noon of Sunday, May 31st, all traditions of the early days had been superseded, and the old settlers found themselves moving to the upper floors, or clinging to the roofs of their houses, refuge in some cases being sought in the branches of tall trees. The flood covered the entire limits of North Topeka. The river, bursting from its low banks, cut a new channel across the center of the town, through which the water rushed with tremendous force. To add to the distressing situation, fire broke out in the Thomas and Gabriel lumber-yards, caused by slaking lime, the burning timbers being carried by the current to all parts of the beleaguered town, setting fire to numerous frame buildings and increas- ing the peril to human life. From a placid stream 200 yards in width, the Kaw River became an angry torrent extending for a distance of five miles north and south. RESCUING THE VICTIMS. As soon as the extent of the flood and the danger to life were realized the problem of relief and rescue was promptly undertaken by the citizens of Topeka. All of the telephone lines were down, the street railway bridge had been swept away, the approaches to the Melan passenger and wagon bridge had been carried out, and there was no way of communicating with North Topeka from the south side of the river except by boat. Even this facility was limited. Ordinarily the Kaw River is so shallow that boating is not practicable. The entire naval equipment of Topeka at that time comprised about 25 light canoes, and there were about that number of men in the city who were capable of rowing a skiff. Whatever craft could be found, how- ever, was promptly put into commission, and willing hands volunteered to row across the river in these frail barks. Freeman Sardou, a fisherman, was one of the men who worked persistently at the oars, making a trip every 45 LOOKING SOUTHEAST FROM LUKENS' OPERA HOUSE. NORTH TOPEKA LOOKING SOUTH ON KANSAS AVENUE, SHOWING WRECKAGE ON NORRIS STREET THE FLOOD OF J903 AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 211 minutes until he had gathered about 200 persons from tree-tops and isolated buildings, and landed them in places of safety. On Sunday a line of boats was established at the foot of Western avenue and many of the flood sufferers were landed there during the ensuing three days. The channel was not only difificult of passage, but the volume of drift- wood and timbers from dismantled bridges and wrecked houses made the boating exceedingly difficult. The mass of debris lodging against the big bridge connecting North Topeka with the south side forced the water around the south end of the bridge and backed it up Kansas avenue and other streets for a distance of three blocks, doing great damage to the Wolfif packing house and several wholesale establishments and commission concerns near the Rock Island Depot. Further up the river the City Park and Turner garden were covered to a depth of three feet, and the city pumping station was inundated, cutting ofif the water supply. The river reached its greatest height on Saturday evening, May 31st, when it was 27 feet above low-water mark, and began to recede at 9 o'clock that night, but the fall was so slow that it seemed to make no impression, and it was not until June 4th that the water ceased running in the streets of North Topeka. HOW THEY WERE BROUGHT OVER. To aid in the work of rescue, a pontoon bridge was constructed, extend- ing from Second street to the south end of the Melan bridge. When this had been finished, it was discovered that the north approach to the big bridge had also been carried out, and that North Kansas avenue and the streets east and west of that point were merged into a lake of water extending to Garfield Park, Soldier Creek, and two miles beyond. A heavy cable was then stretched from the north end of the bridge to the brick buildings along Kan- sas avenue as far north as the Skinner ice plant, and by this means strong men pulled boats to and from the bridge, hand over hand, carrying food in one direction and returning laden with human freight rescued from points of shelter. This work continued for several days, supplemented by similar work at the Santa Fe bridge, and the Sardou bridge further down the river. Those first to be rescued were families living nearest to the river where the water was deepest and the exposure most severe. A temporary relief station was established in two street-cars, which had been left standing on the north bank of the river when the street railway bridge went down. While the situation was at its worst, a half dozen of the students of Washburn College run a cable across the chasm made at the north end of the big bridge, attached pul- leys thereto, and drew a large number of women and children over by means of a "breeches buoy." 212 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY With the downpour of rain on Saturday and Sunday came a chilling wind. It was November rather than June weather, and women and children shivered with cold in damp rooms, or upon the roofs to which they climbed in dripping garments. On Sunday 500 persons were rescued in boats, 250 more were brought away on Monday, and after that probably 100 a day were brought over until the danger was past. The receding water left a deposit of mud from six inches to three feet deep in every building in North Topeka. In many instances the weight of mud caused the floors to collapse, carrying the contents of the rooms into the cellars. The loss in household furniture was very large, and 700 pianos were water-soaked and ruined. IMPRISONED IN HOUSES. The first outside aid came from St. Joseph, Missouri. The Rock Island railroad was able to operate trains from the north to the town of Elmont, from which point boats could be worked into North Topeka from the direc- tion of the State Reform School. The mayor of St. Joseph sent a force of 60 men equipped with boats and carrying provisions and clothing for the needy. These boats took out about 4,000 persons, who were cared for at the Reform School or sent to Holton and other towns to which the flood had not extended. Without this timely succor many of the flood victims must have perished, as they were not only short of food but beyond the reach of the few boats in service from Topeka. In some instances men refused to be taken away from their houses, stating that they preferred to remain and go down with their homes if necessary. Many who abandoned their homes found shelter in the larger buildings throughout Topeka which were best calculated to withstand the terrible force of the tempest. In the Davis grain elevator at one time were 200 persons; in the "B" Street Baptist Church, 150; in the First Ward fire station, no; in the woolen mills, 300; in the Grant School, 200;, and there were a dozen groups of smaller numbers in other protected buildings. It was impossible to remove them while the water was rising, but by desperate efforts food was conveyed to them in sufficient quantities to minimize their distress. Those in the Davis elevator were taken out by the St. Joseph boats, and the rest were removed by the local rescue parties. On Friday and Saturday nights persons living on the higher ground 10 blocks distant from the scene of the flood could hear the cries of victims who were perched on the roofs of houses or in the branches of trees, and there were occasional reports of revolver shots fired as signals of distress. Headquarters for the refugees and relief committees were established in the Topeka Auditorium, where the sufferers were fed and clothed, and dis- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 213 tributed to other buildings in the city, and to the private residences which were thrown open to them. The total registrations at the Auditorium was nearly 2,000, but more than that number found shelter with relatives and friends elsewhere. Hospitals were established, and physicians and nurses exerted every effort in caring for the sick and helpless. The Salvation Army fed 500 homeless persons daily for a week or more, and other charitable orga- nizations afforded every possible relief. PROPERTY DESTROYED. An idea of the property loss may be gained from the statement that in North Topeka alone the flood extended to 1,500 residences and 300 business blocks and public buildings. What was true of North Topeka was equally true of the whole district up and down the Kaw River, the richest valley in the State, although the destruction in North Topeka was greater, by reason of the fact that the land is lower and the population denser. The flood damage and suffering extended for a distance of 200 miles in length and six miles in width. Farms were laid waste, crops washed out, and much live stock drowned. It is not possible to give an accurate statement in detail of the total property loss, but the following is believed to be a reasonable and comprehen- sive estimate of the losses in the Topeka district, as given by the local news- papers at the time : Residence property in North Topeka $300,000 Rock Island, Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railways i7S,ooo Topeka City Railway 7S,ooo Lumber Yards and Sash Factory 40,000 Otto Kuehne Preserving Works 10,000 Mills and Elevators 3S,ooo J. Thomas Lumber Company 3S,ooo Other Business Concerns in North Topeka 300,000 Charles Wolf Packing Company 50,000 Parkhurst & Davis Mercantile Company S.ooo Other Wholesale and Commission Houses 50,000 Potato Growers and Market Gardeners 400,000 Nursery and Fruit Growers 150,000 Cattle, Hogs, Poultry and Grain 85,000 Farm Improvements and Growing Crops 450,000 Shawnee County Bridges 40,000 Western Union Telgraph Company 10,000 Telephone Companies 8,000 City of Topeka — Pavements, Sewers, Sidewalks, Etc 50,000 Total $2,268,000 214 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY THE DEATH LIST. The loss of life by reason of the flood was greater at North Topeka than at any other point on the river. The known deaths amounted to 29 in num- ber, of which the following is a correct list : Edward Grafstrom. James Phillips. Henry Jordan. Miss Minnie L. Puryear. J. W. Houser. Mrs. Nellie Watson. Henry Ward. Mrs. Minnie King. Raymond Garrett. Theodore Edwards. Miss Louise Seahaven. Forest Kutz. Murle Story. Girl, unidentified. John L. Adams. Mrs. Nancy Shonkweiler. Mrs. Alice Bishop. James H. Stout. Benjamin McDonald. Mrs. Jessie Stout. Mrs. Kirrie Buford. Agnes Stout. Simon Taylor. Josephine Stout. Mrs. Jerry Mayweather. Lena Stout. Mrs. Sallie Halyard. Infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Stout. Mrs. Mary Kennedy. Edward Grafstrom was a mechanical engineer of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. He was drowned on Tuesday evening, June 2nd, by the sinking of a small gasoline launch which he had built for the purpose of rescuing those in distress. Forest Kutz was a school teacher who was found in a tree, so weakened by cold and exposure that when the rescuers reached him he fell into the boat with such force that it was capsized, and he was unable to regain it. Henry Jordan lost his life by the sinking of a boat in which he was endeavoring to rescue a man from a telegraph pole. J. W. Houser fell from the Santa Fe railroad bridge and was drowned. Henry Ward, an old soldier living near Oakland, fell into the river from a tree and was drowned. Raymond Garrett, the five-year-old son of Fireman G. H. Garrett, lost his life by the overturning of a boat. Miss Louise Seahaven, an employee of the Western Woolen Mills, was drowned near the Forbes elevator, together with Murle Story, the 12-year-old daughter of George M. Story. Mrs. Alice Bishop died in Christ's Hospital, after being rescued from her home. Mrs. Nancy Shonkweiler, James H. Stout and his wife, Mrs. Jessie Stout, and their four children were drowned on Sunday by the col- lapse of a house in which they had taken refuge. The others named in the death list are colored persons who lost their lives, either through direct flood causes or from the overturning of boats which were almost unmanageable against the violent current. It is probable that there were other losses of life, the full extent of which will never be known. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 215 SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES. Volumes might be written without covering more than a fraction of the thrilling experiences and odd incidents of the flood. Parents were separated from their children in the storm, boats were capsized on paved streets where the water was 12 feet deep, horses and cows were drowned while tied to trees in front of their owners' premises, houses were lifted from their foundations and moved a block or more away by whirlpools, or carried down stream to be dashed to splinters against the railroad bridge. One man pulled lumber and tools to the top of a cottonwood tree and built a rude cabin, in which he stored supplies enough to last him a month. Another was found upon a roof, ■ calmly playing a cornet. Another and more desperate fellow stood at the upper window of his home with a shotgun in his hand and swore that he would kill the first man who tried to rescue him. Women refused to get into the boats without their children, and children refused to go without their pet dogs and cats. Horses and cows were found in the second stories of houses, a pig was found in a brass bed, and a lamb was rescued from an upper porch, where its cries of agony had convinced the boatman that it was a young child in distress. Of personal experiences, that of Robert Anderson is a fair sample of what happened in a hundred other instances. Anderson lived at No. iioi Madison street. When he returned home from work on Friday evening, the streets were waist-high with water. Two blocks from home he fell into an open sewer, but saved himself from being drawn into the pipes by clinging to a passing log. When he finally reached home, the members of the family were found upon the second floor. His mother and younger brother were rescued by boat. Anderson, his father, and another brother remained behind. During the night the kitchen of their home caught fire. They made ropes of bed clothes, by which young Anderson was lowered to the scene of the fire with a bucket. He succeeded in extinguishing the flames and was then drawn up- stairs. They remained in the house from Friday evening until Sunday morning, when they were taken in a boat to the woolen mill. Two girls were caught by the flood while trying to save some of their wearing apparel. They were driven to the second floor by the rising water, and then to the attic. With a pair of scissors they cut a small hole in the roof, and with bed-slats pried off the shingles until the opening was large enough to permit them to crawl through, and a boat subsequently carried them beyond danger. THE RELIEF WORK. The citizens of Topeka subscribed $50,000 to aid in caring for the suf- ferers, and there were other contributions from outside sources amounting 2i6 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY to $20,000. In the work of relief Capt. H. M. Philips served as chairman of the committee to provide food and shelter; Otis E. Hungate as chairman of the rescue committee; A. A. Godard as chairman of the finance committee, and Mrs. Charles F. Spencer as chairman of the woman's relief committee. Frank H. Foster had charge of the rescuing party at the south end of the Melan bridge. Judge A. W. Dana directed the operation of the cable line. A. M. Harvey and E. L. Overton were in command at the north approach to the bridge. The relief work at the Sardou landing was directed by Ralph Brigham, and that at the Western avenue landing by A. M. Fuller and Frank Blanch. William Taylor and M. D. Henderson had charge of the boat service. The construction of the pontoon bridge and the flatboats was performed under the direction of J. B. Betts and George H. Henderson. W. J. Stagg was principal assistant to Captain Philips. Congressman Charles Curtis and Mayor W. S. Bergundthal, both residents of North Topeka, did everything in their power for the relief of their neighbors and friends, and efficient help was furnished by Sheriff A. T. Lucas, Chief of Police Carlos A. Goff, and by President John E. Frost and Secretary Thomas J. Anderson, of the Topeka Commercial Club. Special branches of the relief and rescue work enlisted the services of Dr. Norman Plass, James A. Troutman, Charles K. Holliday, Alfred B. Quinton, J. B. Larimer, Frank M. Bonebrake, W. W. Mills, J. W. Thurston, C. E. Hawley, Jonathan Thomas, Henry Auerbach, W. T. Crosby, E. H. Crosby, and of hundreds of others, men and women, who were not identified with the various committees. HISTORIES OF THE FLOOD. Two excellent accounts of the great flood have been written in book form : one by Llewellyn L. Kiene, a souvenir pictorial book, and the other by Mrs. Margaret Hill McCarter, under the title of "The Overflowing Waters." A graphic description of the rescue work was written by Maj. Alexander M. Harvey, former Lieutenant Governor of Kansas, in these words "On Saturday evening. May 30th, of the flood period, accompanied by Judge Richard F. Hayden, I made my way across the bridge to the north side. We found eight or ten men there, who were doing what they could to bring refugees over, and we joined them in the work. Judge Hayden went out in a boat with a companion about 9 o'clock, and we saw nothing more of him during the night. Dr. Conrad Biorke and two colored men soon same in with W. H. Troutman and daughter, whom they had picked up. These colored men were perfectly at home in the water and assisted us in landing two other parties. The water was then at its highest point, and the currents were run- MELAN ARCH BRIDGE, AFTER WATER HAD FALLEN SIX FEET GENERAL VIEW OF THE FLOOD,— LOOKING NORTHEAST FROM PARKHURST-DAVIS BUILDING, SHOWING NORTH TOPEKA AND SANTA FE BRIDGE THE FLOOD OF 1903 AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 219 ning like mill-races all around us. We were stationed in two cars that were stranded at the north end of the bridge, and had a telegraph pole swung from one of them to the end of the street-car bridge, which yet extended up to the Melan bridge. From there we crossed to the Melan bridge on boards. Up to 12 o'clock we had sent out several boats and had received a number of persons and transferred them to the south side. "About midnight Dr. L. M. Powell informed me that Llewellyn L. Kiene, of the State Journal, was stranded at the corner of Van Buren and Gordon streets, and urged me to send a boat to him as soon as possible. We sent four different boats before we succeeded in getting him back to the cars. Two of the boats that were compelled to return without him brought back other persons that were found in trees. About 4 o'clock on Sunday morning we discovered that the portion of the street-car bridge which we were using would soon wash out, and although we still had one boat out with a number of men in it, we thought it best to cross over to the Melan bridge. Two young men named McCauley and Ramsey soon returned with Mr. Kiene. CONSTRUCTING THE CABLE. "After crossing to the south side, I secured breakfast and some dry clothing and then returned to the bridge, where I found that the north ap- proach and the street railway bridge which we had used the night before had washed out, and a terrific current separated us from the men on the stranded cars. As I went through the line on the south end of the bridge, I found Frank Ritchie and a number of other Washburn College boys, who were trying to get through to the stricken district. The guards informed us that a com- mittee was on the bridge at that time to determine whether anything more could be done at that point. We waited until the committee came back, and they told us that everything would have to be abandoned at the bridge, the guards having been instructed to permit no one to go over. We interviewed them, and asked permission to cross, in order to undertake the establishment of a line to the north side. It was then agreed that such of us as wanted to work together might go on to the bridge for that purpose, and so they at once passed the Washburn boys and any others that I knew to be good workers, and we started some of them over, while others were collecting a supply of cord, rope and cable. By the time our second detachment had reached the bridge with the material the ones who had gone first had succeeded in establishing com- munication with the men in the car, on the north side. "This was accomplished by the men on the bridge getting loose a tele- graph wire that yet extended across the current, and then signaling the men on the car to get hold of the same wire. The men on the car tied a rope 220 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY around one of their number and let him get into the water and wash across the street to a place where the wires were entangled. This being done, he broke loose the same wire our boys were holding, and was then hauled back through the water to the car, and our communication was established. We soon had a half-inch steel cable extended across the chasm, and fearing that it might not be strong enough, we sent over an inch-and-a-half rope to be used with it. To keep the rope out of the water we fastened it to the cable with short pieces of wire about every six or eight feet. Then we put a pulley around the wire cable and rope, and Fred Ritchie, who, as well as his brother, Frank, has the same sort of courage that old John Ritchie possessed, was swung onto the cable and pulled over. He had to stop about every six feet to take off the little wires that held the rope and cable together, and this made it a slow journey. "After the apparatus was in working order, and a number of persons had been brought over, the large rope parted at a splice and let R. A. Beyrans, who was then on the cable, drop into the swift current as far as the steel cable would stretch. The boys dragged him through the water, and over timbers and wires, as they would haul in a catfish, and landed him on the bridge in safety. A heavier cable was then put up and it worked without accident as long as needed. Early on Monday morning I was stationed at the north end of the cable, and in addition to sending out boats we organized a force to extend a cable north on Kansas avenue. J. E. Wilson had charge of this crew, and they worked hard all day in a terrible current, and succeeded in running a cable straight up Kansas avenue past the fire station, and as far as the Methodist Church. I remained at the car all day Monday. Monday night and Tuesday, directing the boats in going after persons who were in distress and bringing them to the bridge. The boats also took out a large quantity of food to people who could not be removed from the houses. MAJOR Harvey's helpers. "On Tuesday evening I was relieved by E. L. Overton, who took charge and stayed on the north side all of that night. I relieved him Wednesday morning and kept up the same work all of that day, he again relieving me on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning the water had fallen so that our landing had to be established several blocks from the car. Thursday even- ing we were relieved by the regular authorities of the city and county. While at work we made no attempt to take the names of those who assisted, and the list can nefver be given entire, as it embraced many men whose names I never learned. I give the following as a partial list of those who worked with me : E. L. Overton, Prof. Orwell B. Towne, Frank Ritchie, Fred Ritchie, Hugh AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 221 McFarland, C. A. Steele, George Anderson, P. Anderson, Hugh Reed, Conrad Biorke, Carl Stahl, Harden B. Leechman, J. E. Wilson, Ray Gregg, R. A. Beyrans, Ray Gill, Omar Mehl, H. H. Donahue, Samuel Percy, J. Cooper, William Haynes, H. W. Banks, Henry Ogee, Dr. Buck, George W. Reed, Jr., Luther Nellis, Harvey Parsons, Paul Adams, Harry Nichols, Clifford Cun- ningham, Edward McCann, Jerome Stahl, Frank Stahl, A. B. Smith, Ralph Stahl, K. W. King, J. A. Zimmerman, Louis Hauck, Lu VanLiew, W. C. Goodman, C. O. Fletcher, R. M. Breezy, L. J. Brown, James Faucht, Robert Stone, W. M. Cowles, Kay Miles, Merrill Mills and Lewis Strauss." In concluding the flood chapter, it is only necessary to add that in the two years' lapse of time since the occurrence of the great calamity nearly every trace of its damaging effect has disappeared, most of the houses have been rebuilt, or new ones erected in their place, a system of dikes has been established for protection against future overflows, and both from a business and residence point of view North Topeka has been fully restored. CHAPTER XIX. Brief Historical Notes of City and County — Some of the First Happenings in Topeka — Social, Literary and Musical Events — Native Kaiisans in Shawnee County — Commercial Features of Fifty Years Ago — Accounts of an Early Flood — Col. Richard J. Hinton's Reminiscences — Two Morning Scenes in Topeka. Topeka's first Christmas was in 1854, and its first Fourth of July in 1855- The Kansas Freeman, Topeka's first newspaper, appeared July 4, 1855, published by E. C. K. Garvey. Miss Sarah C. Harlan taught the first school in Topeka, in a little shanty on lower Madison street, near the river. The first death was recorded in 1855 — a case of cholera. The first cemetery was at the intersection of Kansas and loth avenues. The first liquor-smashing crusade in Topeka occurred July 11, 1855, about $1,500 worth of beverages being destroyed in four saloons. The first school building was erected by the New England Emigrant Aid Company in 1857, on lots 145, 147 and 149 Harrison street, fronting on Fifth street. Rev. S. Y. Lum, a Congregational minister, preached the first sermon heard in Topeka, at the residence of A. A. Ward, in the winter of 1854. Coal was found in 1856, in the river bluff, two miles from town — not in commercial quantities, but sufficient to keep the blacksmiths' forges going. January 28, 1858, was the date of the first city election in Topeka, and the first levy of taxes for city purposes was made in that year, Howard Cutts being designated as collector. Wilson L. Gordon, first city marshal, was directed March 24, 1858, to grade the first block south from the river on Kansas avenue, at an expenditure not to exceed the sum of $150. The first well dug was at the southeast corner of Kansas avenue and Third street, water being found at a depth corresponding to the level of the river. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 223 BUILDING OPERATIONS. Dr. Franklin L. Crane opened the first lime-kiln, and the first stone building was erected at Nos. 133 and 135 Kansas avenue, afterwards known as Constitution Hall. Guilford G. Gage had charge of the first brick-making plant on the town-site, and his product entered largely into the construction of the earlier buildings in the town. The first sidewalks were laid in the town in 1863, on Kansas avenue between Fourth and Seventh streets, and on Sixth avenue between Monroe and Van Buren. They were built of oak lumber. The first sawmill was located on the river bank at the foot of Madison street, an engine being drawn by wagon from Kansas City. The first grist mill was at the northwest corner of First and Kansas avenues. The first telegraph line reached Topeka November 15, 1865, in con- nection with the building of the Union Pacific Railroad. For several years thereafter North Topeka was the only telegraph office in Shawnee County. On July 4, 1866, the first soldiers' reunion was held in Topeka, orations being delivered by, Gen. James G. Blunt, Governor Samuel J. Crawford and Judge Samuel A. Kingman. Thomas N. Stinson, the founder of Tecumseh, received from his Pro- Slavery friends of 1855 a silver pitcher in recognition of his services to the cause. It bore an engraved representation of negroes cultivating sugar cane. Cyrus K. Holliday was Topeka's first justice of the peace, Daniel H. Home the first constable, and T. W. Hayes the first census enumerator. John Horner, of Tecumseh, was the first tax assessor in Shawnee County. The first hotel in Topeka was built of poles and "shakes," at the south- east corner of Kansas avenue and Third street. It was called the "Pioneer House," and locally known as a "receiving house." J. T. Jones, an immigrant from Missouri, established the first store in the town, a grocery, located on lower Kansas avenue — then a river path. The first brick store building was erected near the corner of Kansas avenue and Fourth street, and occupied by Allen & Gordon. During its brief existence as the county-seat of Shawnee County, the town of Tecumseh had three local newspapers : the Southerner, the Settler and the Note-book. CAPITOL SQUARE. Col. Cyrus K. Holliday is credited with the suggestion of setting apart a square in the center of Topeka for State Capitol purposes, long before his 11 224 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY pioneer comrades entertained an idea that the city could win the seat of government. The popular subscription habit fastened itself upon Topeka in a very early day. In 1861 the sum of $500 was raised to assist in the construction of a wagon road by the Smoky Hill route to Pike's Peak — the first money donated by the city to a public enterprise. Topeka's first band was composed of Samuel Hall, L. W. Home, John B. Home and D. H. Moore. It consisted of two violins, a tenor drum and a fife. The band was a power in all of the Free-State meetings. The first application of lynch law in Topeka was in the winter of i860, the victim being Isaac Edwards, who had fatally stabbed a Pottawatomie Indian. The stabbing was done while both were riding up Kansas avenue on the same pony. Edwards was hanged at night from the rafters of the jail. The first destructive fire in Topeka occurred June 10, 1859, destroying a building at No. 146 Kansas avenue, owned by E. C. K. Garvey. Later fires of greatest consequence were the burning of the State Record ofiice and the Ritchie Block. During the last week in May, 1855, the first steamboat arrived at the Topeka levee, after a turbulent voyage of six days from Lawrence. The sound of the whistle caused greater excitement than the shriek of a calliope in after days. Anthony A. Ward built the first blacksmith shop on the town-site in the fall of 1854. He settled in Shawnee County some time in advance of the founders of Topeka, and owned one of the city's most desirable suburban farms. In the merry month of May, 1855, occurred the first wedding in Topeka, the contracting parties being S. J. Thomas and Harriet N. Hurd. The cere- mony was performed by Rev. Mr. Poole. THE FIRST VOTERS. At the first election in Topeka the qualified electors included "every white male person, and every civilized Indian who has adopted the customs of the white man, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards." In the year 1854 Tecumseh was "boomed" as the most desirable resi- dence point in Kansas, the attractive claim being made that a number of aristocratic families from the South had already settled there with their slaves. The Papan brothers operated the first ferry across the Kansas River u « p K u <; a, o u w H (/] o o K H W u Pi o f- cn P P- <: m H t/5 Di AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 227 near Topeka in 1842. Other ferries were established at different points on the river in the same year. Fry W. Giles established the first banking house in the city in 1864. In 1866 the firm was known as F. W. Giles & Company, and in 1872 it be- came the Topeka National Bank. Daniel Boone, a grandson of the famous Kentuckian, was the first actual farmer in Shawnee County, and instructed the Indians in the arts of agri- culture. Topeka's first city directory appeared in 1870, compiled by Sam Radges, who has compiled all of the Topeka directories from that date to 1905, the volumes being of increasing size and usefulness. Maj. Thomas J. Anderson was president of the first Topeka Base Ball Club, in 1869, and William J. Stagg, secretary. Charles N. Rix was captain of the field. Topeka now maintains a team in the Western Base Ball Asso- ciation. Topeka had an earthquake shock April 24, 1867 — its first and only seismic disturbance of noteworthy extent. It was felt in all parts of the city, and most noticeably at the Methodist Church, where the funeral services of H. S. Herr were being conducted by Rev. John D. Knox. REAL ESTATE ON THE MOVE. The first piece of property transferred in the city, of which record was made, covered the lots at the northeast corner of Sixth avenue and Harrison street. Date, April 7, 1855; consideration, $30. The first $1,000 transaction in Topeka city lots was the sale in 1857 of the property on the northwest corner of Kansas and Sixth avenues, 80 by 130 feet, the purchase price being paid in gold. The first school building erected at the expense of the city was the Harri- son street school, in 1865 — which was afterwards changed into the present Harrison School, one of the largest in the city. Illuminating gas was first used in Topeka in 1870, and the Brush elec- tric light in 1882. One electric street-lighting tower was erected at the inter- section of Kansas and loth avenues, but was soon discontinued. Incandescent lights came in 1886, and the telephone in 1880. On the 8th day of September, 1874, a colony of Menonites to the number of 1,100 arrived in Topeka. They subsequently purchased 100,000 ■ acres of land in Southwestern Kansas, on the line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. On February 11, 1856, President Pierce threatened to employ the army and navy of the United States in dispersing the Free-State Legislature in 228 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Topeka. The army executed the threat on July 4th, of that year, without the intervention of battleships. The first child born in the city was Topeka Zimmerman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Israel Zimmerman, whose birth was recorded in the spring of 1855. In recognition of the important event, the boy was given a valuable lot by the Topeka Town Association. Topeka's first Fire Department was organized in 1870, with one engine, two carts and 1,500 feet of hose. Tobias Billings was chief of the company, and George W. Veale, foreman of the hook and ladder company. The public water-works system was introduced in July, 1882, being built by a local corporation at an expense of $200,000. Extensive additions were made in later years, and in 1905 the city purchased the plant for $620,000. In his "Thirty Years in Topeka," Fry W. Giles states that in the year 1862 he issued a policy of marine insurance upon a cargo of freight to be shipped from the city of New York to Topeka, via New Orleans and the Mississippi, Missouri and Kansas rivers. EARLY RAILWAY FACILITIES. Topeka first enjoyed the benefit of a street railway in the month of June, 1 88 1 — a horse-car line, with five 12-foot cars. It was later changed into a steam dummy line, and then to the present very complete electric system. The Union Pacific was the first railroad built into Topeka, arriving January i, 1866. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe road was built from Topeka to Burlingame in 1869, and the line from Atchison to Topeka was opened May 16, 1872. The first real estate office, independent of the Topeka Town Association, was operated by Asaph Allen and Harris Stratton, in 1856, with headquarters in the Topeka House. Topeka's first academy of learning was opened January 2, 1856, by James Cowles, A. B., for a term of 12 weeks, offering instruction in the elementary grades and in Greek, Latin and French, the tuition ranging from $3 to $6 for the term. One of the patents to the land covered by the city of Topeka bears the date of February 14, 1859, and is signed by President James Buchanan. A second patent, issued in 1S61, covering an additional 62 acres on the Kansas River bank, is signed by President Abraham Lincoln. In 1855 the stage fare from Kansas City to Topeka was $5 for each passenger. The freight rates from St. Louis to Kansas City averaged from 30- cents to $2.50 per hundred pounds, according to the stage of the water, being highest in March, October and November, and lowest in May and AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 229 June. Transportation by wagon from Kansas City to Topeka was very ex- pensive. The first State Fair in Topeka was held September 9-12, 1871. On the last day of the fair an inebriated stranger was riding down Kansas avenue at a furious pace and reined his horse against Sheriff Sherman Bodwell, throw- ing him to the ground and causing his death. The drunken man rode away and was not apprehended. ARBOR DAY. April 22, 1875, was designated as Arbor Day in Topeka, by Thomas J. Anderson, then mayor of the city. In response to the mayor's proclamation, business was suspended and the citizens planted 800 trees in the State House grounds. Most of the trees were subsequently cut down by a landscape gardener in the employ of the State. Five of the Presidents of the United States have been entertained in Topeka, viz : Grant, Hayes, Harrison, McKinley and Roosevelt. Vice-Presi- dent Henry Wilson was here May 19, 1875. He also visited the city May 25, 1857, and upon his return to Massachusetts raised $2,500 to be expended in behalf of the Free-State cause in Kansas. The first literary organization in the town was The Kansas Philomathic Institute, whose members gave the first dramatic performance, the piece being "The Drunkard." The same society collected the first public library in Topeka, which was lost in the burning of the Ritchie Block in 1869. At an old settlers' meeting held in Topeka in 1904, after some of the pioneers of 1854 had signed the roll and boasted of being first on the town- site, a colored man named John E. Allen smashed all of their records by stating that he crossed the Kansas River near Topeka in 1842 with John C. Fremont's expedition, the crossing being made in rubber boats. The Methodists erected the first church spire in Topeka, and had the first bell of commanding size. The bell weighed 1,068 pounds, and was given to the church in 1866 by John Paisley, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. It was given during the pastorate of Rev. John D. Knox, to commemorate the centennial year of American Methodism. OUTDOOR CELEBRATION. The first Topeka picnic was held May 17, 1855, on the river bank west of Kansas avenue and north of First avenue, now known as the City Park. A roast pig and a 20-pound catfish graced the table. At this picnic Mrs. F. J. Case was toasted as the first woman to grace Topeka with her presence. 230 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY early in 1855. Miss Harriet Hartwell, of Massachusetts, had the honor of being the first unmarried woman on the town-site, also in 1855. She after- wards became the wife of James G. Bunker. Topeka's first production of grand opera was that of "Martha," at Costa's Opera House in 1873, by a small company headed by Mme. Anna Bishop. The local critic was esthusiastic over her "trills caught of skylarks, and love-notes learnt of robins." The Templeton opera company gave the first performance of comic opera in Topeka. J. Butler Chapman, of Ohio, who spent the years 1854 and 1855 in Shawnee County, was one of the original boomers of Kansas pasteboard towns. His wife was one of the original woman suffragists, and visited the Territorial Legislature in the interest of that cause. The Chapmans returned to Ohio in 1856, and, instead of living happily ever afterwards, were divorced. GRASSHOPPER RAIDS. The first grasshopper raid in Shawnee County was in i860. The insects arrived September 15th of that year, entirely destroying crops and vegeta- tion. A second and worse visitation of this plague occurred in the summer of 1874, causing another appeal for aid, a general issue of bonds, and a special session of the Kansas Legislature in the following winter. The Kansas Central Relief Committee was organized in Topeka to distribute aid throughout the State, Lieutenant-Governor E. S. Stover being chairman and Henry King, secretary. The committee disbursed money and supplies to the value of $131,313.65. The first school in Topeka for colored children was started in 1865 in a small building on the south side of Sixth avenue, between Kansas avenue and Quincy street, in charge of Miss Mabee. The following year the school was divided, the colored pupils occupying the upper floor, and the white chil- dren the lower floor — the white pupils being taught by Miss Gilbert (after- wards Mrs. G. C. Foss). NATIVE KANSANS. Various claims have been put forth to the honor of being the first white person born in the territory comprising the State of Kansas, but the pre- ponderance of history is in favor of Col. Alexander S. Johnson, who was born July 11, 1832, at the Methodist Indian Mission, in Johnson County — at that time in charge of his father. Rev. Thomas Johnson. Col. Alexander S. Johnson died at Dallas, Texas, in 1904, and was buried in Topeka, which for many years had been his home. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 231 There is abundant evidence showing that Elizabeth Simmerwell was the first white female born in the Territory of Kansas, the date of her birth being December 24, 1835. Her father, Rev. Robert Simmerwell, was then located at the Baptist Shawnee Indian Mission, in Johnson County, and was one of the best known of the early missionaries to the several Indian tribes in Kansas. Elizabeth Simmerwell married John Carter, of Williamsport township, Shawnee County. The following excerpt from the Topeka Tribune of April 6, 1856, shows that the editor of that day was as enthusiastic as all of his successors have constantly been : "The immigration continues to pour into the Territory with increased volume. So great is the rush that it is impossible at all times to secure suitable accommodations or conveyance to the dififerent parts of the country. We had anticipated a very large immigration but the realization is beyond all our preconceived ideas. They come like the locusts of Egypt, not however to destroy, but to save, and right welcome they are. A large pro- portion, too, have come to stay, and will add vastly to our strength, both for defense against usurpation, and in developing the resources of the country." The cost of breaking prairie in the early years of Topeka's history was from $2.50 to $4 per acre. Lumber was worth from $25 to $30 per thousand feet. Oxen were worth about $100 per yoke, mules from $100 to $200 per head, and horses from $75 to $150 each. Sheep sold for $2 a head, and chickens for 25 cents each. Masons and carpenters received from $2 to $3 per day in wages. Wheat was worth $1.50 per bushel, and flour $4.50 per hundred weight. AN INDIAN SEAL. The original seal of the Probate and County Court of Shawnee County bore the words, "Shawnee County Court, Tecumseh, Kansas," and above the word "Tecumseh" was the figure of an Indian chief, in hostile attitude, about to strike with his tomahawk, his rifle trailing on the ground — ^the figure intending to represent Tecumseh, the celebrated Shawnee chief, at the battle of the Thames. The county commissioners subsequently ordered the removal of the word Tecumseh, and the Indian figure, from the seal. The first mail under lock was received at Topeka May i, 1855. A regular service was established in that year, by four-horse coaches, between Kansas City and Fort Riley, via Topeka. In 1859 Topeka had a daily mail from Leavenworth, and from St. Joseph via Lecompton ; a tri-weekly mail to Rulo, Nebraska; and a weekly mail to Grasshopper Falls, Burlingame, Emporia, Council Grove, Williamsport and Brownsville, Nebraska. In September, 1882, when the Grand Army of the Republic held its annual encampment in Topeka, many distinguished visitors were present. 232 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY The local newspapers made record of the assignment of the following visitors to Topeka homes : Hon. James G. Blaine and wife, and Col. Clark E. Carr and wife, at George W. Wood's; Hon. Walker Blaine, at C. C. Wheeler's; Gen. and Mrs. J. Warren Keifer, at Thomas Ryan's; Gen. John Pope at Joab Mulvane's; General Bingham, at M. Bosworth's; Hon. William Warner, at M. H. Case's; Hon. John A. Anderson, at Dr. Silas E. Sheldon's; Senator and Mrs. John J. Ingalls, at Henry King's; Senator and Mrs. Preston B. Plumb, at Floyd P. Baker's; and Gen. John S. Marmaduke, at W. G. Dickinson's. A poet's felicity. Upon the occasion of his visit to Topeka in 1881, Robert J. Burdette wrote a characteristic letter descriptive of the activity and energy of the growing city, introducing his letter with the following paraphrase of Tenny- son's "Gate of Camelot :" So, when their feet were planted on the plains That broaden to the swiftly rolling Kaw, Far off they saw the silent misty morn Rolling the smoke about the Capitol, And piles of stone and brick were in the streets, And men were shrieking "Mort" from scaffoldings — The mort, perhaps, of Arthur, But more liken of Mike. Then those who went with Gareth were afraid. One crying: "Let us go no further, Here is a city of enchanters, built By fairy kings." Gareth answered them. That it was built more liken by Descendants of Irish kings, the hod fellows Co-operaten with the Free And Expected Masons. So he spake, and loffen Did enter with his train (The eastern bound U. P. Express) Topeka, a city of modern palaces. AN EARLY FLOOD. In the year 1844, where Topeka now stands, there was a flood quite similar to that of 1903, although its consequences were less destructive and fearful. The river went out of its banks, and the bottom lands were sub- merged with eight feet of water. The Indian settlers were terribly frightened, many of them loading their tents on ponies and departing hastily for higher ground. Most of them returned in the spring of the following year. The RESIDENCE OF JOHN E. FROST RESIDENCE OF CAPT. GEORGE M. NOBLE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 235 cabin home of Louis Gonvil and family, which preceded any of the houses erected upon the site of Topeka, was destroyed by the flood. The channel of the Kansas River was then some distance south of the present channel, aad the river not so wide as in after years. The Gonvil house was built on land lying about the middle of the present river channel, and a short distance below the present bridge at the Kansas avenue crossing. In commenting upon this storm several years prior to the great flood of 1903, Fry W. Giles said: "At the site of Topeka the river's breadth was from the line of Third street on the south to the bluffs, two miles to the north of its usual channel, the water standing to a depth of 20 feet. Such a flood now would destroy many million dollars' worth of property." A further reference to this early flood is found in W. W. Cone's "Historical Sketch of Shawnee County :" "During the flood, Major Cummings, Paymaster of the United States Army, wishing to cross from the south to the north side of the Kansas River, near Topeka, stepped into a canoe at about the corner of Topeka avenue and Second street, and was rowed from there to the bluffs in Soldier township, the water being twenty feet deep over the ground where North Topeka now stands. One of the Papans lived in a house on the island just above the bridge. This house stood the flood until the water came above the eaves, and then was' washed away. The island at that time was a part of the main land." COtONEL HINTON'S REMINISCENCES. Col. Richard J. Hinton, an early friend of Kansas, who died in London, December 20, 1901, made his last visit to Topeka in January, 1900, and delivered an address, "On the Nationalization of Freedom," before the Kansas State Historical Society. Incidental to the address, he gave some reminiscences of Topeka which are appropriate in this connection, — "I have been strolling about Topeka," he said, "trying to find landmarks. It is forty- five years since I crossed the Kansas River and entered Topeka. Certainly there is a vast change. I am delighted with the beauty of the location, the breadth of your streets and the homelike attractiveness that I see about me. When I first crossed the river, the associations and surroundings were cer- tainly of a much different character. My party was one of the companies that came in from the north to assist the Free-State people against the Southern invaders. We formed the rear guard of that column of over one thousand men by whose aid the conflicts at Franklin, Washington Creek, Titus Camp and Osawatomie were fought and won. There was at that time a little town on the north side of the river, known as Indianola, which has no existence now. It was then the seat of a border ruffian colony. Approaching within a short distance of Indianola, we could see from rising ground a great com- 236 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY motion in the straggling street. Men were hurriedly riding backward and forward with guns across their saddles. Immediately dividing our little com- pany, we surrounded the place and captured ten or twelve mounted men, who, we afterwards learned, were preparing for a raid upon Topeka. The town of Topeka had been left with only its women and children, the men having gone to Lawrence to assist their comrades. I remember making a personal capture of the man supposed to be the leader, while he was engaged in emptying powder and shot into a pair of old boots, swung on either side of his saddle-bow. We did them no special harm, but as I rode along with my little company I recall that we had ten or twelve more mounted men than when we started. A WELCOME ARRIVAL. "We were ferried across the river early in the afternoon, and as we landed here all of the few inhabitants were on the bank to meet us. The intended raid from Indianola had been made known to them, but our presence was entirely unsuspected, and we were given a cordial welcome. Edmund and William Ross, who were publishers of the Free-State paper, had a little stone building partly finished. Nearly all of our men were printers from Boston, and we made a camping-place for that night of the unfinished printing office, remaining there until early the next day, when some of the citizens returned from Lawrence. It is a great delight to wander about and travel across Kansas — to me at least — seeing as I do the growth of town, village and farm, where memory takes me back to days when all was open plain, when the buffalo could be found in great herds, when the nearest Eastern railroad station was 400 miles from the Missouri River, at Iowa City, and the Southern one was 400 miles down the river, at Jefferson City. Being in Topeka recalls to me the stirring events of your history and the brave deeds of your pioneers. My young manhood was spent here, and now in the mellower days of my seventh decade, I have lost none of my good feeling, and very little of my interest in the country's welfare, and in the achievements that make or mar the same. Kansas is a great State, and, as one who helped to make and mould her, I shall remain proud of her progress until I hear Gabriel's call." TWO MORNING SCENES. In his account of the founding of Topeka, December 5, 1854, Fry W. Giles paints a word picture of the first morning in the city's history : "No cloud was within the bounding horizon ; the atmosphere clear, cold and highly rarefied, revealing to the astonished vision objects far beyond its usual ken. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 237 and those at hand in strange expanse ; the broad belt of timber emerging past the highlands from the unknown west, and stretching far away to the east, holding in its dark embraces the river of Kansas, its presence there anon re- vealed by vista-views of cyrstal ice, radiant with morning light. The general topography — the limitless field of ever-varying, never-tiring undulations, symmetrical beauties every one — called forth devout gratulations, alike for faculties which find delight in form, and these natural objects to satisfy their cravings. The great sun poured its flood in genial rays of red askance the plain, dissolving frost to dewdrops on the seared grass, and inviting the per- ceptions to the pure and the picturesque. Memory turns to such a morning, and amid such surroundings beholds a little group of men standing against the sky on yonder plateau, exchanging glances of doubtful recognition, and contemplating with eager interest the scene of life's labors before them." In closing this volume the writer may speak of another morning in Topeka — a morning in June instead of December. The same river threads its way in silence to the sea. The same creeks meander through winding vales and tufted groves. Fifty years have passed, and what was then an echoless plain is now a city of 50,000 people, at the high tide of 20th century prosperity. A city in which mills grind unceasingly, and the smoke of many factories mottles the clouds. A city with fifty daily railway trains, five thousand buzzing telephones, a model street-car line, paved thoroughfares, luxurious homes, fine business blocks and every modern utility. It is 1905 instead of 1854 in Topeka. Colleges and schools are graduating scores of young men and women to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, missionaries, artisans, merchants, engineers, clerks, and workers in every field of human endeavor. News- papers, libraries, churches and other agencies are stimulating the moral and intellectual advance of the community, and directing the march of progress with a martial hand. It is June instead of December, banks of roses instead of drifting snow. The prairies of fifty years ago are green with waving corn, golden with ripened wheat, and purple with the first bloom of the alfalfa. From school house and dwelling the flag of freedom and happiness floats in the Western air — of all airs the blandest ; and above is the arching sky of Kansas — of all skies the fairest and truest. It is June in Topeka, the June of 1905. (^r^A\; nx)r \<^\ Representative Citizens DAVID WASSON STORMONT, M. D. With the death of Dr. David Wasson Stormont, at his beautiful home in Topeka, Kansas, on August i8, 1887, was brought to a close a useful and well-rounded life, rich in good deeds and dear to the memory of thousands. He was born September 26, 1820, at Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana. His father was a substantial man of that locality who was able to give his son the advantages of a college education. Dr. Stormont received his degree in 1845, ^"d began and continued his practice until 1859, in the village of Grand View, Illinois, in the meantime adding to his medical knowledge and surgical skill by post-graduate courses at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1862 he sought the attractive field offered by the rapidly growing city of Topeka, with which city he was identi- fied during the succeeding 25 years. He was connected with many medical organizations and was a strong supporter of the movement that was organ- ized to spread a knowledge of advanced methods and to require a higher standard of medical education for the profession. For a number of years he was secretary of the State Board of Health. In practice he was all that could be desired in a physician, adding to this medical skill the true sympathy of a tender-hearted man. The influence Dr. Stormont wielded, both directly and by his stimulating example, was not confined in its effects entirely to the medical profession, but was apparent in-the promotion of educational and philanthropic works. On October 30, 1848, Dr. Stormont was married to Jane Cree Smith, of Grand View, Illinois. This estimable lady survives and it has been her pleasure to not only carry out many philanthropic plans of her late husband but to erect at Topeka enduring monuments to his memory. In the Stormont Medical Library and in The Jane C. Stormont Hospital and Training School for Nurses are public gifts which will bring blessings in their wake for gen- 244 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY erations. Other public buildings have profited by her generosity while her helping hand is continually extended in support of innumerable charities. The hospital was established in 1895, at which time Mrs. Stormont gave the building lots and the sum of $20,000. This institution has since been en- larged and has achieved grand results in the field of charity. Mrs. Stormont gave to the Stormont Medical Library books to the value of $5,000 and for its maintenance endowed the library with the same amount. She also con- tributed the sum of $5,000 to the support of the Topeka Free Public Library. The late Dr. Stormont was no politician, but he always took a deep in- terest in public matters and was the advisor of many prominent political and business organizers, his high character and sterling integrity making his sup- port very valuable. During the administration of President Lincoln he was appointed receiver of public moneys at Topeka. His remains rest in the Topeka Cemetery under a monument of enduring granite, typical of the strength of his character and also of the long-continued remembrance of his fellow-citizens. Mrs. Stormont resides in a handsome home at Ingleside, and is sur- rounded by many friends of long years standing. Portraits of Dr. and Mrs. Stormont accompany this sketch. HON. W. C. WEBB. Hon. W. C. Webb, deceased, was for many years a leading political factor in the State of Kansas, as well as an honored member of the Shawnee County bench. Judge Webb was born in Pennsylvania, coming from a family of lawyers, legislators and soldiers. The father of Judge Webb and his three brothers were lawyers, two of the brothers being district judges and one a circuit judge, and his three sons are also lawyers, and six of the eight have been elected to the legislative halls of their various States. His grandfather was a private soldier in a Connecticut regiment during the Revolutionary War; his father and grand- father both served as private soldiers in the second war with Great Britian, 181 2-1 5, and Judge Webb and his three brothers, his oldest son and his sister's two sons, all served in the Union Army during the Civil War. After the close of the Civil War, in 1866, Judge Webb came to Kansas. His earlier life had been one of industry and activity and he had already reaped many laurels. He commenced his career as a practical printer and he edited and published a Democratic paper for some years in Pennsylvania, but left that political organization on account of its pro-slavery attitude, and AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 245 in 1854 he assisted in the organization of the Repubhcan party. Shortly- after his admission to the bar, he removed to Wisconsin and enlisted from that State and after the close of three years of service had won the rank of colonel through personal bravery. During his residence in Wisconsin, Judge Webb supported Republican principles, was there elected several times to the Legislature and was made county judge and district attorney. After coming to Kansas he was three times elected to the Legislature and held many offices, including county at- torney, judge of the District Court, judge of the Superior Court of Shawnee County and others. He was, also, the first insurance commissioner of the State and was Supreme Court reporter during the time covered from Vol. 6 to Vol. 20. With his experience of more than 40 years as a lawyer, he made a re- markable record as a lawyer and a jurist. He was one of the best informed men in legal circles, but was not a brilliant orator or a spellbinder. His work, however, was so accurate and his conclusions so sound that he was widely consulted on intricate points by his brother attorneys, who knew that complete confidence could be placed in his conclusions. It was a matter of pride with him that the Supreme Court had upheld every bill which he had adjudged perfect. He owned one of the best law libraries in the State, and was the author of works himself, his last labor of this kind being the compila- tion of the "Revised Statutes of Kansas," authorized by the previous Legisla- ture. In 1 89 1 he released himself from the Republican party and became an advocate of the principles of the Populist party, and in 1896 was a candidate for the Populist nomination for chief justice of the Supreme Court. Judge Webb died April 19, 1898, at his home. No. 827 Quincy street, Topeka, which continues to be thet family residence. He was survived by his widow and four children, the latter being as follows: Sarah (Mrs. Richard L. Walker), of Kansas City, Kansas, whose husband died in February, 1903; Linus S., of Parsons, Kansas; Mary W. (Mrs. George L. Walker), of Topeka, and Lovell H., of Winfield, Kansas. HON. J. B. JOHNSON. The death of Judge J. B. Johnson in February, 1899, at his home on West Sixth street, Topeka, removed one of Kansas' leading attorneys and able men, one who had distinguished himself as signally in peaceful pursuits as he had done on the field of battle. Judge Johnson was born in Mc- Donough County, Illinois, in 1841. 246 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY When but a lad of 17 years he took up arms in defense of his country's liberties and his valiant services were of such a nature that he was given a captain's commission before the close of the war. He then entered upon the study of the law, for which his great talents especially fitted him, becoming a notable member of the profession and rising to an honorable position on the bench. He was judge of the Circuit Court of Shawnee County when that court existed and was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor on several occasions. After serving several terms in the Kansas House of Representatives from Jefferson and Shawnee counties, he was chosen Speaker of the House in 1881 and four years later was again chosen Speaker. His personality was of such a character that, in a city of particularly able men, he filled a place which no other has been found to occupy. Judge Johnson was an honored and' valued member of the Lincoln Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, which had charge of the funeral obsequies, which were of a most impressive nature. After a beautiful sermon by Dr. Linus Blakesley, of the First Congregational Church, the mortal re- mains of one who had been loyal in every relation of life were taken in charge by his comrades, who paid them every military honor before leaving them in the vault which had been prepared in the Topeka Cemetery. A wealth of the most beautiful blossoms to be secured, arranged in every artistic design to express love and regret, had been sent in token of the honor, affection and respect entertained by his professional brethren, business asso- ciates and the general public. The active pall-bearers on this sad occasion were: Judge Charles F. Johnson, of Oskaloosa, Kansas; Dr. George W. Hogebloom; Charles Blood Smith; Judge W. A. Johnson; Capt. R. M. Spivey and George W. Findlay. The honorary pall-bearers, appointed by the Topeka Bar Association, were : Judges S. A. Kingman, A. H. Horton, D. M. Valen- tine, S. H. Allen, John Martin, John T. Morton, John Guthrie and Z. T. Hazen. C. H. GUIBOR, M. D. Few members of the medical profession in the State of Kansas have been more justly entitled to eminence than the late Dr. C. H. Guibor, whose death took place at The Jane C. Stormont Hospital, Topeka, on September 22, 1 90 1, as the result of an operation made necessary by an aggravated stomach trouble, which his own great knowledge and skill could not cure. Dr. Guibor was born in St. Louis, Missouri, January 4, 1842, and was a son of Augustus and Edith (Harrington) Guibor. Dr. Guibor's parents removed from St. Louis to Peru, Illinois, when he AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. £47 was a child, and there his father was extensively interested until i860 in the manufacture of plows. When our subject was 18 years old, the family removed to Colorado where the father engaged in mining, in which he met with considerable success. The youth was at an age when the adventurous life of the mines, mountains and changing population attracted him and he never lost interest in that section where he subsequently owned vast properties. Prior to the location of the family in Denver, in 1873, Dr. Guibor had been sent East to begin his medical studies and these he pursued to graduation at Rush Medical College, Chicago, subsequently being attached to the St. Luke Hospital staff as interne. After closing his medical student life in Chicago, Dr. Guibor located for practice at Iowa Falls, Iowa, happening to go there just in time to find his services needed in a smallpox epidemic. This trying ordeal for a new physician was successfully lived through and the experience he gained was of the greatest value to him, while his fidelity to his patients marked a notable phase of his character, one which made him honored and beloved through his entire professional career. In 1875 he moved to Beloit, Kansas, where he practiced until 1887-88, when he went back to Chicago to take a post-graduate course along the lines of what later became his specialty. One year later, his health failing, he came to Topeka, where he opened an office and purchased a home at No. 822 Buchanan street. Later he purchased the present handsome family residence at No. 1015 Harrison street, where his family still reside. Dr. Guibor was known as one of the most thoroughly competent specialists in the diseases of the nose, throat and lungs, in Kansas, was a member of the staff of physicians of the Santa Fe Hospital Association, and he was called all over the State for consultation in the treatment of difficult cases. During his residence at Beloit, he was a member of the State Board of Medical Examiners and a large portion of his time was then spent in con- ducting examinations in the various county-seats in Eastern Kansas. During his time of general practice, he held membership in all the medical societies of the day and held every office in the Kansas State Medical Society. He had read extensively and traveled widely and his culture was as genuine as his information was general. He was a man of large means, owning an immense lumber camp and sawmill in Arkansas, considerable real and personal prop- erty in Kansas, Illinois and Colorado, many mining and banking interests and was the largest stockholder in the Little Bay Lumber Company. He enjoyed his large income in that it enabled him to carry on various philanthropic enterprises. The extent of his private charities will never be known, for the hundreds who came with empty hands to profit by his skill were freely treated and as carefully tended as were those who had fortunes to offer to regain health. 12 248 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY On June i6, 1879, at Beloit, Kansas, Dr. Guibor was married to Mrs. Fannie Bross, who still survives, with a daughter, Edith, and a son, Charles, the latter of whom was at school at Jarvis Hall, Mount Clair, Colorado, at the time of his beloved father's death. Dr. Guibor was never active in political life. He belonged to no fraternal societies but was a member of the Topeka Club. To himself his probable death was an accepted fact, but to his family it came as a,n un- expected calamity. After two months spent on the shores of Lake Michigan, his health had seemingly so much improved to their loving eyes, that they awaited the results of the operation with thoughts of a happy future. Dr. Guibor was of an exceptionally genial and cordial disposition, generous and kind of heart, and devoted to his family, his home, his city and his profession. HON. PARKISON I. BONEBRAKE. Hon. Parkison I. Bonebrake, banker and prominent and representa- tive citizen of Topeka, Kansas, was born September 25, 1836, in Preble County, Ohio, and is a son of Rev. George Bonebrake. For many years the father of Mr. Bonebrake filled the arduous duties of circuit rider in Ohio so faithfully that his health became impaired, necessitating his retirement, in middle life, from the ministry of the United Brethren Church. During our subject's boyhood, he removed to Iowa and embarked in a mercantile business. Parkison I. Bonebrake enjoyed excellent educational opportunities, lay- ing the foundation in the common schools and subsequently attending Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa. His business education was acquired in his father's store and this he put to good account when he came to Topeka, in the summer of 1859. This was early in the city's life and men of his ability and enterprise were welcomed as they were needed. He soon became identified with public affairs, in 1866 being elected county clerk by the Re- publican party, in which office he subsequently succeeded himself for four terms. In the meantime he had so gained the esteem and confidence of his fellow-citizens, irrespective of party, that when he became a candidate for the Legislature he received every vote cast in his district, a unique condition of affairs and a marked testimonial to his sterling character. The financial ability which has later made him noted as a financier all over the State was very apparent when he drafted the excellent assessment and taxation laws which stood on the records for many years. In 1876 he was appoiiited to fill a vacancy in the office of State Auditor, to which office he was elected soon AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 249 after, and Mr. Bonebrake is one of the few men who have served in a State office for three consecutive terms. In 1882, upon retiring from the auditorship, Mr. Bonebrake decHned other pohtical honors, desiring to give his attention more closely to personal affairs. He organized the Central Bank of Kansas, and subsequently was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Central National Bank of Topeka, of which he was elected president, an office he has held for 21 years to the present day, his careful, conservative direction of the bank's affairs making it one of the soundest institutions of its kind in the State. The other officers of .the bank are as follows : Charles S. Downing, vice-president; Edwin Knowles, cashier; F. C. Thompson, assistant cashier. The directors include the president and the vice-president and the following well-known capitalists and business men of Topeka : Charles J. Devlin, V. B. Kistler, H. P. Dillon, Charles S. Gleed, A. S. Johnson, Eugene F. Ware and J. D. Norton. The latest statement of the bank, as rendered to the Comptroller of the Currency, November 10, 1904, is as follows : RESOURCES. Loans, Discounts and Securities $845,969 SS Overdrafts 711 09 U. S. Bonds and Premium 334,40O 00 Real Estate 11,50000 Furniture and Fixtures 2,500 00 Redemption Fund with U. S. Treasury 12,500 00 Cash and Sight Exchange 437,825 76 Total $1,645,406 40 LIABILITIES. Capital Stock Paid In $250,000 00 Surplus Fund 45,000 00 Undivided Profits 18,413 93 Circulation 250,000 oo Deposits 1,081,992 47 Total $1,645,406 40 In 1859 Mr. Bonebrake was united in marriage with Martha A. Lowe, and the two survivors of their family of four children are : Frank M., who is cashier of the Merchants' National Bank; and Frederic B., who is vice-presi- dent and treasurer of the Osage City Grain & Elevator Company. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which Mr. Bonebrake has been a member since youth. Mr. Bonebrake has never lost his interest in politics, and is now, as he has been for many years past, treasurer of the Republican State Central Com- 250 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY mittee. He has served many years as a member of this committee and much of the time as its chairman, and his advice and counsel have long been sought by party leaders. He is known to his fellow-citizens as preeminently a man of affairs, and the results he has accomplished justify the opinion. His ability has not been confined to his own affairs ; in fact, Topeka owes much to his public spirit and personal endeavor. He has taken a very prominent position in inaugurating and perfecting many of the great business enter- prises which have contributed so largely to Topeka's commercial prosperity, notably tlae building of the water-works, of which construction company he was president and secretary, and the securing of important railroad lines to and through this point. He is vice-president of the American Bankers' Asso- ciation of Kansas. Personally, Mr. Bonebrake is the soul of integrity. Although for many years he has held a commanding position in the business world, he is simple in his tastes and unassuming in manner. Few of his fellow-citizens know the extent of his charities, of the struggling youths he has helped, of the benevolent objects he has encouraged or of the religious enterprises he has furthered. In Parkison I. Bonebrake, the city of Topeka has a citizen of sterling worth. WILLIS NORTON. During the last decade. Death has many times entered the ranks of Topeka's business men, removing from the city's busy activities those who had been instrumental in promoting her prosperity, and in no case was the loss more deeply felt than in the passing of Willis Norton, late president of the Bank of North Topeka, sole proprietor of the Inter-Ocean flour mills, and an able, forceful factor in almost every circle. Willis Norton was born July 22, 1845, ^t London, Ohio, and died at Topeka on April 10, 1895. He was a son of Thomas R. Norton, being one of a family of 11 children born to his parents, six of whom still survive, namely: John F., of Topeka; Charles F., of Canton, Ohio; Mrs. Fassler, of Topeka; Mrs. Kauffman, of Columbus, Ohio; Percy; and Mrs. Burnett, of Springfield, Ohio. Mr. Norton entered into business life upon the conclusion of his school- ing, becoming connected with the dry goods house of his uncle, John Foss, at Springfield, Ohio. In 1871 he came to Topeka, where his energies were given until his death to founding and fostering her greatest business enter- prises. In 1871 the Capital Bank, one of the early financial institutions of Topeka, was organized by Mr. Norton, John D. Knox and Mrs. E. Chris- man. At a later date, Mr. Norton became connected with the Central AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 251 National Bank, and in 1883 he bought a half interest in the Bank of North Topeka, and continued as its president until the close of his life. Mr. Norton was interested in many business undertakings and identified with the founding of charitable institutions and the promotion of civic im- provements. In the industrial world he is most prominently recalled as the head of the great Inter-Ocean flour mills, the largest plant in Topeka. This business was established in 1879 by Mr. Norton, Thomas Page and Messrs. Shellabarger and Griswold. In 1882 Mr. Norton became the sole owner. In this great enterprise as in every other, his ability was a recognized factor and his business integrity stood unquestioned. Mr. Noron was twice married. His first wife, Lillian Coats, died in October, 1890, leaving one daughter, — ^Josephine. On December 5, 1894, Mr. Norton married Lizzie Thompson, a daughter of Thomas Thompson. Mrs. Norton with one child, survives. They occupy one of Topeka's beauti- ful homes at No. 908 Topeka avenue and move in the best circles of the city's society. Politically, Mr. Norton was identified with the Republican party. In religious views he was a Methodist. His fraternal and social connections in Topeka were quite extensive. ALEXANDER McQUISTON. Alexander McQuiston, one of the well-known residents of Mon- mouth township, Shawnee County, is also one of the old settlers, having preempted 160 acres, — the northeast quarter of section 10, township 13, range 16, — as early as 1858. He was born in Venango County, Pennsyl- vania, February 7, 1834, and is a son of David and Mary (Davidson) Mc- Quiston. On the paternal side our subject comes from Scotch ancestry, although the family has been American for several generations, his grandfather having been born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. In 1800 the grandfather worked in Cincinnati and helped to shingle some of the first houses ever built there, but his home was in Venango county. Our subject's mother was born in Pennsylvania of Irish parentage. Our subject is one of a family of 1 1 sons bom to his parents, namely : John, deceased ; William, deceased ; James, who died in infancy; David H., deceased; Alexander; Joseph, of Pennsylvania; Davidson, deceased, who served in the Civil War ; Ira. of Platte County, Ne- braska ; Robert, an old soldier of the Civil War, living at Big Springs ; Cyrus, of Pennsylvania; and Hiram, deceased, who served in the Civil War. Three 252 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY of the sons of this family served in the Civil War. There have been three fatal accidents also in the family : the grandfather Davidson was killed while doing his duty as sheriff in Pennsylvania; Rev. John McOuiston was killed by the cars at Pauline, Kansas ; and Hiram McQuiston was accidentally shot after safely passing through the dangers of the Civil War. Our subject remained at home with his parents until 21 years of age and then went to Bureau County, Illinois, to join his brother John, who had settled there in the previous year. After three years of farming there, Mr. McQuiston returned to Pennsylvania on a visit. In July, 1858, he came to Shawnee County, Kansas, where he preempted his present farm in Monmouth township. He lived in a little board shanty until he put in his first crop. When everything looked promising, he returned to Illinois and was married there in July, 1859. That Mr. McQuiston's first agricultural operations were a complete failure was no fault of his, for that was the year of the great drought which is a part of the history of the settlement of the State. He was one of the hundreds of unfortunate men who saw all their efforts go for naught. The fall of i860 found the little family in dire need and on this account Mr. McQuiston accepted the invitation of his father-in-law to re- turn to Illinois for a season. Mr. McQuiston expected to almost immediately return to Kansas, but just then the war clouds broke over the land and as two of his wife's brothers enlisted, he remained to assist his father-in-law and did not come back to his Kansas farm for five years. This has been his home ever since and he has a valuable property. The planting of maple and Cottonwood trees proved a wise measure and he now has a fine grove. He also set out orchards, apple trees alone to the number of 1,000, built a comfortable home and substantial barns and has continued to prosper. His farm is devoted to grain, fruit and stock. Mr. McQuiston was married to Mary A. Winder, a native of Illinois, who died in Kansas after 25 years of happy wedded life. They had three children, the one survivor being Mrs. Mary Alice Lovell, of Pennsylvania, who has nine children. Mr. McQuiston's second union was to Susan A. Newman, who was born in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, October 11, 1856, and came to Kansas with her parents in 1879. She is a daughter of John J. Newman. They have three children. Nora Viola, William A. and Frank H. Politically, Mr. McQuiston is a Republican. For 14 years he has served as justice of the peace, twice being appointed by the Governor. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years. The detailed story of Mr. McQuiston's early experiences in Kansas is very interesting. It was hard work to place his farm in its present condition. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 253 but the results show what determination and energy will finally accomplish. Every year agricultural operations are becoming more and more the subject of scientific study and those who succeed to-day have much less to contend with than did those of even a decade ago. HON. CASSIUS G. FOSTER. The roster of distinguished jurists who have brought honor to the bench and bar of Kansas contains many names of deserved eminence, and among the great leaders in the legal profession was the late Judge Cassius G. Foster. Judge Foster was born at Webster, Monroe County, New York, January 22, 1837, and died at his beautiful home in Topeka, on June 21, 1899. He was a son of Rufus W. and Prudence (Stewart) Foster, members of families whose ancestral lines reach back to colonial days. Cassius G. Foster's early education was obtained in the common and high schools of his native place, and that he was fitted for the law, in Michi- gan, was something of an accident. He had become a member of the family of a maternal uncle, who lived near Adrian, Michigan ; after a short time spent in the Adrian Academy, he became a law student in the office of Hon. Fernando C. Bowman, of that city. One year later he went to Rochester, New York, continuing his law studies, which he later completed with Bartaw & Olmstead, at Leroy, New York, and was admitted to the bar in the spring of 1859. In June of the same year, he removed to Kansas, selecting the healthy little town of Atchison as the scene of his first legal struggles. There he formed a partnership with S. H. Glenn and the firm soon became one of importance, handling cases of all kinds with the skill and ability which brought in a large income for the young firm and much prominence for its members. Judge Foster possessed too ardent a temperament and too much force of character to stand aside during those stormy days in the political field, and his influence was soon felt. During the Civil War he served with the rank of colonel on the staff of Governor Carney until, in 1862, he was elected by the Republican party to the State Senate. Upon the close of his term, he resumed his law practice and in 1867 he was called to fill the posi- tion of ma/or of Atchison, then a city of largely increased importance. In March, 1874, he was honored further by appointment as United States dis- trict judge, an office he filled with the greatest efficiency until his retirement on January 6, 1899, by special act of Congress. Judge Foster sat upon the bench for a quarter of a century and during this long period of judicial life proved himself to be one of the ablest men 254 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY that has ever administered justice in the State of Kansas. His opinions showed him to be learned, fearless and impartial. Personally, he was a man of deep sympathies and wide interests, an appreciative supporter of educa- tional, scientific and moral movements. The Topeka Foster Humane Society is the outcome of his efforts in one direction, and this benevolence, like many others, was supported mainly through his liberality. On September 12, 1878, Judge Foster was married to Angle V. Luding- ton, who was a daughter of R. W. Ludington, a prominent citizen of Lawrence, Kansas. Mrs. Foster still survives, with two daughters, Beatrice and Lillian; they reside in a beautiful residence on the corner of nth and Harrison streets, and move in the best society of Topeka. During the later years of Judge Foster's life, the family traveled in many lands, in a vain search for health for the beloved husband and father. Although perfect re- covery from his malady was not granted, his days were prolonged. He was permitted to pass away surrounded by his family and friends and in the city where he had gained so many legal triumphs. ERNEST B. CONANT. Ernest B. Conant, one of the prominent members of the bar of Shaw- nee County, Kansas, who has been a resident of Topeka only since August, 1903, but whose connection with Washburn College has made him many friends among the citizens, was born at Enfield, New Hampshire, and is a son of Washington I. and Anna F. (Skinner) Conant. The parents of Mr. Conant were both of New England birth and educa- tion, the father being a native of New Hampshire and the mother, of Ver- mont. Enfield is one of the important mill towns of Grafton County, the center of a large manufacturing district, and the father of Mr. Conant was superintendent of one of the great woolen mills there. In 1886 he retired from active life and his death took place in 1902, at Boston, Massachusetts, but his burial was at Enfield. Ernest B. Conant completed the common-school course in his native State and in September, 1887, he entered Phillips Academy at Exeter, New Hampshire, where he remained four years, completing the course in June, 1 89 1. He then entered Harvard University, where he was graduated in 1895, with the degree of A. B. In the same year he entered the Harvard Law School where he was graduated in law in 1898 and in September of the same year was admitted to the Massachusetts bar. Mr. Conant entered into the practice of his profession at Boston, where FOSTER DWIGHT COBURN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 257 he remained until the end of 1902, when he moved to Chicago, having been appointed one of the professors in the Ilhnois College of Law. In May of the same year he was elected dean of the law department of Washburn College, and came to Topeka the following August. Since taking up his residence here, he has been engaged in general practice, having become a member of the Shawnee County bar in October, 1904. FOSTER DWIGHT COBURN. Foster Dwight Coburn, whose prolific pen devoted to the agricultural interests of Kansas, as well as his distinguished public services in connection with the State Board of Agriculture and the State Agricultural College, have made him known all over the land, is a native of Wisconsin but Kansas has claimed him since 1867. Mr. Coburn was born in Jefferson County, Wis- consin, May 7, 1846, and remained there on the parental farm until 13 years old and then lived three years at Hannibal, Missouri. Mr. Coburn is a graduate of no college or university, his school train- ing having been confined to what he could secure in the common schools of his native county. When but a youth of 18 years he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering as a private Company F, 135th Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., at Greenville, Illinois. After the close of his first term of service, he reenlisted in the 62nd Regiment, Illinois Vet. Vol. Inf., and served until March, 1866, when he was mustered out with the rank of sergeant major, at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory. After the close of the war, Mr. Coburn came to Kansas, more interested in agriculture than anything else, being led to this section on account of the location here of his former superior officer. Col. L. C. True. Colonel True owned a ranch in Franklin County and he engaged Mr. Coburn's services and gave him an oportunity to prove his ability. He soon became so inter- ested in the various branches of his work that he consented to discuss various topics at the farmers' meetings and to contribute articles for the local press upon what he considered important subjects, that by 1880 he had attracted enough attention to be offered a position in the office of the State Board of Agriculture. In the following year he was unanimously elected its secretary. After serv- ing for a short period, he located at Wyandotte, now Kansas City, Kansas, where he took editorial charge of the Kansas City (Missouri) Live-Stock Indicator, a journal he conducted successfully for nearly six years, increasing in this time his popularity as an agricultural authority to such a degree that in 1882 he was appointed by Governor George W. Glick, a regent of the State 2S8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Agricultural College, and made president of the board. Upon the expiration of his term he was reappointed, and reelected president. In 1894 he again became secretary of the State Board of Agriculture and was reelected on five excessive occasions by acclamation. When Governor William E. Stan- ley became chief executive of the State, he appointed Mr. Coburn a regent of the State Agricultural College, and he was elected vice-president of the board. Mr. Coburn has contributed vastly to the agricultural history of Kan- sas and his books on general agricultural subjects form of themselves a library, which covers many of the most important subjects. Among these works may be mentioned as leading ones : "Swine Husbandry," "Alfalfa Growing," "The Helpful Hen," "Cow Culture," "The Modern Sheep," "The Horse Useful," "Corn and the Sorghums," "Forage and Fodders," "Short- horn Cattle," "Hereford Cattle," "Polled Cattle," "Pork Production," "Kan- sas Wheat Growing," 'Modern Dairying" and "Potato Production," all of these, as will be noted, on such practical subjects as to make them valuable as text-books. Mr. Coburn was married in 1869 to Lou Jenkines, and they have three children, all of whom are graduates of the State Agricultural College. Mr. Coburn has always been a consistent Republican and on more than one occasion has been urged to accept political offices of the highest character. In 1898 he was brought forward as his party's candidate for Governor but absolutely declined the honor. He has also been tentatively proffered the presidency of the Agricultural College, but, while appreciating the confidence of his fellow-citizens, has declined to serve. Mr. Coburn's portrait accom- panies this sketch. REV. FRANK E. MALLORY. Rev. Frank E. Mallory, pastor of the Christian (Disciples) Church Topeka, Kansas, was born at Franklin, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1865,- and is a son of Russell and Elizabeth (Shearer) Mallory. The Mallory family came from Pennsylvania to Jewell County, Kansas, about 1879, settling on a tract of 160 acres where the father carried on gen- eral farming for some years. He now resides at Jewell City where his wife died May 8, 1898. The family consisted of 10 children, the survivors being: Jennie, wife of A. J. Wise, of Pennsylvania; David C, of Atchison, Kansas; James M., a farmer of Jamestown, Kansas; Elmira, of Jewell City; Frank E., of this sketch; George W., of Jewell City; Clayton, of Mankato, Kansas; and John C, of Concordia, Kansas. Our subject accompanied the family to Kansas and lived in Jewell AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 259 County until 1883, when he graduated from the High School. In 1893 he came to Topeka. For one year he served as general secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association at Atchison. In September, 1893, the Christian (Disciples) Church was organized at Topeka, with a membership of 429, and on October ist Mr. Mallory was invited to become its first pastor. He has continued in this relation to the present time and the encouraging condition in which this little body of earnest men and women find themselves is mainly due to his untiring energy and faithful stewardship. In 1894 the church edifice, which is situated at Third and Lake streets, was erected to seat 1,000 persons, and it is almost entirely paid for. In connection with the Christian (Disciples) Church is a Sunday-school of 300 members, the Ladies' Auxiliary to the C. W. B. M. and the Ladies' Aid Society, all these organi- zations being in a flourishing condition. On August 12, 1884, Rev. Mr. Mallory was married to Mary Glad- felter, of Nortonville, Kansas, who is a daughter of Wesley and Henrietta (Berry) Gladfelter, who are engaged in farming. Rev. Mr. Mallory has been a member of the Topeka Board of Educa- tion for six years and has been its president for the past three years. He has always been identified with educational and religious progress here. His fraternal relations are with Topeka Lodge, No. 40, I. O. O. F., and Sun- flower Camp, No. 536, Modern Woodmen of America. EDWARD HENRY MOESER. In the course of human events, the older citizens of a community pass off the threshold of life to give place to the new generation pressing on behind, and thus the time comes when the pioneers, those who have borne the heat and labor of the day that others may enjoy the shade and ease, are represented only by memories. In the death of E. H. Moeser, Topeka lost a pioneer, an honorable man and a valued citizen. Edward Henry Moeser was born April 6, 1849, ^^ Giessen, Hessen- Darmstadt, Germany. He came of good, sturdy German stock, his father being a farmer by occupation and a respected, industrious man. In 1857 our subject emigrated to America with his mother and located in Chicago. In 1862 he came to Kansas, settling first at Leavenworth; one year later he took up his residence at Topeka, which city continued to be his home and the scene of his business success. Shortly after settling at Topeka, with his brother Philip he became int-erested in the operation of an ice and cold storage business which he developed into the large concern at Nos. 200 to 26o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY 218 Polk street, known as the Moeser Ice & Cold Storage Company. Although Mr. Moeser was not officer of the company at the time of his death, he was one of its founders and to his early business enterprise and fostering care its expansion to its present proportions may be mainly attrib- uted. During his active business years his integrity and ability brought him many friends who entertained a life-long respect for him and confidence in his judgment. Mr. Moeser was married at Topeka, July 4, 1871, to Ida Bohne, who still survives, with four children : Etta E. ; George E., a well-known engi- neer ; Clara I. and Irma R. The three daughters reside with their mother in their handsome home at No. 208 Tyler street. This attractive residence was erection in 1901 under the supervision of Mr. Moeser. To daily watch the completion of this new home was a task he enjoyed, although he was con- scious that he could scarcely survive to long enjoy its comforts. The death of Mr. Moeser, which occurred on Thursday evening, March 2, 1905, was not altogether unexpected, as he had been a sufferer from Bright's disease for some five months. His remains rest in the Topeka Cemetery. Mr. Moeser was connected with a number of the early civic organiza- tions and was a member of the first city fire company. He was a just man in all his dealings and gave to charitable objects that he deemed worthy of support. With his family, he attended the Lutheran Church. EUGENE HAGAN. Eugene Hagan, a prominent figure in almost all the legal controver- sies, in the past decade, at Topeka, gaining eminence at the bar while yet in middle life, and rich in personal gifts and scholarly attainments, belongs to the State's long list of leading men. Mr. Hagan was born July 8, 1859, in Monroe County, Missouri, and is a son of Joseph and Mary Hagan, and a descendant of Revolutionary stock. Mr. Hagan spent the period between the age of 14 and 18 years at school in St. Mary's, Kansas, and then went to Louisville, Kentucky, ■ where he was graduated from the academic and law departments of the State University of Kentucky. After a short season of practice at Chicago, Mr. Hagan turned to the West for a less crowded field, coming in 1880 to Topeka, where he became associated with the old law firm of Peck, Ryan & Johnson. At a later date Mr. Peck became general attorney for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company, and a new firm was formed, Johnson & Hagan, which AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 261 continued for three years. He has since practiced alone. He has been retained in many notable cases, has assisted in forming the policies of many great concerns and the State records are filled with his successes. It was Mr. Hagan who brought the action in the Supreme Court which was known as the Gunn case, which resulted in the settlement of the legislative struggle of 1893. Another notable instance was when he was attorney for Mrs. Mary E. Lease and gained a victory over the opposing counsel and over Ex-Governor Lewelling. While every phase of law is familiar to him, he takes a particularly active interest in criminal cases and has won a justifiable reputation in this branch of practice. Mr. Hagan is noted for his faithful adherence to his clients and has the manner which immediately inspires confidence. Gifted with a retentive memory and quickness of perception, a complete comprehension of every legal point and avenue, he is an antagonist to be feared and an advocate to be depended upon. In political as well as in professional life, Mr. Hagan has become promi- nent in Kansas. A consistent Democrat of the old school, in 1882 he was elected president of the Young Men's Democratic League of Kansas, a posi- tion he held for four years. In 1885 he was appointed assistant United States district attorney for the district comprising Kansas and Oklahoma Terri- tory, and served as such for five years. In 1888 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Although for 12 years previous to 1896 he had been a member of the Democratic State Central Committee, he that year resigned on account of the Free Silver issue and was instrumental in promoting the National Democratic party in Kansas. As chairman of the Sound Money Democratic State Committee, he was a member of the Kansas delegation at Indianapolis. He is a man of strong convictions and has the courage to uphold them. On January 5, 1899, Mr. Hagan was united in marriage to Madge Johnson, daughter of Hon. J. B. Johnson, a former law partner of Mr. Hagan. DAVID LONG LAKIN. David Long Lakin, deceased, who for 40 years was closely identfied with the important agencies which have resulted in the development of Kansas into one of the greatest States of the Union, and for almost as long a period was an important factor in the building and management of the great Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and its mighty interests, was one of Topeka's most honored and valued citizens. The birth of Mr. Lakin oc- 262 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY curred at Zanesville, Ohio, May 2^, 1830, and his long and useful life closed at Topeka, on October 8, 1897. Mr. Lakin enjoyed excellent educational advantages, graduating with credit from Zanesville College. His natural inclinations and mental equip- ment led him to seek a career which would involve mental rather than man- ual activity, and he accepted a position as a school teacher in Alabama. At that period there were many calls from the South for the services of educa- tors from the North, and Mr. Lakin spent many pleasant and profitable years in that Southern State. In 1857, after the final settlement of many of the public problems which had marred the fame of this beautiful and fruitful country, Mr. Lakin came to Kansas, and through his whole subsequent life gave his allegiance and most unselfish and earnest efforts to promote the State's welfare. As years passed, his sterling character was recognized by his community and he was placed in many positions of responsibility which increased public confidence. In 1862 he was appointed Auditor of the State. Mr. Lakin's connection with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway began early in its organization, and in February, 1864, he was elected to membership on its directing board and was made its first treasurer. Until the close of his life, Mr. Lakin remained with this great transportation sys- tem, one of its most active and influential managers, and much of the credit was due him for the general prosperity brought about a decade later, when the road was completed to the western border of the State. He was con- cerned with everything that has made this road one of the greatest lines in the country, and his death brought not only a sense of personal loss to those with whom he had been so closely connected and who had learned to depend upon his almost unerring judgment, but to the many great interests involved. Mr. Lakin was married July 14, 1868, at Topeka, to Mary E. Ward. She was born in 1844 at Shawnee Mission, and is a daughter of the late Anthony A. and Mary J. (Foster) Ward. There were five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Lakin, namely : Burr, Mary, David, Alice and Samuel. Politically, Mr. Lakin was identified with the Democratic party, believ- ing in its principles and consistently supporting its candidates. His fraternal associations were with different branches of Masonry. He was more or less interested in various social organizations and was a dependable factor in public-spirited enterprises. In this too brief sketch of David Long Lakin, a summary of his life and character would show that he was a man of force, ability and integrity. His fellow-citizens know that he was wise in council and generous and fair in spirit; his business associates remember his scrupulous attention to all the absorbing duties of his office; and his family recall one, whose constant care was for their welfare. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 263 There are few more delightfully situated homes than that of Mrs. Lakin, at No. 100 North Western avenue, Topeka. The large, old-fashioned resi- dence, surrounded by noble trees of luxuriant growth, is located on a hill that not only overlooks the whole of the beautiful capital city with the great dome of the State House showing to the south, but also enables the beholder to follow the graceful curves of the Kansas River as it winds away through its green banks to the Missouri. It is a home indicative of rest and refinement and here Mr. Larkin enjoyed the ease which gave him the physical and mental strength necessary for the carrying out of his important duties. ELIAS BRANSON COWGILL. Elias Branson Cowgill, a veteran newspaper man of Kansas, and a member of the Kansas Farmer Publishing Company, of Topeka, has been prominent in all matters pertaining to the State's agricultural interests for a great many years. Mr. Cowgill was born March 27, 1845, ^t Martin's Ferry, Ohio, and is a son of Phineas and Sarah Ann (Branson) Cowgill. The Cowgill family came to America with William Penn and settled near Philadelphia; a branch moved to Loudoun County, Virginia, and sub- sequently, during the infancy of our subject's grandfather, to Belmont County, Ohio. The latter was an old and exemplary resident. He was an elder in the Society of Friends and presided at the head of the local meeting at St. Clairsville for over 30 years. The father of Mr. Cowgill was also born in Ohio, where he married and engaged in farming until 1852, when he moved to Iowa. Elias B. Cowgill was mainly reared and entirely educated in the State of Iowa, where he completed his preliminary studies and then entered the State University of Iowa, where he was graduated in 1869. His beginning in newspaper work was as editor of the university paper, and his second effort was at Enterprise, Mississippi, where he also became interested in cotton raising. He was later made superintendent of the schools of Clarke County, Mississippi. In 1871 Mr. Cowgill came to Kansas, locating at Great Bend, Barton County. He surveyed the Great Bend town-3:;e in September, 1871. In December, 1875, he moved to Sterling, Kansas, where he established the Rice County Gazette, a paper wh'ch he continued to issue for the succeeding 16 years. It was mainly devotvid to the mterests of that part of the State and won a place in the front rank of tlae newspapers of the country. In 264 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY 1884 he was appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture to investigate the sugar industry, and in the following year he was elected to the chair of physics and engineering in the Kansas State Agricultural College. These trusts he accepted although he still retained his ownership of the Gazette, which was placed under the management of A. L. McMillan. In 1887, however, Mr. Cowgill decided to return to Sterling, resigning his work at the college. He was again appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture to look further into the sugar industry, and to ascertain the best kind of machinery to use and the best processes to follow. In 1889 Mr. Cowgill went into the erection of sugar machinery and became general Western rep- resentative of the Kilby Manufacturing Company, of Cleveland, Ohio. He built factories for the manufacture of sugar at Medicine Lodge, Conway Springs and Ness City, and rebuilt the factory at Topeka, which had been burned in 1890. In 1891 he disposed of all his interests in this line and bought an interest in the Kansas Farmer Publishing Company. The Kansas Farmer was first printed in 1863 by Judge Adams, later by Ex-Governor George T. Anthony and still later by Maj. J. K. Hudson. A company was then formed which was succeeded by the present company. The publication has a circulation of 23,000, which extends all over Kansas, Missouri, Ne- braska, Oklahoma and Indian Territory. It supplies the needs of hundreds of households in the valleys and plains in these various States and occupies a place of prominence on many a cultured library table. Its issue is weekly and its aim is to be a strictly home and agricultural paper. On September 20, 1869, Mr. Cowgill was married to Helen Prescott, who was a daughter of John S. and Mary (Harris) Prescott, the former of Massachusetts and the latter of Ohio, Iowa, Mississippi and Kansas. Mrs. Cowgill died at Great Bend, Kansas, in 1875, leaving one child, Sadie C, the wife of William J. Graves, of Neosho, Missouri, who is in the real estate business and is land agent for the Kansas City Southern Railroad Company. In May, 1877, Mr. Cowgill was married, second, to Rena Harri- man, of Sterling, Kansas, who is a daughter of Dr. Leonard B. and Angeline (Kezer) Harriman. Dr. Harriman died at Sterling, but his widow, a native of Canada, is a resident of Guthrie, Oklahoma. Mr. and Mrs. Cowgill have these children: Ruth — the talented editor of the home departments of the Kansas Farmer, and Horace B., who are graduates of Washburn College; Ella L. and Harry L., who are students at Washburn College; Clyde P., who is attending the Topeka High School; and Clinton H., Paul K. and David M., who are still in the graded schools. The family belong to the Congrega- tional Church, in which Mr. Cowgill has been a deacon for some time. He is president of the State Temperance Union, belongs to the Commercial Club, is a member of Oak Grange and of Topeka Lodge No. 17, A. F. & A. M. HON. JOHN MARTIN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 2^7 His sympathies are with the Democratic party. Mr. Cowgill has a very pleasant home at No. 1325 Clay street. The Kansas Farmer headquarters are at No. 116 West Sixth street. HON. JOHN MARTIN. Hon. John Martin^ ex-United States Senator, whose portrait is here- with shown, stands as one of the great and strong men of Kansas. Entering public life through the avenue of the law, he pursued an upward course until he attained the honorable ambition of every American statesman, — a place in the United States Senate. Here his great legal abilities made him a valued coadjutor, in the handling and solving of some of the most important issues ever brought before that body. John Martin was born November 12, 1833, ^^ Wilson County, Tennes- see, and is a son of Matt and Mary (Penn) Martin. The Martin and Penn families were old families of lineage and breeding, but, like many others in that locality, possessed of only limited financial resources. Our subject's home was an ideal one, its atmosphere being one of family affection and gentle refinement, but when the time came for the ambitious youth to push out for himself, little but good wishes could be given him. Turning his face Westward, in search of a favorable field of operation, Mr. Martin reached Tecumseh, Shawnee County, Kansas, on April 8, 1855. After casting about a little, he decided that here he could complete his law studies, to which he had already given considerable attention in Tennessee, and, in the words of a well-known public man, now passed ofif the theater of life, "grow up with the country." His ability was almost immediately recognized and he was made assistant clerk of the first Territorial Legisla- ture. As soon as he was admitted to the bar, he was made county attorney of Shawnee County and served as county clerk and register of deeds from 1857 to 1859. From the latter year up to January, 1861, he was assistant United States attorney. In 1 861 Mr. Martin opened his office at Topeka, where his legal ability continued to more and more bring him into prominence, and in 1883 he was appointed judge of the Third Judicial District, to which office he was sub- sequently reelected. In 1873 he was sent to the State Legislature to repre- sent Shawnee County and again in 1874, and during this period he worked hard for the best interests of Topeka, securing many advantages for this city, one of these being the location of the Insane Asylum here. His political affiliation has always been with the Democratic party and on several occa- 13 268 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY ■sions it has insisted on making him the standard-bearer in the contests for ■gubernatorial honors. His foUowing has always been large and influential, and in 1893 he was elected to the United States Senate, to fill the unexpired term of Senator Plumb. While in Washington his work showed him to be a steadfast supporter of the principles of his party and a man of broad, en- lightened views and in every sense a true patriot. Judge Martin has served also as clerk of the Supreme Court of Kansas. He still continues in the practice of his profession at Topeka, where he is justly numbered with the eminent members of the bar. Judge Martin was married November 12, i860, to Caroline Clements, who was a daughter of Judge C. B. Clements, of Tecumseh, and they have had three children, viz.: Charles C, deceased; Hon. John E., who is not only the mayor of Emporia, Kansas, but is the first Democratic mayor the ■city has ever elected ; and Carrie, an accomplished lady who is the competent stenographer of the Kansas State Historical Society. SYLVANUS LORENZO LEAVITT. Sylvanus Lorenzo Leavitt, for man years a leading business citizen of Topeka, who now lives retired from active affairs, was born September 14, 1 82 1, at Effingham, New Hampshire, and is a son of John and Ruth {Champion) Leavitt. The Leavitt family originated in England and its American, founders settled in New Hampshire. The great-grandfather reared five children at Hampton, namely: John, Herson, Morris, Jeremiah and James. Jeremiah Leavitt was the first settler at Effingham (formerly known as Leavitt's Town) New Hampshire. Of the 11 children of John and Ruth (Champion) Leavitt, but two survive, — our subject and a brother, William H., a retired resident of Portland, Maine. Sylvanus L. Leavitt lived at home on his father's farm, attending the district school of the neighborhood in the winter, until he was 14 years old. He was then for one year employed as a clerk in his brother's store. He then returned home and worked on his father's farm in the summer and attended the Effingham Academy during the fall and spring terms. Li the winters of 1839 and 1840 he taught a district school in the town of Eaton, New Hampshire. In the spring of 1841 he went to Boston, Massachusetts, where he worked in a sash and blind factory until the fall of 1847. He then moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, and engaged as a clerk in a clothing AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 269 store, remaining there until the spring of 1852. He then removed to Laconia, New Hampshire, where he was engaged in the dry goods and carpet business until January, 1868. While there, besides conducting his mercantile busi- ness, he was one of the promoters and president of the first gas company established in Laconia and was also a director in the Laconia Savings Bank. In January, 1868, he removed his business to Plattsburgh, New York, and continued in business there until April, 1872. Wishing for a larger field where he could extend his business he removed to Norwich, Connecticut, and continued there as a dry goods and carpet merchant until September, 1875, when, on account of the loss of his voice, caused by a paralytic affec- tion of the throat, he decided to give up his business and on the, advice of his physician to seek a milder climate, in order to restore his health. Selling out his establishment to a Boston firm, he then removed to Southern Cal- ifornia. In the year 1880 Mr. Leavitt came to Topeka and interested himself in business as one of the promoters and stockholders in the A. Prescott Loan & Banking Company (incorporated). Soon after this he sold his interest in the company and returned to California. In 1882 having in the meantime recovered the use of his voice, he returned to Topeka and took a position with, the Kansas Investment Company. He remained with this company until July, 1889. About this time Mr. Hay, of the firm of Hay, Wiggin & Company, died and Mr. Leavitt purchased his interest in the firm, thus associating himself in the dry goods business with his two nephews, Fred and Charles Wiggin, under the copartnership style of Wiggin Brothers & Company. About 18 months later, Fred Wiggin, the elder of the two brothers^ died and thereupon Mr. Leavitt took an active part in the business. At the end of two years, however, he was again taken sick and as Charles Wiggin was too young to assume the cares of so large a concern the firm sold out its interest in 1890 to Wiggin, Crosby & Company. Since then Mr. Leavitt has not engaged actively in business. On October 18, 1846, Mr. Leavitt was married to Emma Hilton, of Boston, Massachusetts, a daughter of Hugh Hilton, of Sandwich, New Hampshire. The two children of this union were Charles and Harrison H. The former was born at Manchester, New Hampshire, and died at Laconia. The latter, who is a contractor at Wichita, Kansas, has been twice married; the three daughters of his first marriage are: Frances E. (Mrs. Aspey) ; Pearl E., of Kansas City, Missouri; and Beulah L., who resides with her grandfather, our subject. Mr. Leavitt has been a life-long Republican. He is a member of the Congregational Church. For six years he was president of the first young 270 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY men's total abstinence society in Boston's South End, assuming the duties upon its organization. He is one of the most highly regarded citizens of Topeka. HON. ALFRED B. QUINTON. Hon. Alfred B. Quinton is the senior member of the prominent law firm of Quinton & Quinton, with offices in the Columbian Building, Topeka. The firm has been in existence since 1885 and is made up of two brothers, — Alfred B. and Eugene S. Quinton. Alfred B. Quinton was born in 1855 in Lee County, Iowa, and was educated in Denmark Academy, where he was graduated in 1874. He then entered the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated in 1876 with the degree of LL. B., and in the same year was admitted to the Supreme Court of Michigan. Later he came to Topeka, Kansas, and was admitted by courtesy to the Supreme Court here. Mr. Quinton entered into general practice and was elected city attorney in 1 88 1, which office he held for three consecutive years. He practiced alone until 1885, when the firm of Quinton & Quinton was formed. In 1887 he was brought forward by the Republican party as its candidate for probate judge. He was easily elected and continued on the bench until 1891, since which year Judge Quinton has declined all office, devoting his attention entirely to his large private practice. He has successfully handled some of the most important cases in the State and is given high consideration by his associates at the bar. Formerly he was very active in politics and served as chairman of the Republican Central Committee of Shawnee County for a number of years. Judge Quinton was married to Georgia H. Hoffman, who was born in New York, and they have three daughters and one son, all of whom are attending school. In all public-spirited enterprises in Topeka, Judge Quinton has been an active and interested participant. He has been particularly active in bring- ing about park improvements and was mainly instrumental in securing the park commission and present park ordinance, which have resulted in so much added attractiveness to the city, and he is now one of the park commissioners of the city. The placing of the fountain in Hontoon Park was the direct result of his efforts. He is, also, a friend of the public schools and advocates the securing of the best of talent in the line of teachers, and the paying of salaries which will secure instructors of ability. Since its organization, he has been a director of the Humane Society and also of the Topeka Orphans' REV. JOSIAH B. McAFEE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 273 Home. In Masonry he is a Knight Templar and a Scottish Rite Mason. He also belongs to the Woodmen of the World. REV. JOSIAH B. MCAFEE. Rev. Josiah B. McAfee^ whose portrait accompanies this sketch, is one of the remarkable men of the State of Kansas, and it is difficult to men- tion any line of activity or notable development, from early pioneer days down to the present, without giving a full measure of credit to this honored and now venerable citizen. All over the expanse of the State may be found the material results of his foresight, judgment, unselfish public spirit, and many of the established educational and religious institutions have incor- porated in their usefulness the work of his brain and heart. The birth of Josiah B. McAfee occurred August 6, 1830, at McAfee- town, in Juniata County, Pennsylvania. He is a son of James and Sarah McAfee, whose parents were old and respected residents of that particular section. Our subject's education was a liberal one, early being directed into theological channels, and in 1854 he was admitted to the ministry of the Lutheran Church by the Maryland Synod. Selecting Kansas as his field of labor, Rev. Mr. McAfee, with his family, reached the city of Leavenworth on April 15, 1855, since which time he has been a Kansan, heart and soul. One month later he founded the Leavenworth Collegiate Institute — the first educational institution of prominence in the State — and was the organizer of the first Sunday-school in the State. Pupils flocked to his .instruction but he did not confine his efforts to general education, for his aims were still higher. In those days of lawlessness, many good men suffered for their outspoken opinions, but Rev. Mr. McAfee continued without fear or favor to teach and preach against slavery and took sides on other questions at issue in the early days of the Territory. A man of such decided opinions and of such fearless- ness in advocating them, could not be held down by old-time canons of ob- servance and in 1856 he took a very active part in the political campaign, visiting his old home at this time where he aroused enthusiasm for Gen. John C. Fremont, the Republican nominee for President. It was during his ab- sence that threats, which formerly had been made, were put into execution and he returned to find his home in ruins. He then left Leavenworth and established his home at what is now Valley Falls, where he engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising, having invested in land. In passing it may be noted that from this source has come all of Rev. Mr. McAfee's income, all his services in the cause of education, religion and temperance, having been given freely for the benefit of his fellowmen. 274 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Under the caption of "The Muhlenberg of Kansas," there appeared in the Lutheran Evangelist, bearing date of November 22, 1901, an article from the pen of Rev. D. Earhart, which contains some interesting facts concerning our subj ect, and we here reproduce it : "We are quite sure a short biographical sketch of Rev. J. B. McAfee will be interesting as he was the first Lutheran minister that settled in Kan- sas. Besides preaching the Gospel when an opportunity offered, he per- formed many noble deeds and lived a very useful life. "Rev. J. B. McAfee was born August 8, 1830, in Juniata County, Penn- sylvania. He received his primary education in the district school near his home and like General Garfield drove a team of horses on the (Pennsyl- vania) canal when a boy. He received his further education at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1849, he was received into full membership with the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church at Port Royal, in his native county. In 1854 he taught a district school for a while, and then took charge of the academy at Clear Springs, Maryland. In 1854, he was licensed by the Maryland Synod to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments. "April I, 1855, he with his young wife started for Leavenworth, Kan- sas, with a view of making Kansas his future home, arriving there safely two weeks later. He at once commenced his ministerial work, and work on a school house and church building, and also taught school in order to support himself and family. During 1855 and 1856, the border ruffian war raged in Kansas, and Brother McAfee had several narrow escapes from the border ruffian lynchers. In 1856, he visited his native State and in October of that year the Maryland Synod, in session in Frederick City, ordained him. As his ministerial labors and trials are recorded in 'The History of the Early Lutheran Church in Kansas,' I will not repeat them here, but will give some historic facts not so well known. "September i, 1862, Rev. J. B. McAfee enlisted as a private soldier in the Union Army, and on the 15th of the same month he was unanimously elected first lieutenant by the company. The Lutheran Osberver of Decem- ber 8, 1892, says (of soldier McAfee) : 'that he was in four battles, and during 1862-3-4 he served in various capacities as lieutenant, captain and superintendent of refugees at Fort Smith. From 1865 to 1867, he was pri- vate secretary to Governor Crawford of Kansas, with the rank of colonel, and often acted as Governor. During his service as adjutant general, he organ- ized two battalions for service against the Indians in Western Kansas. He wrote and compiled from reliable data the official "MiHtary History of Kan- sas Regiments in the War for the Suppression of the Great Rebellion." He was also chaplain of the Second Colored Regiment of Kansas Volunteers whilst he was in the army.' AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 275, "He was elected mayor of Topeka, for 1870 and 1871. One day he was informed that a faro-bank was in operation over the Wehs, Fargo & Com- pany express office in the city of Topeka. Armed with a warrant he and sev- eral policemen started to raid the building where the nuisance was kept. Finding the entrance to the building closed, the mayor ordered a large meat axe to be brought, and then instructed the marshal to take the axe and break open the door, and the order was promptly obeyed. The faro-bank and fixtures were secured, and were valued at $625, and burned in a public street in Topeka, by order of the mayor. The pugnacious Col. C. R. Jennison had his faro-bank burned in Topeka, in 1871, by order of the mayor. No saloon man got a license with which to debauch the citizens of Topeka during Mayor McAfee's administration. He was a terror to evil-doers. For four terms he was a member of the Kansas Legislature and served on the temperance committee. "In 1893-94 Rev. J. B. McAfee delivered over 100 lectures and sermons in as many Kansas pulpits, in the interest of prohibition, when the anti-pro- hibition people tried to elect a Legislature for the purpose of calling a con- vention that would annul the prohibition amendment of the constitution of Kansas. He labored and traveled in Kansas at his own expense under the auspices of the State Temperance Union. He likely did more than any other man in Kansas to thwart the plans and hopes of the liquor men of his State. Though he was not a party Prohibitionist, yet the party of Prohibitionists were more willing to trust him on this subject as chief executive of the State than his own party was. "The Kansas Prohibitionist^ a party paper, said of R'ev. McAfee : 'He is the peer of any man who is named in connection with the offifce of chief magistrate. A life-long temperance man, he is without blemish; a fearless defender of the right, his integrity is unquestioned. If the people of Kansas want a Prohibitionist Governor, there stands J. B. McAfee. Match him.' "In 1873, Brother McAfee sufifered a bleeding of the lungs for the third time, and was so low that he was speechless. Two of his neighbors were very ill at the same time; their doctors gave them brandy as a remedy for their disease and affirmed that it helped them much. Rev. Mr. McAfee's doctor urged him to take some brandy, and affirmed that if he did not take it, he would be in the next world before the next morning. He refused to take the brandy, and as he could not speak, he wrote on the slate : 'Well, Doctor, I will be sober when I get there.' The doctor missed his guess for the brother is alive and well now, twenty-eight years after the event. The two patients that took the brandy never recovered, but died in a short time afterwards. "The people of Kansas may well congratulate themselves that Kansas has furnished a counterpart to the renowned Pennsylvanian, Rev. John Peter 276 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Gabriel Muhlenberg, son of the patriarch Muhlenberg of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The former doffed the clerical robe of the pastor and attired himself in the military uniform of a soldier. He was made a colo- nel, major general. Member of Congress, United States Senator, and died October i, 1807. Had our J. B. McAfee been clothed with the needful authority and properly sustained by the people, he would have suppressed the rum and beer rebellion in Kansas, in the latter part of the 19th century, as Washington suppressed the whiskey rebellion in Western Pennsylvania in the latter part of the i8th century. "We are glad in concluding this sketch to say that Rev. Mr. McAfee is still active in life's affairs, and lives, highly respected in Topeka, Kansas, where we hope he may yet be spared many years of usefulness." Mr. McAfee is the only survivor in this State of the organizers of the Lutheran Synod of Kansas. It was through his labors that the first five Lutheran churches of Kansas were organized and they long felt the influence of his presence and the assistance of his purse. He is a valued member of Lincoln Post, No. i. Grand Army of the Republic. He is a member of the Kansas State Historical Society, one of its directors, and it owes much to his interest and careful research. The following appeared in the Central Christian Advocate of September 7th, 1904: "On his seventy-fourth birthday. Rev. J. B. McAfee, a veteran Lutheran clergyman in Kansas, wrote to Dr. D. H. Fisher a letter which deserves publicity : ; Dear Brother Fisher — I see in the Daily Capital of August 6th that you are in the Buena Vista Hospital, Little Orleans, Maryland. I am very sorry that there is any occasion for your being in a hospital. I do hope and pray that you may soon be restored to health again. I have had the pleasure and honor of knowing you and your good work in Kansas for about forty-eight years. You have been the most faithful and untiring worker in the Master's vineyard in all these years that I have ever known. Kansas is truly better because you have lived in it. You never waited for opportunities to do good ; you made the oppor- tunities. You never waited for the enemies of the church and good government to attack you; you went forth to meet them in the byways and highways. To you more than to any other person are we indebted for constitutional prohibition in Kansas. I well remember, thirty-seven years ago, when you offered in the State Temperance Convention the first reso- lution looking to constitutional prohibition in Kansas, and after the resolution was voted down, you held it high in your left hand, as high as you could, and exclaimed : "Brethren, I do believe God will spare my life to see the principles of this resolution embodied in the constitution and laws of Kansas." God not only spared you to see it, but to be one of the most important factors in securing it. During my almost fifty years of residence in Kansas I know of no one who has worked so hard and so faithfully and efficiently to secure good laws and good government and to advance the cause of Christ in this State. May the Almighty hand of that loving Savior who led a sinking disciple from a grave in the waters of Galilee lead you safely, day by day, down the pathway of life, safely through the valley of the shadow of death, and in the morning HON. CHARLES CURTIS AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 279 of eternity may you hear the welcome plaudid of "Well and faithfully done." Brother, it won't be long until you will rest your weary head within your loving Savior's arms. Soon we will meet and greet each other in the land of the blest, in the home of the redeemed. God bless you. Most fraternally yours, J. B. McAfee. P. S. — I am seventy-four years old today." At Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, March 20, 1852, in the parlor of the Theological Seminary, Rev. Mr. McAfee married Anna R. Yowler, and they have two daughters: Celeste, who was married in 1874 to D. H. Forbes; and Emma Virginia, who was married on the same day to Judge D. C. Nellis; and one son, Henry W., who married a sister of Judge Nellis of Topeka, in 1880. Rev. Mr. McAfee has retired from active life. As he re- calls the many stirring incidents he can but feel that, while the path led often over rugged heights, he was permitted to place many landmarks on the way and it has led into quiet pastures at last. HON. CHARLES CURTIS. Hon. Charles Curtis, who is serving his seventh term as Representa- tive of the First Congressional District of Kansas in the United States Congress, stands unique among all the members that Kansas has ever sent to that body, in that he is a native of the State. He was born in North Topeka, January 25, i860, and is a son of Capt. O. A. and Helen (Papan) Curtis. His father was born in Indiana, moved to Kansas in 1856, and with a regi- ment of this State saw hard service during the Civil War, being captain of Company F, 15th Kansas Vol. Cav. Maternally, Mr. Curtis is of French and Indian blood. His maternal grandfather, Louis Papan, was a native Canadian Frenchman and was one of the representatives of the great Hudson Bay Fur Company. Louis Papan's wife, Julie Gonvil, who was named in the treaty between the United States and the Kansas or Kaw tribe of Indians in 1825, was a daughter of one of the heads of the tribe. Charles Curtis received a good education in the schools of Topeka. He is a self-made man and can well take pride in his achievements. While work- ing his way up, he read law and was admitted to the bar, passing a rigid examination in 1881. Almost immediately he entered politics, for which he has a natural aptitude, being elected county attorney of Shawnee County in 1884 and reelected in 1886. He made criminal and corporation law a spec- ialty while in the practice, being engaged as counsel in the celebrated Spend- love and some 25 other murder cases. In 1892 he ran for Congress on the 28o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Republican ticket and was elected by a majority of 2,800 over the Fusion candidate in a district that had given the Fusion candidate of the campaign before a majority of 5,000. He was reelected in 1894, 1896, 1898, 1900, 1902 and in 1904. In 1897, the Populist Legisla- ture changed the First and Fourth districts of the State so as to throw Shawnee County, his home, into the First District with Judge Broderick and thus made sure of defeating one or the other for renomination. Mr. Curtis is a member of the ways and means committee, the most prominent and im- portant committee of the House, his appointment being made on the strength of his record without outside indorsements. He is the second member of the committee on Indian affairs in the House, and is its acknowledged leader on all matters requiring technical knowledge of the subject. He was selected as one of the Republicans on the House committee of 11 members, whose duty it was to prepare a bill for the settlement of the financial policy of the country. The bill reported by this committee was afterwards enacted into law. Mr. Curtis had the honor of introducing the bill that provided for the carrying out of the administration policy of President Roosevelt and Secre- tary of War Taft, in regard to the admission of the products of the Philip- pines into this country. He is an ardent friend of the old soldier and proud to belong to the Sons of Veterans, of which organization he is a valued member. Although dignified in manner, with much of the reserve of his Indian parentage, he is easy of approach and always frank and obliging. He speaks easily and well, his earnestness commanding the attention of his asso- ciates in the House, where the majority merely talk "to the record." As a campaign speaker he is primed with good stories. Among his colleagues he is often referred to as "John A. Logan II," his resemblence to the "Black Eagle" of Illinois being most striking although he is of slighter figure. He is a personal friend of President Roosevelt and is a welcome visitor at the White House. Mr. Curtis was united in marriage November 27, 1884, with Anna E. Baird, and the following children were born of their union: Permelia J., Harry K. and Leona V. His family are active members of the Baptist Church, in the support of which he is most liberal. A portrait of Mr. Curtis accompanies this sketch. CAPT. PATRICK H. CONEY. Capt. Patrick H. Coney, one of Topeka's most successful lawyers, is a veteran of the Civil War and during his many years residence in Kansas has fought with relentless vigor for the protection of the rights of the old AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 281 soldier, his widow and orphans. He was born in Newbury, Vermont, March 10, 1848, and is a son of Luke and Honor Berry (Reddy) Coney. The genealogy of this family is traceable back to Laogare, ancestor of the Southern Hy Nials, a son of Nial of the Nine Hostages, King of Ire- land, in A. D. 379. Luke Coney, father of our subject, was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, .and emigrated to the United States in 1839, locating in Boston, Massachusetts. Thence he removed a few years later to Vermont, where he met and married Honor Berry Reddy, at White River Junction in 1844. From there they removed to Newbury, Vermont, and in 1850 located in the towns of Macedon and Wahvorth, Wayne County, New York. Mr. Coney was a hard-working man, and although at times it was difficult for him to make prosperous headway he was successful in giving his children a common school education. He is now living at the home of his son in Topeka, at the advanced age of 92 years. Patrick H. Coney worked in boyhood on a farm during the summer months and worked for his schooling during the winters. When 15 years of age, he enlisted in Company H, iiith Reg., New York Vol. Inf. He was detailed as dispatch bearer on the staff of General McDougall, and was later promoted to be orderly dispatch bearer on the staff of Gen. Nelson A. Miles, and served in that capacity up to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House. He was transferred June 5, 1865, to Company H. Fourth New York Heavy Artillery, and served until October 5, 1865, when he was honorably discharged at Hart's Island, New York. He was wounded at Peach Orchard in front of Petersburg, Virginia, on June 16, 1864, which detained him in hospital for 60 days. In November, 1864, he was absent for a period of 15 days to attend the funeral of his mother, who was killed in a railroad accident at Palmyra, New York, on returning home after assist- ing in the work of caring and providing for the sick and wounded soldiers in the Rochester (New York) hospitals. Captain Coney was in the most im- portant engagements of his regiment in the great Army of the Potomac, from Gettysburg to Appomattox Court House, more than 30 in all, his regiment losing in killed and wounded 412 out of a total of 1,103 "^en in the fighting line. After his discharge he returned to his home in Walworth, Wayne County, New York, where he attended the Academy, graduating therefrom in April, 1867. Removing to the "Sunflower" State, April 21, 1867, he lived at Leavenworth until 1881, attaining prominence as a business man, student, writer and publicist. Since that year he has been a resident of Topeka. He founded and published the first exclusively soldier and sailor paper in the West, — the National Banner, which was subsequently merged into the Knight 282 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and Soldier and afterwards the Western Veteran. In 1885 he was admitted to the bar at Topeka, and afterwards to the United States District and Supreme courts. He has practiced as a lawyer in all the courts, and in all the departments of the government since making a specialty of pensions and war claims. He has prosecuted and procured the allowance of more pensions for comrades and their widows and orphans than any or all of the attorneys in the entire West. He has been the special, resistless champion of his comrades and their rights, through all trials and tribulations, through good and ill report. It is safe to say, no comrade, his widow or orphan, however poor or desperate the case, ever asked him for assistance in securing his or her just dues and was denied the same. Captain Coney fearlessly and ably exposed the perfidious and false "Cleveland-Lx)chren" administration and defended his comrades and their widows against the wicked and disloyal assaults on all .pension claimants and pensioners. He was first and strongest to arraign the administration of H. Clay Evans, ventilating his conduct of the Pension Office. He pinioned Evans in the most masterly manner, expos- ing him in detail as no other person dared to do, and he did so at the peril of his extensive practice before the Pension Office and the Interior Depart- ment. He successively and successfully arraigned him before Congress and before the national and department G. A. R. encampments, and brought him justly before the bar of public opinion and public justice, thereby forcing him out of the Pension Office in the face of the strongest forces in the nation that were sustaining Evans. Captain Coney and Capt. J. G. Waters brought quo zmrranto proceedings against the County Board of Shawnee County to compel county boards to technically respect and obey the law for the burial of soldiers, which was favorably decided by the court. He also, with David Overmyer as assistant, instituted the quo warranto proceedings in the Su- preme Court against Mayor Bergunthal and the city of Topeka in behalf of H. K. Goodrich to compel compliance with and to test the constitutionality of the "Soldiers' Preference Law," which was sustained and held to be constitutional for the first time on March 12, 1904. Captain Coney received no compesation for services in either of these cases, in fact they resulted in considerable financial loss to him. It was a labor of love and duty to him, and he fought where others sulked. His voice for over 20 years has been heard, respected and heeded in the national encampments, and he is now the best known, respected and loved comrade of the West, not alone in Kansas but in the national encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic. Captain Coney has one of the finest libraries in the city of Topeka, and recently received from his close personal friend, Lieut.-Gen. Nelson A. Miles, a copy of the latter's recent book, bearing on the fly-leaf the authors auto- graph and kind wishes. The library also contains many of the choicest, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 283 rarest and costliest publications ; among them are genealogies of Irish families and other races. Captain Coney has always affiliated most actively and prominently with the Republican party and although not an office holder or seeker, he has, since attaining the age of citizenship, been one of the party officials, being chairman of the City and County Central committees of Leavenworth County when only 22 years of age. He was a member of every State convention of his party in Kansas for 34 years, and served more or less in the councils of the party as an officer, delegate, representative or public speaker without compensation or reward during all his public political Hfe. He was president of the Republican Silver League of Kansas. In the great political campaign of 1884 Captain Coney took a prominent part in support of Blaine and Logan, the standard-bearers of the Republican party. As Blaine was his ideal statesman, and Logan his ideal representative of the volunteer soldier of America, the ticket appealed to him as no other had done since the attainment of his majority. Although the ticket went down in defeat, his interest in the Republican cause did not wane or waver, and in the succeeding campaigns, both national and State, he was active with voice and pen in the defense and dissemination of Republican principles. He helped to turn the tide of Populism in Kansas, to prevent the overthrow of civil government, and to restore the State to the Republican column. In 1888 he canvassed New York for Harrison and Morton, and received the special commendation of the Republican National Committee for his efficient service. For some years thereafter he was closely identified with the Topeka Daily Capital, the leading Republican organ of the State, and provided funds for its operation in every emergency that confronted it, through a period of serious business depression, when it had no political patronage to fall back upon, and the company's financial resources were inadequate to maintain it. Many other instances might be given of his devotion to the interests of his party and the welfare of his political associates and personal friends. Responding to every call of duty as a citizen, performing much more than the average citi- zen's share in public matters, and laboring zealously in every campaign for the advancement of the party and its candidates. Captain Coney has neither held nor sought official position, preferring his home, his books, his business affairs and his private station, to all the fleeting rewards and glories of office. Captain Coney joined Custer Post, No. 6, G. A. R., at Leavenworth, in 1870, and with others reorganized Lincoln Post, No. i, of Topeka, in 1881. He organized Rice Post, now Topeka Post, No. 71, G. A. R., and served as its commander. He was elected department commander of Kansas G. A. R. at Parsons, Kansas, May 24, 1905. He is a member of the Irish National Alliance, and has been a stanch advocate and supporter of its movement for 284 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY an independent government for Ireland. During the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893, he organized, promoted and successfully conducted, as president and general manager, the Lapland Exhibit Company. He is a member of Orient Lodge, No. 51, A. F. & A. M., of Topeka; Capital City Tent, K. O. T. M. ; Irish American Historical Society ; New England Society of Kansas; State Camp, No. 75, W. O. W. ; Capital Lodge, No. i, Select Knights and Ladies; and U. S. Grant Command, No. i, U. V. U. All Kansas knows and respects him, for he has "stood up" for this State and her interests and welfare with eloquent voice and pen for more than 38 years. CHARLES F- SPENCER. Charles F. Spencer is one of the leading members of the Shawnee County bar. He was born in Johnson County, Indiana, June 22, 1854, and is a son of George W. and Ann (Brewer) Spencer. His father was a native of New York State and after living in Michigan and Indiana for a time came to Kansas in 1856 as a Free-State man, and located in Topeka, which con- tinued to be his home up to the time of his death, in January, 1881. He was one of the most prominent and respected residents of Shawnee County. Charles F. Spencer came to Topeka in the spring of 1857 and has lived here continuously ever since. He received his education in the common schools and Topeka High School, read law in the office of A. H. Case, was admitted to the Shawnee County bar in 1878, and has since been engaged in the practice of his profession at Topeka. In 1883 he was elected county clerk of Shawnee County on the Demo- cratic ticket and served one term. He was one of the two Democrats first elected to office in Shawnee County. In 1889 he was appointed by Governor Humphrey as the Democratic member of the Board of Police Commissioners of the city of Topeka, was reappointed by the same Governor in 1891, and served four years with Dr. Francis S. McCabe and P. I. Bonebrake as the other members of the board. Mr. Spencer was a Democrat up to the time his party became fully allied with the Populist party, at which time he became a Republican. He was elected city attorney of Topeka as a Republican in 1901, reelected in 1903, and served four years. At the expiration of his service as city attorney, he was employed by the mayor and council to compile and revise the ordi- nances of the city. Mr. Spencer was married in 1884 to Belle Alexander, a daughter of Col. W. D. Alexander, who died at Topeka in 1899 and was one of the most AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 285 honored and esteemed residents of Shawnee County. One son was born as the issue of this marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer have a very comfortable home in Topeka. Mr. Spencer has for many years been a member of the Kansas State Bar Association. He has a very high standing for ability and integrity at the bar, and the best of records in each of the public positions held by him. HENRY HOBART MILLS. For many years the late Henry Hobart Mills was a part of the commer- cial life of Topeka, Kansas, one of the founders and the active head for many years of the well-known dry goods house of H. H. Mills & Sons, now known as the Mills Dry Goods Company. Mr. Mills was born at Geneseo, Livingston County, New York, November 21, 1827, and after an unusually busy and successful life passed away at his home, No. 1105 Polk street, Topeka, November 7, 1901. Mr. Mills passed his boyhood in Livingston County, New York. When he was 15 years old the family moved to Michigan and settled on a farm in VanBuren County, in the vicinity of PawPaw, where the youth grew to manhood, assisting his father in clearing and operating the pioneer farm. He cleared a farm out of the forest for himself, disposed of it in 1857, and moved to the village of Howell, Livingston County, Michigan, where he engaged in the mercantile business, which he conducted for the following 28 years. In 1885 the business field presented by the wonderful activity dis- played at Topeka led him to cast in his lot with the business-builders here. With his son, William W. Mills, as one of the partners, the dry goods firm of Mills, McPherson & Company, was established, later becoming H. H. Mills & Sons. Upon the reorganization of the business and the change of title to that of The Mills Dry Goods Company, the officers were: William W. Mills, president; Charles Emery, vice-president; W. H. Whitton, secre- tary; and H. H. Mills, treasurer. Through all the varying fluctuations in the business and financial world, this company kept on its way, under the firm control and wise management of its officials, mainly directed by the experience of its founder, and to-day it stands as a monument to the ability, energy and recognition of the sound business principles of Henry Hobart Mills. Mr. Mills was married May 2, 1854, to Isabella McPherson, whom he survived. Three of their children died in infancy, and Mr. Mills desiired to be laid to rest with them and his wife in the quiet cemetery at Howell, Michi- 286 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY gan. The three survivors of the family are: Mrs. George J. Grossman, of Gleveland, Ohio; and Arthur M. and William W., who are now at the head of The Mills Dry Goods Company. The late Mr. Mills was a member of the Presbyterian Church for 50 years. In all that goes to make up a good man, that builds character, that leaves a lasting influence to benefit others, Mr. Mills was an exemplification. Personally he was a man of gentle dignity, kind and generous, and those who found in him an employer found also a benefactor. ABRAM HAMMATT. Abram Hammatt, deceased, formerly chief clerk of the Supreme Court of Kansas, and one of the prominent and highly esteemed citizens of Topeka, was born at Howland, Maine, May 19, 1844, and was a son of William C. Hammatt. His death took place at Aiken, South Carolina, May 24, 1880. Mr. Hammatt belonged to one of the old Puritan families of New England, his forebears having come to American shores in the "Mayflower," landing at Plymouth Rock. William C. Hammatt was long a prominent citizen of Maine, an extensive farmer, a large lumber dealer and still later, a government official. The late Mr. Hammatt was educated in his native State, where he en- joyed academic and collegiate advantages and in 1869 graduated from the law department of Yale. Following his graduation, he made a pleasure trip abroad and upon his return he located for the practice of the law at Ottawa, Kansas. In the latter part of 1870 he settled permanently at Topeka, and was appointed chief clerk of the Supreme Court, a position he filled for the succeeding 10 years of his life. He was an intimate friend of all the judges. Mr. Hammatt was a man of superior education and more than usual native ability. When occasion demanded he showed powers as an orator and his complete perception of law and jurisprudence made his Su- preme Court service one particularly satisfactory. Mr. Hammatt married Maria B. Crosby, who is the daughter of John Crosby, one of the prominent men of the State of Maine. Mrs. Hammatt still survives, with two sons, Theodore D. and Daniel C, both of whom are connected with The Crosby Roller Milling Company, which operates the largest mills in Shawnee County, located at Topeka, the former as manager and the latter as secretary of the company. Both are enterprising and popu- lar business men. Mrs. Hammatt continues to reside in her beautiful home HON. DANIEL MULFORD VALENTINE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 289 at No. 602 West loth avenue, Topeka. Socially, the family has always stood very high here. While Mr. Hammatt was a stanch Republican, he was in no sense a politician. His education and travel made him a man of culture and he was deeply interested in the welfare of Topeka, not only in a material sense, but in its development into a city of beauty and intellectual prominence. It was his Vish that his remains should rest with those of his ancestors, in his native State, and the desire was carried out. Personally he was a man of winning manner and he left not only his family to mourn his loss, but many friends and associates who continue to recall him affectionately. HON. DANIEL MULFORD VALENTINE. Hon. Daniel Mulford Valentine, ex-justice of the Supreme Court of Kansas and one of the State's eminent men, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, is a native of Ohio, born in Shelby County, June 18, 1830. He is a son of John W. and Rtbecca (Kinkennon) Valentine. In his youth the subject of this sketch enjoyed academic schooling and when he began to teach school in 185 1 he also began to devote his spare time to the study of the law. In 1854 he removed to the West and spent five years in Adair County, Iowa, during which time he completed his law studies. He served that county in 1855-56 as surveyor and also taught school one year. He was admitted to the bar in 1858, and served during that year as attorney of Adair County. During his residence there he had made many friends and a fair professional and political outlook was offered, but he thought a better field was open in Kansas. He spent one year at Leaven- worth and then removed to Franklin County, which county he was elected to represent in the Legislature in November, 1861. He served during the fore part of 1862, and the character of his services to the citizens of the county was so highly esteemed by them that he was elected in November, 1862, to the State Senate, in which he served throughout the year 1863 and the fore part of 1864. While residing in Franklin County, he first practiced alone ; later he formed a partnership with W. W. H. Lawrence. After a time he was again alone but soon associated himself with Joel K. Goodwin, with whom he was in partnership at the time of his election as judge of the Fourth Judicial District. In November, 1864, he was elected judge of the Fourth Judicial Dis- trict and filled that office during the following four years. In November, 1868, he was elected an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Kansas for 14 290 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY a term of six years, and was three times reelected, — in 1874, 1880 and 1886, — his term of office extending to 1893. He moved to Topeka in March, 1875, and has Uved ever since in the house in which he then estabhshed his home. During the 24 years that Judge Valentine was an associate justice of the Supreme Court, he prepared and delivered 1,572 opinions, and in the amount of work performed, as well as in the number of years of servic^he holds the record among Kansas jurists. He has served his State with rare fidelity. He has won the approbation of the bar by a work of the greatest value to the profession, — a complete digest of the decisions of the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal of Kansas. Since his retirement froni the bench, he has continued his legal associations in Topeka and is the senior member of the firm of Valentine, Godard & Valentine. In 1855, Judge Valentine was married to Martha Root, who is a daugh- ter of Judge Azariah Root, formerly of Adair County, Iowa. They have a family of five sons and four daughters, namely : D. A., clerk of the Supreme Court of Kansas; Eva (Mrs. A. A. Godard), of Topeka; J. W., a lumber dealer at Admire, Kansas; Harry E., an attorney at Topeka; Martha, who lives at home; Elsie (Mrs. James F. Merrick), of the city of Mexico; Ralph E., a land agent at Topeka; Lillian, who has a position in the Kansas State House; and Louis F., who is engaged in newspaper work in Clay County, Kansas. In all his public career Judge Valentine's conduct has been governed by principles of equity and justice. He has always upheld the right, has never been accused of partiality and has a record that holds out a stimulus and example to those, who in turn will be called upon to assume equal re- sponsibilities. WILLIAM S. BERGUNDTHAL. William S. Bergundthal^ mayor of the city of Topeka and one of her most distinguished citizens, is the largest real estate dealer in this section of the State. Here he has resided since 1884 and during this period has always identified himself with the best interests of the city and its people. Mr. Bergundthal was one of four children born to Benedict and Sarah (Powell) Bergundthal, and was born in Ohio on June 24, 1855. Some years after his birth the family moved to Indiana, and he was educated in that State at Columbus. He came West to Topeka, Kansas, in November, 1884, and embarked in the lumber business as chief clerk for Jonathan Thomas, with whom he remained for nearly 16 years. In the year 1900 he succeeded AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 291 to the real estate and loan business conducted by Mr. Thomas. His activity and enterprise at once placed him in the front rank of real estate men in Eastern Kansas and there he remains at the present time. He was elected mayor of Topeka on the Republican ticket in April, 1903, and has given the city an honest business-like administration, the progress made during his term being most notable. Prior to his election to that office, he served a term of 4:wo years in the Common Council. Mr. Bergundthal was married to Leonora Neely, a daughter of Moses Neely, by whom he has two children : David C. and Mary W. He and his family reside in a handsome home at No. 1134 Jackson street and move in the best social circles. Fraternally our subject is a prominent Mason. HON. ALSTON W. DANA. Hon. Alston W. Dana, presiding judge of the Third Judicial Dis- trict and formerly the junior member of the well-known law firm of Bergen & Dana, is one of the prominent and representative men of Topeka. Judge Dana was born at Mount Holly, Vermont, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Chilson) Dana. The parents of Judge Dana were natives of Vermont. The father was a farmer in the environs of Mount Holly, a man able to afford his family of eight children only the advantages of the common schools. Five of his children still survive. The future Kansas judge obtained his early education in the common schools of his native locality and then entered Goddard Seminary, at Barre, Vermont, where he prepared for college, and was graduated at Tufts College, Boston, Massachusetts, in 1884, with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. He then became principal of Goddard Seminary where he had previously spent four years, and remained there from 1884 until 1887, when he came to Topeka. Here he read law in the office of Waters & Chase and was admitted to the bar in 1889. For several years he was a member of the law firm of Tillotson & Dana, and later formed a law partnership with Judge Abram Bergen, which continued until January, 1905, when he took his seat as pre- siding judge of the Third Judicial District, to which he was elected in No- vember, 1904. This elevation to the bench is considered, by Judge Dana's many friends, as a just recognition of his high abilities. In 1895 Dudge Dana was united in marriage with Kate J. Whiting, who is a daughter of Chauncy C. Whiting, a prominent pioneer of Topeka, and one of the city's capitalists, at one time president of two banks and formerly 292 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY sheriff of Shawnee County and United States marshal. Judge and Mrs. Dana have two children,— Grace and Marion. They are members and liberal supporters of the Presbyetrian Church. Politically Judge Dana has always been identified with the Republican party and has taken a prominent part in its deliberations. On many occa- sions he has been a delegate to both State and congressional conventions. Fraternally Judge Dana is a 32nd degree Mason and is also a member of the Elks. FRYE W. GILES. Frye W. Giles, deceased. Among the cities of Kansas, Topeka, its beautiful capital, rears her lofty spires and encourages education, commerce and industry to a greater degree than any of her sister municipalities, and yet but a few decades cover the span of her existence. When Frye W. Giles and six other pioneers laid out what then seemed an impossible city, scarcely any one would have had the courage to confess the hope that was in his mind, an'd yet, that would scarcely have come up to the present realization. Frye W. Giles, one of these original pioneers, was born in Littleton, New Hampshire, May 30, 18 19. He was reared and educated in his native locality, and on attaining manhood embarked in a mercantile business, which absorbed his energies for 20 years. In 1854 he came to Kansas and soon became interested in agricultural pursuits. Shortly after Topeka was recog- nized by the government, he was made the first postmaster of the place, and held that ofiice for a long period. He was one of the progressive men of his day, one who naturally dominated in public affairs and subsequently he be- came connected with various pioneer business enterprises and then engaged in banking. He accumulated a large fortune and lived retired during the last years of his life. Mr. Giles died June 9, 1898, and his remains were laid to rest in the Topeka Cemetery. He never ceased to be interested in the material development of the city which he had assisted to lay out and through his long life was ready to promote her welfare in all possible ways. He was a stanch Republican and he was equally firm in his devotion to the principles of the Masonic fraternity. On July 10, 1844, Mr. Giles was married to Caroline A. Fellows, who is a daughter of Moses Fellows, of Salisbury, New Hampshire. She was born in 1821, and still survives, Time having touched her very gently. She still occupies her old homestead at No. 113 West Eighth avenue, where she has lived continuously since 1859. This is the oldest residence in Topeka, one which, before inevitable decay accomplishes its ruin, should be pictured AVERY WASHBURN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 295 and preserved as a city landmark. Mr. Giles was a consistent member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, to which he liberally contributed. Mrs. Giles is also a member and her benefactions in the cause of religion and charity proclaim a gentle heart and a true Christian spirit. AVERY WASHBURN. Avery Washburn^ one of the pioneer citizens of Shawnee County^ has resided continuously on his farm in Topeka township, in section 35, town- ship II, range 15, since 1857, except 12 years spent in the East, and in ad- dition to farming has at times engaged in business in the city of Topeka. He was born on a farm in Safford, Connecticut, October 23, 1818, and is a son of John Elithorpe and Lovina (Avery) Washburn. The Washburn family has been established in the United States for many generations. Our subject's great-grandfather, Solomon Washburn, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He married Mary Warner, who died in 18 16, and they reared 11 children, who lived to an average age of 86 years. One of these children was Nathan, grandfather of our subject, who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution. He participated in the battle of Bunker Hill, and other notable ones, and with Washington's army endured the privations and hardships of wintering at Valley Forge, when the soldiers were but half clothed and many were without shoes. He married Annah Elithorpe, who lived to reach the age of 92 years, and they were parents of six daughters and one son. John Elithorpe and Lovina (Avery) Washburn became parents of eight children, two of whom are now living, namely : Avery ; and John Randolph, who is 84 years of age and lives in Connecticut, in which State he has served nine terms in the Legislature. The father, who was born May 19, 1788, in Connecticut, died October 2, 1858, and his wife, born August 13, 1787, died May 4, 1829. Avery Washburn was reared on a farm in Stafford, Connecticut, where he attended the common schools, and later attended select school in New York State, also taking one term in Middlebury Academy. He left home for New York State at the age of 19 years and there worked upon a farm. He engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods and continued for a period of 25 years, also being identified for a number of years with the First Na- tional Bank of Brockport, New York, 17 miles west of Rochester. He came West to Topeka, Kansas, in 1857, and pre-empted a quarter-section of land in section 35, township 11, range 15, in Topeka township, but returned to 296 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY New York State in the fall of the following year to look after his extensive business interests. He again came to his farm in Shawnee County in 1869, and has resided continuously upon it ever since. He has farmed this place with a great deal of success, and also served as cashier of the Kansas National Bank of Topeka for four years. He is a man of unusual business ability, and has achieved a high degree of success. When he first came to this county it was in a primitive state, and the east line of the Pottawatomie Indian reser- vation was just one mile west of his claim. He has seen the community develop into one of the richest in a State which is destined to become one of the very foremost in point of wealth and resources. He has served as treas- urer of a number of the organizations of his township. Dviring the Civil War he served as a provost marshal's officer, and is a member of the G. A. R. and the Sons of the American Revokition. He assisted in the construction of school buildings in his district, and in the erection of the new Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is a member. Mr. Washburn was united in marriage with Castorn Gordon, who was born in Vermont, March 10, 1820, and is a daughter of William and Martha (Gary) Gordon, and granddaughter of James Gordon. The last named came from Scotland with General Burgoyne and served in Washington's army, be- coming one of the early pensioners in this country. Three children have been born to our subject and wife: Lovina, deceased at the age of three years ; Cornelia, who died at the age of six years ; and Frank Monroe, who lives adjoining and has four children, — George Avery, born March i, 1889; Ellwood Gordon, born July 8, 1893; Frances E., born April 8, 1898; and Mary C, born September 11, 1903. A portrait of the subject of this sketch appears on a foregoing page. JOSEPH C. WILSON. Joseph C. Wilson, who was one ot Topeka's most esteemed and valued citizens for many years, died at his home here on September 18, 1895. Mr. Wilson was born near Richmond, Indiana, October 29, 1845, ^"^d was a son of Jonathan and Drusilla (Cox) Wilson. Mr. Wilson was reared on his father's farm, one of a family of five children. After finishing the common school course, Mr. Wilson was grad- uated from the High School at Richmond, where he resided until 1869 when he came to Kansas. In 1874 he became a resident of Topeka. In the same year he was appointed clerk of the United States District Court, under the late Judge C. G. Foster, whose sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Wilson continued to faithfully fill the duties of this position until the time AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 297 of his decease. He was a man of estimable character, trusted by business associates, respected by his fellow-citizens and dearly beloved in private life. In 1869 Mr. Wilson was united in marriage with Anna J. Morris, who- is a daughter of Exum Morris. They had seven children, five of whom are residents of Topeka: Eleanor (Mrs. J. B. Furry), Helen, Morris N., Doro- thy and Ruth. Joseph C, Jr., is a prominent business man of St. Louis^ Missouri, and Mabel (Mrs. C. M. Butlin), is a resident of the city of Mexico. The family home is at No. 516 Topeka avenue. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson came from old and most highly regarded families who belonged to the Society of Friends and they reared their children in the same simple faith. Politically, Mr. Wilson was a stanch supporter of the Republican party. He was a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. AUGUSTUS L. ENTSIVIINGER. Augustus L. Entsminger, proprietor of the "Silver Lake Fruit Farm," was born December 25, 1834, in Seneca County, Ohio, and has been a resident of Silver Lake township, Shawnee County, since December, 1873. He is a son of Joseph L. and Abigail (Randall) Entsminger. The father of Mr. Entsminger was born in Pennsylvania and the mother in Connecticut. The father was an agriculturist and went from his native State first to Virginia and then to Sandusky County, Ohio, where he died in 1858. The mother survived until 1866 and both are interred near their old home. Of their six children, our subject was the only one to come to Kansas. The family record is as follows : Stephen, who served in the Third Regiment, Ohio Vol. Cav., in the Civil War as a private until he suffered the loss of three fingers, deceased in December, 1902, aged 71 years; Augustus L., of this sketch; William, who served as a private in the Third Regiment, Ohio Vol. Cav., deceased in 1897; Alice (Mrs. Peter Plantz), deceased in 1893; Sarah (Mrs. Stanton Huffman), who resides in Sandusky County, Ohio, and has five children; and Martha (Mrs. John Timmons), who resides at Kalamazoo, Michigan, and has six children. Augustus L. Entsminger obtained his education in the Sandusky County schools and spent three years learning the carriage-maker's trade. Then with the intention of fitting himself completely as a machinist, he went into the blacksmithing department. Here he found that the work was affecting his eyes, but he continued, with many interruptions, to follow one or the other trade until 1879. In i860 he visited Kansas and bought a preempted 298 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY claim of 120 acres on Mission Creek. After living on it for two weeks he went back to Ohio and in 1861 enlisted in Company E, 49th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf. On account of his training as a machinist, he was soon transferred to the car department of the Army of the Cumberland, with headquarters at Nashville, Tennessee, where he remained three years and was there mus- tered out on August I, 1864. It was then his desire to return at once to Kansas, but as affairs were still in a disturbed condition he was not given transportation and therefore went to Ohio instead. In the following spring Mr. Entsminger settled down on his farm on Mission Creek, spent one summer there and then removed to Topeka, where he entered the employ of William Boyd as a machinist, receiving wages of $5 a day. From the fall of 1865 until the fall of 1866 he was a partner with Mr. Boyd, when he returned to farming, locating on what was known as the ' Dick Clark place, where he remained from May until December. In May he paid the sum of $442 for this land and in December he sold the same for $1,500. He then bought another quarter section from a man named Petapher. From this place, in December, 1874, he removed to his present farm, where he purchased 83 acres. He has since devoted his attention to raising cattle and to fruit culture, growing every choice kind that the climate permits. His early output is sold at Topeka, but the bulk goes to the West. Mr. Entsminger has been wonderfully successful in his projects and owns a very valuable property. It has a historic interest also. Here might be seen until recently the remains of a double log house built in 1847, ^^ which M. B. Bobein, a Pottawatomie half-breed Indian, kept tavern in the very early days. It was on the stage line and in its day sheltered many distinguished g'uests. At one time Mark Twain made it his resting place for a time, and it was within its picturesque old kitchen that Horace Greeley wrote one of his New York Tribune letters, in praise of Kansas. It remained standing until last year and many an interesting tale its walls could have told had speech been given them. Mr. Entsminger was married, first, August 11, 1859, to Caroline Wark- ley, in Seneca County, Ohio, who was a daughter of Peter Warkley. She died August 28, 1870, and was buried in Silver Lake Cemetery. The two children of this union were : Ambrose H., who is supposed to have been lost in the great flood at Galveston, Texas; and Arthur D., of Silver Lake, who married Clara Hansford, daughter of Eri Hansford, and has two chil- dren, — May and Carl. Our subject was married, second, on June 13, 1871, to Mary A. Mills, daughter of William Mills. She died June 28, 1875, leav- ing a daughter, — Mary Maud. The latter became Mrs. Wilcox and has one son, Augustus, who lives with his grandfather and is a bright, manly ^^^^^^Hvr^^'^H^.. JH^^^A^^ffH 1 ^^ S.. ^^ K 1 ^^^^ -«^" v^ ■Pp' ~a HON. ALBERT HOWELL HORTON AND ■ REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 301 lad of eight years. Mr. Entsminger was married, third, on June 23, 1881, to Clara E. Munn, daughter of John and Phoebe (Homan) Munn. Mr. Entsminger is the only raiser in Shawnee county, of Red Polled cattle, of which he has a herd of 48 head. There are many registered, full- blooded animals and present a magnificent appearance. Politically, until the last presidential election, Mr. Entsminger was a Democrat. He is a justice of the peace and has long been a member of the School Board. He has been a member in good standing so long in the Odd Fellows that the time has almost arrived for him to be presented with the veteran's jewel. He is a member of the Baptist Church. HON. ALBERT HOWELL HORTON. Hon. Albert Howell Horton, deceased, late chief justice of the Supreme Court of Kansas^ and one of the eminent jurists of the State, was born March 12, 1837, near Brookfield, New York, and was a son of Dr. Har- vey A. and Mary (Bennett) Horton, who were of English ancestry and Pur- itan stock. Judge Horton, after previous literary preparation, entered the Univer- sity of Michigan in 1855, prepared for the law and was admitted in 1858 to the bar of the State of New York. In the following year he offered his pro- fessional services to -the residents of Atchison, Kansas, where, in the next year, he was appointed city attorney, to fill a vacancy, and was elected to the office in 1861. That his abilities were far beyond the ordinary must have been the case, else he had not been chosen for the bench by Governor Charles Robinson, after serving in his previous position only from April to Septem- ber. He served through three terms as judge of the Second Judicial District and then resigned the honorable position in order to devote his time more closely to an increasing private practice. Judge Horton was not permitted, however, to remain in private life very long, in May, 1869, being appointed by President Grant, United States district attorney for Kansas. In 1868 he was one of the Republican presi- dential electors and was honored with the commission of carrying the elec- toral vote from his State to Washington. His party continued to claim his services, electing him to the State Legislature in 1872; to the State Senate in 1877 and his supporters were only checked in their efforts to bring him to the candidacy of still higher offices by his appointment as chief justice, which was made in 1877 ^Y Governor Osborn. He filled out the unexpired term of Judge Kingman, and in 1878 was elected to the office and was re-elected in 302 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY 1884 and 1890. After retiring from the bench, he resumed his practice at Topeka, and, until the close of his remarkable career, was a member of the law firm of Waggener, Horton & Orr. While Judge Horton was honored in his profession and in public life, he was also regarded with sentiments of esteem and admiration in other connections. As president of the alumni of the University of Michigan, he received tokens of respect which included the conferring upon him of a highly- valued honor, — the degree of LL. D. As a keen, clear, forcible journalist, he was known beyond his State, and the influence of his judicial mind was frequently apparent in the forming of his party's- political policy. After years of honorable, dignified, distinguished service, Judge Horton passed away September 2, 1902. Judge Horton was twice married, first in 1864 to Anna Amelia Robert- son, who died in 1883. Three daughters and one son were born to them, of whom one daughter, Carrie, the wife of Frederick K. Brown, a young busi- ness man of Topeka, is the only one living in this city. Mary B., Rosamond S. and Albert H. reside in Colorado. His second marriage was in 1886 to Mrs. Mary A. Prescott, of Topeka, who survives him. By her first marriage, Mrs. Horton had three children, namely: Mrs. E. B. MacDowell, whose husband is one of the leading business men of Topeka; John A., of Kansas City, Missouri fand Alice M., wife of C. L. Brown, of Arkansas City, Kan- sas. Mrs. Horton resides at No. 921 Monroe street. A portrait of Judge Horton accompanies this sketch. REV. JOHN D. KNOX. Rev John D. Knox, who has been identified with the Methodist Episco- pal Church in Topeka since this city boasted of a population of 1,600 in- habitants, has been identified with all that has worked for Topeka's educa- tional and moral advancement for the past 40 years. He was born in Bel- mont County, Ohio, October 28, 1828, and is a son of John and Mary (Davis) Knox, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Rev. Mr. Knox bears a noted historical name, one which has been con- nected with religious work and faithful adherence to conscious duty for generations and generations. His ancestors as far back as John Wesley were Methodists. Before the removal of the family to the North of Ireland, they lived in Scotland, about 12 miles south of Glasgow. William Knox, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Ireland, in June, 1767, and was licensed to preach in 1787. In 1791 he came to America AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 303 and in 1800 he joined the Baltimore Conference as a probationer, from which he passed into the Ohio Conference and in 1825 into the Pittsburg Confer- ence, on its organization. He was a faithful and useful servant of the church, and died at his home at Cadiz, Ohio, June 14, 1851, when a few days- over 80 years of age. One of his sons, Jeremiah Knox, was well known in Pittsburg and was a member of his father's conference, and the ministry is represented in the third generation by our subject. "Father" Knox, as he was affectionately called for many years, is mentioned by one who knew him well, as a composite of goodness. In no sense was he a great preacher, but he was Methodistic in his doctrines, was Biblical in his teaching and touching in his exhortation. His sweetness of spirit and his simple, holy manner of life, made him a very useful minister. For a number of the last years of his ministry, he was relieved from a settled charge and was placed on a four weeks circuit as second preacher, in the vicinity of his home. He was then 75 years of age and a remark made to a friend at that time showed his attitude of mind. "The conference" said he, "is so kind in placing me with young men, who take such good care of me." John Knox, father of Rev. John D. Knox, removed from Belmont County to Cadiz and later to Freeport, Harrison County, Ohio, while our subject was young. He was a chairmaker by trade and -some of the products of his skill were disposed of in the Capitol Building at Washington. He participated in the War of 181 2, and assisted in keeping the English out of Baltimore, in which city he learned his trade. He died at the age of 62 years. His widow, who was born in 1800, survived until the age of 87 years. She retained all her faculties and her physical vigor to old age, her hair not becoming gray before she was 80 years old. Rev. John D. Knox spent the greater part of his youthful days at Free- port, Harrison County, Ohio, where he attended the local schools. He also was a student at Franklin College and graduated from Duff's Mercantile Col- lege at Pittsburg. In his 17th year he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church and that his professions were regarded as entirely sincere was shown by his appointment, a few months later, as a class leader. It was the desire of his parents that he should be educated as a physician and, with this end in view, he was sent to Dr. McBain, a well-known practitioner at Cadiz, to study the science of medicine. Probably the experienced medical man soon discovered that his pupil was only half-hearted in his devotion to the study of anatomical charts and the marvelous construction of the human body, and when he found him pouring over Horn's "Introduction to the Holy Scriptures" instead of a treatise on the circulation of the blood, he advised the parents to give up their plans for making a physician of him and to send him to Franklin College to study for the ministry, saying : "He will make 304 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY a better preacher than a doctor." This sensible physician had also under his teaching, when a young man, the late distinguished Bishop Simpson, but we are not advised as to whether he gave the same advice in that case. Thus it was that John D. Knox became a theological instead of a medical student. While still at college he was licensed to exhort and a few months later was licensed as a local preacher on his home circuit. At the next Quar- terly Conference he was recommended to the Pittsburg Annual Conference as a suitable person to enter the traveling connection. Accordingly, in June, 1850, he was admitted on trial, at Canton, Ohio, and was sent to the Wash- ington and Cambridge circuit. For 15 years he took work in that conference and served three stations in Pittsburg. It was during the fearful ravages of cholera in that city, in 1854, that the young minister particularly attracted attention by the practical following out of the great truths he loved to preach. Regardless of his own safety and comfort, he nursed the sick, comforted the dying and cared for the dead until he himself fell a victim to the dread scourge. A remarkably strong constitution and a previous abstemious life brought him safely through. His experiences during that solemn time when 1,800 peo- ple in Pittsburg perished in two months and when at one period there were 40 dead and unburied persons in the vicinity of his Church, Asbury Chapel, can never be forgotten, nor can his services as he bravely labored night and day to succor those in need. In 1864, Rev. Mr. Knox served the Christian Commission at Fred- ericksburg, Bells Plain, Falmouth Station and other points, his time being filled with important duties and great responsibilities. He recalls one Sunday in Fredericksburg when he waited on sick and wounded soldiers in two hospitals until 10 o'clock in the morning (there being at that time 8,000 sick and wounded in the city) and then preached seven different sermons up to 10 o'clock that night. In 1865 he was transferred to the Kansas Conference and was stationed at Topeka where he remained three years. Later he was twice appointed presiding elder of the Fort Scott district, but work and ex- posure, with attacks of fever and ague, had so prostrated him that he requested to be relieved from the duties of that position. Since then he has made his home at Topeka and has been a witness to the wonderful development of this whole section. When he came here, he remembers the fort that then stood on the corner of Sixth and Kansas avenues. Rev. Mr. Knox, while accepting no charge, has never entirely given up preaching the Gospel. Finding that change of scene and climate were needed to restore him to health, he so arranged his business affairs that he could be absent a long time and for 20 years dd not travel less than 8,000 miles annually and sometimes 20,000 miles. He has been twice through Continental Europe, Scotland and England, once in Ireland, Egypt and Palestine and has AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 305 lectured on many subjects in various localities. His lecture, "The Holy Land," has been listened to by thousands with pleasure and profit. He has been a valued contributor to the Pittsburg Christian Advocate; for four years was editor of the Kansas Methodist, and is the author of a widely circulated book of 583 pages, entitled "Paths to Wealth." At various times he has served as chaplain to a number of organizations like the Masons, Odd Fellows and Sons of Temperance, to which he belongs and has never failed to raise his voice and use his influence in promoting everything educational, reformatory and moral. He has served as superintendent of public instruc- tion for Shawnee County, and for some time was treasurer of the Kansas Freedmen's Relief Association. As such he was summoned to Washington, D. C, to appear before the committee to investigate the causes that led to the emigration of the negroes from the Southern to the Northern States. In 1873 he was honorary commissioner to the Austrian Universal Exposition held at Vienna. In 1858, Rev. Mr. Knox married Mary Dibert and they had eight chil- dren, three daughters and one son being still at home. All the children still survive and there are 11 grandchildren. One son, William C, who is now located at San Francisco, built what is now known as the Columbian Build- ing on West Sixth street, Topeka, formerly known as the Knox Building. Mr. Konx's mansion, known as "Belvoir," at Potwin, was about the second house erected there. This addition to the city of Topeka is now filled with some of the most beautiful mansions in this part of the State. The population is several hundred and the locality is considered one of the choicest residential sections of the city. CAPT. GEORGE M. NOBLE. Capt. George M. Noble, senior member of the well-known firm of George M. Noble & Company, of Topeka, is known all over the State of Kansas, for the firm deals extensively in real property in every county. He was born March 7, 1842, in Clermont County, Ohio, and is a son of Rev. James H. and Angeline E. (Simmons) Noble. The Noble family is of English extraction but has been established in America for many years. The father of Captain Noble was a minister of tlie Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1858 our subject went to Indiana and was educated at Greencastle, graduating at Indiana Asbury University. When scarcely out of school, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, October 17, 1861, in Company D, 31st Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf. This company was organized and mustered into the 3o6 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY service of the United States, September 20, 1861, at Terre Haute, with Charles Cruft as colonel, John Osborne as lieutenant colonel and Frederick Arn as major. It proceeded soon afterward to Evansville, Indiana, thence to Henderson, Kentucky, encamping at Calhoun, on the Green River. On February 11, 1862, the regiment moved with General Grant's forces to Fort Donelson and in participating in the assault there lost nine killed, 52 wounded and one missing. It was then marched to Fort Henry and later to Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing, actively taking part in both days of battle there, the memorable 6th and 7th of April, 1862. Here the regiment lost 22 killed, no wounded and 10 missing. The regiment was then assigned to the Fourth Division of the Army of the Ohio, under command of General Nelson, and took an active part in the siege operations before Corinth, in- cluding the battle of Corinth, after which it moved with Buell's army through Northern Mississippi and Alabama into Tennessee. In September it reached Louisville, Kentucky, and following General Bragg's retreat from that State, after the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, it went to Nashville, thence, in De- cember, with Crittenden's corps of Rosecrans' army, it marched to Murfrees- boro and engaged the enemy for three days at Stone River. The regiment remained quietly encamped at Cripple Creek after this vigorous campaign, guarding a mountain pass near Murfreesboro, until the forward movement of the army to Chattanooga was begun in June, 1863. It took a prominent part in the battle of Chicgamauga, after which it went into camp at Bridgeport, Alabama, where on January i, 1864, it became a veteran organization, the members reenlisting. Our subject was given a veteran furlough and made a short visit to Indiana. After his return to the regiment, now an organization of considerable reputation on account of its gallantry and loyalty, it saw much hard service. The 31st was conspicuous at the battles of Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Pine Mountain, Bald Knob, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, Smyrna camp ground on the Chattahoochie River, siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro, Love- joy Station, Franklin and Nashville. At the close of the war, the regiment moved with General Sheridan's army to Texas, where it was mustered out of the service, December 8, 1865. During its long and arduous service, this organization of brave men had lost 432 of its members in killed and wounded. On January 24, 1863, Captain Noble was honorably discharged by reason of promotion from sergeant major of his regiment to regimental adjutant, for meritorious services. His former promotion had been for the same reason, in April, 1862. On September 13, 1864, he was commissioned captain of Com- pany C, and was mustered out as such on November 11, 1864, being breveted major by special order. After his return from the army. Captain Noble settled in Illinois and entered upon the study of the law at Champaign, and was admitted to the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 307 Supreme Court of that State in May, 1870. In the same year he came to Topeka, where he engaged in the practice of the law until 1873. He then became associated with the Kansas Loan & Trust Company as secretary, vice- president and one of the general managers until 1893, when this company was succeeded by the Trust Company of America, of which he served as vice- president until 1898. This company has been one of the large financial organi- zations of the State, having made loans to the amount of $20,000,000. Since 1898 Captain Noble has devoted his time to the business of real estate loans, mortgages and insurance. He is the senior member of the firm of George M. Noble & Company, the other members being A. D. Washburn and J. H. Noble. The firm has the handling of property, including farms, ranches, alfalfa lands, wheat lands and pasture lands, in all sections of Kansas and in adjoining States. In addition to their extensive operations in realty, they handle the leading insurance lines and are the accredited local financial agents for Eastern investors. The offices of the firm are at No. 435 Kansas avenue. Captain Noble was married at Champaign, Illinois, on January 25, 1872, to Eva A. Reed, who was born at Fredericktown, Ohio. They had two sons, Walter T. and George M., Jr. The former was a very brilliant young man, a Princeton graduate. His death took place in August, 1904, leaving his parents, brother, wife and three children. Captain Noble is an ideal citizen, ever ready to work hard in the in- terests of his community, ready to unselfishly foster and promote enterprises that will add to the general welfare and to support public-spirited measures for the benefit of all. He is one of the leading members and has been one of the directors of the Topeka Commercial Club. He has long been connected with the higher branches of Masonry and is a member of Orient Lodge, No. 51, A. F. & A. M., and of Topeka Chapter, No. 5, R. A. M. He belongs also to the Grand Army of the Republic and the Kansas Commandery of the Mili- tary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Since 1870 he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and almost continuously since has been one of the trustees. HON. FREDERICK WELLHOUSE. Hon. Frederick Wellhouse, one of the leading horticulturists of the State of Kansas, and a prominent and valued citizen of Topeka, was born November 16, 1828, in Wayne County, Ohio, and is a son of William and Hannah (Yohe) Wellhouse. The father of Mr. Wellhouse subsequent to the latter's birth removed to Summit County, Ohio, where he purchased a farm of 300 acres. He died 3o8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY there in 1843, leaving the management of this large estate and the care of several younger children to our subject, then a youth of 15, and his brother, who was 18 months older. In 1853 Mr. Wellhouse moved to Christian County, Illinois, where he engaged in farming and in literary pursuits. In 1858 he located at Indianap- olis, Indiana, and entered into the publication of an agricultural journal known as the Indiana Farmer. A year later he sold this newspaper to his partner, J. N. Ray, and then moved to Kansas, locating in Leavenworth County, in 1859. Here Mr. Welhouse set out great orchards, the care of which inter- ested him for a number of years. While it was something of an experiment, Mr. Wellhouse had made horticulture a scientific study and the remarkable success which rewarded his care and industry sufficiently demonstrated his wisdom as well as his knowledge of horticulture. In the fall of 1880, Mr. Wellhouse and his son Walter, who is associated with him, gathered the first crop of apples, the yield of 437 acres of orchard being 1,500 bushels. In 1890, 10 years later, the crop amounted to the vast amount of 79,170 bushels. The total yield of this great orchard up to 1905 has been 498,148 bushels, which sold for $199,253.20, with net profits amounting to $139,481.44. The fruit is shipped both to home markets and foreign ports. The whole extent of orchard land includes 1,630 acres, making the Wellhouse orchard the largest one in the world under one management. No other orchard in the State of Kansas or in the world, conducted by one man and his family, has ever equaled its record in annual yield of apples. Between the rows of trees in the orchard Mr. Wellhouse has also grown 160,000 bushels of corn. Five varieties of apples are grown : Jonathan, Ben Davis, Gano, York Imperial and Missouri Pippin; the orchard is noted as much for the quality as for the quantity of the product. While Mr. Wellhouse has always been an enthusiast in the growing of apples, he has also been much interested in the culture of all kinds of fruit. He was one of the first horticulturists to call the attention of other States to the possibilities of fruit culture in Kansas, the fine exhibits made at Philadel- phia, Richmond, Boston and New York attracting universal and favorable notice and resulting in attracting capital and good settlers to this section of the State. Mr. Wellhouse has continued his active interest in horticultural affairs and he was chosen, as eminently fitted, to take full charge of the fruit display for Kansas, at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893 and at the Trans-Mississippi Exposition at Omaha, Nebraska, in 1898. Mr. Wellhouse has been an active member of the Kansas State Horti- cultural Society almost since its organization, has been its president for the past 10 years and for 15 years was its treasurer. He has been vice-president HON. SAMUEL T. HOWE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 311 of the Kansas State Fair Association in which he has been a director almost since its organization. During the Civil War, Mr. Wellhouse took an active part in military matters and was captain in the 19th Kansas State militia. In 1861 he was elected county commissioner and made chairman of the board, and in 1866 he was elected by the Republican party to the Legislature and was reelected in 1888. Other marks of party favor have been shown him at various times and for years he was a prominent figure in public life. Mr. Wellhouse married Susan Housely, a daughter of Daniel Housely, and they reared four children, namely: Walter, who is married and lives in Topeka; Mary C; Horace M., deceased; and Cora A., wife of H. S. Bul- lard, of Leavenworth County, who is living on one of subject's farms. HON. SAMUEL T. HOWE. Hon. Samuel T. Howe, district manager of the Bell Telephone Com- pany with office at Topeka, has been a resident of Kansas since 1868, and during this long period has been identified with business , associations and public afifairs. Mr. Howe was born July 23, 1848, at Savannah, Wayne County New York, coming from a family which has been particularly dis- tinguished in the professions and in the political as well as business circles of several States. Mr. Howe accompanied his family to Toleda, Ohio, in boyhood and there obtained an excellent education, which was scarcely completed at the opening of the Civil War. In 1862 he became a member of the State militia, and in January, 1864, received an appointment in the military service of the United States, connected with the construction of military railroads in Ala- bama. In January, 1865, he enlisted as a private in Company B, 189th Reg. Ohio Vol. Inf., and served until the close of the war in the 14th Army Corps. After his discharge in 1865, he returned to Toledo, and during the inter- vening period until 1868 perfected himself in carpenter work. Mr. Howe came to Kansas with the great wave of immigration in 1868 and found abundant need of his skill in his trade in the rapidly growing cities of Leavenworth, Topeka, Burlingame and Salina. In those days it was a difficult matter for an intelligent, public-spirited citizen of Kansas to keep out of politics, and in 1871 Mr. Howe found himself elected sheriff of Marion County. He served as sheriff until 1874, when he was elected, and later twice reelected, clerk of the District Court. In 1879 he was shown the con- fidence of Marion County by being elected its treasurer and was reelected in 15 31-2 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY 1881 but before he could take his seat, the people of the State, recognizing in him a man of the sterling traits of character which they demanded in a State Treasurer, elected him in 1882 to this office, m which he served most satisfactorily until 1887. After his retirement from the duties of the offite of State Treasurer, Mr. Howe located his home at Topeka, where for many years he was active in business, particularly in land dealing and banking, and was also the owner of mining interests. In 1895 he was elected by the executive council of the State, consisting of the Governor and other State officers, to the office of railroad commissioner, a position he held two years. He is a qualified lawyer but has never engaged in general practice, but his undestanding of the law has made him a very efficient official and member of various boards. He is at present a member of the City Council, and has served as its president ; he is now serving as chairman of the ways and means committee. He was recently appointed by the Governor on a commission to advise with the Gov- ernor in relation to an investigation of the State departments, ordered by the last Legislature. He has been the author of numerous articles on public subjects, especially in relation to financial matters, and has proved his close acquaintance with economic questions of the greatest moment. Since 1904 Mr. Howe has been the district manager of the Bell Telephone Company with office at Topeka. In 1876 Mr. Howe was married to Clara B. Frazer, of Portsmouth, Ohio, and they became the parents of eight children, of whom five still sur- vive, as follows : Bertrice A., Fred L., Samuel T., Jr., William E. and Clare E. Mr. Howe's fraternal association is mainly with the Masons and he has been treasurer of the Masonic Mutual Benefit Society for a number of years. He is a valued member of the Topeka Commercial Club. His portrait is shown on a foregoing page. JOSEPH VAN VLECK. Joseph Van Vleck^ one of the highly respected citizens and substantial ■farmers of Rossville township, Shawnee County, who resides on his well- improved farm of 80 acres in section 16, township 10, range 13, was born in 182 1 in Madison County, New York, and is a son of Joseph and Hester {Francisco) Van Vleck. Herman Van Vleck, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was born in Holland and came very early to America, settling in the Mohawk Valley, NTew York, and removing later to the tract in Madison County, known as the : I AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 313 "Mile Strip." His land was adjacent to that owned by the noted Abolition leader, Gerrit Smith, and they together attended the Congregational Church. Politically they differed, but personally were good friends and neighbors and were men of such character that when they sat together in the little church in Peterboro, their religious feelings were so genuine that political sentiments were excluded. The family continued to reside in Madison County until the death of the father. The mother died in Ontario County, New York. Joseph Van Vleck received his educational training in his native locality, later moved to Grundy County, Illinois, and in 1878 came to Kansas. He pur- chased 320 acres of land in Rossville township from the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, the land being located in sections 9 and 16, township 10, range 13. He has retained 80 acres of this for his own use, the remainder having been given to his two sons. Mr. Van Vleck was married in the village of Penfield, Monroe County, New York, to Mary A. Grain, who was a daughter of Mahlon Grain, a native of Vermont. Mrs. Van Vleck died in 1901, in her 79th year. They had eight children, the six survivors being : Mahlon, who has been a resident of Chicago for many years; T. J., of Topeka; Frank and Eugene, farmers of Rossville township; Clara, a resident of McCook, Nebraska; and C. E. who remains on the homestead with his father. Mr. Van Vleck is identified with the Republican party and takes a great deal of interest in its successes. For many years he has been an Odd Fellow. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. CHARLES A. MAGAW. Charles A. Magaw, a well-known lawyer and formerly police judge of Topeka, was born in Ohio in 1872, and is a son of John B. and Margaret Magaw. John B. Magaw was a farmer by occupation and lived in Ohio until 1879, when he came West to Kansas. He removed to Osage County, Kansas, in 1895, and lived there until his death on February 2, 1900. He is survived by Mrs. Magaw and three children, namely : Rachel, wife of Samuel Har- bour, of Osage, Kansas ; William, an instructor in the Topeka High School ; and Charles A., subject of this biography. Charles A. Magaw was reared on a farm in Jefferson County, Kansas, and received a preliminary educational training in the public schools of his district. He pursued a literary course of study at Washburn College, but left that institution in his junior year to take up the study of the law in the 314 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY State University at Lawrence. After graduation with the degree of LL. B. in 1897, he was admitted to the bar, and has been engaged in practice since in the city of Topeka. He has an office in the Crawford Building, and has an extensive practice. He served two terms as police judge at Topeka, and is held in highest regard by his fellow lawyers and the public in general. Mr. Magaw is unmarried and resides at No. 716 Lincoln street. Since the death of his father, his mother has made her home with our subject. He is a member of the Bar Association of the State of Kansas and of Topeka Lodge, No. 204, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Politically, he is a Republican, and has always been one of the most active party workers in the city. THOMAS DUGARDE HUMPHREYS. Thomas DuGarde Humphreys^ who has been prominently engaged in the practice of the law in Topeka for many years, is one of this city's best known citizens and has been identified with numerous of its most successful business enterprises. Mr. Humphreys was born in Nottingham, England, February 22, 1858, and is a son of Dr. Matthew and Maria Jane (DuGarde) Humphreys. His father was a successful physician and surgeon of Nottingham. Thomas D. Humphreys attended the Dame Agnes Meller Grammar School and upon leaving that institution entered the merchant marine and naval reserve, making three complete trips around the globe. Upon leaving the service he was serving as third officer of the "Ophelia," carrying emi- grants to Queensland, Australia. He then became private secretary to Charles Bradlow, a Member of Parliament and a distinguished lawyer, who was known as the "English Ingersoll." He read law with that gentleman during a period of seven years, then took up the study of science and art at the Kensington Science and Art School, upon graduation being awarded Queen's prize in acoustics, light and heat, botany, freehand and mechanical drawing and chemistry. He next attended the London Science Schools, receiving honors in chemistry, botany, acoustics, light and heat. Upon coming to the United States, he located at Topeka, Kansas, in 1888, and entered upon the practice of the law. He was admitted to practice in the Federal courts in 1898, and in the Supreme Court of the United States in 1901. He built up a large and lucrative practice which has demanded the greater part of his attention, but he has found time to devote to various enterprises of importance in this city. He is connected with the Jewel Coal Company, secretary of the Forceda Coal Company, and has been one of the JOHN E. FROST AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 317 promoters of the Landrus Stove & Foundry Company, manufacturing the "Landrus" stove radiator. Mr. Humphreys w^as united in marriage with Mrs. Ehzabeth Lydia Gilmore, a widow. He has one son, by a former marriage, — Rene DuGarde, — who is attending Topeka High and Manual Training School. Fraternally, our subject is a member of the Bar Association of the State of Kansas and of the Masonic order, having taken all the degrees of the York rite and up to the 32nd degree of the Scottish rite. He is a man of broad and liberal mind and of striking personality, and has many stanch friends. JOHN E. FROST. John E. Frost, ex-president of the Commercial Club of Topeka, and a citizen who has been prominently identified with public affairs in Kansas for very many years, was born April 22, 1849, ^^ Rome, New York, and is a son of Hon. Thomas Gold and Elizabeth A. (Bancroft) Frost. Mr. Frost comes of distinguished ancestry which extends in both pater- nal and maternal lines to old and honoroble English families and early New England settlers. The father of Mr. Frost was prominent in politics and in the law prior to 1857, when he removed to Illinois, and took up his residence at Galesburg. The closing years of his life were spent in Chicago, and in both cities he was a representative legal practitioner and the recipient of many honors. John E. Frost had liberal educational opportunities, including collegiate advantages at Knox College at Galesburg, Illinois, and at Hamilton College at Clinton, New York. At the latter institution he carried off honors at his graduation in 1871. He then read law, not so much for the practice of the profession as to thoroughly inform himself upon points which might come up in his business transactions later in life. His business career began and has been mainly connected with land and immigration interests and prob- ably no man in Kansas more thoroughly masters questions relative to these lines than does Mr. Frost, after more than 30 years devotion to their study. In 1904 he was elected a trustee of Hamilton College, his alma mater. He is a member of the Chi Psi college fraternity. From 1872 to 1879, Mr. Frost was district agent of the land depart- ment of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, and after his removal to Topeka, in 1882, he filled still higher offices with the company un- til 1890 when he was appointed general land commissioner for the corpora- 3i8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY tion, in which office he continued until his resignation in 1898, when he pur- chased the still unsold lands of the company in Kansas. Mr. Frost has held many honorable positions and offices with dignity and efficiency. As president of the Exhibitors' Association at the Interna- tional Cotton Exposition, in 1881, at Atlanta, Georgia; as vice-president in 1895 of the National Irrigation Congress at Denver and as its president in 1896, at Albuquerque, New Mexico; and as vice-president and treasurer of the Kansas Commission of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposi- tion at Omaha, in 1898, he displayed not only all necessary executive ability, but also the courtesy, tact and diplomacy so essential in a public repre- sentative. Since coming to Topeka he has been interested in many of the city's most successful enterprises and has shown a most commendable amount of public spirit. As president of the Commercial Club from 1901 to 1804 he encouraged and headed many movements looking to the material develop- ment of the city and, with the brain of a scholar, the vigor of a worker and the heart of a gentleman, enjoys the esteem of all who know him best. At the time of the disastrous flood in the Kansas River in 1903, Mr. Frost served as chairman of the General Flood Relief Committee. It is acknowledged by all that similar work was never better done than was per- formed by this organization. Mr. Frost, as chairman, deserves much of the credit for the committee's excellent showing. In 1 87 1, Mr. Frost was united in marriage with Margaret E. Kitchell, who is a daughter of Hon. Alfred Kitchell, of Illinois, and they have six children. The family belong to the First Presbyterian Church of Topeka. Their beautiful home is situated at the corner of loth and Western avenues and it is the scene of much hospitality and many social functions. A por- trait of Mr. Frost accompanies this sketch. O. A. HOLCOMB. O. A. HoLCOMB, general manager of the Topeka Foundry Company, of Topeka, and a leading business man of this city, was born in Sangamon County, Illinois, in 1855, and is a son of Myron and Dorcas C. (Winchell) Holcomb. The parents of Mr. Holcomb came to Kansas from Bloomington, Illi- nois, in 1869, and now reside in Topeka township, Shawnee County. Our subject is the eldest of their four children, the others being: Carrie G., wife of Prof. E. A. Popenoe, entomologist at the State Agricultural College; AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 31^ Elizabeth, wife of Benjamin Ost, of Los Angeles, California; and Mina E., wife of E. G. Miner, who was one of the organizers of the beneficiary sotiety of Knights and Ladies of Security and was a member of the executive board at Topeka. Mr. Holcomb was educated at Topeka and is one of the members of the first class to graduate at the High School. After completing his education, he taught school and was deeply interested in educational affairs for a num- ber of years. He taught the district school east of the cemetery, for one year, and the schools at Rochester and Indianola, and for five years was principal of the Lincoln School, Topeka, and for three years of the old Washburn School on Jackson street. During this time he took up institute work every year and was known in educational circles all over the county. Since the establishing of the Topeka Foundry Company, in 1885, Mr. Holcomb has been connected with it. It began business as Newby & Com- pany, at the old Capital Iron Works, the organizers being: A. S. Newby, president; George R. Millice, vice-president and O. A. Holcomb, manager. They met with success from the start. By 1887 they were obliged to provide larger quarters and built on First avenue, opposite the Rock Island Depot and did business until 1889 as the Topeka Stove Repair Foundry. Two years later they added to their machinery to the amount of $3,000, changing the name of the business to that of the Topeka Foundry Company, Mr. Newby having dropped out three years before. In 1894 the increase in busi- ness made enlargement of space and facilities necessary, and they moved to the corner of Second and Jackson streets, where they remained 10 years. At this time the property was sold, which made still another change neces- sary. They then built their present plant at Nos. 318-20-22 Jackson street, a great building 75 by 115 feet in dimensions, equipped it with all kinds of modern machinery and now carry on a vast amount of business. They manufacture machinery castings, a soil packer for agricultural purposes, a line of creamery supplies and do a general repair business in the hne of machinery. It is the best equipped foundry in the city and its success reflects credit upon Mr. Holcomb, who has continued manager of the business through all these years. Mr. Holcomb was married January 28, 1879, to Sarah E. Fowkes, who is a native of Springfield, Illinois, and they have six children, viz : Berenice, who is the capable bookkeeper for the Topeka Foundry Company; Helen, who is a teacher in the Euclid School; Myron (who bears his grandfather's honored name), who is a senior in the High School; and Inez, Ruth and Katherine. The comfortable home is a handsome residence at No. 12 13 Fillmore street, which Mr. Holcomb built and in which he has resided for 320 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY the past 25 years. Mr. Holcomb's success demonstrates the value of an educated man at the head of any kind of business, the trained facuhies and broadened view being of inestimable value. JAMES R. LYDIC. James R. Lydic, one of the well-known citizens and successful farmers of Shawnee County, who owns the northwest quarter of section 4, township 12, range 17, in Tecumseh township, is also entitled to prominence and respect as one of the survivors of the great Civil War. Mr. Lydic was born October 14, 1841, in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of James and Rebecca P. (Johnson) Lydic. The Lydic family is an old and honorable one in Indiana County. Our subject's parents, whose whole lives were spent there, were prosperous farmers. They reared a family of 12 children. Our subject attended the schools of his native locality and grew up on his father's farm, assisting in its management until the outbreak of the Civil War. On November 21, 1861, after the farm work of the year had been finished and the crops gathered, he offered his services in defense of his coun- try, enlisting for three years in Company K, 84th Reg., Pennsylvania Vol. Inf., under Capt. Joseph L. Kirby and Col. William G. Murray. From the very first this regiment was placed in active service. After a short season of drill- ing at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, it was sent to Hagerstown, Maryland, in time to take part in the battle at Bath, then on to Cumberland and thence into Virginia. Then followed the battles of Winchester, Fredericksburg and the second battle of Bull Run or Manassas Junction. After considerable skir- mishing, the regiment took a prominent part in the battle of Chancellorsville. It was in the terrible struggle on the morning of June 3, 1863, at Chancel- lorsville, that both our subject and his brother were wounded. The brother's injuries resulted in the loss of his right fingers but our subject was so fear- fully wounded that his good left hand had to be amputated. For five months he suffered in the Satterlee Hospital, Philadelphia, and then returned home, honorably discharged and bearing with him the badge of his faithful service and proof of his loyal devotion to his country. Mr. Lydic resumed farming and continued to live in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, until 1890, when he removed to Ellis, Kansas, but he found the western part of the State too dry for profitable farming and only re- mained there until November of that year. He then brought his family to Topeka. In the following spring he removed to a farm and on May i, HON. JOHN GUTHRIE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 323 1 89 1, purchased his present valuable property. Here he has met with suc- cess, carrying on farming and stock-raising. In 1873 Mr. Lydic was married to Kate Barr, who was born in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, February 17, 1850, and is a daughter of John G. and Katherine (Allison) Barr, natives of Pennsylvania. They have reared seven children, namely : Vinnie, wife of W. E. Lynch, of Tecumseh town- ship; James N., John, Orrin, Murray, Clara and Jeannette. Mr. Lydic and family belong to the Christian Church at Meriden. Politically, Mr. Lydic is a Republican but he has never cared for public office, although his services to his country would seem to entitle him to official consideration. He is a valued member of the Grand Army Post, No. 160, at Meriden. HON. JOHN GUTHRIE. Hon. John Guthrie^ postmaster of Topeka, whose portrait is shown on the foregoing page,, has been a distinguished resident of this city since 1865. He attained prominence as a lawyer and judge and forced his way to the foremost ranks of his profession. Judge Guthrie was born in Switzer- land County, Indiana, in 1829, and was one of 14 children born to William and Margaret (Japp) Guthrie, who were natives of Scotland. The parents of John Guthrie removed from Scotland to New York State and thence to Indiana, where he was reared and educated. He grew to manhood on the farm and assisted in the work on the home place when not attending school. He subsequently engaged in teaching school during the winter months for several seasons. He read law under Hon. Lewis Chamberlin, of Logansport, Indiana, and was admitted to the bar of that State in 1857. He immediately embarked in practice and the following year was elected district attorney for Cass and Miami counties, continuing as such for one and a half years. He resigned this office on account of the meager salary and engaged extensively in private practice until September, 1861, when he raised Company D, 46th Reg. Indiana Vol. Inf., for service in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was made its first captain by Gov- ernor Morton, and served as such until June, 1862, when he was discharged because of ill health. He returned to Logansport and resumed practice, con- tinuing there with much success until 1865. He then moved West to To- peka, Kansas, where he has resided continuously since. He engaged in pri- vate practice, soon acquiring a prestige throughout this section of the State. He was elected to the State Legislature in 1867, 1868 and 1869, serving in the same able, patriotic and statesman-like manner that has characterized his 324 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY entire career. In 1872 he was presidential elector on the Republican ticket, in 1872 and 1874 was a delegate to the State conventions, and twice served as chairman of the Republican State Central Committee, in which capacity he rendered his party invaluable service. He was Republican candidate for Governor of Kansas in 1876 and was defeated by George T. Anthony by the small majority of four votes. He was elected judge of the Third Judicial District of Kansas in 1884, and from that date until 1892 served in such manner as to gain the hearty commendation of the bar and of his fellow-citi- zens in general. During the years 1890, 1891 and 1892, he filled the chair of medical jurisprudence in the Kansas Medical College. In recognition of his services to the party in past years, Judge Guthrie was in 1898 appointed postmaster of Topeka by President McKinley, and in 1902 was reappointed by President Roosevelt, the present being the seventh year of his service in that capacity. He is a member and has served as president of the Bar Asso- ciation of the State of Kansas. On October 24, 1854, Judge Guthrie was married to Mary C. H. Upde- graff, and they reside at No. 921 Clay street. They move in the best social circles of the city, and have a host of friends of long years standing. Fra- ternally, our subject is a prominent Mason, having joined that order at Lo- gansport, Indiana, as early as 1862. He was first master of Orient Lodge, No. 51, A. F. & A. M. in 1867, and in 1875 was elected grand master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. He is also past department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in Kansas. Religiously, he and his wife are devout members of the Presbyterian Church. HON. NOAH C. McFARLAND. Hon. Noah C. McFarland, deceased, was one of the distinguished men of Kansas, whose name will go down to history with her other states- men, jurists and broad-minded, steadfast, useful citizens. Judge McFarland was born April 23, 1822, in the State of Pennsylvania, being a member of one of the substantial old families of Washington County. Completing a collegiate course at Washington College, at the age of 23 years, Noah C. McFarland turned his attention to the study of the law, and in 1846, at Bucyrus, Ohio, he entered the law office of Judge Scott, who after- ward became a member of the Supreme Court of Ohio. When Judge Scott removed to Hamilton, Ohio, Mr. McFarland became his law partner and resided there until he removed to Kansas in 1870. Prior to this, Mr. McFar- land's ability and capacity had been recognized by his fellow-citizens in Ohio. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 325 In 1865 he was elected to represent Butler and Warren counties in the Ohio State Senate, where he served as chairman of the judiciary committee. He was also a member of the Ohio delegation at the Chicago National Republi- con Convention, in 1868, which nominated General Grant for the Presidency. Within three years of settling in Kansas, Judge McFarland was elected to the State Senate from Shawnee County, and also in this body served as chairman of the judiciary committee. His eminent qualifications brought about his appointment as a member of the Ute Indian Commission, and he also served as regent of the Kansas State University. In 1881 he was ap- pointed United States Land Office Commissioner at Washington, by Presi- dent Garfield, an office to which he was reappointed by President Arthur. Politically, Judge McFarland was a stalwart Republican, beginning campaign speech-making as early as his i8th year, first in the interests of the Whig party and later ardently supporting the principles of the Republican party. Judge McFarland died April 26, 1897, at the Copeland Hotel, Topeka, after an illness of but three weeks duration. He is vividly recalled by his business and political associates and by scores of personal friends, his Abra- ham Lincoln style of appearance and stature making him a conspicuous figure in any assembly, while his personal attributes in a like manner recalled Lin- coln's rugged honesty. In all his years of public hfe and his familiar asso- ciation with his fellow-men he markedly showed the possession of the clear, keen judgment of a thinker, and the sincere and unselfish devotion of a patriot. The death of Judge McFarland followed that of his cherished wife within a year. She was one of the most highly esteemed ladies in Topeka, beloved for her personal character and admired for her philanthropies. She was one of the founders of Topeka's Free Public Library and of Ingleside Home. James M. McFarland, the only son, survives. JAMES M. MCFARLAND. James M. McFarland was born at Hamilton, Ohio, in 185 1, and was educated in the Hamilton public schools and at South Salem Academy prior to entering Miami University, where he was graduated. From his alma mater he received the degree of M. A. on July 21, 1887. In addition to his distinguished father, Mr. McFarland has had other noted ancestors. The stock is Scotch Presbyterian. His great-greatuncle, Major McFarland, was the officer, who, under General Scott, led the attack 326 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY at Lundy's Lane in the War of 1812. His great-uncle, Hon. Samuel Mc- Farland, was nominated for the vice-presidency, on the Abolition ticket, as running mate with Gerrit Smith. Up to the time of his death, he continued a radical Abolitionist, and he left a part of his estate to the Freedmen's Bureau, as an evidence of the earnestness of his convictions. Lieutenant- Colonel McFarland, that gallant officer of the 19th Iowa Regiment, who fell at the battle of Prairie Grove, during the Civil War, was another uncle. James M. McFarland's life has been entirely devoted to literary pursuits and he is well known as an essayist and author. He is also a noted bibliophilist and owns the largest and by far the most valuable private library in the State. This magnificent collection of books, entirely English, includes some 6,000 volumes, and he has devoted four rooms in his beautiful home at No. 1 192 Fillmore street to their housing. In the arrangement of his books, Mr. McFarland has shown artistic taste as well as that almost personal af- fection which marks the true lover of such treasures. The works are care- fully classified. One room, with several small windows just under the roof, with no outside doors, in its exclusiveness invites to the study of history and biography, a wealth of works on these subjects lining the shelves. Here, with other rare editions, one finds Clarendon's "Rebellion," Burnett's "His- tory of the Reformation," a set of Hume, published in 1800, and Rankin's "History of France," published in 1801. Another beautiful set is an eight- volume publication of Murphy's "Tacitus," bearing the date of 181 1. From these the book lover turns to the rare set of 13 volumes in embossed calf, published in London, in 1837, containing the dispatches of Field Marshal Wellington. The section devoted to American history includes all the best works on all pertinent subjects, by the best acknowledged writers, and a very interest- ing corner is entirely given over to works on the great Napoleon. A smaller room on the east adjoins the apartment given to history, and this contains about 1,500 volumes of fiction, many of these being in rare and costly bind- ings. Even the casual visitor with uneducated taste can appreciate the beauti- ful, leather-bound sets of Barbauld's English novels, and the choice bindings which add to the value of complete sets of Dickens, Thackeray and Reade. A very expensive edition of the original "Arabian Nights," for which he has been offered $700, occupies a prominent place. Another apartment is de- voted entirely to essays and travels, and here is found the choicest of litera- ture. Only a catalogue could enumerate them all, but we may mention a rare edition of Montraye's "Travels," in three large octavo volumes, published in 1732; Swinburn's "Travels in Spain," published in 1779; Wilson's "Pelew Islands," published in 1789; Bruce's "Travels to Discover the Source of the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 327 Nile," in five large volumes, published in 1790; Polehapton's "Gallery of Art," in six volumes, published in 1818, and also a complete set of Buffon, — nine volumes on the natural history of birds, nine on the natural history of beasts, and one on the natural history of insects. These are treasures indeed, being the original editions published in 1791, 1792 and 1793, and their value is beyond price. While every volume in the library has intrinsic financial, as well as literary, value, there are two little volumes which are held in higher regard by their discriminating owner than any other of the rare collection. These, bound in tree calf and as perfect as the book-binder's art can achieve, are the two volumes of Osborn's "Monumental History of Egypt," published in 1854. Mr. McFarland has been offered as high as $400 a volume for them, but no price can tempt him to part with them. The luxuriously appointed room in which Mr. McFarland does his own literary work, is also the one which he has devoted to philosophical works and to his reference library, this collection including volumes of inestimable value to the student and writer. Surrounded by this great aggregation of printed thought, and encompassed, as it were, by an inspiring atmosphere, Mr. McFarland spends many happy hours, and scarcely could more con- genial environment be imagined. In his accomplished wife he finds a com- panion whose tastes and aims are in harmony with his own. His literary work has been mainly on economic subjects and displays depth of thought and logi- cal reasoning. From collegiate days he has been a traveler and has leisurely visited almost every part of the United States, on many occasions lecturing before educated bodies, his favorite subject being history. Although his studious life has made him acquainted with almost every line of thought, his- tory has appealed most strongly to his taste and has given him the most en- joyment. Mr. McFarland was connected with the State Board of Agriculture from its inception until 1886, during a part of this time being its assistant secretary, and for a long period has been State statistician for the Department of Agri- culture. Recently he has become a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Many of Mr. McFarland's rare and valuabl-e books have been imported, some of these by himself from London, and others by a Chicago firm in his employ, who exhaust all their resources in his behalf. He keeps in constant communication with those who handle choice literature of any time or age, the price being no object, the mere possession of a rare volume bringing to him its own reward. Essentially a bibliophilist, Mr. McFarland is also a connoisseur as to bindings, taking delight in the beautiful enveloping fabrics. 328 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY combinations of color and intricate designs. These satisfy his artistic sense, while still another sense notes the contents and rejoices in the date on the title page, which proves the volume's antiquarian worth. WILLIAM A. NEISWANGER. William A. Neiswanger, one of Topeka's leading business men, mas- ager of The Capitol Real Estate Company, was born at Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, March 23, 1858, and is a son of David and Nancy J. (West- fall) Neiswanger. David Neiswanger, father of our subject, was born September 3, 1825, at Mechanicsburg, coming of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. He is one of a large family and the only survivor, and now lives retired at Osborne, Kansas. The mother was born in 1833 and died March 8, 1905, at Osborne, Kansas, where her burial took place. She was a strict member of the German Baptist Church, a religious body to which her surviving husband also belongs. Their children were : Edgar M., deceased, who married Lizzie Mumma and left one daughter, — Anna; William A., of this sketch; H. W. and Laura A., residents of Osborne, Kansas; John K., a residest of East Bethlehem, Penn- sylvania; and Charles G., of Osborne, Kansas. William A. Neiswanger was reared at Mechanicsburg, where his father was a substantial citizen, engaged in a mercantile business. His education was secured in the public schools and the Cumberland Valley Institute. In 1879 he came to Kansas and entered into the wool growing busisess in Osborne and Russell counties and continued as long as it was profitable, some seven years. Previous to coming to Topeka, he was engaged one year in a real estate business at Luray, Kansas, and then spent two years in Topeka in the office of the State Board of Agriculture. His attention was engaged for the 12 succeeding years with the Investment Trust Company, the City Real Estate Trust Company and the receivers of the Investment Trust Company. He then went into a real estate business at Kansas City, Missouri, remaining there two and a half years, and then settled permanently at Topeka. His present position as manager of The Capitol Real Estate Company is one of importance and prominence. This company is one of the largest handlers of farm lands and city property in this part of the State and is also interested in realty in Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Neiswanger was married in Osborne County, Kansas, to Margaret L. Mohler, who is a daughter of the late Martin Mohler, whose sketch will be found in this volume. Our subject and wife have four children, namely : AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 329 Donald M., David (his grandfather's namesake), Laura and William A., Jr. The beautiful family home is situated at No. 1601 Mulvane street. Mr. Neiswanger belongs to the Westminster Presbyterian Church in which he is one of the deacons. For the past 16 years he has been on the official board of the church. He is a member of the Sons and Daughters of Justice. Mr. Njeiswanger has always been a good citizen and has taken a deep interest in civic improvements. He was a liberal contributor in time to the improvement of College Hill. He belongs to the Commercial Club of Topeka and is always willing to assist in pushing matters pertaining to the city's improvement and commercial development. ELBRIDGE HIGGINS. Elbridge Higgins, one of the esteemed residents of Topeka, a retired farmer, was born in 1831 in Massachusetts, and is a son of Josiah and Han- nah (Snow) Higgins. The ancestry of Mr. Higgins includes members of the Plymouth colony, soldiers of the Revolution and of the War of 1812, and old established resi- dents of Cape Cod, many of these having been sea-faring men. The family has also been noted as one of unusual longevity. The paternal grandfather, Ephraim Higgins, lived to the age of 99 years and his son Josiah was a hale, liearty man up to the age of 89 years. The latter followed the sea during bis early years and then became a farmer. Of his six children, the two survivors are Elbridge and Russell — the latter still resides on the old home place in Massachusetts. Elbridge Higgins was reared on his father's farm, but, like all coast boys, had a fondness for the sea, and by the age of 14 years he had gained his family's permission and shipped for a voyage. For 14 successive years he followed this life, visiting many strange lands and having many wonder- ful experiences. In 1859 he went to the Pacific Coast and engaged in mining in Eastern Oregon and in Idaho, remaining in Oregon until 1872. Mr. Higgins then came to Kansas and located on a raw prairie farm of 160 acres, which he purchased from the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail- way Company. It was located in Mission township, Shawnee County. Mr. Higgins developed this into a fine property and later purchased a second i6o-acre tract for meadow purposes. He carried on extensive farming and handled considerable stock, enough to consume all the corn he raised. About 1 90 1 he sold his first farm, but still retains the second. He had erected a ■very handsome modern residence at No. 1509 College avenue, Topeka, and 330 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY took possession upon retiring from agricultural work. This beautiful home is a model of modern building and is appropriately furnished with all to please the eye and render comfort and ease to its occupants. Mr. Higgins was married at Topeka, in 1872, to Hepsa Holway. They adopted a child of five years, Hettie M. Bassett, in whom they centered paren- tal affection. She grew to be a beautiful maiden of 16 years, when her inno- cent young life ended, leaving Mr. and Mrs. Higgins sorely bereft. Mr. Higgins takes no very active interest in politics, merely attending to the duties of a good citizen. For 35 years he has been identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. REV. CHARLES M. SHELDON. Rev. Charles M. Sheldon, pastor of the Central Congregational Church of Topeka, is a man whose name and fame probably extends around the world and one whose manly, consistent Christian character has won for him the unbounded esteem and admiration of his fellow-citizens. Rev. Mr. Sheldon was born in New York, February 26, 1857, and is one of a family of six children born to Rev. Stewart asd Sarah (Ward) Sheldon. The venerable father of our subject resides with him in Topeka. For many years Rev. Stewart Sheldon was a minister of the Gospel in New York, but some years since gave up his last charge and came to this city. Charles M. Sheldon was reared in New York through his early boyhood and passed the remainder of that impressionable period in South Dakota. His education was of a very ample character, pursued is Eastern institutions of learning. In 1879 ^^ was graduated from Andover Academy, in Massa- chusetts, and then entered Brown University, at Providence, Rhode Island, which has been the alma mater of so many illustrious men. He was gradu- ated from Brown in 1883 and three years later was graduated from the Andover Theological Seminary. Rev. Mr. Sheldon's first charge was at Waterbury, Vermont, where he served from 1886 to 1888. In January, 1889, he accepted the call to his present charge, the Central Congregational Church of Topeka. Here his labors have been continued ever since. The great love and high esteem which he has inspired, in his congregation of 500 members, tell of fidelity to duty, consistent Christian living and the close following of the Master he aims to serve. When Rev. Mr. Sheldon took charge, he found many difficulties in his path, one of these being the immediate need for a new place of worship. The completed church edifice, which tourists come far to see, on account of HON. GEORGE A. HURON AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 333 the reputation pf its noted pastor, is a iiandsome, substantial structure to which an addition has recently been made, through the generous gift of $4,500 by the widow of the late T. E. Bowman, and is known as the Bowman Memorial Annex. A sketch of Mr. Bowman will be found elsewhere in this volume. In 1 89 1 Rev. Mr. Sheldon was married to Mary Merriam, who is a daughter of Everett B. Merriam. They have one son, — Merriam W. Their pleasant home is located at No. 1515 West 15th street. To speak extensively of either Rev. Mr. Sheldon's spiritual work or of his many successes in authorship, would be almost superfluous, in a work prepared for circulation in a locality where his name is almost a household word. He is the author of a number of very popular books, among these being: "His Brother's Keeper," "In His Steps," "Malcolm Kirk," "Ed- ward Blake" and "Born to Serve." Rev. Mr. Sheldon's influence on public men and measures has been great. He is constantly concerned with great philanthropic ideas and is gratified many times to find them adopted by those who have the financial resources to carry them out. He is a man who has spent the best of his energies, the gifts of his intellect and the deepest resources of his nature in aid of his fel- low-men. He does not convert the whole world to his way of thinking, but abundant success testifies to the sympathy which he has kindled and which will perpetuate the work as well as the name of one of the most retiring and unostentatious public men of the century. HON. GEORGE A. HURON. The substantial citizenship of Topeka is largely made up of those wha lay claim to other and more Eastern States as to places of birth, and not a few of these came upon the arena of life in the noble old State of Indiana. Such is the fact concerning one of Topeka's leading professional men, Hon. George A. Huron, who was born March 29, 1838, in Hendricks County, Indiana, 12 miles west of the beautiful city of Indianapolis. He is a son of Benjamin Abbott and Katherine (Harding) Huron. The ancestral records of Judge Huron's family are easily obtainable and are of unquestionable reliability. The family is of Scotch extraction, and it is learned from volume entitled "Littell's Genealogies, First Settlers of the Passaic Valley," that our subject's great-grandfather, Seth MacHuron, was born November 11, 1729, in New England, married Mary Hazen and in 1753 removed to Morristown, New Jersey, where all their children were la 334 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY born. The family belonged to the First Presbyterian Church at Morris- town, from which city they removed in 1787, to Ulster County, New York. After the death of Seth MacHuron, it is chronicled that his four sons, 0th- niel, Enos, Eli and Silas, were persuaded to drop the old Scotch prefix and be real "American boys," and since that time the family name has been written either Hurin or Huron. Othniel MacHuron, who was the grand- father of our subject, was born January 10, 1759, married Bethiah St. John and later settled in Warren County, Ohio. Benjamin Abbott Huron, father of our subject, was born near Lebanon, Ohio, December 31, 181 1, and removed to Hendricks County, Indiana, in 1832. On December 10, 1835, he married Katherine Harding, who was born August 4, 181 5, at Campbellsville, Kentucky, and removed to Indiana in 1833. After marriage the young couple settled in the Indiana forest, where they developed a farm, reared a creditable family and became the worthy leaders and promoters of the various agencies and enterprises which go to the founding of a happy and stable community. George A. Huron grew up under the home roof and his experiences were those which naturally came to a boy who was commendably assisting his parents in making a productive farm out of the unbroken forest, and •while tliey were not notably different from those of many others, the ex- perienced man can recognize that each had its value in the development of self-reliance and physical endurance. From 18 to 23 years of age, he alter- nately attended and taught school, enjoying the advantages afforded by the public schools in his locality, supplemented by an academic training at Dan- ville, Indiana, where a Methodist academy was supported. His ambitions were in the direction of educational work and he proposed making special preparation for the position of teacher, but on the breaking out of the Civil War he enlisted in the service of his country. In August, 1861, Mr. Huron enlisted in Company I, 7th Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf., was promoted to the rank of quartermaster sergeant and was mustered out with his regiment, September 20, 1864. He saw much hard service and with his comrades participated in innumerable skirmishes and in these battles : Winchester, Front Royal, Slaughter Mountain, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Ashby's Gap, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, the Wilderness, Laurel Hill, Spottsylvania, Po River, North Anna River, Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor, siege of Petersburg and Yellow Tavern. After he was mustered out of a service in which he had made an honorable record, Mr. Huron was commissioned by Governor Oliver P. Morton as Indiana State sanitary agent for the armies of the Potomac and James, with his headquarters at City Point, Virginia, in which duty he re- mained until the close of the war. He arrived at the front, at Appomattox AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. '335 Court House, the day after the surrender, with the first sanitary supphes to reach the Union Army. In December, 1865, Mr. Huron was appointed clerk in the Third Audi- tor's office, United States Treasury Department, Washington, D. C, where he remained until June, 1868, when he graduated from the law school of Columbian (now George Washington) University. In August, 1868, he re- moved to Valley Falls, Kansas, and practiced law in Jefferson County until the spring of 1883, when he removed to Topeka, which has remained his home ever since and where he has been prominent in his profession. In 1868 he was elected probate judge of Jefferson County and held the office two terms. Judge Huron was married July 31, 1861, in Hendricks County, Indiana, to Mary Frances Freeman, who is a daughter of Blackstone and Sarah J. (Bennett) Freeman. The surviving children of this union are: Horace, bom May 10, 1862, who resides at Rock Island, Illinois; Mary H. (Hale), of Topeka, Kansas; and George B., of Galveston, Texas. In politics Judge Huron has always been a Republican and is an able advocate of the principles of his party and has done much effective speech- making in various campaigns. He has identified himself with all public enterprises and in various ways has aided much in the development of the State. Since March, 1872, he has been an active Odd Fellow and for several years was grand treasurer of the Grand Encampment of that order ; he is also a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and of the Knights and Ladies of Security, of which last-named society he has been the head of the law department since its organization. He is also an active member of Lincoln Post and a worker in the Grand Army of the Republic. Since his 1 6th year he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a popular citizen of Shawnee County and in his profession ranks with its leaders. His portrait is shown on a preceding page. HON. RICHARD F. HAYDEN. Hon. Richard F. Hayden, judge of the Probate Court of Shawnee County, has been a well-known citizen of Topeka for some years past. He is a native of Kansas, the date of his birth being June 24, 1872, and is one of nine children born to Patrick M. and Bridget (Cavanaugh) Hayden. His parents were both born and raised in Ireland, coming to this country after their marriage. Richard F. Hayden was reared in Westmore, Kansas, and there com- pleted the prescribed course of study in the High School. He then attended 336 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Campbell College and subsequently completed the course in the law depart- ment of the University of Kansas at Lawrence. After his graduation from the latter institution in 1898, he came to Topeka and for several years served as United States commissioner in addition to practicing law. He resigned this position in 1902 to accept the appointment of probate judge, in which capacity he has served continuously since that time, having been elected on the Republican ticket November 8, 1904, by the overwhelming majority of 5,000 votes. He has a clerk and a stenographer, and has so conducted the affairs of the office as to gain the respect and good-will of the bar and the people regardless of their political affiliation. He has always been enthusi- astic in his support of Republican principles and a hardworker for the success of his party. Fraternally, Judge Hayden is an Elk, a Woodman and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He is unmarried and makes his home at the Blower House. SAMUEL HINDMAN. For many years the late Samuel Hindman was prominent in the business circles of Topeka, for some 30 years leading in the grocery interests of the city. Mr. Hindman was born at Dayton, Ohio, April 29, 1834, and died at his home. No. 633 Polk street, Topeka, October 3, 1904. Mr. Hindman grew to young manhood in his native city and when the Civil War broke out was early in the field to proffer his services. He became lieutenant of Company B, 19th Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf., and served with fidelity and bravery until the close of the war. In 1866 Mr. Hindman removed to Missouri, but did not settle in a per- manent business until he came to Topeka. Here he established himself in a grocery business at Eighth and Kansas avenues, and the business was ex- panded until a company was formed, the Samuel Hindman Grocery Com- pany, of which Mr. Hindman's eldest son is manager. Through the whole of his long business career, Mr. Hindman was known for his business integrity, a reputation which extends to his sons. In the early days he was a promoter of many of the enterprises which have con- tributed to Topeka's subsequent development. Mr. Hindman is survived by his widow, who resides at No. 633 Polk street, and three sons : Edmond L., of Topeka, who is manager of the Samuel Hindman Grocery Company, and resides at No. 523 Madison street ; William C, who is in the grocery business and resides at No. 710 West Seventh street; and Claude C, who is also in the grocery business at Topeka, and AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 337 resides with his mother at No. 633 Polk street. These sons of the late Mr. Hindman are all enterprising, progressive, public-spirited men, prominently identified with all that concerns the business life of Topeka. 4 « » WILLIAM J. ALLEN. William J. Allen, one of the prosperous farmers and highly respected citizens of Williamsport township, Shawnee County, was born February 21, 1858, in this county, and is a son of Samuel and Susanna (Baxter) Allen. Both parents of Mr. Allen were born in County Down, Ireland. The father came to America in 1852 and the mother in 1853. Both lived at Oberlin, Ohio, several years and then came to Shawnee County, Kansas, where they were married, on January 20, 1857. The father had followed the stone-mason's trade in Ohio, but when he came to -this county in 1855 he preempted 80 acres of land in section 8, township 13, range 15, in Auburn township, which he had much improved at the time of his death. He had always been a Free-State man and had taken part in a number of the early demonstrations against the Pro-Slavery men that make up so large a part of the early history of Kansas. He was loyal to the government and State and when the State militia were called out to repel Price's invasion, he was one of the brave soldiers of Col. George W. Veale's regiment who perished at the battle of the Blue. Of the children in the parental family, our subject was the oldest of three. Robert Samuel, born May 12, i860, died October 14, i860; Anna Elizabeth, who was 14 months old when her father was killed, is the wife of W. A. C. Moore, of Auburn township. In 1865 our subject's mother married James Whitten, a fellow countryman, who died October 30, 1903, at the age of 'j'j years, leaving his widow and three sons. Our subject has devoted his whole life to farming. His present farm of 160 acres in section 9, township 13, range 15, in Williamsport township, was but unbroken prairie land when he took possession. Hard work and good management have converted it into a valuable farm where Mr. Allen has car- ried on general farming and stock-raising for a number of years. He has witnessed many changes since he has come to years of discretion, and condi- tions no longer exist in his native State which confronted his father and caused his early death. On January i, 1880, Mr. Allen was married to Mary Mitchell, who was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, December 18, 1861 and came to Kansas with her parents, Robert and Mary Jane (Boyd) Mitchell, in 1870. They have had five children, namely: Rosa Irene Lillian; Jennie Ellen Estella; Nellie 338 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY R., deceased at the age of seven years; William, deceased in infancy; and John, who also died in infancy. Like his father, Mr. Allen has always been a strong Republican. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, as was his father, and stands very high in the estimation of the community. CROSBY ROLLER MILLING COMPANY. The State of Kansas is justly celebrated for its immense crops of wheat, which have brought wealth and prosperity to all branches of industry within the commonwealth's borders. As the most important railroad center in the State, and therefore the possessor of splendid transportation facilities, the city of Topeka has had much to do with the forwarding of the grain and with the manufacture of the cereal into flour. Among the important flour milling concerns of this city, the Crosby Roller Milling Company occupies one of the leading positions. The com- pany was organized in 1883, and for 22 years has transformed many millions of bushels of hard wheat into the very best of flour, which has been disposed of in both home and foreign markets, and has won for itself a high reputa- tion among those that demand the very best of wheat flour. The daily capac- ity of the plant is some 1,200 barrels. A view of the mill is shown on an- other page of this work. The officers of the company are as follows : Guil- ford Dudley, president ; Franklin W. Crosby, vice-president ; D. C. Hammatt, secretary; Daniel Crosby, treasurer; and T. D. Hammatt, manager. Since the above was written, the president of the company, Guilford Dudley, died April 14, 1905. CLARENCE H. MARTIN. Clarence H. Martin, who for 18 years was one of the leading educa- tors of Northeastern Kansas and a favorite Normal School teacher and lect- urer, is a well-known resident of Topeka and since January, 1905, has been the accredited agent of the Home-Seekers' Land Company, a corporation controlling a million acres of Western lands. Mr. Martin was born in 1862 in Laporte County, Indiana, and is a son of Abraham H. and Mary A. Martin. The parents of Mr. Martin were born in the State of New York. His father was a college man and in his earlier years taught school. Later he removed to Kansas, settling first in the old, historic town of Centropolis, in AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 339 Franklin County, and removed from there to a virgin farm in Douglas County, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising. His family con- sisted of seven children, — two sons and five daughters. The subject of this sketch was three years old when his parents came to Kansas and six years old when they settled in Douglas County. Being the eldest son, he was accustomed to farm work from boyhood. His educational advantages were those obtainable in the district schools, which he attended for 29 months, the nearest school house being located four and a half miles from his home. He was a youth of quick perceptions and very ambitious and was assisted as far as possible by his father. In his 19th year he entered the State Agricultural College and after two years work in this institution began teaching. Subsequently, in 1896, he graduated from Ottawa Univer- sity and also obtained a State certificate the same year. During his 18 years as an instructor, Mr. Martin filled many very important and conspicuous positions. Prior to coming as principal to the Richland School in Shawnee County, in 1890, he had served elsewhere in the same capacity. He remained in charge of the Richland School for two years. His period of teaching in Shawnee County, including one year at the State Reform School, and as principal of Oakland and Belleview schools, covered seven busy years. His work in the normal schools of Shawnee and Osage counties was as instructor in physics, physiology and elocution. For some time after leaving the educational field, he engaged in con- tracting and building, but in January, 1905, he embarked extensively in the real estate line, and, as mentioned above, became associated with one of the large organizations of the country. He is also the real estate representative of the Union Pacific Railroad Company for Shawnee County and has met with much success, disposing of over 50 sections of land for the company within two months. He has also a large, personal, real estate business, hav- ing on his list over 500 choice farms and 400 residences. His home is on Topeka township in what is known as Belleview Addition, a pretty suburb of Topeka, where he takes great pride in the propagation of all kinds of fruit and a large variety of flowers and shrubs. His well-appointed offices, located at No. 819 Kansas avenue, Topeka, are shared by his brother, Scott Martin, who is a law student, attending Washburn College. Mr. Martin was married in 1885, at Centropolis, Franklin County, Kansas, to Anna M. Stanton, who was born in West Virginia. They made their home at Lyndon, Osage County, for several years. They have three children, viz: Walter, a manly youth of 19 years, a member of Battery B, Kansas National Guard; Vera, five years old; and Evelyn, a beautiful babe of six months. On account of old associations and personal regard for Rev. Mr. Hutchinson, the family retain their membership in the North Topeka 340 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Baptist Church. Fraternally, Mr. Martin belongs to the Knights and Ladies of Security. He is a typically self-made man, one who has attained per- sonal success through personal endeavor without favor or financial assistance from any one. Mr. Martin takes quite an interest in literature and belles-lettres, being a lover of good books. He has gradually built up a remarkably fine library, which now contains upwards of 3,000 volumes. The classics are especially well represented. The fields of history, biography and travel are well covered as well as those of poetry, essays, the drama and standard works of fiction. WILLIAM M. BRUCE. William M. Bruce, one of the substantial citizens of Topeka township, Shawnee County, who owns 50 acres of well-improved land situated in sections 21 and 22, township 12, range 16, is also a survivor of the great Civil War. Mr. Bruce has been a resident of Kansas for the past 28 years. He was born at Chester, Vermont, October 6, 1842, and is a son of Silas and Hannah D. (Scott) Bruce. Silas Bruce was a native of Vermont and, like many New England men, was possessed of Yankee ingenuity which made him able to successfully follow many kinds of employment. He became the father of five children, viz : Mrs. Hannah Elizabeth Bancroft, of Oneida, Illinois •; Mrs. Mary Jane Miles, of Illinois ; Mrs. Lucretia Johnson, who died three years ago ; William M., of this sketch ; and Mrs. Abbie Catherine Turney, of Galesburg, Illinois. Our subject was three years old when his parents moved to Illinois and settled on a farm in Knox County. There he grew into strong young man- hood, but still lacked a year of maturity when he enlisted in defense of his country. In July, 1862, he became a member of Company E, 83rd Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., under Capt. Gilson and Coloned Harding. His regiment was sent to the army of the Tennessee and assisted in the defense of Fort Donelson against General Forrest and then was given garrison duty. Mr. Bruce became ill from exposure and when the physicians had decided that he would not live three months, they sent him home, in the following July. Although he continued many months in poor health, he gradually regained his strength and began to work at the carpenter's trade. This business he contin- ued to follow for 13 years and many of the substantial buildings through his section of Illinois testify to his skill. In 1876 he came to his present farm of 40 acres in section 21 and 10 acres in section 22, all in township 12, range 16. REV. JOSEPH WAYNE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 343 He has made all the excellent improvements now to be found on the property and still works at his trade and operates his fertile farm. Mr. Bruce was married September 8, 1870, in Illinois, to Sarah J. Parsell, who was born in Illinois, November 11, 1843, and was a daughter of Joseph Parsell. She died on the home farm in Topeka township, January 6, 1891. She was the mother of three children: Arthur Earl, who died in infancy; Dwight P.; and Ethel L., who was born November 5, 1878, and died January 7, 1886. In political sentiment, Mr. Bruce is a Republican. Although he is not identified with any particular religious body, he is a moral man and an in- terested Bible student. As the result of months of close reading and intelligent study, he has made a Bible chart which is not only exceedingly interesting, but is very valuable. He is a man of literary tastes and enjoys the treasures of an excellent library. His early education was not all that his ambition desired, but years of thoughtful reading have left their impress, making him not only well informed as to current events but also possessed of a fund of general knowledge far beyond that of the ordinary citizen. REV. JOSEPH WAYNE. The death of Rev. Joseph Wayne, in Christ's Hospital, Topeka, on July 23, 1902, removed a prominent clergyman and exemplary citizen from the ranks of those who were working for the higher interests of mankind. He was born December 7, 1835, in Latton, Wiltshire, England, and was one of a family of eight children born to John and Maria (Bartlett) Wayne. The parents of Rev. Mr. Wayne immigrated to America and settled in Central New York. There he was educated, completing his studies at Gene- see College, in 1863, and later finishing a theological course at the DeLancey Divinity School. In 1877 he was ordained deacon by Bishop A. C. Coxe, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and in 1878 the same bishop ordained him to the priesthood. He filled in turn the following parishes in New York : Honeoye Falls, Angelica and Addison. In 1882 he removed to Burlington, Kansas. In 1887 he accepted a call to Marysville, Kansas, and in 1892 to Moberly, Missouri, and in 1894 to Mason City, Illinois, where he remained until 1896, when he returned to Kansas. From that date until his death he resided at Topeka, being chaplain of Christ's Hospital, and also acting as city missionary for the bishop. His last participation in the holy service he loved so well was on July 6, 1902, when he celebrated the Holy Communion at the hospital and later assisted in the services at Grace Cathedral. His 344 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY death took place in the Wayne Building, the beautiful hospital annex which was built by Mr. and Mrs. Wayne and presented to the diocese in June, 1902. His was- the first death to occur in the building. This annex is a fine structure^ erected at a cost of $13,450. It had been a source of so much happi- ness to him to contribute in this way, his heart overrunning with phi- lanthropy and charity. On July 25th, at Grace Cathedral, the bishop and other members of the Episcopal clergy, performed the burial services over their companion and dearly beloved brother. His remains were laid away in the beautiful Topeka Cemetery. On June 22, 1865, Rev. Mr. Wayne was married to Ardelia B. Bush, who is a daughter of Elias Bush, a prominent farmer in New York, who died when Mrs. Wayne was five years old. She resides in a beautiful home at No. 1 1 64 Woodward avenue, carrying out many of the benevolent schemes, in the completion of which she and her husband were so closely united. Rev. Mr. Wayne lived a life that remains an inspiration to other Christian laborers. Zealous in the cause of his church, he had a broad mind and was concerned both in the material as well as spiritual welfare of those who came to be dependent upon his religious guidance. Thus he came to be personally known to many who loved him as a man as well as reverenced him as a clergyman. His portrait accompanies this sketch. WILLIAM H. MACKEY, JR. William H. Mackey, Jr., United States marshal for the State of Kansas, maintains his headquarters at Topeka, although his residence for many years past has been at Junction City, Kansas. Mr. Mackey was born in Leavenworth County, Kansas, on July 28, 1856, and is a son of William H. and Anna E. (Boher) Mackey. William H. Mackey, Sr., was born in Kentucky, where he learned and followed the trade of a carriage-maker for some years. He moved West to Leavenworth County, Kansas, and thence to Junction City, where he now resides. William H. Mackey, Jr., was six years of age when in 1862 he accom- panied his parents from his native county to Junction City, Kansas, and there he has since resided. He received a common-school education and at an early day embarked in business. He served as under sheriff a period of four years and as sheriff six years, having been elected to the latter office. He was serving as postmaster of Junction City at the time of his appoint- ment to the office of United States marshal, this appointment being confirmed AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 345 by the United States Senate on December 18, 1903. Under him are six deputy marshals, of whom B. F. Flenkiken is chief office deputy, while two clerks are employed in the counting room. William H. Mackey, Jr., suc- ceeded L. S. Crum, deceased. Politically, he is unswering in his support of the Republican party and its principles. Mr. Mackey married Eva S. Seymour and has four children. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Fraternally, Mr. Mackey is a Mason, a Knight of Pythias and an Odd Fellow. SAMUEL ALLEN. Samuel Allen, who gave up his life in defense of the Union at the battle of the Blue, was one of the best known men of Auburn township, Shawnee County, where he settled in 1855. The 80 acres he then preempted continued to be his home until his death. Mr. Allen was born May 3, 1826, in County Down, Ireland, and was a son of John and Elizabeth (Laughlin) Allen. The parents of Mr. Allen lived in Ireland during their entire lives. Of their six children, Samuel was the youngest and he was the only one to seek a home in Kansas. In 1852 he came to America and settled at Oberlin, Ohio, where he farmed and followed his trade of stone-mason, which he had learned from his father in the old country. He came to Shawnee County in 1855 and preempted 80 acres in section 8, township 13, range 15, in Auburn township and worked hard to put it under cultivation and to make improvements. When the State militia were called out, he went under Col. George W. Veale and he was one of the brave and fearless men who fell, two weeks later, at the battle of the Blue. Samuel Allen was a man sadly missed in his neighborhood. He had always been a Free-State man and during the con- flict with the border ruffians had been called upon to prove the courage of his convictions. He was one of the liberal supporters of the Presbyterian Church in Auburn township and one of its first members. In business he was successful because he was cautious. He was respected for his honorable methods by all who knew him. On January 20, 1857, Mr. Allen was united in marriage with Susanna Baxter, who was born at Tullinkill, County Down, Ireland, in December, 1830, and is a daughter of William and Anna (McCully) Baxter. Her parents passed their whole lives in Ireland and reared a family of eight sons and three daughters. Susanna Baxter came to the United States in 1853, 346 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY with her brother Isaac, and after Hving three years at Oberlin, Ohio, joined this brother in Shawnee County, where she married Mr. Allen. They had three children, viz : William J., of Williamsport township, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; Robert Samuel, born May 12, i860, de- ceased October 14, i860; and Anna Elizabeth, who was but 14 months old when her father was killed in battle, — she is the wife of W. A. C. Moore, of Auburn township. In October, 1865, Mrs. Allen was married to James Whitten, who was born in County Armagh, Ireland, and died on the farm in Auburn township, on October 30, 1903, aged "j-j years. In young manhood he came to the United States, worked at farming for eight years on Long Island and came to Topeka in the spring of 1856, securing land from a squatter. He left a fine, well-improved farm of a half-section of land in section 8, township 13, range 15, in Auburn township, to which he had devoted many years of in- dustry. He served as a member of the Ninth Regiment, Kansas Vol. Cav., during the last 18 months of the Civil War. In politics he was a Republican but he took no very active interest in public matters, being a man much de- voted to his home and family. Early in life he was a member of the Presby- terian Church, but later became an Episcopalian. The three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Whitten were: James, born September 18, 1869, and Lewis and Luther, twins, born May i, 1871, both residents of Auburn township. Mrs. Whitten has seen many changes since she came to Shawnee County. She remembers when Indians frequently came to the homes of settlers and tells an amusing story of one occasion when a brave came to her door and bargained to exchange wild grapes for a water- melon and then made his escape with both the melon and the grapes. CHRISTIAN BOWMAN. Among the early business men of Topeka, Kansas, for years a very prom- inent factor in the city's commercial life, was the late Christian Bowman, who was born March 2, 1829, being one of a family of two children born to his parents, who were of German descent and natives of Pennsylvania. In 1857 Mr. Bowman came to Kansas, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, taking up a claim in Anderson County. Later he moved to Lawrence and subsequently to Topeka, where, in 1866, just prior to the Quantrell raid, he organized the clothing and gents' furnishings business at No. 533 Kansas avenue, which grew to such large proportions. Mr. Bowman built the hand- some block which is now occupied by the Moffitt furniture store and became AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 347 the owner of much property, having invested largely in real estate in this city. In 1894 he retired from business and occupied himself for the suc- ceeding eight years of his life in looking after investments, in leisurely travel and in the quiet social enjoyments in accordance with his years. The death of Mr. Bowman took place at his home at No. 426 Harrison street, Topeka, on March 7, 1902. In i860, Mr. Bowman was married to Mary Sutlifif, who survives, with three children, viz: Clarence S., one of Topeka's leading business men, re- siding at No. 911 West loth avenue, who is assistant cashier of the First National Bank; Orville S., of Kansas City; and Mrs. W. A. Potter, of St. Paul, Minnesota. Politically, Mr. Bowman was a Republican. Fraternally, he was a Mason. O. E. WALKER. O. E. WalkeRj of Mission township, proprietor of "Park View Farm," which consists of 124 acres in section 27, township 11, range 15, is one of the prominent and substantial citizens of this part of the country. Mr. Walker was born in 1847 i" Delaware County, New York, and is a son of Aaron Walker. Mr. Walker's father died in Warren County, Pennsylvania, at the age of 80 years. Four of his sons live at Warren, viz : S. E., a newspaper man, editor and proprietor of the Warren Times; E., also in business at Warren and E. D., also of Warren, the last named being a half-brother of our subject. In 1880 O. E. Walker came to Kansas mainly in search of health; he brought with him from Jamestown, New York, 350 Shorthorn calves and engaged in a stock business some 15 miles from Topeka. Later he removed to Topeka and engaged extensively in a real estate business, erecting a num- ber of fine buildings in the city, many of which he still owns. Besides "Park View Farm" he owns other tracts of land to the extent of 235 acres and operates 75 acres additional. When the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma was opened, the government, through the Secretary of the Interior, appointed a Board of Township Trustees. The duties of this board, which was in existence two years, was the allotment of town lots in the district thrown open to settlement. The board, which consisted of three members, was constituted as follows : O. E. Walker, chairman; Judge Leach, of Sulphur Springs, Texas, secretary; and I. V. Ladd, of El Reno, Oklahoma. Their labors were of a very important 348 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY character and could only have been performed by men of judgment, exper- ience and discrimination. Mr. Walker was married in Delaware County, New York, to Loretta S. Whittaker, who is a daughter of John Ogden Whittaker, formerly an ex- tensive lumber operator of Delaware County. Their children did not sur- vive infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Walker are members of the Presbyterian Church. In his political views he is independent. JOSEPH T. LOVEWELL. Joseph T. Lovewell, analytical chemist, with laboratories at No. 523 Kansas avenue, Topeka, and secretary of the Kansas Academy of Science, has been a resident of the city since 1878 and is well-known in scientific circles. Professor Lovewell was born May i, 1833, at Corinth, Orange County, Vermont, and is a son of Nehemiah and Martha (Willis) Lovewell. The parents of Professor Lovewell were natives of Vermont. The father was an extensive farmer and stock-raiser, owning an estate of some- thing like 400 acres of land. They had four children : Elmina, John, Joseph T. and Harriet. Elmina married Carlos Bacon of Vermont and they moved first to Michigan and later to Wisconsin, where Mr. Bacon became a teacher and then an undertaker and furniture dealer; they had one daughter, — Eva Belle, — who died at the age of 20. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bacon are deceased — the former in 1880 and the latter in 1863 — and are buried in Wisconsin. John, a prosperous farmer living near Willow Springs, Missouri, married Sarah Cowles. Harriet, who is the widow of Frederick Miller (deceased in January, 1882), lives at Meridian, Mississippi, where she has been for 15 years principal of the Lincoln School. Joseph T. Lovewell was educated in the public schools of Orange County and at Newberry Seminary. In 1853 he entered Yale College and was graduated there in 1857. For the ensuing five years he was an instructor in the Wisconsin State Normal School, at Whitewater, Wisconsin, and for the same period was principal and superintendent of the schools of Madison, Wisconsin. Realizing that this is the day of specializing, Professor Lovewell turned his attention particularly to physics and chemistry. For three years he took post-graduate work along this line at Yale College and was an in- structor in the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale for one year. He spent two years at the Pennsylvania State College as professor in these sciences and then came to Topeka, in 1878. Here he became a member of the faculty of Washburn College, where he filled the chair of physics and chemistry for AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 349 21 years. He is now occupied as an analytical chemist and is quietly pursuing many investigations of his own. This branch of the world's work is, in the main, little understood, but how wonderful have been its results. Putting aside the late discoveries which come close to the mysteries of being, we have ■only to recall that it was an analytical chemist that gave the world iodine, in 181 1, bromine in 1826, iodoform in 1822, chloroform in 1831, chloral in 1832 and cocaine in i860, all great medical agents, yet not one was discovered by a physician. In December, 1904, Professor Lovewell was- appointed secretary of the Kansas Academy of Science. Professor Lovewell was married September 3, 1863, to Margaret Lois Bissell, who was born in Ohio and died in Pennsylvania, leaving two chil- dren: Bertha Ellen and Paul A. The daughter is a lady of fine ability and Tiigh grade of scholarship. After graduating at Washburn College, she took a post-graduate course in English literature at Yale College. She married George L. Dickinson, who is business manager of the Hartford Courant. Paul A. Lovewell is connected with the Topeka Journal. On June 30, 1885, at Topeka, Professor Lovewell was married to his present wife, Caroline F. Barnes; they have two daughters, — Margaret B. and Caroline E., both students. The family attend the Congregational Church. Professor Lovewell takes no very active interest in politics, but "votes with the Republican party. GUILFORD G. GAGE. Topeka, Kansas, can never forget or fail to honor the late Guilford G. Gage, capitalist and philanthropist. In years to come citizens will point out to their children the granite monument which stands on the crest of a hill in Topeka's sacred "God's Acre," and, while telling them that it was erected to commemorate the death of comrades in battle, they will also urge them to emulate the virtues and profit by the life of the noble man, who in this way testified to the love and honor he felt for those who had fallen by his side while in the path of duty. Guilford G. Gage was born in Ohio and was 21 years of age when he -came to Topeka, beginning a life of unusual business success as a workman in a brick-kiln. This was hard but honorable work and of this beginning, at the bottom of the ladder, Mr. Gage continued to be proud all his life. 'The thoroughness with which he in after life handled great enterprises was no more marked than the carefulness with which he learned all the practical ■details of this business. Within two years he had a brick-kiln of his own 350 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and when the Civil War broke out he was the proprietor of a flourishing busi- ness. In 1863 he enhsted for service in the Second Regiment, Kansas Artil- lery, under Capt. Ross Burns, and participated in the famous battle of the Blue. He remained at his gun with several of his comrades until they were captured by the force under General Price. Afterwards he managed to escape but not until he had endured terrible suffering from hunger and thirst. In a local history the dreadful sufferings endured by these brave Kansans are set forth with a vividness which calls for all the control years of peace have brought to enable their fellow-citizens to forgive the treatment accorded them by the Confederates. The noble monument in the Topeka Cemetery was erected by Mr. Gage as a tribute to the men who fell in the battle of the Blue, and Mr. Gage himself wrote a history of the event which stands out in Kan- sas history to the honor and glory of the citizenship of the State. The cost of this monument was $10,000. It was unveiled on Memorial Day, 1896, and General Caldwell, now United States consul at Vera Cruz, delivered the prin- cipal address. The press all over the country made extended mention of this unusual proof of loyalty and brotherly love, but no region could truly appre- ciate the gift as did Topeka, where Mr. Gage had been so long known and so universally honored and beloved. For 15 years Mr. Gage continued in the brick business, during which time he acquired much property in the city, which subsequently brought him large returns. At the opening of the Pottawatomie reservation, he secured a valuable farm of 160 acres, and later another valuable farm on which is situated Gage's Lake, both of which he held until his death. The latter proved very valuable on account of the discovery of bituminous coal in large quantities. He owned several business blocks on Kansas avenue and was the largest taxpayer in the county, during his latter years occupying his time mainly in looking after his investments. In all his dealings he proved his honorable, upright character and a man was never found to question his word. He died on May 19, 1899. Guilford G. Gage was united in marriage January 9, 1868, with Louisa Ives, who was bom in Allegheny County, New York, and is a daughter of Henry and Sarah (Nicholas) Ives, her father having been a native of Penn- sylvania. One child, a daughter, was born of this union, but died at the age of one year. Mrs. Gage resides alone in her handsome home at No. 409 Van Buren street. Mr. Gage was a prominent member of the Masonic order and of Lincoln Post, No. I, G. A. R. Topeka and its citizens individually have much reason to recall this honorable, estimable and useful citizen. All his life he was simple in his tastes and unostentatious in manner. When wealth came to him, he soon found avenues for its judicious distribution and civic movements for fe..-. ■v. ^^^HBr^ ""^^^fl ^ ' 1>, ^^ 1 V \ f \ 1 L ^^ ^' ^^^|jj^s9^^^^H%%-, ' rf/^tf^^^^^H ^^^^^1 ■* p r LEVI M. DECKER AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS, 353 improvement, and charitable and philanthropic enterprises of all kinds felt his guiding hand and profited by his benevolent impulses. He was chairman of the board of trustees of Christ's Hospital, contributing liberally to its sup- port during his life, and at his death willed it the sum of $1,000. He gave to the city what is known as Gage Park, covering 80 acres. He had planned to give to The Jane C. Stormont Hospital a sum of money to aid it in its great work, and after his death Mrs. Gage in 1899 caused to be erected what is now known as the Gage annex, at a cost of $15,000. Mr. Gage was a self-made man and was proud of the fact, proud of hav- ing been able to grasp opportunities and to be indebted to no one but himself for his life's success. With his noble battle comrades, this soldier, too, sleeps under the granite shaft he built. LEVI M. DECKER. Levi M. Decker, one of the prominent farmers and well-known, sub- stantial citizens of Shawnee County, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, resides on his well-improved farm in section 13, township 12, range 16, in Tecumseh township. He owns a large amount of land in this county, in Tecumseh and Dover townships and in and about Topeka, aggregating 280 acres. Mr. Decker was born near Paterson, New Jersey, January 5, 1837, and is a son of Martin W. and Mary (Bailey) Decker, who lived to the age of 85 and 78 years, respectively. The Deckers came originally from Holland and were long established in Bergen County, New Jersey. By his first marriage Martin W. Decker had four children and eight by the second, the latter being: Mrs. Annis Maybe, deceased; Mrs. Elizabeth Wichem, deceased; John, deceased; Mrs. Rachel Holdrum, of New Jersey ; Levi M., of this sketch ; and Silas, Thomas and Mrs. Mary Jackson, of New Jersey. Levi M. Decker remained on his father's farm in Passaic County, New Jersey, until he was 23 years old and then went to Clinton County, Ohio, where he engaged in farming for seven years. During the Civil War he was a member of the State militia and assisted in driving the raider, Morgan, across the border. In 1866 he came to Kansas and bought his present home place, a tract of 160 acres which had been preempted by another party who had built a cabin but had done no clearing. The farm was still unbroken prairie, in its virgin state. Mr. Decker took possession of the cabin and broke the land with oxen and as soon as possible placed it under cultivation. He has improved his home place, made it one of the valuable farms of the 17 354 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY township and erected a convenient and attractive residence. He has added to his possessions until he owns 280 acres, distributed somewhat as follows : 160 acres in section 13, township 12, range 16, and 40 acres in section 7, township 12, range 17, all in Tecumseh township; 80 acres in Dover town- ship and more than 70 lots in the city and environs of Topeka. For the last 10 years he has directed his attention mainly to raising corn, hogs, cattle and horses. In 1859 Mr. Decker was married to Mary Ann Hook, who was born in Ohio and was a daughter of Joseph and Rebecca Hook. She died on the home farm in Tecumseh township on May 12, 1885, aged 46 years. The eight children of this union are : Emma, who lives at home ; Elvie, wife of Edward Reed, of Morris County, Kansas; Melvina, who lives at home; Alvin, of Kansas City; Mrs. Viretta Cox, a widow, of Monmouth township; and Louis, Nora and Myrtle. By a second marriage Mr. Decker has another daughter, Elsie, who also lives at home. Mr. Decker has been a life-long Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for James B. Buchanan. HON. MARTIN MOHLER. Hon. Martin Mohler, formerly secretary of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, was born March 20, 1830, in Cumberland County, Pennsyl- vania, and died at Topeka, Kansas, March 20, 1903. In his youth Mf. Mohler had more than the usual amount of boyish enthusiasm to secure a good education, this seeming to him the goal toward which he must direct every effort. Fortunate circumstances gave him an opportunity to enter Northwestern University, at Evanston, Illinois, where he finally graduated, one of the three members of the second graduating class of that institution. His home remained in Pennsylvania, and thither he re- turned, with the idea of devoting his future to educational work. Time brought changes and other interests came into his life, and lin 1 87 1 he removed from Pennsylvania to Osborne County, Kansas, where he secured a half-section of land. This was early in the settlement of that part of the State, conditions were hard and the rewards of toil were only won through the greatest effort. The work by which Mr. Mohler transformed his wild tract of land into what seemed then a garden spot doubtless aroused the deep interest in his mind which later brought him so prominently forward and identified him so closely with agricultural matters. Mr. Mohler held several positions of trust in Osborne County, and he resided there until he was appointed to the State Board of Agriculture in AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 355 1888. He then moved to Topeka, where he resided until his death, serving through two subsequent terms. During his administration as secretary, he aroused great pubHc interest in the study of soils, seeds and climate and it is undoubtedly due to his efforts that Kansas stands to-day as one of the greatest agricultural States of the Union. The sixth biennial report, issued under his direction, was awarded a medal and diploma at the paris exposition, in 1889, as the best of its kind in the world. Mr. Mohler is survived by his widow and by two daughters and two sons, namely: Margaret L., wife of W. A. Neiswanger, manager of The Capitol Real Estate Company, of Topeka, with offices at No. 116 West Sixth avenue; Laura M., wife of Rev. H. C. Buell, of Willmar, Minnesota; Jacob C, assistant secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, residing at No. 1224 Fillmore street; and Frank M., a student, who resides with his mother in the family home at No. 161 1 Warren street. Mrs. Mohler is a daughter of Christiana C. Hoover, of Pennsylvania, a farmer by vocation, now deceased. Mr. Mohler was a member of the Presbyterian Church and one whose life was in consonance with his professions.' He was a Mason and had other fraternal associations, being a man of social instincts. He was also one whose culture, education and refinement impressed his companions as did his strong personality and sterling attributes. HON. MILTON BROWN. Hon. Milton Brown, one of the most prominent members of the bar of Kansas, and formerly a member of the State Senate from the 38th Sen- atorial District, is a citizen for whom Topeka entertains high regard. Mr. Brown was born May 12, 1854, at Raysville, Henry County, Indiana, and is a son of Milton and Sally Brown. Mr. Brown comes of Scotch-Irish ancestry and of forefathers distin- guished for their military prowess. On the paternal side, both grandfather and great-grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War, the latter yielding up his life in the cause. During the Civil War, not only did his father and four brothers serve in the Union Army, but his mother became one of the leading spirits in the Sanitary Commission and devoted her personal services to the care of sick and wounded soldiers. She was honored by the Governor of Indiana with a commission for her invaluable services, but still dearer to the heart of this noble woman was the tender regard and esteem accorded her by the hundreds of weak and wounded soldiers to whom she ministered 356 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY as long as life held and whose last messages were whispered into her sympa- thetic ear. Old veterans all over the land can be found who show enthusiasm when the name of "Aunt Sally Brown" is recalled to their memory. The father of Mr. Brown was prominent in Henry County poHtics and at the time of his death, May 12, 1876, was county recorder. The subject of this sketch was the youngest member of his loyal family. During the last years of the war, he took "French leave" and joined a com- pany at Camp Morton, where he acted as a drummer-boy and entertained the hope of becoming as useful in the Union cause as others of his family. His hope was dissipated as soon as his capable and careful mother discovered his whereabouts. When his father was elected recorder of Henry County, the main duties of the office fell upon Milton, and when the father died, he was appointed to fill out the unexpired term and was subsequently appointed dep- uty clerk of the Circuit Court and later elected clerk of the same. He had been admitted to the bar in 1876 after several years of preparation under Hon. Jehu T. Elliott, and soon won deserved recognition in his profession and as a political factor. In 1878 he was sent as a delegate to the Republican State Convention at Indianapolis and served also as secretary of the Henry County Republican Central Committee. In 1884 Mr. Brown came to Kansas, locating upon a homestead in what is now Gray County, where he remained until the following year, when he removed to Garden City and entered upon the practice of his profession. From the very first his ability as a lawyer was recognized and he has been concerned in some of the most important litigation in the State. In this connection mention may be made of the case of Mrs. Lease, whose removal from office as a member of the State Board of Charities his pleas secured, and of the occasion when he, as attorney for the Great Eastern Irrigation Company, won the decision against the Amazon Ditch Company as to the right of priority to water from the Arkansas River. Both of these celebrated cases are so familiar to residents of Topeka as to scarcely need mentioning. Mr. Brown in innumerable cases has proved himself a man of intellectual power and is justly ranked with the State's eminent professional men. Thus well equipped for a very successful political career, he was elected in 1892 by the Republican party to the State Senate from the 38th Senatorial District, a district which includes 19 counties. As a statesman his career was satisfactory in every way and during his senatorial career he was a leading figure both in debate and in the committee room, working strenuously for his section and constituents. On July 16, 1878, Mr. Brown was married to Emma Cotteral, and three children were born to them. In religious connection he is a member of the Christian Church. His fraternal associations embrace the leading secret AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 357 organizations. As a Mason, he is a Knight Templar and a member of Isis Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is an Odd Fellow, a Knight of Pythias and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of the Maccabees. Since June, 1899, Senator Brown and family have resided at Topeka, where he is absorbed in a large law practice. He is a director and general counsel of the Kansas Fire Insurance Company. Still in the height of his intellectual power, with friends and admirers on every side, he occupies a very prominent place among the leading men of Kansas and many political and professional possibilities are within his grasp. JOHN FREDERICK STANTON. John Frederick Stanton, Kansas State architect, one of tlie leaders in his profession with years of exacting experience behind him, has been a resident of Topeka since 1887. Mr. Stanton was born July 29, 1862, at Manchester, New Hampshire, and is a son of John M. and Meribah F. (Pike) Stanton. Mr. Stanton is a descendant of the early New England settlers, his ancestors having come to this country from England in 1636 and located at Sahsbury. His father was born at Brookfield, Maine, and his mother at Plymouth, New Hampshire. After completing common and high school courses at Manchester, he took a special course in civil engineering under Joseph B. Sawyer. While interested in this line, before turning his attention to the particular field of art in which he has been so successful, he served two years as assistant city engineer at Manchester, and later was for some time connected with the engineering department of the Stark Corporation in the same city. With the idea of supplementing his engineering knowledge he took a course of study in architecture, combining both the technical and practical phases of the profession. Later a partnership was formed with W. M. Butter- field and Mr. Stanton began the practice of architecture as a profession; dur- ing the following three years they designed some of the best public and private buildings in the State. In 1887 Mr. Stanton came to Kansas and located at Topeka, taking charge of the office work for J. G. Haskell, at that time the leading architect in the State. For six years he occupied this position and then became a partner. The firm of Haskell & Stanton during the following two years 358 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY planned many of the best buildings erected, not only in Kansas, but also in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Indian Territory and Missouri. In 1895 Mr. Stanton was appointed superintendent and assistant State House architect, having in charge the work of finishing the rooms on the first and second stories of the Capitol Building at Topeka. In 1897 when the Populist party came into power, he was removed for political reasons and immediately entered upon the independent practice of his profession, which he successfully conducted until July, 1899, when the Republican party again took control of State affairs and Mr. Stanton was appointed State House architect. During the succeeding four years he suc- cessfully filled this important position and completed the magnificent State Capitol Building. In July, 1903, the State Executive Council appointed him State architect, having in. charge the architectural work for all of the various State institutions. This work he so satisfactorily conducted that later when the Legislature changed the law, vesting the appointive power in the Governor, he was, in 1905, again appointed for a term of two years, by Governor Hoch, the appointment being one of the most popular made. Mr. Stanton was married at St. Joseph, Missouri, on the 24th of Novem- ber, 1892, to Julia M. Lamb, a daughter of William P. and Margaret Lamb. They have one child, a beautiful little girl named Mildred who with them enjoys the comforts of a substantial home at No. 121 1 Western avenue, Topeka. Politically, Mr. Stanton is a stanch Republican and served two terms as president of the Topeka Republican Flambeau Club. GEORGE W. CRANE. George W. Crane, president and manager for Crane & Company, one of the largest printing houses at Topeka, was born August 25, 1843, ^t Fas- ten, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Dr. Franklin L. and Mary Elizabeth (Howell) Crane. The Crane family is of Puritan ancestry and Revolutionary stock. In the spring of 1855, Dr. Franklin L. Crane removed from Easton, where he was established in a good dental practice, to Topeka, Kansas, where he soon became identified with public affairs. He was made secretary of the Topeka Town Association and it was mainly through his good taste and artistic ideas that the present beautiful city enjoys its distinction for wide streets and boulevards, the work of surveying being under his charge. Dur- ing the Civil War he served as a private soldier in Company E, nth Reg., Kansas Vol. Inf., and later as hospital steward, his admirable work while he AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 359 had charge of the smallpox hospital at Hildebran's Mills being still recalled. George W. Crane has been a resident of Kansas since March, 1865. Because of the death of his mother in his infancy, he was placed in the care of Canadian relatives, with whom he remained during the period of his school days. His brother, Jesse H. Crane, was operating a store at Fort Earned, Kansas, where he was post trader, and George remained with him for one year and then came to Topeka. For some three years he engaged at market gardening, but in 1868 he embarked in the business which has proved such a great success financially and has given him a very prominent place in the business world. In partnership with J. Y. Byron, he entered into the busi- ness of bookbinding and blank-book manufacturing, and in the following year he became owner of a one-third interest in the Daily Commonwealth. This journal was issued under the company name of Prouty, Davis & Crane and Mr. Crane was its manager. Everything was in a promising condition when the firm lost all it possessed by the burning of the Ritchie Block in No- vember, 1869. This disaster, so soon after assuming new responsibilities, was very serious to the members of the firm, but with courage and energy they succeeded in resuming business some months later. The fall of 1873 "wit- nessed another disastrous fire in Topeka, during which the Commonwealth Building was completely destroyed and a second time was Mr. Crane forced to begin at the bottom. Only a man of much courage and many resources could so soon have recuperated; in a comparatively short time he was again at the head of a business which he managed alone until he had expanded it to such proportions that outside help was needed. Thus came about the founding of the George W. Crane Publishing Company, in 1888. At great expense improved ma- chinery was installed and a modern plant for doing all kinds of printing on a large scale was placed in operation in the Keith Block, one of the newest and best equipped business structures of the city. The building was 50 by 135 feet in dimensions, four stories high, filled from basement to attic with the company's plant. The fire demon for the third time assailed Mr. Crane's business, this handsome building being totally destroyed in February, 1889. This loss was more serious than any other, the value of the property loss, above insurance, being $135,000. The word discouragement is not found in Mr. Crane's vocabulary. With wonderful philosophy he accepted the facts and with customary enterprise set about to again build up his business. A corporation was then formed under the name of Crane & Company, Mr. Crane was made manager, and now is at the head of one of the largest business houses in his line, including publish- ing, book-making and commercial printing, his trade extending all over Kansas and through adjacent States. The perfection of the work of this 36o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY house secured it the contract for furnishing a large part of the books used in the pubHc schools. Tenacity of purpose is a marked characteristic of Mr. Crane and this he carries into business, political and social life. He has settled convictions to which he firmly adheres and his fellow-citizens know that when he is convinced of the justice of a movement, no outside influence can move him. In June, 1870, Mr. Crane was married to Ella Rain, who was a daughter of Silas and Minerva Rain. Mrs. Crane died in April, 1881, survived by two children: Frank S., who is cashier and superintendent for Crane & Company; and Edna, who married Charles L. Mitchell and died at Morenci, Arizona, August 25, 1904. In 1882, Mr. Crane was married at Elkhart, Indiana, to Fannie Kiblinger, a cousin of his first wife. Politically, Mr. Crane has always taken a lively interest in city and State affairs, voting constantly with the Republican party, but he has never con- sented to hold office. In 1893 he was nominated by his party in the Legisla- ture for the office of State printer, one for which he is eminently qualified; he lacked only one vote of election. Mr. Crane has set an example of the conquest over misfortune by the exercise of individual energy, and has shown in a remarkable degree his capacity to mold circumstances and to grasp success out of the ashes of defeat. E. P. KELLAM. Among the prominent business men of Topeka, who stood at the head of commercial life here for some 40 years, was the late E. P. Kellam, who died very suddenly on February 5, 1896, of neuralgia of the heart, superin- duced by weakness from a former illness and also from grief felt over the death of his beloved kinsman, the late T. J. Kellam. The latter, of whom a sketch will be found in this work, died on February 4, 1896, and E. P. Kellam passed away on the following day. Both were men of importance and sub- stance and Topeka was doubly bereaved. E. P. Kellam was born at Irasburg, Vermont, February 28, 1832, and was a son of Sabin and Lydia Kellam, being one of 10 children born to his parents. His boyhood and early youth were spent in his native environment, where he received excellent educational advantages; and in young manhood he went to Boston to enter upon a business career. In 1857 he came to Topeka, and his subsequent life was spent in this city. With his cousin, the late T. J. Kellam, our subject was interested in charitable movements of various kinds. He is remembered as a man of strict integrity and independent HON. JOSEPH BENJAMIN BURTON BETTS AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 363 views. The services at his funeral were conducted by Rev. Dean Bodley, of Topeka, who. preached the sermon. Rev. Percival Mclntire, of Chicago, was also present. Mr. Kellam was married December 31, 1862, to Orpha Beulah, daughter of Pearl De Wolfe. She still survives and makes her home in one of the handsomest residences of the city at No. 415 Topeka avenue, where she is spending the twilight of her life in comfort and ease. Mr. Kellam's son, E. B. Kellam, lives at Cottonwood Falls, where he is connected with a tele- phone company. Mr. Kellam was a Mason and was buried with Masonic honors. ♦ '♦ HON. JOSEPH BENJAMIN BURTON BEITS. .Hon. Joseph Benjamin Burton Betts, an influential member of the Kansas State Senate and a well-known business man of Topeka, who is reputed one of the largest contractors in the State, was born February 22, 185 1, in Morgan County, Illinois. He is one of a family of 10 children born to his parents, Joseph B. and Susan (Wiemer) Betts. The father of Mr. Betts was born at Dover, Delaware. Upon removing from the East, he became a resident of Illinois and later came to Kansas. He served two terms as sheriff of Piatt County, Illinois. His occupation was farming. He died in 1878. The subject ot this sketch is a self-made man. He had but meager edu- cational opportunities in his boyhood, his father having settled in a somewhat remote region. The first school he attended was in a small school house erected after he was old enough to assist in hauling the lumber that was used in constructing it. Later he enjoyed a course at a commercial college and that was about the extent of his schooling. He has been a resident of Kansas since he was nine years old, his parents settling in Atchison County in i860. In 1861 he came to Jefferson County and to Topeka in 1878, and ever since he has been engaged in a general contracting business. This he built up into one of the largest and most important in the city, then in the county and finally in the State. His superior work enabled him to secure numerous large and extensive contracts from the United States government. After completing a government contract at Fort Riley, in the fall of 1904, amounting to over $260,000,^ he was awarded another at Fort Russell, Wyoming, in March, 1905, amounting to $136,244. He has built many hotels and school build- ings all over the West, one of these recently completed being the beautiful High School building at El Reno, Canadian County, Oklahoma. Many of 364 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY the depots and terminal buildings of the various railroads through this and other sections are specimens of his work. For many years Mr. Betts has been prominent in Republican politics and has been influential in party affairs. He served two years in the City Council and from 1901 to 1905 was a member of the State House of Repre- sentatives. Approval of his course in this body was shown by his election in 1904 to the State Senate. His career as a statesman has been a very cred- itable one and he enjoys the confidence of his party. Mr. Betts married Lulu Sandmeyer, who is a daughter of the late Jacob W. Sandmeyer. Mr. Sandmeyer was a German by birth and for a number of years lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he built the first modern hearse ever made in that city. He died in Mrs. Betts' childhood, after having become a well-known wagon manufacturer. His widow sur- vived until January 10, 1892. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. Betts are: Joseph W., Rebecca Myrtle and Freda Marguerite. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Their beautiful and artistic home is situ- ated at No. 1029 North Quincy street (North Topeka). Fraternally, the subject of this sketch is connected with the Masonic bodies in the higher branches, the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and the Elks. His portrait accompanies this sketch. MARIE ANTONIN EUGENE JAQUES CAMPDORAS, M.D. The death of Dr. M. A. E. J. Campdoras, on April 6, 1881, removed from Topeka a physician and surgeon of remarkable professional skill, and a man whose nobility of life and self-sacrificing spirit in the cause of right aroused feelings of veneration and admiration which attended him through years of a very unusual public career. Dr. Campdoras was born at Thuir, Department of the Pyrenees Orientales, France, and was a son of Francois Sylvestre and Justine (Joubert) Campdoras. Dr. Campdoras was graduated at the college at Perpignan, where he received the degree of A. B. and then from the University of France, at Mont- pelier, in medicine and surgery, and then was assigned to hospital practice at Toulon. He entered the navy as auxiliary surgeon and was at sea six years. When Napoleon HI declared himself emperor, Dr. Campdoras was surgeon of the "Pengouin" and was the only officer in the French Navy who was brave enough to stand firm for freedom and a republic, resulting in his desertion of his ship. In the campaign of the Var, when the insurrectionists AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 365 were beaten, he escaped over the Alps to Italy and subsequently, with others, embarked at Genoa for New York. In the spring of 1852 the party reached New York after three months of stormy voyaging and set foot on free land. During this voyage Dr. Camp- doras and the late Charles Sardou, whose life story is related in this volume, became acquainted, having the same aims and suffering the same hardships, and later both settled near Topeka, friends for life. Dr. Campdoras practiced medicine and surgery in New York City for three years and then went South to Louisiana where he spent the winter of 1854 teaching Spanish at the Louisiana State College at Donaldson ville. In the spring of 1855 he came to Kansas and practiced among the very few settlers and the half-breed Kaw Indians settled along the bottom lands of the Kaw River, among whom were the Papans, the Bellemeres and the De Aubries. Here he took up a claim of 160 acres but this he later sold to the father of Spencer Wade. For some years he made his home with Charles Sardou and continued to practice until 1871, when his failing health caused him to discontinue. Early in 1862 Dr. Campdoras enlisted as surgeon of the Second Regi- ment, Kansas Home Guards, Col. John Ritchie commanding, and served 18 months but was obliged to resign on account of ill health. He participated in the battles of Prairie Grove and Cane Hill, and in the latter fight his horse was shot from under him and he was slightly wounded. After being mustered out at Fort Smith, in October, 1863, he came back to his home, which was then in Indianola and resumed practice. In 1871 he retired to the farm which is located just west of the State Reform School for Boys, — a tract of 160 acres upon which his wife had a squatter right, under the law which then gave an unmarried woman a quarter-section of land. His health continued so poor that he at last fancied that if he could once more breathe the air of his native land, vigor would return to him and in 1880, after so many years of absence, he once more trod the soil of France. He met with disappointment and re- turned to his Kansas home in the same year. He learned what he had not known before, that the French government had condemned him to death on account of the part he had taken in the insurrection, but he also learned that he had powerful and devoted friends there who met and drafted a special bill asking for a pension. His disappointment was in the change that time had wrought and in the dififerent way that freedom in his native land was regarded in comparison to the ideals for which he had sacrificed almost everything. As long as he lived, and his death followed his visit abroad, he placed patriotism before every other sentiment. In 1858, Dr. Campdoras married Eliza Reader, who was born in Penn- sylvania, of English and American parents, respectively. Her mother died when she was two years old and she lived with her aunt, Mrs. Eliza Cole, and 366 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY was reared and educated in Illinois. When she was about 21 years old her uncle and aunt and brother Samuel decided to move to Kansas and they left LaHarpe, Illinois, on May 10, 1855, in a prairie schooner and reached their destination on June 5th of the same year. After her marriage she and her husband went to live at Indianola. They became the parents of seven chil- dren, as follows : Leon Samuel, Johanna Katherine, Frank Reader, Virginia Justine, Grace, Velleda Mathilde and Irene May. Leon Samuel operates the home farm of 160 acres which his father bought previous to his death, which is located two and a half miles north of North Topeka. The location is fine, the residence standing on an elevation among grand old trees, giving a charm- ing view of the city of Topeka, the noble dome of the Capitol Building, the Kaw River winding through green banks and the wide spread of fertile farms. This home was built in 1887, the family having come here from the old farm which was situated in the lowlands. The eldest daughter resides with her mother as do Velleda Mathilde and Grace. Frank R. lives at Richter Station, where he is agent for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company; He married Florence Packard and they have two children, Francis P. and Cecile C. Virginia Justine is the wife of Albert C. Root, of Kansas City, Kansas, and they have two children, — Irving C. and Eugenia J. The youngest daughter is the wife of Clarence P. Scott, of Kansas City, Kansas. Dr. Campdoras was a member of Golden Rule Lodge, No. 90, A. F. & A. M., of Topeka, and he belonged to the Capitol Grange organization, also of Topeka. In politics he embraced the principles of the Republican party and always voted that ticket except during the candidacy of Peter Cooper, with whose sentiments he was so in accord that he cast his vote for the great philanthropist. It was always a matter of satisfaction that his early devotion to his native country was so valued by his fellow insurgents that he was proffered the command of the army, a position he declined on account of his youth, realizing that more experienced men would be needed to direct so great an undertaking. Neither would he accept political preferment in his chosen home, although he could easily have secured it. Joseph M. Cole, an uncle of Mrs. Campdoras, was a member of the first Free-State Territorial Legisla- ture. The following lines appear in Noel Blache's book entitled "Insurrection of the Var," December, 185 1, translated from the French by Mrs. Camp- doras. "At the supreme moment the insurgents wish to show some appreciation of one who has always been dear to their hearts and in whom they had every confidence. Campdoras was surgeon on the flag ship 'Pengouin,' at that time anchored in the roadstead of St. Tropez. A grand garcon, brown and robust, born in one of our Pyrenees departments. His black hair and strong AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 36; beard, his mobile countenance, slightly irregular, his eyes sparkling with intelligence, he looked full of frankness. A fluent speaker with easy jestures, all in him denoted the tribune. The virility of his character united with ex- treme prompitude of decision predistined him to the important part he played in the insurrection of the Var. His republican convictions were ardent and enlightened by a profound study of our revolutionary history, brave, generous, his love for the people was without limit. His goodness without equal. All those that have known him, especially those that have been intimate with him, remember how his conversation was witty, sharp and to the point owing to its originality and how his repartees were lively and piquant- They also re- member what heart of gold beat in his breast, but that which they never forget were the flashes of light which sprang from his eyes when speaking on public affairs. It was then that he beat into retreat the reasoning of his adversaries, carrying conviction into their minds and bringing into light the indignation of their souls. When Campdoras learned the news of the Coup d' Etat, he left the 'Pengouin' at once and sacrificed to what he considered his duty, his future, his position, his well-being, and placed himself resolutely at the head of the insurgents of St. Tropez." HON. STEPHEN H. ALLEN. Hon. Stephen H. Allen, who has been an honored resident of Topeka, since 1892, the same year in which he was elected a Supreme Court judge, was born March 19, 1849, at Sinclairville, New York, and is a son of Caleb J. and Emily (Haley) Allen. The Allen family is an old New England one and both parents of our distinguished subject were born in Connecticut. The father entered business life as a hatter, but later became a merchant at Sinclairville, New York. Of the nine children of the family. Judge Allen is the only survivor. Like many o'ther eminent men, Judge Allen found no royal road to learn- ing. His early education was secured in the public schools under very differ- ent conditions from those of the present day, and when his aptitude for mathe- matics and later leaning toward the law led him to study civil engineering and enter upon the stud of Coke and Blackstone, he first earned the money to pursue these studies by teaching school and various other labors. His pre- ceptor in the law was Obed Edson, a well-known practitioner of Sinclairville. He was admitted to the bar at Buffalo, New York, November 5, 1869, and in the same year removed to Missouri as a member of a railroad surveying party and reached Pleasanton, Kansas, in 1870, and settled in Linn County, 368 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY where he still owns a fine farm of 260 acres not far from Mound City, the county-seat. From 1875 to 1876 he served as prosecuting attorney of Linn County and continued in the practice of his profession there until 1890 when he was elected judge of the Sixth Judicial District. Two years later he was elected to a seat on the Supreme bench. Judge Allen has always enjoyed a large measure of professional success and the universal esteem of both bench and bar. In 1872 Judge Allen was married to Lucina A. Smith, who is a daughter of Capt. Otis H. and Phoebe A. (Thurston) Smith, formerly of Illinois. The four children born to Judge and Mrs. Allen are: Otis S., in partnership with his father in the practice of the law, who was married October 19, 1904, to Flora B. Jones, of Bloomington, Illinois; Emily A., Mrs. Charles H. Drew, of Richfield, Morton County, Kansas, who is a graduate of the Kansas State University ; Ellen A., who resides at home ; and George S. Judge Allen and his family are prominent in the city's social life and he is a valued mem- ber of the Authors' Club. NATHAN P. HORTON. Nathan P. Horton, one of the retired farmers of Soldier township, Shawnee County, whose 75 acres of fine land are situated in section 17, town- ship II, range 16, is also a survivor of many of the most serious battles and thrilling experiences of the Civil War and of the early days of Topeka. Mr. Horton was born May 22, 1828, at Eastham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and is a son of Cushing and Rachel (Higgins) Horton. The father of Mr. Horton was a farmer and also kept a general store, and, as was customary, was also the local postmaster. Life passed too quietly and uneventfully for the sturdy and ambitious son of the family, our subject, and when 18 years old he went to work in Boston as a ferryboy on a ferry line between East Boston and Boston, owned by the Eastern Railway. Here he remained three years and then was employed in a new meat market in Boston and remained in the meat business for about eight years. After disposing of his meat market interests, he went into the restaurant business for the Eastern Railway in partnership with a Mr. Knowles, and prospered for some four years. In the meantime Mr. Horton had been much impressed with the ad- vantages afforded by the West and concluded to try his fortune beyond the Mississippi River, but in New York he was dissuaded from his purpose and returned to Boston. In 1858, however, he succeeded in his plans and came to AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 369 Topeka. His first winter was spent in hunting and then he became connected with a sawmill and later handled logs and wood and did considerable team- ing. The life was one of adventure and often fraught with considerable hard- ship. Mr. Horton enlisted at Topeka, September i, 1862, in Company H, nth Reg., Kansas Vol. Inf., for three years under Capt. Joel Huntoon and -was mustered out at Fort Leavenworth, September 13, 1865. In this interim he had participated in these battles : Old Fort Wayne, Cane Hill, Boston ■Mountains, Prairie Grove, Van Buren and Sin Hills, spending the greater part of 1863-64 in fighting guerillas and bushwhackers in Western Missouri. He took part in the pursuit of General Price and was concerned in the battles of Lexington, Little Blue, Independence, Westport, Big Blue, Trading Post, Byrom's Ford and in guarding the overland route in the Red Butte country. He survived the dangers of this long campaign in which he made a grand record for gallantry and efficiency. After being mustered out of the army, Mr. Horton then bought some horses at Fort Leavenworth and went to teaming in Topeka, including street grading and similar work, until 1868, when he bought his present farm. At this time he was toll-keeper on the pontoon bridge across the Kansas River at Topeka, a position he held for three years. He has been engaged in farm- ing from 1869 until recently, when he rented his land. Mr. Horton was married January 21, 1891, to Lorena Stebbins, who is a daughter of John S. and Annie (Gogan) Stebbins, of Topeka, and they have four children : Laura P., John S., Pearl M. and Elmira M. Mr. Horton is affiliated with the Republican part, and has been a mem- ber of the School Board for many years. He is a valued member of Blue Post, No. 250, Grand Army of the Republic. VOIGT BROTHERS. VoiGT Brothers, promment business men of Topeka, whose large re- tail and wholesale baking establishment is located at No. 1121 East Sixth avenue, Topeka, are sons of Herbert and Mary Ann (Rupple) Voigt. William Albert, the senior member, was born October 28, 1873, ^^ Cowley County, Kansas, and John Theodore, the junior member, was born at Topeka, May 19, 1881. Theodore Voigt, the patrenal grandfather, was a very highly educated and respected school teacher in Germany. Paul Rupple, the grandfather on the maternal side, was also a man held in esteem in Germany and at one time 370 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY was elected mayor of the city of Darmstadt. Later he came to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania. His death took place September 23, 1867. Herbert Voigt was born in 1831 in Prussia and came to America a lad of 14 years, in 1845, settling in Wisconsin, where he followed the trade of stone-mason and brick-layer until 1862, when he enlisted in Company D, 33rd Reg., Wisconsin Vol. Inf., under General Fitch, and was discharged August 9, 1865, at Vicksburg. While in the army he had a sunstroke which prevented his working at his trade and in 1866 he came to Kansas, from Wisconsin, and settled at Topeka. Later he married and went to farming on 160 acres in Cowley County. This land he cleared and there he built a log house in which four of his oldest children were born. He died June 4, 1895. The mother of our subject was born at Frankfort, Germany, in 1843, and came to America in 1850 with her father and to Kansas in 1866, being the first people to come to Topeka by train. Mr. and Mrs. Voigt had eight chil- dren, namely : Charles, Lizzie, Henry, William Albert, Frances Lena, Edward, John Theodore and Alexander. Charles died in infancy. Lizzie is the wife of W. T. Landis, of Auburndale, now baker for the Royal Bakery at Topeka, and formerly baker for the State Insane Asylum. They have six children. Henry and Edward died in infancy. Frances Lena is the widow of Mr. McClure, a printer, who died March 9, 1897, and is buried at Topeka. Alexander is a stenographer at Topeka and is also learning the electrical business. On September i, 1892, William A. Voigt, in association with his father, purchased the present bakery business from Orvil H. Thompson, and John T. Voigt learned the business here and on November 20, 1893, was taken into partnership. The business is conducted under the firm name of Voigt Brothers and they control a large trade, supplying Bedwell's private insane asylum, in addition to the larger part of the residence district in the Second Ward. They have a well-equipped plant, deal both wholesale and retail and their goods are noted for excellence and variety. Both members of the firm are men of exemplary character. William A. Voigt was married August 7, 1895, at Topeka, to Annie E. Snyder, who is a daughter of James M. and Mary E. (Lazarus) Snyder, natives of Pennsylvania, and they have four children: William Robert, Howard Murry, Mary Irene and Charles Albert. Mr. Voigt is one of the leading Republicans of his ward. John T. Voigt was married December 14, 1904, at Topeka, to Lucy Emeline Hawkins, who is a daughter of William Deville and Mattie (Routhe) Hawkins, natives of Bluffton, Indiana. The father was born in New York JOSEPH BROMICH AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 373 and later came to Kc^nsas where he engaged in work at the carpenter's trade for some years. He still survives but his wife died July 3, 1884, and was interred at Bluffton. Like his brother, Mr. Voigt is a stanch Republican. JOSEPH BROMICH. Joseph Bromich, one of Topeka's most successful business men, whose portrait is shown on the opposite page, is proprietor of the Topeka Steam Boiler Works, one of the largest and best equipped west of the Mississippi River. This concern enjoys a very large local trade, and has shipped exten- sively to all points in the West. Mr. Bromich was born near Birmingham, England, December 25, 1847, and is a son of Benjamin and Emma Bromich, both life-long residents of England. Joseph was the youngest of four children born to his parents, and began working during his boyhood days, his education being such as he could procure at night after his hard day's work had ended. He learned the trade of a boiler-maker in Birmingham, England, and there followed it until he reached his majority in 1868. Then after his marriage, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean to seek his fortune in the United States. He located in New York City a short time, then went to Florida where he obtained work in the railroad shops. After a few months in Florida, he embarked for the West Indies. After visiting many seaports and places of interest, he took passage on the Peruvian naval ship "Maranon," joining the navy as boiler- maker and blacksmith aboard ship. Tiring of the navy, he returned to Liver- pool, England, arriving there November 30, 1869. He was employed for a time in the phosphorus works of Albright & Wilson at Birmingham, and then determined to return to the United States. On February 23, 1870, he started on the voyage, his family following in November of the same year. Upon arriving in this country he engaged with Lowell & Rose, of Rancocas, New Jersey, to build a phosphorous works. After its completion, he jour- neyed West to Topeka, Kansas, arriving in July, 1871, and here obtained work the first day at the old Kaw Valley (now known as the Western) Foun- dry, conducted by Babcock & Cleland. He remained with this concern two years; during the latter part of this period it was owned by Andrew Stark. He then worked at the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway shops under Master Mechanic Faries until in partnership with R. L. Cofran, ex-mayor of Topeka, he purchased the Kaw Valley Foundry property, which had been destroyed by fire. Although it was the time of the panic and also of the disastrous grasshopper visitation, these thrifty gentlemen made a success of 18 374 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY their venture and soon found it necessary to enlarge the plant. At the end of three years, our subject disposed of his interest in the business to his partner and established the Topeka Steam Boiler Works, and success has crowned his efforts ever since. He manufactures all kinds of boilers, accord- ing to specifications furnished, and conducts the largest and most complete plant west of the Mississippi, with the exception of the Union Iron Works of San Francisco, but not e:!icluding those of St. Louis. His boiler shop, which in dimensions is 140 by 140 feet, has about 32,000 square feet of floor space, and includes in its equipment all of the most modern machinery money can procure. It has labor-saving machinery of every description, run eco- nomically by electric power; 500 volts are required when the plant is in full operation. So complete is the equipment that a single man can handle large plates of iron, and the plant is so arranged that a boiler can be loaded in two minutes time with the aid of cranes. In connection Mr. Bromich carries a complete stock of steam and water supplies, handling the very best goods. He is one of the most public-spirited men of the city, whose welfare he has at heart. Mr. Bromich was married in England in 1868 to Mary Ann Allton, a native of Birmingham, and of six children born to them, three are living: Maria, formerly bookkeeper and stenographer for her father, who is the wife of Edward McGinnis; Walter, who attends to mechanical affairs connected with his father's business; and Henry, who handles the financial end of the business. The family home is north of the plant, and Mr. Bromich also owns considerable other city property. FREEMAN SARDOU. Freeman Sardou, whose handsome brick residence at No. 445 Freeman avenue, Topeka, is surrounded by a tract of 20 acres mainly devoted to fruit culture, is a well-known citizen of Shawnee County and was one of the first residents of Topeka. He was born January 16, 1854, on the Atlantic Ocean en route for free America, and is a son of Charles and Josephine (Mere) Sardou. The life of the father of Mr. Sardou was full enough of striking events to furnish foundation for a hundred romances. He was born near Carqueiranne, France, in 1813, and for 23 years of his life was a sailor on the sea. He was much more than a sailor as his later life demonstrated, possessing cour- age and fortitude and the personal bravery which made the revolutionists of 1848 such a menace to royalty in France. For these qualities he was con- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 375 sidered a dangerous person and a price of 20,000 francs was set on his head and his faithful wife was exiled. It became a matter of necessity for him to escape to a land where each man could enjoy his rights of citizenship and be protected in the same, and thus the eyes of the French refugees were turned to America. With a party of his mates numbering 17, he seized a vessel at one of the ports and headed for the land across the Atlantic which was reached after a voyage of 120 days. It was during this period that our sub- ject came into the world. The voyagers, being mostly sailors, knew when and how to beach the vessel and after leaving her to her fate made their way to land and freedom. In 1854, with J. B. Billiard, Frederick K. Vesscelda and a Mr. Berrenger, Mr. Sardou came to Kansas. Each took up 160 acres of land and they were the first white people to locate at Topeka, the date being August 28, 1854. Charles Sardou's troubles were by no means ended. His first house, a dugout by the side of a bank, was washed away by a sudden flood ; a sod house, which took its place, was blown down by a furious wind storm, and the third home, a log house, was burned to the ground, on November 23, 1854. Two days later a party of white people, led by the well-remembered Daniel H. Home, crossed the place where his log cabin had stood, headed for Topeka. The flood which covered all this territory about this time washed away many landmarks, but fortunately left the sills of his house standing. During the flood, the coming of which was sudden, Mr. Sardou crossed the river on the ice with his wife and child — Freeman. In the succeeding April Charles Sardou went back to his farm and found it occupied, a Dr. Martin having "jumped" his claim. There was nothing to do but to enter suit for his land and it was not until i860 that he was able to oust the usurper. During all this time no work had been done on the land, but nevertheless he had to pay Dr. Martin all he possessed in order to secure it, a claim being made for improvements. It was mainly owing to the sworn testimony of Daniel H. Home that Mr. Sardou obtained his rights. That pioneer testified to seeing the door-sills of the log cabin on the land when he and his party came to Topeka. Until May 1870, Mr. Sardou remained on his farm, quietly cultivating it and reaping large returns, but his heart was still in the old country across the ocean. The revolution there again stirred old memories and finally he decided to take what fortune he had been able to accumulate and to return to France and assist in the overthrow of royalty. With $4,000, which the French subjects in Kansas had subscribed to the cause he went to New York and there he recruited 1,000 men and with them sailed to France to help the cause. He took part in the battles of Strasburg, Metz and Sedan, and 376 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY after seeing the fall of Paris he returned to Kansas in September, 1871, hav- ing been absent for nine months. It has been stated that Mr. Sardou's friend, Dr. M. A. E. J. Campdoras, was offered the first presidency of France in 1848. Mr. Sardou was pen- sioned and after his second return to that land was elected to a seat in the House of Deputies for life. He survived all of his companions in the ship and died within a stone's throw of the house in which he was born, on November 2, 1894, aged 81 and a half years. His tomb is in the old sailors' and soldiers' cemetery there. Our subject, in spite of the adventures of which he was an unconscious witness during his early life, grew up at Topeka as a happy earnest school boy. He was a pupil in the school located at loth avenue and Jackson street when he had to walk two miles to reach the school house, the teacher being a Mr. Drake who closed the school in 1862 and entered the army. He then became a student in the Harrison and Lincoln schools. In 1869 he was one of the first five pupils admitted to the High School, the others being : Emma Boyd, now Mrs. F. C. Bowen; Mrs. Emma Woods; W. C. Campbell and Lloyd Hope, all still surviving except Mr. Hope. After completing his education, Mr. Sardou learned the tinner's trade at St. Louis, at which he worked for 13 years. In 1883 when his father returned to France, he came back to the farm and has continued to reside here ever since. It is a beautiful place, one section of it being shaded with stately old oaks of a century's growth perhaps, while his orchards of his own planting yield lavishly the most luscious fruits found in the State. He has devoted much care to the culture of fruit and has great arbors of Concord grapes, four kinds of choice cherries and small fruits in abundance. Mr. Sardou was married on September 26, 1878, to Mary A. Morriss, who is a daughter of George A. G. and Leddie (Ladd) Morriss, and they have two sons, — Charles and George. The former, who is an electrician, married Emma Isaacson and lives at Third and Madison streets, Topeka. The latter, also an electrician, married Gertie Bradenburg and they reside with our subject. Although not an active politician, Mr. Sardou takes much interest in public affairs and votes with the Democratic party. His fraternal connec- tion is with Topeka Lodge, No. 38, Knights of Pythias. During the flood of 1903 Mr. Sardou and his sons succeeded in rescuing over 300 people who were in peril of their lives, and the citizens of Topeka in grateful remembrance presented him and his sons each with a beautiful gold medal, appropriately inscribed. Mr. Sardou's medal on the one side has in gold type "For Bravery," — below being a representation of a row boat filled with a party he had just rescued; on the opposite side is found AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 377 this inscription: "Presented by citizens of Topeka, Kansas, to Freeman Sardou for manly and heroic efforts in behalf of his fellow beings during the flood of May 30th, 1903." As may be supposed, few men are better informed concerning the early days of Topeka when a few indifferent buildings and Indian wigwams repre- sented what is now the beautiful capital city of the State. The wildest dream of that time would not have pictured, even in illusion, the busy marts of trade, the rush and roar of steam and electric roads, the bustle of some of the largest industries in the world, and the beautiful Capitol Building looking down through streets, avenues and boulevards which are filled with the representatives of the commerce, intelligence, beauty and culture of all parts of the world. And the time has come when Kansas has, through native strength and self-assertion, become really and truly the land the French refugee sought — one of freedom. No early mention of Topeka can be com- plete without his name. CHARLES R. MAUNSELL. Charles R. Maunsell, superintendent and manager of the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Topeka, one of the city's largest and most important enterprises, was born February 19, 1865, in the city of Dublin, Ireland, and is a son of Robert Charles and Isabella (Hanks) Maunsell. Mr. Maunsell came to America with his parents in 1869. His educa- tion was obtained in the public schools of Chicago and he received his techni- cal training at the Chicago Athenaeum where he was graduated in 1886. He then entered the employ of the Chicago Edison Company and when the capitalists of Topeka wanted an experienced, capable and reliable man to manage and superintend the electric system here, Mr. Maunsell was chosen for the responsible position. In 1894 he became a resident of Topeka. The Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Topeka was organized in 1887 by some of the city's large capitalists and was one of the first electric enterprises in the State. The plant was built when such undertakings had many experimental features, but the officers of the company were progressive, sensible business men and the Topeka Edison plant is as near perfection as any such concern can be and the company is one which has never had any cause to complain as to its prosperity. The officers of the company are: Joab Mulvane, president; J. R. Mulvane, vice-president; Edward Wilder, secre- tary and treasurer; and Charles R. Maunsell, superintendent and manager. This plant was built by the Thomas A. Edison Company, in 1887, con- sisting of three 150-horsepower boilers, three i2S-horsepower engines and 378 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY six "Edison" generators. The buildings were so designed that they would hold double the equipment, which was soon found necessary. At present the plant is equipped with 1,600-horsepower boilers and 1,700-horsepower engines and generators. Recently contracts have been let to make the engines and generators of 3,700-horsepower, and a new building in course of construction will have space for an additional 2,000-horsepower when needed. It is the company's intention to furnish power to all manufacturing concerns whether they use i or 1,000-horsepower. All the buildings are fire-proof, this insuring reliable and permanent service ; the switchboard is of marble ; the boilers are of the water-tube, safety type with automatic stokers and coal-handling ma- chinery. All the buildings in the central portion of Topeka are supplied with steam heat through underground mains from this company's steam heating system, this branch of the business having been in operation since 1897. The company propose to extend this branch of service as the demands and growth of the city require. The plant is located at No. 722 Van Buren street and is one of the interesting sights of the capital city. Mr. Maunsell was married June i, 1887, to Angeline Curtice, and they have three children, Charles J., Burton R. and Bernard S., all attending school. Mr. Maunsell and family belong to the Protestant Episcopal Church. His fraternal associations are with the Topeka Lodge, No. 204, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and with the Woodmen of the World. BYRON ROBERTS. Byron Roberts, one of Topeka's most prominent business men, presi- dent of the Aetna Building & Loan Association, was born August 22, 1832, at New Comerstown, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and is a son of Lewis and Katherine (Neighbor) Roberts. The father of Mr. Roberts was born in Pennsylvania and subsequently became a resident of Ohio where his active life was spent. The mother was born in New Jersey and came from an old family established in America in 1700. Of their three sons our subject is the only survivor. The father died when his son was but four years old, but the mother survived to the unusual age of 102 years, dying in 1896. Mr. Roberts was educated in the public schools of his native place and later attended Madison College at Antrim, Ohio. For some years follow- ing he was interested in a mercantile line, first as a clerk and later as pro- prietor. His settlement in Kansas was the result of a visit he made in 1870, vhen he was so favorably impressed that he settled at Topeka in 1871, becom- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 379 ing cashier of the old Topeka Bank, with which institution he remained asso- ciated until the fall of 1886. He was then elected county treasurer and served two terms, until 1890, in which year he was appointed receiver for the Hudson & Southern Railroad Company, serving in this capacity for two and a half years. The Aetna Building & Loan Association, of which Mr. Roberts has been president since its founding, was organized in October, 1891, and began to transact business on January i, 1892. The present officers of the company are: Byron Roberts, president; F. M. Kimball, secretary. The board of directors include these capitalists: Byron Roberts, A. B. Quinton, H. M. Steele, J. F. Carter and F. M. Kimball. In 1858 Mr. Roberts was married at New Comerstown, Ohio, to Ger- trude Dent, who was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, and they had five chil- dren, namely: Lewis Dent, who married a Miss Norton; George S., de- ceased; Carrie, who married J. R. Heinkle, one of the proprietors of the Broadway Hotel at Los Angeles, California; Mary, who married Clifford Heisted, an attorney at Kansas City; and Gertrude, who is the wife of George Rust, of Salt Lake City. Mr. Roberts includes seven grandchildren in his family circle, which is a particularly united one. In political sentiment, Mr. Roberts has always been a Republican and cast his first presidential vote for Gen. John C. Fremont. He has always been something of a leader in party affairs, although he has seldom consented to accept political honors. He has watched the city almost from its infancy and has been prominently identified with many of its leading enterprises and public-spirited movements. He can recall when the site of his present hand- some residence at No. 315 West loth avenue was almost prairie land. In all that goes to make up good citizenship, Mr. Roberts is prominent and ranks also with the leading capitalists of the city. CHARLES S. DOWNING. Charles S. Downing, vice-president of the Central National Bank of Topeka, and one of the best known business men of this city, was born in Iowa in 1868 and is a son of Andrew Downing. Andrew Downing was a prominent citizen of Boone, Iowa, and was the first postmaster there. He also served as county treasurer. During the Civil War he was a captain in the Seventh Kansas Cavalry, making a fine record. Charles S. Downing was educated in the common and high schools at Kansas City and then engaged with his father in a real estate business there. 38o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY In 1 89 1 he entered the office of Dun & Company as a clerk and remained four years with the company as manager of the Kansas district. Since Jan- uary, 1900, he has been vice-president of the Central National Bank. He is also interested in other important business enterprises, being treasurer of the American Oil & Gas Company and also treasurer of the Franklin Oil Com- pany. His identification with these large corporations indicate his business capacity. In January, 1902, Mr. Downing was married to Juanita Oldham, who was born at Kansas City, Missouri, and they have two children, viz : William, born June 6, 1893, and Mignon, born March 8, 1898. Fraternally, Mr. Downing is a Mason, and is past master of Siloam Lodge, No. 225, A. F. & A. M. He is also one of the directors of the Topeka Club. Mr. Downing is one of the city's wide-awake and progressive men, active in support of public enterprises, a factor in shaping business and social life, and a citizen whose influence is felt on every side. In manner he is unostentatious and courteous and he is held in very high esteem. In financial circles his careful, conservative attitude is known and it adds strength to the bank with which he is so prominently identified. EARLY WHITTEN POINDEXTER. Early Written Poindexter^ who has control of the general agency of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wis- consin, for Kansas, with offices in the Real Estate Building at Topeka, has had many years of experience in the insurance field, both in Indiana and in Kansas. Mr. Poindexter was born in Martin County, Indiana, January 8, 1854, and is a son of Christian and Lourinda Poindexter. The parents of Mr. Poindexter were natives of Tennessee, but they settled in Indiana prev- ious to the birth of our subject. Early W. Poindexter attended the district schools of Martin County and for two years enjoyed the advantages offered in the spring terms of school at Bedford. He began teaching school at the age of 17 and in this way provided the means for several years attendance at the Indiana Univer- sity, where he was graduated with the class of 1879. For some succeeding years he continued in the educational field, serving one year as superintendent of the schools of Shoals, Indiana, then accepting a similar position at Bloom- field and subsequently becoming principal of the Bloomfield Normal School. In September, 1863, Mr. Poindexter moved to Vincennes, Indiana, and entered into the insurance business, taking charge for the New York Life CAPT. FREDERICK MARIUS KIMBALL AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 383 Insurance Company of the district agency of Southwestern Indiana, where he met with much success. Two years later he entered into a contract with the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the general agencv of the State of Kansas, and assumed control in March, 1885. He closed up the old agency at Leavenworth on the first of the fol- lowing May and opened his office at Topeka. The Northwestern had been regularly represented by a general agent in the State for over 20 years pre- viously, and when Mr. Poindexter took charge there was a business upon the books of the company representing $23,000 in annual premiums. That by 1905 the business represented nearly 25 times as much as it did in 1884 tells its own story, — a story of enterprise and progression that reflects the greatest credit upon Mr. Poindexter. It must be very gratifying for him to note the annual receipts growing from $23,000 to $565,000, the amount reached in 1905. Mr. Poindexter was married December 24, 1879, to Mollie Hattfield, of Owensburg, Greene County, Indiana, and they have four sons and three daughters, viz: Clarence H., Urban H., Marian H., Early W., Jr., Mildred H., Helen H. and Mary L. For many years Mr. Poindexter has been active in Masonic circles, being a Knight Templar, a 33rd degree Mason and a member of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also past grand patron of the Order of the Eastern Star. Mr. Poindexter is recognized as one of Topeka's most substantial citi- zens, one who is progressive in affairs of church and school and also in all other organizations promising benefit to the city. CAPT. FREDERICK MARIUS KIMBALL. Capt. Frederick Marius Kimball, secretary of the Aetna Building & Loan Association, of Topeka, and one of the city's valued and esteemed resi- dents, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, belongs to one of the old and dis- tinguished families of America, and one which has been identified with its mili- tary history. In tracing the Kimball side of our subject's ancestry, we find that the family was founded by two brothers, Richard and Henry Kimball, probably living in Ipswich, England, whence they embarked on April 10, 1634, in the good ship "Elizabeth," of which William Andrews was master, evidently a good seaman as he safely landed his passengers at Boston, Massachusetts. Richard Kimball, from whom our subject's line descended, was a Puritan. 384 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY He settled at Watertown, where, with his family and others of like religious sentiments, he assisted in the laying of foundations of a social life which has given to other sections, particularly the West, a large majority of their notable men. Richard Kimball left England when that country was in the throes of revolution, when the conflict between the Established Church and the Puritans was at its height, at the time when the principles of civil rights and religious liberty were struggling for existence. Richard Kimball was evidently a man of affairs. We learn that he was proclaimed a freeman in 1635 and was a proprietor in 1636-37. Soon after this date he was invited to remove to Ipswich where the village needed a competent wheelwright, and he accepted the offer and spent the remainder of his years at that place. The town granted him a home lot on February 23, 1637, and he was also granted 40 acres of land. Among the commoners of Ipswich he is mentioned frequently in the records. On March i, 1645, he was appointed one of seven selectmen. In January, 1649, permission was given him to fell such white oaks as he had need in order to follow his trade, and in 1652 he was one of the appraisers of the estate of John Cross, one of the earliest settlers of Ipswich. Thus he is seen to have been a man of industry and integrity, a worthy progenitor of a long and hon- orable line. His birth probably took place at Rattlesden, Suffolk, England, and his death at Ipswich, Massachusetts, when full of years. He was twice married, his second union being on October 2^, 1661, to Margaret, the widow of Henry Dow, of Hampton, New Hampshire. II. Benjamin Kimball, of the second generation, son of Richard Kim- ball, the founder, was born in 1637 and died June 11, 1695. At Salisbury, Massachusetts, in April, 1661, he married Mercy Hazeltine, who was born August 16, 1642, and died January 5, 1707 or 1708. III. Richard Kimball, son of Benjamin, and of the third generation, was born December 30, 1665, and died January 10, 171 1. On September 6, 1692, he married Mehitable Day, who was born January 26, 1669. IV. Benjamin Kimball, son of Richard, of the fourth generation, was bom at Bradford, Massachusetts, July 11, 1695, and died in 1752. On Feb- ruary 17, 1719, he married Priscilla , who was born at Haverhill, Massachusetts, November 25, 1698, and died in November, 1782. V. Deacon John Kimball, son of Benjamin, and of the fifth genera- tion, was born at Bradford, Massachusetts, February 5, 1738 or 1739, and died at Concord, New Hampshire, December 31, 1817. On November 23, 1765, he married Anna Ayer, daughter of Samuel and Ann (Hazen) Ayer, who was born at Haverhill, Massachusetts, October 3, 1740, and died in March, 1819. Deacon John Kimball lived on the homestead at Bradford, Massachusetts, until his marriage and then moved with his bride to Concord, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. • 385 New Hampshire, a great journey in those days. He lived in Concord on the place now occupied by Samuel S. Kimball. He united with the church at Bradford at the age of 18 and during a period of 30 years was absent but once from public worship. Clergymen were always welcomed at his home and he was their valued friend. For 29 years he was an officer in the church and this was in the days when a churchman's walk and conversation were much more closely criticised than in our more liberal days. In his wife he found a true and loving companion through 50 years of wedded life. In 1769 she united with the church at Concord. They both loved the House of God and Deacon John Kimball remembered the Concord church in his will. VI. Judge John Kimball, of the sixth generation, a son of Deacon John Kimball and the grandfather of our subject, was born at Concord, New Hampshire, October 3, 1769, and died at Barton, Vermont, May 9, 1844. He was married December 6, 1792, to Eunice White, who was born at Strat- ford, Vermont, September 26, 1770, and died May 24, 1840. When of age he settled on wild land in Vershire, Vermont, but returned after the birth of his first child to Concord where he remained until 1801, when he went to Barton, where our subject was born. He served as town clerk and justice continuously from 1803 to 1842 and was frequently a selectman. In 1807- 8-9 he was a Representative and in 1820 he was elected judge of probate. He held the latter office for 10 years, and later was assistant judge in the County Court. He was one of the 18 founders of the Congregational Church at Barton, in 181 7, of which church he was an influential member and effi- cient officer. VII. Frederick White Kimball, of the seventh generation, a son of Judge John Kimball and the father of our subject, was born at Barton, Ver- mont, January 7, 1805, and died at Glover, Vermont, December 2, 1872. He was married in 1835 to Mrs. Mary (Hinman) Chadwick, a widow with two daughters, — Ann and Martha. She was a kind and loving mother and died November 17, 1891. When gold was discovered in California, Mr. Kimball left the farm and in 1850 he went, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, to the "Golden" State, having comfortably settled his wife and children at Glover. During the next four and a half years he suffered many hardships both by sea and land, but returned safely home in 1854, having secured a comfortable supply of gold but broken in health. Subsequently he took an active part in the affairs of town and county and in 1855 he was elected a justice of the peace, an office he held for 17 years. He was a trial justice and very seldom were any of his decisions reversed by a higher court. In 1870 he was a member of the State Constitutional Convention. All through his life he 386 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY was a shrewd business man, a highly respected citizen and one who held the confidence and esteem of his fellow townsmen. In the eighth generation we reach the esteemed subjct of this biography, Capt. Frederick Marius Kimball, who was born at Barton, Vermont, June 14, 1840. He was educated at the Orleans Liberal Institute, at Glover, Ver- mont, taught school for several winters and then entered upon the study of the law. Before finishing his legal course, however, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, on October 15, 1861, entering Company D, Sixth Reg., Vermont Vol. Inf., at Montpeher, and immediately was hurried with his comrades to the seat of war. During the following winter the Sixth Regiment was quartered at Camp Griffin, Virginia, and was brigaded with four other Vermont regiments, this combination afterward becoming dis- tinguished, the "Old Vermont Brigade" making a record second to no other organization in the entire army, this reputation being gained through its individual gallantry. Captain Kimball participated in 25 battles, and was twice wounded. He entered the service as a private and was mustered out a captain. He took part in these great engagements : Lee's Mills, Wil- liamsburg, Golding's Farm, Savage Station, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Harrison's Landing, Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, both battles at Fredericksburg, Maryus Heights, Bank's Ford, Gettysburg and Funktown, besides many minor engagements and skirmishes. From early in 1863 he was in command of his company, to which rank personal bravery had promoted him, and in all its subsequent movements he was its leader. He was wounded at Bank's Ford on May 4, 1863, and again, very severely, at Funkstown, Maryland, July 10, 1863, and from the effects of the latter injury he has never recovered entirely. His experiences on both of these occasions were thrilling in the extreme and their recital must afford interest to all those who admire courage and valor. At Bank's Ford, when his regiment charged Early's assaulting col- umns, the enemy was thrown into great confusion by the unexpected attack, broke and ran, hotly pursued by the Sixth Vermont, with fixed bayonets. Captain Kimball's belt-plate turned a minnie ball and thus saved his life, but in glancing ofif wounded him slightly in the arm. The regiment captured over 400 prisoners in this charge, and one Confederate captain surrendered his sword and the remnant of his company to Captain Kimball, after having been shot through the face. The prisoners threw down their muskets and we're left in charge of several privates and ordered to the rear. Captain Kim- ball had only turned to go forward when a Confederate, who had surrendered, picked up a gun from the ground and was in the very act of shooting him when his movement was discovered by Sergeant Cleveland, of Captain Kim- ball's company, who was still quicker with his gun and shot the Rebel. After AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 387 his wound at Funkstown, he continued to direct the movements of his com- pany until his boot was full of blood. The wound was a serious one and after this he was never able to perform field service, receiving his honorable discharge by order of the Secretary of War, October 22, 1863. Within a week of his discharge, Captain Kimball was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the Veteran Reserve Corps, by President Lincoln, and from this time until the close of the war he performed post and garrison duties at various points, a portion of the time at Brattleboro and St. Albans, Vermont. For meritorious conduct he received several promotions, again reaching the rank of captain. After the close of the war he was assigned to duty in the Freedman's Bureau and was stationed in Virginia as superintendent of several counties, with headquarters at Lawrenceville. The four years of his service in this difficult and trying position make a history of themselves. The men who accepted these posts had to bear insult and injury almost beyond belief and with courage had also to be equipped with tact, judgment and a thorough knowledge of existing conditions. What was hard to bear was the fact that his family were also subject to insult and ostracism. His noble wife cheer- fully bore it all and not only gave him added courage by her loving sympathy, but at least on one occasion saved his life. Captain Kimball had supervision of the registrations and elections, a dangerous mission, only less so than the organizing and sustaining of the colored schools. Those old days of bitter feeling have mainly passed away in the general prosperity and mutual aims of the reunited country, but those who were entrusted with official duties and faithfully performed them as did Captain Kimball, can scarcely forget those strenuous years, nor should their fellow-citizens. The Freed- men's Bureau expired by hmitation of law, January i, 1869, and at that time Captain Kimball received an honorable discharge after an unbroken service of over seven years. Captain Kimball was chosen a delegate from the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia to the Republican National Convention that met at Chicago, May 20, 1868, and assisted in nominating General Grant for the presidency. He was a candidate for State Senator and was urged by his friends to run for Congress, but this honor he declined on account of his youth and want of legislative experience. He accepted other honors, how- ever, and served under the appointment of General Stoneman, Provisional Governor of Virginia, as clerk of the County and Circuit courts of Bruns- wick County, an office he held for six months. As a business opening for him appeared in the West, he put aside political aspirations, resigned his offices in Virginia, and in September, 1869, removed to Cameron, Missouri. For some years after removing to Missouri, Captain Kimball was suc- cessfully engaged in mercantile pursuits, but a man of his force of character 388 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and enlightenment and progressive spirit could not be hidden in the commercial life of the city, and from being elected a member of the City Council he became acting mayor and in 1884 was appointed postmaster. He officiated in this office until a change of administration caused a change in this office. The succeeding four years were spent pleasantly in Colorado, where Captain Kimball engaged in dealing in real estate, but in the fall of 1890 he again "took up his residence at Cameron. Two years later, in July, 1892, he came to Topeka. Since then his whole time has been employed in the interests of the Aetna Building & Loan Association, of which he is the secretary. The Aetna Building & Loan Association was organized in October, 1 89 1, with Byron Roberts as president. The first officers were: Byron Roberts, president and treasurer; John Guthrie, vice-president; J. W. Hamil- ton, chairman; F. M. Kimball, secretary; David Overmyer, counselor; and A. B. Quinton, attorney. The present board of directors is composed of these capitalists : Byron Roberts, A. B. Quinton, H. M. Steele, J. F. Carter and F. M. Kimball. The association began business on January i, 1892, and Captain Kimball entered upon his duties as secretary in July, 1892. On September 27, 1863, Captain Kimball was married to Susannah Hoyt, who is a daughter of Joseph and Mary Vinal (Perry) Hoyt, the latter of whom was a daughter of Anthony and Submit (Wheatley) Perry. Sub- mit Wheatley was a daughter of Nathaniel and Vinal (Bliss) Wheatley. Nathaniel Wheatley was born at Norwich, Connecticut; May 21, 1752, and died at Brookfield, Vermont, July 26, 1824. He was a son of John and Sub- mit (Peck) (Cooke) Wheatley. In the Revolutionary War Nathaniel Wheatley was a member of a New Hampshire regiment under the command of Col Jonathan Chase, and he was at Ticonderoga and Saratoga, in 1776- •jj. The family records on Captain Kimball's side date as far back as 1595 and on Mrs. Kimball's side to 1634, and four great-grandfathers in the Revolution establish very completely the claims of Mrs. Kimball and daugh- ter to membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. Captain and Mrs. Kimball had four children, viz : Carl Willis, born August 26, 1867, a graduate of the Cameron High School and St. James Military Academy at Macon, Missouri, who entered into business in 1890 at Pittsburg, Pennsyl- vania, and in 1893 connected himself with the Austin Kimball Company, of New York; Mary Gertrude, born at Cameron, Missouri, May 9, 1870, de- ceased December 11, 1870; Claude Frederick, born at Cameron, Missouri, May 27, 1873; and Maude Louise Inez, born at Cameron, Missouri, Decem- ber 22, 1877. The family belong to the Congregational Church. In addition to being a Son of the American Revolution, Captain Kimball is a Knight Templar Mason and enjoys membership in the higher branches of the order, and is a member of Lincoln Post, No. i, G. A. R., at Topeka. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 389 He was commander for three consecutive terms of Joe Hooker Post, G. A. R., at Cameron, Missouri. He has become thoroughly identified with Topeka and her interests and in him the city recognizes a liberal-minded, progressive citizen, who is justly entitled to the universal esteem in which he is held. 4 1 » WILLIAM P. SNYDER. William P. Snyder^ deceased, for many years a prominent agricul- turist of Shawnee County, had a farm in section 2, township 13, range 13, in Dover township. He was a man of high character and stability, and his death which occurred on July 27, 1898, in the 70th year of his age, was mourned as a loss to the community. Mr. Snyder was born at Washington, Fayette County, Ohio, October 8, 1828, and was a son of John and Malinda (Campbell) Snyder, being one ■of three children, all now deceased. The father was born in Virginia, March 31, 1802, and died May 27, 1840, and the mother, who was a native of Kentucky, died in the 84th year of her age. They were pioneer settlers in Fayette County, Ohio, where they lived throughout the latter part of their lives. William P. Snyder lived on the old homestead in Ohio until 1869, in which year he came West to Kansas, bringing his wife and four children. He preempted the farm in section 2, township 13, range 13, in Dover town- ship, where his widow now lives, consisting of 149 52-100 acres, mostly xinder cultivation. He made all of the improvements on this place, build- ing a good substantial residence and numerous necessary outbuildings. He "was a man of public spirit, and took a deep interest in all that concerned the prosperity and welfare of his home community. In 1855 ^^- Snyder was united in marriage with Matilda Denious, a ■daughter of Isaac and Harriet (Coffman) Denious. Isaac Denious was born in Virginia, where his father was a large slave-owner ; because of his aversion to slavery, he was forced to leave home and was disinherited. He moved North to- Dublin, Franklin County, Ohio, where he lived the remainder of liis life and where he was united in marriage with Harriet Coffman. She "was a daughter of Henry Coffman, who was a soldier in the War of 1812. Her mother, Margaret (Sells) Coffman, was born in Pennsylvania and was related to the noted showmen, the Sells brothers. Mrs. Snyder was but "five years of age when her mother died, and two years later her father was also called to the unknown beyond, leaving three children, as follows : Ma- tilda; Elizabeth, wife of A. P. Herman, of Kansas City; and Henry Clark 390 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Denious, who served in the First Regiment, Ohio Vol. Cav., during the Civil War and is now a resident of Fayette County, Ohio. After the death of her parents, Mrs. Snyder lived with her maternal grandparents until her marriage in 1855. As a result of her union with Mr. Snyder, four children were born in Ohio and one in Kansas, namely : Cary, deceased, who married Henrietta E. Beach and had two children, — Ray, deceased, and William P., who is attending Washburn College; Earl, living in Colorado, who married Lily Smith and has a daughter, Olive, the wife of Henry Billings, of Colorado; Harriet married Joseph Flicking, who was born in Ohio and now lives in Kansas City, Missouri; Ray, who conducts a farm and grist mill, married Sarah Riley of Ohio and has three children, — Christa, Tillie and Margaret ; and Jennie,, born in Kansas, who married Floyd Ross. Mrs. Snyder still resides on the old homestead in Dover township, Shawnee County, and is surrounded by many friends, whom she has known during her long residence here. She is possessed of womanly attributes and is loved by all who know her. ANSEL E. DICKINSON. Ansel E. Dickinson, one of the leading citizens of Soldier township, Shawnee County, who resides in section 3, township 10, range 16, on his fine farm of 340 acres, was born May 21, 1845, in Portage County, Ohio, and is a son of Stoddard and Lucy (Hine) Dickinson. The father of Mr. Dickinson was born in 1799 in Massachusetts, located in Ohio after his marriage and died there in 1873, aged 74 years. The mother was born in 1807 in Connecticut and died in 1895, aged. 88 years. They reared eight children, of whom four are now living, namely : Truman B., who conducts an insurance business at Ravena, Ohio; George W., a farmer at Shalersville, Ohio; Adelaide, who is the wife of Luman Colton, a retired farmer of Ionia, Michigan; and Ansel E., of this sketch. Our subject was educated in the common schools of his native locality, at Hiram Academy and spent two years at Hiram College. Then after teach- ing school in Ohio for two years he came to Kansas in 1868, when 23 years old. Here he bought land and continued to teach school. Mr. Dickinson taught 16 years in Kansas, 12 years of these being spent in three different schools, four years each, which is considered quite a record for country schools of that time. In 1880 he added a second quarter-section to the one he had previously purchased and since then has devoted his attention to cultivating it and to stock-raising. His land was all wild and uncleared when he pur- HON. WINFIELD AUSTIN SCOTT BIRD » 9 , AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 393 chased it but he has developed it into a very fine ■farm, devoting 200 acres to farming and the remainder to pasture and fruit. His annual yield of apples averages 1,200 barrels. Mr. Dickinson has a very attractive home, its location being on a gentle eminence, reached from the highway by an avenue shaded by beautiful trees. He Utilizes modern machinery and has his own system of water-works, opetated by air pressure, and thus is able to enjoy the luxuries of a city home. Mr. Dickinson was married March 3, 1873, to Eleanor C. Arnold, who was a daughter of Shailor S. and Elizabeth (Cooley) Arnold, of Jefferson County. Mrs. Dickinson died March 23, 1900, aged 51 years. They had three children, viz : Eda A., who married Clayton Casler, a clerk in the employ of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, and has two children, — Beulah and Louisa; Walter, who married Grace Shaffer, daughter of John I. Shaffer and resides with his father; and Josephine A., who also lives at home. Mr. Dickinson is a Republican. He has served many years in school offices and has been a .member of the examining board. His interest has always been lively in agricultural affairs and he is a member of Muddy Creek Grange, of which he is lecturer and ex-master. He was for two years assistant in the right-of-way department of the Santa Fe road. HON. WINFIELD AUSTIN SCOTT BIRD. Hon. Winfield Austin Scott Bird, member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 38th District, and one of the leading attorneys of Topeka, whose portrait is shown on the opposite page, is recognized as one of the prominent and useful men of the "Sunflower" State. Mr. Bird was born August 31, 1855, in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and is the seventh mem- ber of a family of 13 children born to his parents, Archibald and Elizabeth Ann (Heilman) Bird. Mr. Bird was reared on a farm in Somerset County and attended the public schools until the age of 16 years when he entered a Normal School. After completing a course of six months, he began to teach school, first in Pennsylvania and later at Fall City, Nebraska. His study of the law was prosecuted under many discouraging conditions but he finally was prepared for his examinations and was admitted to the bar, at Fall City, September 8, 1880. On the 28th of the same month he came to Topeka, where he has been located ever since, practicing his profession alone, with the exception of one year, during which time he was in partnership with L. S. Ferry. He was 10 394 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY ambitious and soon entered into politics, making himself felt in this field as he had already done in his profession. In 1887 he was appointed city at- torney of Topeka, served two years as such and then served six subsequent years by election on the Republican ticket. In the fall of 1904 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives, leading the ticket by more than J, 800 votes. Mr. Bird's record in the House of Representatives is a remarkable one and shows very conclusively his deep interest in public affairs and his fidelity to the people who have placed important trusts in his hands as a legislator. He introduced 43 bills, three more than any other member, and 26 of these, •either in the original bills or the committee substitutes, or submitted Senate bills, passed the Senate and are now laws. The most important may be ■enumerated : Bill authorizing the city of Topeka to lay water mains across the State Hospital grounds, by which the city may remove its water mains from all ■danger from floods of the river. Bill appropriating $28,500 for the Boys' Industrial School north of the •city. Bill appropriating $10,000 for rebuilding the north and south approaches and steps to the State Capitol, and $10,000 for paving the walks and drives in Capitol Square. Bill providing for boards of control of public utilities in cities of the :first and second classes. Mr. Bird was a member of the conference committee on the part of the House that secured the appropriation for the Old Soldiers' Home at Dodge •City. As chairman of the committee on cities of the first class, he wrote the substitute bill which provides that when a voter registers, he shall not ~be required to register again so long as he does not move, and continues to vote at each subsequent election. As will be seen Mr. Bird's energies are directed along practical lines and the bills he has advocated and intro- duced are all of a public-spirited nature, showing careful and thoughtful con- .sideration of the district's welfare. On March 21, 1883, Mr. Bird was united in marriage with a daughter •of Sydney Dodge, of Hiawatha, Kansas. Mrs. Bird is a member of the Congregational Church, of which he is an attendant. They are prominent in the social life of the city, being the dispensers and recipients of much "hospitality. Since 1883 Mr. Bird has been a member of the Bar Association of the State of Kansas and is also a member of the Shawnee County Bar Associa- tion. His offices are located at No. 601 Kansas avenue, Topeka. Mr. Bird's fraternal connections are numerous and important. He is AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 395 a 32nd degree Mason, member of the various branches of the Scottish Rite; is past exalted ruler of the order of Elks ; past grand chancelor of the Supreme Lodge of the Knights of Pythias ; a member of the Shawnee Tribe, No. 14, Improved Order of Red Men, of which he is the present great senior sagamore of the United States, attending every session of the above order in his State since 1890 and every one in the United States since 1895; ^"d for the past 25 years he has been a member of Shawnee Lodge, No. i, I. O. O. F. Socially he is connected with the Lake View Shooting and Fishing Associa- tion. Although Mr. Bird has met with gratifying success and has attained an enviable position, he owes little to outside influence. What he is he has made himself, climbing from humble positions — farm boy, lumber worker and railroad section hand — to the elevation secured through his own abilities. To have thus succeeded, in the face of the fierce competition of modern days, is something to induce a measure of justifiable pride. HENRY S. ALLEN. Henry S. Allen, one of the leading builders and contractors of Topeka, which city has been his home since 1869, was born at Zanesville, Ohio, March 23, 1837, and is a son of George and Marian (Parkman) Allen. The father of Mr. Allen was born and reared at Bristol, England, where he contracted his first marriage. After coming to America, he married Ma- rian Parkman, who was also born at Bristol and came to America in child- hood. Our subject was reared at Zanesville and was educated in Putnam, across the Muskingum River from Zanesville, now the Ninth Ward of that city. When 16 years old he was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade, for which he had a natural faculty, and was following the same when the Civil War descended upon the land. He was one of the first to oi¥er his services and was assigned to Company E, Third Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., in which he gallantly served until disabled by a serious wound in the foot at the battle of Prairieville. An honorable discharge followed and he returned home, but, in 1863, when Morgan was raiding Ohio, Mr. Allen again turned out in his country's defense. He reenlisted, entering Company B, 159th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., recruiting the company and being placed in command. He partici- pated in the battles of Rich Mountain, West Virginia, and Frederick, Mary- land, and then the iS9th was stationed at Baltimore. Mr. Allen was one of 396 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY the members of a scouting expedition under command of the late Gen. Lew Wallace, for whom he always entertained great regard. After his return from the field, he was elected lieutenant-colonel of his regiment, Colonel Munson having retired. In 1858 Mr. Allen had made a visit to Kansas but took up his residence in Missouri and remained there until the fall of i860, when he left Kansas City and returned to Ohio to become one of the soldiers in his native State. In 1869 he returned to Kansas and in July, 1869, he built a home on the corner of Sixth avenue and Fillmore street, Topeka. Later he removed to his present beautiful home at No. 336 Woodlawn avenue, Potwin. He has been identified with the building development of this beautiful suburb ever since, much of its improvement coming directly under his care and superin- tendence. He accompanied the engineer in laying out the parks, placing the stakes for trees and beautifying the addition of Potwin. He built the first house on Woodlawn avenue, opposite his own residence, for Mr. Potwin. Four years later another modern residence was built, which was then the beginning of something like a "boom." Now 450 voters have delightful homes in this jnost aristocratic suburb of Topeka, and many of these Mr. Allen has constructed, among these being the palatial residences of W. M. Forbes, Mrs. Burlingame and Mr. Kent. His work is to be found in all sec- tions of Topeka, particularly in residence districts. He has been delegated by the First Baptist Church as superintendent of the construction of their new edifice opposite the State House. Mr. Allen married Katie Nesbaum. They have no children. Both have long been very devoted workers in the religious circles of the city. Mr. Allen has been a member of the First Baptist Church for the past 35 years and is one of its board of trustees. Fraternally, he is a Mason. He is a mem- ber of Lincoln Post, No. i, G. A. R., of Topeka. MAJ. WILLIAM SIMS. Maj. William Sims, president of the First National Bank, of Topeka, financier, capitalist, statesman, soldier and agriculturist, has had a life of more than usual interest and occupies a position of prominence and honor in the capital city. He was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, May 22, 1831, and is a son of Mahlon and Maria Sims. Major Sims comes of French-Irish ancestry. His parents were farmers of comfortable estate in Ohio and he grew up on a farm, becoming so thor- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 397 ouglily interested in agriculture that he has been a farmer to greater or less degree all his life. In his native county he attended the common schools and at the opening of the Civil War was one of the prosperous young farmers of his locality. In March, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company G, 32nd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and was promoted to a sergeancy. He was then detailed by the Governor as a recruiting officer, and, while so engaged, his regiment was captured at Harper's Ferry. He reported to Governor Todd that he had 40 men. With these as a nucleus he raised a full company, which became Company A, Ninth Reg., Ohio Vol. Cav. Upon the organization of the I St battalion of the regiment, he became captain of his company. A year later he was promoted to the rank of major and served as such until he resigned on account of disability. His military record reflected credit upon his loyalty and faithfulness as soldier, both as private and as officer. He is a valued member of Lincoln Post, No. i, Grand Army of the Republic, of Topeka. In the spring of 1868, Major Sims removed with his family to De Witt County, Illinois, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits for four years, and then, in the spring of 1872, he came to Shawnee County, Kansas. He settled on a farm in Mission township, Indian reservation land, where there had been scarcely any improvement and where very few settlers had yet located. Topeka, seven miles away, seemed much farther on account of the unimproved condition of the country, no system of good roads at that time having been established. Major Sims converted this into a beautiful rural home and a valuable farm, combining fruit-growing with stock-raising, always making a feature of the latter industry. About 1884 Major Sims became a resident of Topeka, turning his farm- ing interests over to his son, John B. Sims. He has always been active in political and public life and in 1877 he was elected to the State Senate from this district and, by appointment, filled out the unexpired term of State Treasurer James Hamilton, who resigned. In January, 1882, he was elected secretary of the State Board of Agriculture and served in that office for the succeeding six years. He served many years as master of the Kansas State Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and has shown his interest in and sympathy with agricultural afifairs all over the State. As president of one of the largest and most substantial financial institutions of Kansas, he has also become favorably known for his careful, conservative management. Major Sims was married in Muskingum County, Ohio, to Hannah A. Richey, who is a daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Jackson) Richey, old residents of Hopewell township, Muskingum County. They had two chil- dren, one of whom is deceased. John B. Sims, our subject's son, resides on the homestead and carries on the large operations in progress there. He 398 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY married Josephine McCracken and they have three children : John B., Jr., Eleanor and Dorothy. Politically, Major Sims is a Republican. For 40 years he has been an Odd Fellow. WALTER L. BATES. Walter L. Bates, a well-known, representative citizen of Topeka, who is known all over the State as the successful breeder of White Plymouth Rock and White Wyandotte poultry, has been a resident of this city since 1868. He was born at Alliance, Ohio, April 8, 1859, and is a son of George Petti- bone and Oresta (Roberts) Bates. The late George Pettibone Bates was a leading citizen of Shawnee County for a number of years. He was born January 10, 1825, in South- ampton, Massachusetts, and was educated in the common schools. His father was a manufacturer of woolen goods in Massachusetts, and when the family subsequently migrated to Ohio, he was wont to say that the most conspicuous part of the wagon loaded with family goods was the great dye kettle used in the woolen factory. The Bates family settled in Trumbull County, Ohio, and there George P. worked for a time at cabinet-making, but the mercantile spirit was strong within him and he gave up the trade and started out on the road with a wagon, selling Yankee notions through the rural districts. When he had accumu- lated enough capital, he opened a store at what was then known as Freedom, near Alliance, and later, when the first railroad, the old Pittsburg & Fort Wayne, was built through, he removed to Alliance. Here he was engaged in a mercantile business for the next 20 years. In 1868 he came to Topeka, with the intention of opening a store here, but at the outset was hampered on account of lack of store room. The bulk of the business houses were then located on Kansas avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets. Finally he obtained possession of a room on the west side of Kansas avenue, where he remained until he secured the building later occupied by Rogers Brothers, but after a season he moved back to the west side of the street and bought the property, which is now utilized by W. F. Weber as a grocery. Several years later, with Norris L. Gage, he erected a double building between Fifth street and Sixth avenue and moved his mercantile stock into it. Mr. Bates had almost as much trouble when he came to Topeka in finding a suitable place of residence. He settled his family in the Gordon House, on Fourth street and Kansas avenue, where they remained until he finally secured the second floor of the residence of Guilford G. Gage, at No. 408 VanBuren street. He then bought a residence on VanBuren street, and a few years later AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 399 purchased one on Topeka avenue and still later he erected a handsome resi- dence on Topeka avenue, where he passed his declining years. Mr. Bates continued in the mercantile business until his health failed and he was obliged to change his occupation. For some years he was associated with Henry Taylor in a loan business, which was transacted in a building on. Kansas and Sixth avenues that they purchased of James M. Spencer. Later Mr. Bates bought Mr. Taylor's interest and the property now belongs to the Bates estate. Although the years were beginning to weigh heavily on him physically, his faculties were vigorous and his judgment was as good as in youth. About this time he entered into a large land deal with an old Ohio friend, Bradford Miller. They had bought 40 acres east of the Santa Fe shops, and Mr. Miller platted the east one-half and Mr. Bates platted the west one-half. They retained this land for 20 years. In May, 1887, George P. Bates, C. W. Jewell, Noah C. McFarland and H. S. Fairfield, the last named of Alma, platted and laid out the town of McFarland, in Wabaunsee County, Kansas. Mr. Bates' last business enterprise was the building of the structure which now stands on the corner of Sixth avenue and Jackson street, known as the Bates Block. During this period his health, already impaired, failed rapidly and one year later, on November 17, 1903, he passed away, at his home on Topeka avenue, aged 78 years. The mother of our subject still survives. She was born December 26, 1826, and became the mother of three children, two of whom died in infancy. After the death of her husband, she removed to the home of her only son, our subject, and is a beloved and venerated member of the family. George P. Bates was a Master Mason, a member of Orient Lodge, No. 51, A. F. & A. M., to which his son also belongs. He was one of the leading members of the Congregational Church for years and was one of its deacons. Walter L. Bates was educated in the public schools of Topeka, coming here with his parents when nine years of age. After completing his education, he engaged in mercantile pursuits until 1890, when he closed out his interests and entered into business with his father. Always a lover of flowers, he engaged in the florist business for some eight years and built several large greenhouses at Auburndale. This was very congenial as his tastes have always been in the direction of rural occupations, as may be seen in the great success which has attended his poultry business. With him this is a recrea- tion, carried on with enthusiasm and ambition. In 1904 he erected a commo- dious home at No. 1832 Park avenue, one block from the car line, where he has five acres; a large part of the ground is given up as an ample range for his choice birds. Mr. Bates' beautiful home, known as "Elmwold,' is a very interesting place to visit, not only on account of the cordiality of its owner, but also because of the fine poultry shown here. 400 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Mr. Bates has taken so much interest in the fascinating occupation of raising and displaying fancy poultry that there is little connected with it which has escaped his attention. Some four years since he constructed a brooder and has since, on several occasions, improved on it, and this he uses in his own yards and has put upon the market. These brooders possess every desirable quality to be expected in constructions of this kind; with one of these inventions, no poultry raiser is at the mercy of the old-fashioned, oft-times recalcitrant mother hen. Mrs. Bates is equally interested with her husband and has a distinct department of the business as her own. On the i8th of April, 1883, Mr. Bates was married at Milwaukee, Wis- consin, to May E. Merritt, who was born at St. Louis, Missouri. They have four children: George Merritt, William Mortimer, Henry Pennock and Al- bert Jewell. The eldest son bears the name of both paternal and maternal grandparents. The second son also bears a family name, as does the third, while the youngest was named in honor of an old and beloved friend of the Bates family. Prior to the death of his father, our subject had the main management of the latter's business and at his decease, assumed the business responsibili- ties in full. Since 1888 he has been a notary public, but has not been active as a politician. The many business interests to which he succeeded and the management of his feathered pets at "Elmwold," make up a busy life, one which brings adequate enjoyment. THOMAS JAMESON KELLAM. The death of Thomas Jameson Kellam, at his beautiful home on the corner of Western avenue and Huntoon street, Topeka, on February 4, 1896, brought added meaning to the trite expression that "death loves a shining mark." A man endowed with so many personal attractive traits, successful in business, honored by his associates and fellow-citizens and in the enjoy- ment of domestic happiness, surely was entitled to more than 44 years of ex- istence. Such seems the limited human view. Mr. Kellam was born June 15, 1852, at Irasburg, Vermont. Mr. Kellam accompanied his father's family West and located at Chicago, from which city he came to Kansas, in 1870 and engaged with his brother in the cattle business. Later he came to Topeka and filled a position in the Post Office, which he left to enter into business with Henry King in a book and newspaper business. Subsequently he bought Mr. King's interest, and conducted the Kellam book-store for some years. In 1888 the Merchants' DAVID O. CRANE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 403 National Bank was organized, with Mr. Kellam as vice-president, and the Kellam Book & Stationery Company was formed, the employees buying a minority interest and Mr. Kellam continuing to hold a majority of the stock. Mr. Kellam was also a director of the Wichita & Western Railroad Company, a director of the Public Library and of the Topeka Club, and was interested in all that went to make this city worthy of its name of capital. For some 14 years he had been a vestryman in Grace Cathedral. In 1877 Mr. Kellam married Lillie Holliday, who is a daughter of Colo- nel Holliday, of Topeka, and she, with three children, Kurtz, Louise and Katherine, still survives. The son, who was formerly the manager of the Kellam Book & Stationery Company, now resides in Kansas City. The immediate cause of Mr. Kellam's death was from railroad injuries received near Victor, Colorado, on January 17, 1896. For some days hopes of his recovery were entertained, but they proved false. His passing re- moved a man of examplary character, one who took more than a slight interest in art and literature and in all that goes to make up a higher life. His manly attitude, his generous sympathies and his winning courtesy made his personal friends a legion. DAVID O. CRANE. David O. Crane, a well-known citizen of Topeka, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, is superintendent of the Topeka Cemetery, in which capacity he has served continuously since 1884. He was bom at Easton, Pennsylvania, February 12, 1842, and is a son of Franklin L. and Mary Elizabeth (Howell) Crane. Franklin L. Crane was born in the town of East Windsor, Connecticut, January 10, 1808. He was a veteran of the Civil War, serving in Com- pany E, nth Reg., Kansas Vol. Inf., and his son, Franklin L., Jr., served in Company G, Second Reg., Kansas Vol. Inf. His father, David Crane, grandfather of our subject, was a soldier in the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. David O. Crane received his educational training in the public schools of Easton, Pennsylvania, and of Dobb's Ferry, New York, being located at the last named place a period of four years. In 1858, he came West to Topeka, Kansas, where he attended school during the winter of that year, then learned the printer's trade under J. F. Cummings, proprietor of the Topeka Tribune. On May 14, 1861, he enlisted from Shawnee County for the three months' service as musician in Company A, Second Reg., Kansas Vol. Inf., under Capt. Leonard W. Home and Col. Robert B. Mitchell. The 404 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY regiment was recruited during May and was rendezvoused at Lawrence, Kansas. It was mustered in at Kansas City, Missouri, June 20, 1861, and then joined the brigade commanded by Major Sturgis at CHnton, Missouri, which was attached to the division of Brigadier General Lyon near the Osage River at St. Clair, Missouri. Camp was established near Springfield and drilling commenced. The First and Second Kansas regiments were joined under command of General Dietzler, and first underwent fire at Forsythe, Missouri, July 22, 1861. They moved south under General Lyon and on August 2nd engaged and defeated the enemy at Dug Springs, pursuing him to McCulloch's ranch. The enemy fell back to concentrate their columns into one, and the Second Kansas retired to Springfield, where a large and heavy supply train awaited them, it being so unwieldy as to preclude rapid movement without abandoning it. General Lyon determined to attack at daylight on August 10, 1 86 1, Colonel Siegel's artillery opening the engagement of Wilson's Creek, and the Second Kansas supporting Totten's battery and the extreme left. During the first of the battle, which was fought in a corn- field, the regular infantry fell back, the Second Kansas covering the retreat with the aid of the battery, driving the enemy beyond the field. Colonel Mitchell fell wounded, and General Lyon, who had been twice wounded, answered Colonel Mitchell's call to lead the regiment. He had just turned to fulfill the order with the words, "Come on brave men," when he fell, mortally wounded by a bullet in the breast. Lieutenant Colonel Blair assumed com- mand and after six hours of severe fighting received orders to withdraw his command. Feeling it impossible to retire at that crucial moment, he held his ground one hour and a half, when the enemy's fire was utterly silenced and they withdrew. The Second Kansas was the only regiment to keep its line and organization from first to last, but it was at the cost of one-third of its men. At the close of this engagement, the command returned to Spring- field, thence by way of Rolla and St. Louis to Leavenworth, Kansas, where they were mustered out with orders to reorganize. Mr. Crane was honorably discharged October 31, 1861, and reenlisted March 17, 1862, for the three years' service as a private in Company A, Fifth Kansas Vol. Cav., under Capt. William F. Creitz and Col. Powell Clayton. This regiment participated in the engagement at Dry wood, September 2, 1861 ; at Morristown, Missouri, September 17, when Col. Hampton P. Johnson fell; at Osceola, where they attacked the rear of Price's army, routing them. Lieutenant Colonel Clayton assumed command of the regiment in February, 1862, and in May they drove the guerilla band of Coleman out of that section of the country. On July 6th they routed an Arkansas cavalry regiment at Salem, Arkansas, and dur- ing the following winter engaged in skirmishes with the Rebel cavalry near Helena, Arkansas. On May 7, 1863, they joined the expedition of Colonel AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 405 Clayton through the country west and south of Helena, destroying supplies, and on August 15th joined Colonel Steele's Arkansas expedition. On Sep- tember loth they engaged the enemy at Little Rock, and on October 25th were attacked at Pine Bluff by General Marmaduke with 3,000 men and 12 pieces of artillery. Colonel Clayton had opposed to this force but 600 men and nine pieces of artillery. After six hours of action, the Rebels were defeated at all points, leaving the field to Colonel Clayton and his small force of brave men. Mr. Crane was after this battle transferred to Company H, Fifth Reg., Kansas Vol. Cav., with which he served throughout the remainder of the war. He was honorably discharged at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, July 19, 1865, and returned to his home in Topeka. David O. Crane had charge of the Topeka Cemetery from 1868 to 1871, under direction of his father, who had for some years served as its superin- tendent. In the spring of 1871, he moved to Osage, Kansas, where he re- sided until the death of his father, November 17, 1884, since which time he has lived in Topeka and has had charge of the cemetery. Prior to No- vember, 1884, there were 3,857 interments, and at the present time the number aggregates 10,898. On March 3, 1869, Mr. Crane was joined in wedlock with Anna S. Kay, of Topeka, Kansas. Her brother, James T. Kay, served in Company C, 83rd Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf., during the Civil War and was killed in battle. To this union have been born four children, of whom three are now living, as follows: Mary E. (Radcliff) ; Anna S. ; and Franklin L. Fraternally, our subject is a Mason and has taken all the degrees up to and including the 32nd degree ; he is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; Knights of Pythias; Ancient Order of United Workmen; Modern Wood- men of America; Fraternal Aid and other societies. He is a member of Lincoln Post, No. i. Department of Kansas, G. A. R. Mrs. Crane is an active and honorable member of Lincoln Circle, No. i. Ladies of the G. A. R., and she and her daughters are members of Naomi Rebekah Lodge, No. 95, and of the Order of the Eastern Star. A view of the Crane resi- dence is shown on another page of this work. THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK, TOPEKA. The First National Bank of Topeka, one of the leading financial institutions of the State, was organized in 1882, with Thomas Curran as president and J. W. Redden as vice-president. D. A. Moulton was cashier and the directors were: Maj. William Sims, William Wellhouse, W. A. 4o6 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Johnston, T. J. Anderson, W. W. Mansfield, F. L. Stringham, J. D. Burr, George W. Wood, Theodore Curran, J. W. Redden and D. A. Moulton. 0£ the above officers and directors, the only member of the present board (1905) is Maj. William Sims. The present officers of The First National Bank are: Maj. William Sims, president; W. H. Rossington, vice-president; Charles E. Hawley, cashier and C. S. Bowman, assistant cashier. The board of directors is made up of these capitalists : A. A. Robinson, president of the Mexican Central Railway Company; Charles J. Lantry, of the firm of B. Lantry & Sons, contractors; W. H. Rossington, vice-president of the firm of Rossington, Smith & Histed, attorneys; Charles J. Devlin, coal operator; John L. Chris- topher, vice-president of the T. M. & N. Railway Company; Maj. Wilham Sims, president and Charles E. Hawley, cashier. The condition of The First National Bank as rendered in 1883, one year after its organization, was encouraging. The capital was increased from $100,000 to $150,000. In 1888 it climbed to $200,000 and in 1892 it was raised to $300,000. According to the report rendered April 24, 1901, the standing was as follows : RESOURCES. Loans and discounts $486,387 09 Overdrafts 4,496 51 U. S. and other bonds 129,73s Si Real estate 18,000 00 Banking house furniture and fixtures 115,00000 Cash and sight exchange 243,655 29 Redemption fund with U. S. Treasury 2,500 00 LIABILITIES. Capital stock paid in $300,000 00 Surplus and profits 6,025 07 Circulation 50,000 00 Dividends unpaid 40 00 Deposits 643,709 33 Total $999,774 40 Total $999,774 40 The present capital of the bank is the largest of any bank in the city. The report of the business on March 14, 1905, was as follows : RESOURCES. Loans and discounts $1,041,45230 Overdrafts 3,087 06 U. S. Bonds 314,000 00 Other bonds 80,000 00 Real estate 2,741 83 Banking house fixtures, etc. . . 91,250 00 Cash and sight exchange 719,232 70 Redemption fund with U. S. Treasury 15,00000 Total $2,266,763 89 LIABILITIES. Capital stock paid in $300,000 00 Surplus and profits 99,764 76 Circulation 300,000 00 Deposits 1,566,999 13 Total $2,266,763 89 AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 407 In order to note the increase in the volume of business, a comparison made with the statement at the close of business on July 15, 1901, will show that at that time the loans and discounts amounted to $557,624.65, and de- posits, $822,063.02. Much of the prosperity of the institution must be attributed to Cashier Charles E. Hawley, a man of extended business expe- rience. The whole make-up of the bank shows the influence of business experience and large finances. Maj. William Sims, the president, is a finan- cier in whom the public has the greatest confidence. He is a veteran of the Civil War, a native of Ohio. After a term of residence in Illinois, he came to Topeka in 1872. In 1901 W. A. Stephens, treasurer of the T. M. & N. Rail- way Company, was one of the directors but he is not a member of the pres- ent board. CHARLES E. HAWLEY. Charles E. Hawley, cashier of the First National Bank of Topeka, and an enterprising and public-spirited citizen, was born in Saratoga County, New York, in 1850, and is a son of Isaac H. and Jane (Travis) Hawley. The parents of Mr. Hawley were substantial farming people in Saratoga County. The family consisted of seven children, three of the sons and three of the daughters reaching maturity and three sons and one daughter still surviving. Mr. Hawley's boyhood and youth was similar to that of other boys born on a farm. He attended the district school, commencing at four years of age, and a local academy until he was 13 years old and then entered a general store in the capacity of clerk. This he did with an eye to preparing himself for a business career, but he by no means abandoned his books, his evenings and leisure hours being given to improving his mind. The Sara- toga County merchant was also the postmaster and Mr. Hawley assisted in receiving and distributing the mail according to the methods then in use. In 1869 Mr. Hawley came to the great West, locating at Rock Island, Illinois. For eight years he was connected with the First National Bank of Rock Island, entering as bookkeeper and filling positions of trust and sub- sequently becoming teller. After a residence of 17 years in Rock Island, he removed to Kansas and in 1886 came to Topeka. For eight years Mr. Hawley was associated with Edward Wilder, treasurer of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company. In April, 1901, Mr. Hawley became cashier of the First National Bank of Topeka, a position for which he is well equipped on account of his years of thorough business training. Per- sonally, he is a man of affable manner and sincere courtesy, qualities which add 4o8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY much to the furthering of business and are elements in adding to the high regard in which he is held in social and private life. Mr. Hawley was married at Rock island, Illinois, to Ella Merrill, who was born at Providence, Rhode Island, and is a daughter of M. D. and Sarah G. Merrill. They have three children. The family belong to the Fir?t Bap- tist Church of Topeka, of which Mr. Hawley is treasurer. He is one of the leading members of the Young Men's Christian Association. He belongs to the Bankers' Association and in Masonry has taken three degrees. Ever since coming to Topeka to make this city his home, he has taken an in- terested part in its upbuilding and development, and stands as one of its highly considered, representative men. GARY SNYDER. Cary Snyder, who came of a prominent family of Shawnee County, Kansas, was engaged in general merchandising at Dover until his death on September 8, 1899. He is a son of William P. and Matilda (Denious) Snyder. A sketch of his father appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. Snyder was united in the holy bonds of wedlock with Henrietta E. Beach, a daughter of Dr. Samuel E. and Jane (McGregor) Beach. Her father was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, February 22, 1822, and was a son of William K. Beach, a native of Connecticut. Samuel E. Beach accom- panied his parents to Ohio in his early youth, and there received a primary education in the schools of Medina County. He was graduated from the Cleveland Medical College in 1849, ^^'^ immediately engaged in practice in that State. He then located at Appleton, Wisconsin, where he practiced with much success for a period of 10 years. Prior to leaving there, Dr. Beach made a trip to Kansas in 1856, and located a farm of 160 acres in what is now Wabaunsee County, then returned home and continued his practice. In 1856, his father also went to Kansas and located a claim. Dr. Beach also took up his residence on this place in 1858 and so continued until the spring of 1863, when he joined the Union Army as ist assistant surgeon of the Eighth Regiment, Kansas Vol. Inf., Colonel Martin commanding. He was immediately sent to the front, and in the fall of the same year while left in charge of the wounded at Chickamauga was taken prisoner. He was one of the three surgeons who were immediately exchanged, but unfortun- ately died on his way home, at Officers' Hospital No. 2, Nashville, Tennessee. Mrs. Beach was then residing on the old home farm in Kansas, but had his remains sent to Appleton, Wisconsin, for interment, as the railroad facilities AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 409 and connections were very poor in Kansas. Fraternally, he was an Odd Fellow. He was a Republican in politics. Dr. Samuel E. Beach was united in marriage with Jane McGregor, who was born in Scotland and came to America with her parents when four years of age. Her parents, John and Isabelle (Brock) McGregor, were both born at Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland, where John McGregor engaged in school teaching. Upon coming to America, he first taught school in Vermont, then in Canton, Wadsworth and Sharon, Ohio, where he died at 52 years of age. His wife died 15 years later at Canton, aged 67 years. Some 40 years after the death of John McGregor, a number of his early pupils, scattered through- out the United States, erected to his memory a statue made of Scotch granite. In the presence of ,a large number of his early students the monument was unveiled October 21, 1887. John McGregor and his wife reared nine chil- dren, three of whom are now living, as follows : Jane, the widow of Dr. Samuel E. Beach ; John, who is in the wholesale hardware business at Spring- field, Missouri; and Malcolm, who is a lawyer and formerly was a judge at Carthage, Missouri. Mr. McGregor was a Mason and a Woodman. He was a Democrat in politics. Mr. and Mrs. Beach had three children : Hen- rietta E., the wife of our subject; William K. and J. M., the two last named living on the home farm established by their father, to which they have largely added. Mrs. Beach is now 81 years of age, and is living with her daughter, Mrs. Snyder, at Dover, Kansas, in the enjoyment of the best of health. Cary Snyder and his worthy wife became the parents of two sons : Ray, who died in early life; and William P., who is now in attendance at Wash- burn College at Topeka. Mr. Snyder was a man of ability and good business judgment and met with a high degree of success. Mrs. Snyder has many friends in Dover and vicinity, among whom she has lived many years. THEODORE F. KREIPE. Theodore F. Kreipe, one of the leading citizens and large farmers of Tecumseh township, Shawnee County, who owns a fine farm of 330 acres in section 33, township 11, range 17, on the Kaw River, was born December 8, i860, at Big Spring, Douglas County, Kansas, and is a son of Theodore and Gertrude (Deister) (Engelke) Kreipe. Theodore Kreipe, father of our subject, was born December 16, 1828, in Hildesheim, Hanover, Germany, a son of Conrad and Gertrude (Molle) Kreipe. His father died when he was four years old. He attended school until 12 years of age and then hired out to farmers for $13 a year and also 4IO HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY worked one year on the railroad before coming to the United States. In 1848 he came to America with his mother and his two brothers, Frank and Conrad. The family settled in St. Charles County, Missouri, where Mr. Kreipe farmed for several years and then engaged in freighting for the gov- ernment. From 1854 until 1859 he made many trips across the plains to Salt Lake City, Santa Fe and other points. An attack of mountain fever pros- trated him in Platte County, Missouri, where he remained until the spring of i860, when he removed to Douglas County, Kansas, and settled on a farm two miles east of Big Spring. When the State militia were called out to withsitand the invasion of General Price, he enlisted under Col. George W. Veale. Mr. Kreipe remained on his farm of 80 acres in Douglas County until the spring of 1865, when he sold his land there and purchased 160 acres in section 33, township 11, range 17, in Tecumseh township, where he now resides. He owns about 2,000 acres of land, the greater part of which is in this township and in Shawnee County, and he has made all the improvements on the different farms. His present farm he cleared of timber and in 1868 erected the substantial, stone residence and later all the necessary barns and buildings to carry on extensive farming. Mr. Kreipe's remarkable success has been the result of constant industry and good judgment. His business has been farming, grain-growing and stock-raising. He raises a great many hogs and has 150 head of white-faced cattle. Mr. Kreipe is by far the most successful and one of the largest farmers of the county. Politically, he is a Democrat. He belongs to the Catholic Church. Theodore Kreipe was married to Mrs*. Gertrude (Deister) Engelke, who was born in Hanover, January 2, 1826, and died December 9, 1900. The children born to this union were: Theodore F., our subject; George and Mary (twins), the former of whom farms in Tecumseh township and the latter lives at home ; Conrad, of Franklin County, Kansas ; and William, who lives on his father's place. Theodore F. Kreipe came to his present farm in 1865 with his parents and has resided here ever since, following farming. His education was secured in the district schools and his agricultural training was obtained under the guidance of his father. Like the latter, he has been very successful, both in the cultivating of his land and also in the raising of fine stock. He has a handsome residence, which he built in 1904. Mr. Kreipe was married January 19, 1888, to Nettie Busch, who was born March 12, 1868, at Parkville, Missouri, and is a daughter. of John and Gertrude (Kollman) Busch, natives of Germany. They have three children: Edmund, Bessie and Geraldine. The family belong to the Catholic Church at Big Spring. JOHN GREEN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 413 In politics Mr. Kreipe is a Democrat. For the past 12 years he has been one of the township's most efficient school officers and in the fall of 1904 was elected township trustee, an office for which he is well qualified. JOHN GREEN. John Green, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was one of the most prosperous farmers of Mission township, Shawnee County, where he resided from 1869 until his death, September 6, 1903, aged 76 years, lacking five days. Mr. Green was a native of England, having been born in Gloucestershire on the iith day of September, 1827. He emigrated to America when 21 years of age, and for one year was located in Cincinnati, Ohio. He then en- gaged in farming in Union County, Indiana, and still later in Cass County, Michigan, where he remained until 1869. In that year he came West to Shawnee County, Kansas, and homesteaded a claim. He was a man of thrifty habits and untiring energy, and succeeded where others failed in raising crops on new land. He gradually increased his holdings until at the time of his death the home farm consisted of 370 acres, all under cultiva- tion. It is a finely improved place, with a two-story, stone house of nine rooms, which he erected at a cost of $3,500, and a stone barn, 32 by 40 feet in dimensions, which he erected in 1875 ^^ a cost of $1,000. The latter affords shelter for 36 head of stock, and has capacity for 30 tons of hay and considerable grain. In addition to these substantial buildings, Mr. Green built wagon sheds and a granary and a large hay barn 70 feet long, which was constructed of stone and timber. He raised cattle on a very extensive scale and also kept a large number of horses and hogs. The receipts from his sales of cattle often amounted to as much as $1,800 in one year. John Green was united in marriage in 1849 with Mary Diebolt, a daughter of David A. Diebolt, of Union County, Indiana, who was a farmer by occupation and lived to reach the remarkable age of 114 years. Mrs. Green died in 1868 on giving birth to a child, leaving eight children as follows: John A., whose present location is unknown; Perry, an auctioneer of Council Grove, Morris County, Kansas, who married Olive Reveal, a daughter of M. M. Reveal, a blacksmith of Council Grove, and has three children, — Mamie, of Grand Rapids, Edith and Everett Perry; Emma; Charles ; Ellen ; Robert ; George ; and Mary Ann, deceased. Our subject formed a second marital union with Mrs. Philobia LaPoint, widow of Mitchell LaPoint. She was born in Wayne County, Missouri, 20 414 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY December 15, 1818, and lived there until 1852, when she accompanied the family of Benjamin Franklin to Uniontown. She was adopted as one of the Pottawatomie tribe of Indians, and was married to Mitchel La Point, a quarter-blood Indian, to whom was alloted the quarter-section on which the old town stood. She received an allotment of 80 acres in .Shawnee County. She died July 22, 1891, without issue. Mr. Green married, as his third wife, Christina Reinhard. They spent their wedding trip in touring England, leaving this country in April, 1892, and returning home the following August. Mrs. Green died in 1895, leav- ing a son, Herbert Reinhard Green. On April 7, 1896, occurred the fourth marriage of John Green. He was united with Mrs. Augusta Winn, nee Austin, widow of James Winn, of Kentucky, and a daughter of William Austin, who was born in London, England, and upon coming to this country located in Jefiferson County, Missouri, where his daughter Augusta was born. James Winn died at Eureka, Missouri, leaving his widow with three children : James Edward, who lives with his mother; Mary Jane, wife of Harry Sillett, of Utah; and William Silas, who lives on the home farm. Our subject and his wife had one son, Ernest Ray Green, born in 1897. Religiously, Mr. Green was a faithful member of the Methodist Church. He was for many years a Democrat in politics and then joined the Populist party. GEN. JAMES W. F. HUGHES. Gen. James W. F. Hughes, one of Topeka's most prominent citizens. Adjutant General of the State of Kansas by appointment of Governor Hoch, formerly mayor and for years a successful business man, is probably as well- known as any other citizen of Kansas. General Hughes was born at Colum- bia, Tennessee, January 12, i860, and is one of a family of five children torn to A. M. and Mattie (Neill) Hughes. The forebears of General Hughes were of Southern birth for generations. His father was a native of North Carolina and for years was an eminent mem- ber of the bar of Tennessee. General Hughes enjoyed educational advantages and university training, being graduated at the university of his native State in 188 1. In the same year he came to Topeka, with a view of practicing engineering, a profession ■for which he had qualified, and soon became connected with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, remaining with that road until 1895. He then AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 415 embarked in business for himself, opening a retail and wholesale coal busi- ness, in which he has been interested ever since. General Hughes has the record of serving as brigadier general of the Kansas National Guard under the administration of three executives. During this time his career has been filled with responsible and important acts, some of these being matters of State history. For 10 years he was colonel of the Third Regiment, Kansas National Guard. He was in command at the time of the legislative war in 1893 and became a most conspicuous and important figure. At this time two political parties were contending for the mastery. Two bodies had been organized, known as the Douglass (Republican) House, and the Dunsmore (Populist) House, both claiming to be the duly constituted House of Representatives of the State of Kansas. Both bodies were in session in the same hall and endeavoring to transact public business. Governor Lewelling, the executive, a Populist, was in sympathy with the Dunsmore branch of the dual House, and called out the militia to aid in sustaining it. General Hughes was at that time colonel of the Third Regiment, Kansas National Guard. When the contest between the two Houses was at its highest. Governor Lewelling issued an order directing Colonel Hughes to proceed to Representative Hall with the forces at his command and eject the members of the so-called Douglass House, using whatever power might be necessary to accomplish this result. Colonel Hughes refused to obey the order, claiming that it was illegal, indefinite, and exceeding his authority and that it raised the question of rightful authority between the legislative and military depart- ments of the State government. For his refusal to disperse the Douglass House and precipitate riot and bloodshed in obedience to the Governor's order, Colonel Hughes was court martialed and dismissed from the service, after a prolonged trial in which the best legal talent of the State was enlisted. The tribunal before which he was tried was created by the Governor, and it must be acknowledged that partisan feeling entered largely into its findings, as the Governor was the reviewing officer. The Supreme Court subsequently determined that the Douglass House, which the Governor sought to disperse, was the regularly constituted body, and it continued its sessions during the rest of the legislative period of that year. Honor rather than discredit came to General Hughes as the re- sult of his contest with Governor Lewelling, Governor Morrill appointing him major general, K. N. G. It was to his clear head, cool judgment and knowl- edge of his rights and duties as an officer, that a desperate conflict was averted and the cause of good government preserved. The subsequent decision of the Supreme Court upholding the legality of the Douglass House, was a com- plete vindication of the course pursued by General Hughes, and the people of 4i6 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY the State have commended his action and honored him in various ways for his prudence and courage at a trying and critical hour. General Hughes served the city of Potwin as mayor during the years 1897 and 1898, and was a councilman of the city of Topeka in 1899 and 1900. In 1901 he was mayor of Topeka and in 1904 and 1905 he served in the Topeka City Council. His appointment as Adjutant General was one of the first acts of Governor Hoch's administration, the Governor having been Speaker pro tern of the Douglass House during the troubles of 1893. During recent years, under Governor Bailey, General Hughes had served as brigadier general, Kansas National Guard. General Hughes married Mary A. Clark, who is a daughter of Julius T. Clark, a resident of Wisconsin. They have three children: James C, Alice W. and Mary J. General Hughes and family belong to the Presbyterian Church. The beautiful family home is situated at No. 305 Greenwood avenue. As may be judged. General Hughes is identified with the Republican party and in various ways he has contributed to its success. His fraternal relations include the Masons, Elks, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Modern Woodmen of America and Woodmen of the World. General Hughes is known as a man of high character and lofty aims. Devoted to his State and her institutions, he has served her with fidelity and with both physical and moral courage has done his full duty to the extent of his powers. BRADFORD MILLER. Bradford Miller, formerly mayor of Topeka, and one of the sub- stantial, valued and popular citizens of Shawnee County, was born in Stark County, Ohio, in 1840, and is a son of Rev. John B. and Sarah (Shaffer) Miller. The Miller family is of Pennsylvania Dutch extraction. The father of Mr. Miller was born in Ohio and the mother in Penn- sylvania. The former was a Presbyterian minister and also owned farming lands in Stark County, his father having been a farmer there. There were seven children born to Rev. John B. Miller and wife. One son, H. B. Miller, is now a member of the Kansas State Senate, from Osage County. Our subject obtained his primary education in the public schools and later was a student at Mount Union College and classmate of the noted Bishop Hamilton, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. When only 16 years of age he began to teach school and continued, more or less continuously, until his 22nd year, when, in 1862, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 417 86th Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf., as a private. At the election of officers he was made ist lieutenant and served 100 days in answer to the second call for troops. Upon his return he was called into the provost marshal's office and served as a deputy and as enrolling officer at Alliance, Ohio, until the close of the war. While in Ohio, he was elected first president of Council No. 117, known as Knox Union, organized by the National Council of the Union League, at North Georgetown, Columbiana County. The charter for this was issued June 12, 1863, and at the Grand Council of Ohio he received this honor, one which he justly prizes, under the seal of Grand President Sam. Galloway and Grand Secretary E. W. Brownell. Associated with him in Council No. 117, as its first secretary, was John W. Buck. In 1868 Mr. Miller left Ohio and settled in Topeka. In 1873 he pur- chased a farm of 320 acres, 80 of which he has since sold; the property is located in Mission township, and is one of the best equipped and best im- proved farms in Shawnee County. Mr. Miller has not resided on the farm since 1902 and not continuously prior to that, as many calls to public office made it necessary for him frequently to take up his home in Topeka. During the greater part of his residence on the farm he devoted special attention to the development of clover and alfalfa, concerning which he has contributed a num- ber of valuable articles to the secretary of the State Board of Agriculture. He makes 12 reports a year to the United States Department of Agriculture. The farm is now run as a dairy farm, and in the last three years milk to the value of $5,000 has been told in Topeka. Mr. Miller has spent large amounts of money in developing this land from its virgin state and has spent a fortune in making its valuable improvements. His farm residence is an ideal rural home and the great barn which contains 34,000 feet of lumber in its solid tim- bers, and the immense granaries and other buildings make the place notable all over the county. Mr. Miller wisely invested in considerable land in and about Topeka at an early day. He laid out the addition in the northeastern part of the city known as the Bradford Miller Addition, building several fine residences here and selling the whole body of land in city lots. His public offices have been ones of responsibility, testifying to the esteem in which he has long been held by his fellow-citizens. From 1873 to 1876 and from 1887 to 1890 he served as county commissioner; during 1878 he was assessor of Topeka and in December, 1883, he was elected mayor of Topeka in which office he served until April, 1885. He also served as treasurer of Shawnee County, from 1880 to 1884. In 1885 he returned to the farm and devoted his attention to his great clover fields until failing health brought about his retirement to the city, in 1902. He has been one of the leading men of his township for years, a justice of the peace, and treasurer and member of the School Board. Mr. 4i8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Miller occupies a very pleasant home which he purchased when he first came to Topeka, which is situated at No. 626 Clay street, opposite the Clay School. Mr. Miller was married in Ohio, in 1864, to Harriet Summers, who was born in Columbiana County, Ohio. They have five children, namely : Minnie, who married C. C. McPherson, of Rossville, Shawnee County, and has three children, — Clarence L., Virgil L. and Helen; Henry O., who is in the lum- ber business at Tulsa, Indian Territbry ; Martha, who married John R. Wilt, of Rossville, Kansas; Mary, who married A. T. Lucas, sheriff of Shawnee County, of whom a sketch appears in this work, — they have one daughter, Helen Miller Lucas and B. H., who is auditor of several large lumber com- panies at Lawton, Oklahoma, who married Miss Sessions, of Ottawa, Kansas. Mr. Miller and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church at Mission Center, Kansas, in which he served as elder until failing health made it ad- visable for him to curtail his activities. His first religious connection was with the First Presbyterian Church, of Alliance, Ohio. He is a citizen who has always had the best interests of city and county at heart and on many occasions has demonstrated his progressiveness and public spirit. P. D. FIRESTONE. P. D. Firestone, one of the well-known agriculturists of Auburn town- ship, Shawnee County, who owns a fine grain and stock farm of 160 acres situated in section 9, township 13, range 14, was born in York County, Penn- sylvania, May II, 1828, and is a son of William and Margaret (Better) Fire- stone. George Firestone, the paternal grandfather, was born in Holland. The father of our subject was a prosperous farmer in Pennsylvania, where he died when our subject was only two years old, leaving nine children : Daniel, Mathias, John, William, Susan, Esther, Polly, Margaret and P. D. After the death of the father, the family moved to Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Firestone was reared and remained until 1854^ in the meantime attending school in various places and securing a superior education. His study years were from 16 to 21, during which period he was a student at Gettysburg for a time. He then learned the tailoring trade only to find that the necessary close confinement would not agree with him and an open outdoor life would be more beneficial. In the spring of 1854 he moved upon a farm in Wayne County, Ohio, which he operated until 1878 when he settled on his present property. He has a valuable farm here, well-improved AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 419 and finely cultivated, to which he has devoted much attention and from which he obtains very satisfactory results. Mr. Firestone was married in 1853, in Pennsylvania, to Christiana Conn, who was born in York County, Pennsylvania, in 1834, and died on our subject's present farm, aged 49 years. Of the 1 1 children born to them, four died in infancy, while Margaret died aged six years, Maude died aged three years, Clarence died aged 14 years and Samuel died aged two years. The survivors are: William L., of Auburn township; Lucy, wife of G. W. Lee, of Worcester, Ohio; and Bert, who resides with his father. Mr. Firestone has been a Republican all his life but has taken only a good citizen's interest in public matters. He is very well known all over Shawnee County and is much respected. He has witnessed many changes since coming here, has seen all this section developed from a wilderness and has always done his part in assisting the wheels of progress. WILLIAM S. CURRY. Among the pioneer business men of Topeka, who have passed away, none stood higher in public esteem than the late William S. Curry. He was born in 1823 near White Sulphur Springs, Virginia, and was a son of James and Elizabeth (Huston) Curry. The parents of Mr. Curry were also of Virginia birth. The father owned large plantations there, but in 1830 he removed with his family to Rush County, Indiana. Some years later the family moved to Springfield, Illinois, and then the mother died. The husband died in Topeka at the home of his son, William S. Curry. William S. Curry was educated in Rush County, Indiana, and remained there until the age of 20 years, when he removed with the family to the vicinity of Springfield to Sangamon County Illinois. He remained there engaged in farming until 1866, when he moved to Topeka. During his many years of residence in the capital city, Mr. Curry was prominently identified with real estate interests and was one of the first large shippers of stock. He attained fortune and honorable prominence, his name became synonymous with honesty and fair dealing, and he left behind a record which reflects only credit upon a busy but well spent life. Mr. Curry died at Topeka on August 14, 1893. Mr. Curry was married, first, to Sarah Forden, who died in 1864. In 1866 he married Cornelia Holcomb, who is a daughter of Alonzo Holcomb, 420 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and they had eight children, six of whom survive, viz : William E., a young business man of Topeka; Charles E., a large real estate dealer of Topeka; Helen F.,who resides w^ith her mother; Mabel C, who is the wife of John A. Rosen, patent attorney, whose offices are at No. 418 Kansas avenue; Francis H.; George H. and Kenneth H. The family home is situated in Highland Park, one of the most attractive suburbs of Topeka. Mr. Curry was a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and his family attend the same. In politics he was actively identified with the Republican party. REV. HUGH PARK McCLURKIN, D. D. The death of Dr. McClurkin, at his home, No.- 1198 Fillmore street, Topeka, on February 18, 1905, removed an able divine, a man of deep spiritual character and one of the great expounders of the Presbyterian faith. He was born near Rock Creek, Chester County, South Carolina, November 12, 1823, and was a son of John and Elizabeth McClurkin. The parents of Dr. McClurkin were deeply religious people, who gave up all the advantages they enjoyed in a beautiful Southern home, because they were conscientiously opposed to slavery. They removed to Illinois in the fall of 1833, settling near Sparta. Inheriting much from these worthy parents, our subject, was also a youth of strong mentality, and during his school days and at Duquesne College (now Western University), Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated in 1845, he was far in advance of his fellow-students. Upon completing his theological course in the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary at Cincinnati, he was licensed by the Lakes Presbytery, April 20, 1848, was ordained by the Pittsburg Presbytery and on October 15, 1850, was installed Pastor of the congregation at Salt Creek (now known as New Concord), Ohio. This charge he resigned in October, 1882, after 32 years of work in this field. From 1884 to 1891 he was pastor at Wahoo, Nebraska; from 1891 until 1893, he was pastor of the United Presbyterian Church at Denison, Kansas. He then came to Topeka, where he served as pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church from 1896 until 1902. Since the close of this last pastorate Dr. McClurkin was in failing health. During his active years no clergyman wielded a more powerful influence, which was not confined to the pulpit, but permeated the communities in which he lived, bringing about reforms and arousing public sentiment. In repro- ducing the resolutions adopted by the Topeka Ministerial Union on this sad occasion, an evidence is shown of the high value placed upon his years of IDA C. BARNES, M. D. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 423 fidelity to his calling and of the reverence in which he was held. This paper reads as follows: Resolved, by the Topeka Ministerial Union, That in the life work and zeal of the late Rev. H. P. McClurkin, D. D., we recognize with gratitude to God, the noble man, the Christian gentleman, the ripe scholar, the wise teacher, the sound theologian, the loving companion, the loyal Christian, and zealous worker and helper in all good causes within his reach. His long and useful life was a blessing to the world, and his faithfulness to this union for many years gives a fragrancy to his memory which we will cherish through all the coming years. (Signed) : John D. Knox, Stewart Sheldon. Dr. McClurkin is survived by his widow and six children, namely : Mary E. ; Juliett, who lives at home ; Emma ; Eva ; Albert W. and Carrie. Mary E. is the wife of Rev. T. P. Stevenson, D. D., pastor of the First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They have five chil- dren : Waldo, a minister of the Presbyterian Church and missionary to Cuba; Clara, wife of Matthew McConnell, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Helen and Eva, who live at home ; and T. P., Jr., a civil engineer under Queen Wilhelmina, of The Netherlands. Emma is the wife of Rev. J. C. Gibney, of Newton, Kansas. They have two children, Albert and Harry, who are students at Tarkio College, Tarkio, Missouri. Eva is the wife of L. E. Gruber, an attorney-at-law at Lincoln, Nebraska. They have two daughters, Helen and Alberta. The only son of our subject. Rev. Albert W. McClurkin, is a Presbyterian minister of Chicago, Illinois. He married Anna Garland of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and they have three children : Eleanor, Rachel and Jean. Carrie is the wife of W. H. Meyer, a merchant at Enid, Oklahoma. They have one daughter, Lois. IDA C. BARNES, M. D. Ida C. Barnes, M. D., the leading woman physician and surgeon of Topeka, whose portrait is herewith shown, is a lady who combines pro- fessional skill with the attributes which make her an esteemed and beloved member of her sex. Dr. Barnes was born in Kansas and is a daughter of Jared and Sarah (Reed) Barnes. The parents of Dr. Barnes were both born in New York. They came to Kansas in 1857. The mother died in 1888, but the father, who is a retired capitalist, still lives, being a resident of Topeka. Dr. Barnes remained in Kansas until she had completed her collegiate course at the Kansas State University, where she was graduated with the 424 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY degree of B. A. in 1885. From early girlhood her tastes had led her in the direction of medical study, and after due preparation she entered the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, where she was most creditably graduated, receiving her diploma in 1890. She remained one year in Philadelphia as resident physician in a hospital, working in clinics, and absorbing medical and surgical knowledge which could scarcely have come to her in any more effective way, and then came to Topeka. She began practice in this city in 1891 and has finely appointed offices at No. 726 Kansas avenue, where she employs in her practice every pain-alleviating medium of modern days, which has received the sanction of the profession. She is a constant student and has taken advantage of a number of post-graduate courses at Chicago, where she also became experienced in the remedial use o£ the X-ray and radium. Dr. Barnes is a valued member of the Shawnee County Medical Society ; of the Kansas State Medical Society; of the American Medical Association and of the Alumnae of the Woman's Medical College, of Philadelphia and the Association of College Alumnae. She is medical examiner for a number of fraternal associations and for the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. She is a lady of most enlightened views and of great force of character. Possessing in a notable way the necessary requisites for a good physician, she finds her field of work con- stantly extending. She has filled the position of chairman of the State Executive Committee of the Young Women's Christian Association of the State of Kansas for the past 13 years. Her beautiful home is located at No. 1273 Clay street. Like her parents, she is a member of the Baptist Church. ANDREW J. ARNOLD. Andrew J. Arnold, deceased, at one time postmaster of Topeka, was. for many years engaged in the drug business in this city. He was a man of considerable prominence and his death, which occurred on March 29, 1899, was mourned as a sad loss to the community. Mr. Arnold was born in Indiana, January 3, 1845, and was one of seven children born to Ephraim and EJdith (Perry) Arnold. Of these children, N. B. Arnold, the well-known attorney of Topeka, is the only survivor. The father was a man of prominence in his native State and served for many years in the Indiana State Legislature. Andrew J. Arnold was reared and educated in his native State. When a young man he enlisted in Company G, Second Reg., Indiana Vol. Cav.> AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 425 and served with distinction in the Union Army throughout the remainder of the Civil War. Upon his return home he located at Bloomington, Indiana, where he attended the State University, graduating therefrom in June, 1868. In April, 1870, he located in Topeka and embarked in the drug business, con- ducting a store here until his death. During the second administration of President Grover Cleveland, he served as postmaster of Topeka, giving the people faithful and business like service. On October 21, 1869, Mr. Arnold was united in marriage with Louise Campbell, a daughter of Prof. M. M. Campbell, who for many years was identified with the Indiana State University. She has a brother who is well known as a lawyer in Topeka. Edgar Campbell Arnold, the surviving child of this union, is one of the largest and most progressive druggists of this city and is also a director of the Citizens' Bank of North Topeka, having succeeded his father as such. The only other child, Edith, died aged 16 months. Mr. Arnold was a member of the Masonic order, the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Honor. Mrs. Arnold and her son reside in a pleasant home at No. 927 North Jackson street, where they are surrounded by many friends. COL. JAMES BURGESS. Col. James Burgess, one of the retired residents of Topeka, has been very prominently identified with the development of this city in which he located in 1868. He came to Kansas several years after the close of the great Civil War, in which he took a distinguished part and gained high rank for gallant and faithful services. Colonel Burgess was born at Springfield, Ohio, August I, 1826, and is a son of Thomas F. and Elizabeth (Ream) Burgess. The parents of Colonel Burgess were born in Virginia, of English extrac- tion. His father was a saddler by trade, a business which then included the tanning of leather as well as the fashioning of it into articles of utility. Prior to the birth of our subject, the family moved to Springfield, Ohio. About 1835 the Burgess family removed to Indiana, settling first at Richmond, but re- moving later to Hendricks County, and there our subject obtained a little more instruction in the subscription schools, supplementing that which had been afforded him in Ohio, but, in fact amounting to very little. He learned the tanning business but not with any view of following it for a livelihood. In seekmg a business opening, he entered into a partnership with a resident of Belleville, Indiana, for a short time and then for a while engaged in busi- 426 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY ness, continuing until 1852, when he moved to Danville, Indiana, where he was located at the opening of the Civil War. His first enlistment was as a private in the three-months call for troops, in Company A, Seventh Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf., but he was elected captain and served as such until he was discharged. Upon his return home, he was selected by Governor Morton as recruiting and organizing officer for his im- mediate (Seventh) district. As each such appointed officer had his own district, he remained there until he had succeeded in raising three regiments. In the meantime the 70th Regiment had been raised, Col. Benjamin Harri- son commanding;, and our subject became lieutenant-colonel under him, re- signing his position as recruiting and organizing officer and going to the front with Colonel Harrison. The intimacy then established continued after Colonel Harrison became President of the United States. After two years of service under Colonel Harrison, Mr. Burgess was ordered back to Indianapolis to report to Governor Morton for recruiting service, and the raising of the 124th Regiment was the direct result of his efforts. He was appointed colonel of this regiment and served as such through all the various army movements and in the campaign before the fall of Atlanta, when his regiment was engaged night and day. He was honorably discharged in 1865 and returned to Indiana. In 1868 Colonel Burgess came to Shawnee County, Kansas, and settled on a farm in Soldier township, where he remained 20 years, and then took up his residence in Topeka. He built in what was then an unsettled portion of the city (now Tyler street, — the heart of the aristocratic section) a beauti- ful home, which was erected after plans of his own, combining beauty of situation with attractiveness and solid comfort. Colonel Burgess has been very prominent in city affairs. For 12 years he served in the City Council, during 10 of these years being a member of the committee of ways and means, and proved his thorough efficiency in promoting the needed public improvements. He also served in the Legisla- ture one session from the north side. He was long connected with the mail service, having charge of the west side station for two years under Post- master Henry King and from 1881 to 1885 he had charge of the north side station under Postmaster Thomas Anderson. He was the first superintendent of the mail carriers' district appointed on the north side. In 1886 he was elected register of deeds of Shawnee County and was reelected in 1888. His political affiliation has always been actively Republican. Colonel Burgess was married in Clark County, Illinois, August 27, 1846, to Elizabeth M. Irons, who was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, May 12, 1829. They have had five children, the two survivors being mar- ried daughters who reside at home. Nannie married John A. Van Vechten AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 427 and they have three children : Alba, Burgess and Mary. The second daugh- ter, Jessie, married S. J. Hodgins. The family is one closely united in af- fection. For over a half century Colonel Burgess has been a Mason and an Odd Fellow; he is a Master Mason in the former organization and past grand of his lodge in the latter. While in Indiana he was a representative to the Grand Encampment. Although entirely retired from active life, there is no citizen of Topeka who takes a deeper interest in her continued prosperity. RICHARD BINNS. Richard Binns, one of the leading business men of Rossville, Shawnee County, and for the past 20 years justice of the peace, was born in 1834 in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of William and Ruth (Gibson) Binns. i David Binns, grandfather of our subject, was born in England and there followed the brewing business, which he continued after settling in Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Society of Friends and thus was led to abandon his brewery, it being against the tenets of the Quaker faith to manufacture spirituous liquors. William Binns accompanied his parents to America when eight years old. He married Ruth Gibson who was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, and they both lived to be about 70 years of age. In 1844 they moved to Eastern Ohio, settling in Harrison County. Our subject lived in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and then in Harrison County, Ohio, until 21 years of age, having attended school in the latter county and learned the carpenter's trade. He then went to Richmond, Indiana, and there worked at his trade until 1870, when he came to Topeka. In March, 1 87 1, he settled at Rossville, where he engaged in a hardware business for six years, and has continued to follow contracting and building until the present time. He has carried out a number of very important contracts, one of these being the first government building which was erected on the Pottawattomie reservation, which cost $4,000. In his earlier ears he also taught school, and for the past 20 years has administered the law as a magis- trate at Rossville, to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. In 1855, in Indiana, Mr. Binns married Elma H. Hill, who is a daughter of Harmon and Mary (Henley) Hill, and they had six children, namely: Mary, wife of Elias J. Burton, deceased in 1876; William A., a resident of Los Angeles, California, married first to Anna Esson, and second, to Anna 428 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Higgins; Horace M., deceased, who left four children, — Grace E., Nellie, Ethel and Charles, who reside with their mother at Rossville; Frank N., residing in Los Angeles, California, who married Anna Mary Wilt and has one daughter ; Anna Laura, who married Charles Smiley and died leaving two children, — Ruth and Ray; and John B., who died when 27 years of age. Politically, Mr. Binns is a stanch Republican. He has been a Mason and an Odd Fellow for many years. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church. The Hill family is an old established one of Indiana, of English ex- traction. Mrs. Binns' grandfather, Benjamin Hill, was born in North Caro- lina, June 22, 1770, and married Mary Jessup. In 1802 he moved to Vir- ginia and in the fall of 1806 he moved with his family to Indiana, settling in the unbroken forest about three miles east of Richmond, entering five quarter-sections of land. Pioneer privations and hardships of all kinds were endured by the family and his first wife soon succumbed to them. He then married Martha Cox, who was born in Randolph County, North Carolina, November 28, 1779, and became a resident of Indiana in 1807. They had five children : Benjamin, Harmon, Rebecca, Ezra and Enos. Mr. Hill was an extensive farmer and he also built the flour and saw mill east of Richmond which was known as Hill's Mill. He died February 9, 1829, aged 59 years and his widow died January 25, 1867, aged 88 years. Harmon Hill was born in Wayne County, Indiana, in 181 1 and died in 1877. When he was 15 years old he worked in the old mill which remained in the Hill family until it was burned down in 1870. Later he became a farmer. He married Mary Henley, who was born in 1813 in Indiana, and they settled on the old Hill homestead in 1831. They had five children: Rebecca, Samuel, Martha Ann, Elma H. and John Henley. RUSSELL U. FARNSWORTH. Russell U. Farnsworth, deceased, for a period of years was one of the representative men of Monmouth township, Shawnee County. He was born at Haverhill, New Hampshire, August 12, 1839, and died at Richland, Kansas, on January 31, 1897. He was a son of Calvin and Mary Jane (Underwood) Farnsworth. The parents of Mr. Farnsworth were natives of New Hampshire, repre- sentative farming people of their locality. They had five children, of whom Russell U. was the eldest, the others being : Silas, who was killed in the army during the Civil War, a bullet passing through a Bible which he had bound over his heart; Robert, a Methodist preacher, who died in California; Charles, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 429 also a Methodist minister, a resident of New Hampshire; and Nellie, wife of Rev. Orville Clapp, of New Hampshire. The late Russell U. Farnsworth was reared on the home farm until young manhood, when he came to Monmouth township, Shawnee County, and entered land. He then went back to New England and soon after en- listed in Company G, Third Reg., Vermont Vol. Inf., for service in the Civil War. His regiment was attached to the Army of the Potomac. From the first the life did not agree with him and he was given the position of regimental clerk, but finally his health gave way entirely and he was obliged to ask for his discharge on account of disability. For a short time he traveled through Iowa as a book agent and then decided to return to Kansas. The long journey in the open air, driving across the plains with an ox team, brought about a better state of health and when he settled on his claim he "was able to begin its cultivation. He continued on the farm until he went into the implement business at Richland, with E. U. McKee, in which he was still interested when attacked by his last illness. Mr. Farnsworth was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was unusuailly liberal in his support. He took a great deal of interest in public matters and was a strong advocate of prohibition, but all his life continued to act with the Republican party. He was strictly honest and upright, a man who could always be found on the right side of any movement and was one who was respected by the whole community. He identified himself with the Grange and Farmers' Alliance and he belonged also to the Masonic organization of Auburn and to the Richland Post, No. 370, Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Farnsworth married, first, Ellen Fairbrother, and they had two chil- dren : Josephine, wife of E. L. Hopkins, of Topeka ; and Silas Herbert, who was drowned when nearly 10 years old. He married, second, Harriet Isa- bella McDowell, who was born in Illinois, December 3, 1852, and is a daugh- ter of Jeremiah and Matilda (Foster) McDowell. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mc- Dowell were orphans and they met and married in Illinois and reared these ■children : Harriet Isabella ; James P. ; Edith A., wife of O., C. Kelley of St. Louis; Arthur, of Shawnee County; and Noble and Cora, deceased. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Farnsworth were: Noble Albert, who died aged two years; Jennie A., a graduate of the Emporia Normal School, who is a successful teacher in Topeka; and Mabel lone, her mother's assistant, who was a student in the Normal School for one year and now devotes her spare time to music. Mrs. Farnsworth has been the capable postmistress at Richland for the -past eight years. She is a lady widely known and much beloved in the com- 430 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY munity where her late husband was also held in such high esteem. Mrs. Farnsworth's uncle, Luther Purley Foster, was prominent as a merchant and banker and resided in Parsons, Kansas, at the time of his death. 4»» DANIEL H. KOGER. Daniel H. Koger, deceased, one of the large farmers and well-known and most highly esteemed citizens of Topeka township, Shawnee County, died on his fine farm of 80 acres located in section 35, township 12, range 15, on April 9, 1899. Mr. Koger was born April 20, 1838, in Powell's Val- ley, Tennessee, and was but a few months old when his parents removed to Kentucky and settled on a farm near Lexington, which remained his home until he was 22 years of age. When about 17 years old he determined to secure a good education and managed, by boarding himself, to spend the win- ters of some three years at school in Lexington. When the trouble between the North and South threatened to result in civil war, Mr. Koger determined to remain neutral but different members of his family became either Union men or Confederates, and as political excitement daily grew higher he decided to change his residence. In i860 he moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and during the whole period of the war, although not an enlisted man, he worked in some capacity for the gov- ernment. He drove a wagon with army supplies, was a government shipping clerk, assisted in guarding supply trains and was wagon master on many dangerous expeditions. He remained at Fort Leavenworth some 10 years and then bought a farm of 160 acres west of Leavenworth. This not turn- ing out as well as he had hoped, he returned to Leavenworth and was in the employ of the government there as transportation agent and in other capaci- ties until 1882, when he came to Topeka. He also spent some three months on one of the Indian reservations, in an official capacity and was wont to tell many remarkable experiences that came to him during this period. He was a man of responsibility and the greatest confidence was placed in his judg- ment and ability. When Mr. Koger came to Topeka, he engaged with his brother-in-law in a livery business, which was continued two years under the firm name of Bloomer &. Koger, and then he established a cattle ranch in Sheridan and Decatur counties. Western Kansas, in partnership with Jacob W. Thomas, of Leavenworth. He continued to reside in Topeka some five years and then sold out to his partner and removed to the farm where the remainder of his life was spent. He erected here the comfortable family residence and WILLIAM L. TAYLOR AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 433 made many improvements. The farm is now conducted by his son as a dairy and fruit farm, and is one of the best in the county. In 1872 Mr. Koger married Annie Smith, who was born near Taney- town, Carroll County, Maryland, November 29, 1849, ^"^ who moved to Leavenworth, Kansas, with her parents in 1856. She is a daughter of David and Caroline (Spalding) Smith, the former of whom was at that time a well-known buyer and shipper of stock, — ^he now resides with his second wife, at Kansas City. Mr. and Mrs. Koger had six children, namely : Walter S., operating the farm, who is a 'widower and has one son, — Daniel Hugh ; Mrs. Cora Witwer, of Shawnee County; Daniel, of Topeka township; and Mabel, David S. and Frank H., who live at home. Mr. Koger was a life-long Democrat, but he consented to fill no offices except those relating to school affairs in which he took a great interest. He was a man who loved to see his friends under his roof and, with his estimable wife, proffered a generous hospitality. During his long period of suffering, prior to his death, he always had a welcome for all and a genial, pleasant manner which brought him many friends. By his family he was deeply beloved and by his fellow-citizens, universally esteemed. WILLIAM L TAYLOR. William L. Taylor, president of The Taylor Grain Company, of Topeka, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, is one of the enterprising and progressive men who have been attracted to this section of the United States because of its apparent wide field of business opportunity. Mr. Taylor came to Topeka on April 15, 1902, from Columbus, Ohio, where, although still a young man, he had been identified with important grain interests. Milling, in these modern . days, is a marvelous industry. From the earliest times the grinding of grain has gone on and there still remain a few benighted sections where it is carried on under the most primitive conditions. In the early settlement of Kansas, one of the most important considerations was the possible building of a mill, and many a populous city of the present day grew up around the old water-wheel mill. Man's ingenuity has made wonderful changes and improvements in all kinds of machinery and methods and probably no industry has benefitted more than that of milling. Topeka, the great mill city, is the home of one of the finest mills ever constructed in any part of the world, one where perfection of plan and equipment has resulted in a plant second to none in capacity. Reference is made to the 21 434 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Gyrator Mills in North Topeka, dedicated on January 24, 1905, originally owned by The Taylor Grain Company, but now owned and operated by The Gyrator Milling Company. The establishment of this plant at Topeka and the successful completion of all that was proposed at the beginning are due to the energy and ability of William L. Taylor, president of The Taylor Grain Company and vice-president of The Gyrator Milling Company. Coming here in 1902 Mr. Taylor was able, in two years, to see the wide field offered for the enterprise he had under consideration. When he an- nounced that it was his intention to build here the largest, finest and most complete mill in the world, the milling journals made the fact known all over the country and he was soon visited by a representative of Wolf & Company, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, who manufacture the "Gyrator" line of machinery. After considering their claim as well as others, Mr. Taylor made the agreement with this company that he would construct his mill after their latest improved plans and specifications and they were to install the most improved milling machinery manufactured. The guarantee was given that the mill would produce a better grade of flour, at a less cost for manufactur- ing, than any other mill made. The mill proper, a view of which is shown on another page of this work, is five and a half stories high, made of pressed brick laid in cement through- out and the walls are 26 inches thick above the second story. The first and second floors are of white maple, the third, fourth and fifth of long leaf yellow pine, quarter-sawed. On each floor there is a stand-pipe with fire hose at- tached ready for use, two barrels of water and two hand fire-grenades. Speaking-tubes run to the office from all floors and electric light is furnished all over the building, provided by the company's own motor. The walls, ceilings and posts are all painted a pure white with a fire-proof composition and every bearing of the machinery is self-oiling. A brief description of the manner of treating the wheat, which comes to the consumer so thoroughly milled yet retaining all the sustaining qualities of the grain, must be in- teresting to every reader of this work who depends for sustenance upon the "staff of life." In 1903 Mr. Taylor purchased what was known as the Capital Elevator at Topeka and changed its name to Elevator A. It has a capacity of 300,000 bushels. The wheat is brought from this elevator through an underground tunnel to the bottom of the mill, having been put in fine condition previously. It is then elevated to the top and put on a special milling separator, which is composed of four Wolf gyrators, in four compartments, each compart- ment having five sieves, making 20 to each gyrator. These remove more thoroughly than by any other system every foreign seed such as cockle, rye or cheat. From here the grain is elevated to a special scouring machine where AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 435 every grain has its coat thoroughly scoured and the little fine fuzz, only to be detected by the use of a glass, is removed. From here the wheat is dropped into a basin where it receives a light soaking in water which causes it to swell and loosen the bran. It is then elevated into what is called a brush machine which cleans out the little crevice in every grain of wheat so that when it strikes the rolls it is absolutely clean and nothing remains but the sustaining berry and its coat of bran. This wonderful mill has made provision for the rapid handling of the grain and has numberless improved machines found in no other plant. On the first floor are five packers, three for flour and two for feed ; by the side of each packer is a platform scales, on which every package is weighed as handled. The flour elevators and chutes are all tin-lined, this precaution pre- cluding a possibility of bugs or weevil. On the second floor are found 21 rolls, 9 by 30 inch double stands, which grind the wheat, taking the place of the stones used in former days. On the fourth floor are found four dust collectors, six middling purifiers, one brush machine and one scourer. On the fifth are located six centrifugal reels, one bran duster, one shorts duster, one "Imperial" rolling screen, one separator, two tubular dust collectors, one cyclone dust collector and the four mammoth gyrators, which bolt the flour, separating the bran, shorts, etc. This mill has a 1,200-barrel capacity. A specialty is made of two brands, — "Perfection" and "Invincible." In 1904 The Taylor Grain Company was incorporated as a stock com- pany with these officers : William L. Taylor, president ; Charles E. French, secretary and treasurer ; and Edward A. Austin and M. A. Taylor, directors. A very recent organization was The Gyrator Milling Company with these officers : W. H. Davis, president ; William L. Taylor, vice-president ; Charles E. French, secretary; J. B. B. Betts, treasurer and C. K. Holliday, director. This company leased the new mill of The Taylor Grain Company and will do a milling and flour business, both domestic and foreign, but the elevator and grain business will be carried on by The Taylor Grain Company. The Taylor Grain Company has established branch agencies throughout Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio and ships thousands of cars of grain annually to the East. Mr. Taylor is credited with being one of the best posted men on grain freight rates in the United States and can name the rate to every place without any reference to the tariff book. He has gathered around him a force of able, experienced grain men, all of whom have had business experience, although none have reached middle life. Among these special mention should be made of A. W. Long, the capable superin- tendent, who has had much milling experience in Virginia, in the Northwest and in Kansas. Formerly he was one of the stockholders of the Manhattan Milling Company, at Manhattan, Kansas, and retired from that company to 436 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY become one of the stockholders in The Taylor Grain Company. It was largely upon his advice that the celebrated "Gyrator" machinery was in- stalled here. Charles E. French, secretary of the company, came originally to Topeka from Farmer City, Illinois, and became traveling representative of what was then W. L. Taylor & Company, and in this capacity he became known to almost every shipper in Kansas, Nebraska, Indian Territory and Oklahoma. The auditor of the company, R. B. Nelson, was a school teacher in Iowa and then a bookkeeper for one of the largest grain firms in that State and subsequently manager of the Wheeler Grain & Coal Company of Laurens, Iowa. He next accepted a position as chief clerk and then chief accountant with one of Pittsburg's steel companies. Upon the incorporation of The Taylor Grain Company, Mr. Taylor made him auditor and chief accountant, a position for which he is qualified by long experience, added to natural ability in this line. The company has representatives at all the lead- ing shipping ports and their manager at Galveston, Texas, has been appointed Belgian consul at that point. HON. ARCHIBALD. F. WILLIAMS. Hon. Archibald F. Williams, United States commissioner and a prominent attorney-at-law of Topeka, was born at Topeka, October ii, 1869, and is a son of Archibald L. and Elizabeth C. (Ferguson) Williams and a grandson of the late Hon. Archibald Williams, who was the first United States District judge of Kansas. Judge Archibald Williams was born in 1801 at Mount Sterling, Ken- tucky. The name is of Welsh extraction and the founder of the family in America came from Wales and settled in Virginia, forming a part of the loyalist or cavalier party known by the Puritans of New England as "Rake- hellies," which was a derisive name applied to those who did not adopt their own austere belief and follow their manner of living. Frequent mention may be found of these objectionable people in the writings of Roger Wil- liams, who, without doubt came from the same parent stock in Wales. For many years the Williams family flourished in Virginia where the name is still one well known, but prior to the birth of Judge Williams his parents had migrated to Kentucky. A young law practitioner. Judge Williams re- moved to Illinois in 1826, locating at Quincy, and he subsequently became an intimate personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. Upon many occasions he represented his county in the Legislature, and under the administration of President Taylor served as United States attorney. When the Kansas- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 437 Nebraska troubles were brewing, he was made a nominee for Congress on what was known as the "Anti-Nebraska" or "Anti-Slavery" ticket, and at the organization of the Republican party he was one of its sponsors. When Abraham Lincoln was elected President, one of his first appoint- ments, after his selection of his Cabinet, was that of Judge Williams as the first United States District judge of Kansas, and in this connection it may be noted, that Mr. Lincoln had offered a position of the Supreme Court bench of the United States to his trusted friend. This great honor, which subsequently fell to Judge David Davis, of Illinois, was declined by Judge Williams who modestly declared himself not well enough equipped to accept so exalted a position. While this opinion was not shared by his cotempo- raries, his decision was accepted by the President and he was sent to Kansas in a scarcely less honorable or onerous position. Prior to his decease in 1863, he had returned to Quincy, where his life closed. Archibald L. Williams, son of Judge Williams, located in Kansas in 1861, a short time before his father came to the State, and entered upon the practice of the law, a profession in which his eminence is only second to that of his distinguished father. At different times he served as city and county attorney and for four years he was acting United States attorney. In 1870 and again in 1872, he was elected by the Republican party, At- torney General of Kansas. For years and from its beginning, he was con- sulting attorney for the old Kansas Pacific Railroad Company at Topeka and continued in office with the different railroad organizations which suc- ceeded it. In 1887 he became general attorney for the Union Pacific Railroad Company, in Kansas, a position requiring every qualification of an able, ex- perienced, tactful and judicious lawyer. While Mr. Williams' eminence in the profession is well known in all departments of the law, his services to the State, in 1874, in curtailing the fraudulent organizing of western counties, added credit to an administration of the attorney generalship, which in every feature had been a credit to the State. It was through his almost unaided efforts that the practice of or- ganizing western counties by fraud was broken up. A short time previously, the counties of Barbour (since changed to Barber), Harper and Comanche had been organized, and they had issued, between them, about $250,000 in bonds. This sum had, to put it mildly, been unloaded partly on the State School Fund but more extensively on unsuspecting Eastern investors. In the course of time this produced trouble and a public investigation was de- manded. The Legislature appointed an investigating committee which was composed of one member from each House and the Attorney General, Mr. Williams. The member of the Senate and the member of the House started out on 438 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY a tour of investigation as ordered, but certain ones who had reason to fear a searching visit of the authorities had devised a scheme by which Justice should be turned aside and they should go their way without molestation^ Those were days when Indian outrages were not uncommon and as the legislators were only human and had families dependent upon them, they gave credence to the tales poured in their ears of savage uprisings in the far western counties whither their duty led them and prudently turned back. When this scheme was tried on Attorney General Williams, the conspirators found they had to deal with a man of different mettle. He made his way to the lands in question, visiting Barbour, Harper and Comanche counties and returned alive and very willing to make a report. He found that Barbour County had a few bona fide residents although not numerous enough to legalize the organization of the county, but that Harper and Comanche coun- ties were not settled at all. The meaningless report submitted by the other members of the com- mittee, from hearsay, was supplemented by that of the Attorney General and it has been preserved not only as a historic paper but as a contribtition to humorous literature. We submit an excerpt : "There is no population in Comanche County. If Marius sat amid the ruins of Carthage and wept, I camped upon the town-site of Smallwood, the county-seat, and feasted upon wild turkey, with no white man to molest or make me afraid. In Smallwood there are two log cabins, both deserted, without doors, windows, sash or blinds. About a mile off is a deserted ranch. These compose the houses of the householders of the county. In this county there is not an acre of land or a dollar's worth of property subject to tax- ation ; its sole inhabitants are the Cheyennes and the coyote, the wolf and the Arrapahoes, and its organization is and always has been a fraud. Harper and Comanche counties were organized solely for plunder. The vast amount of bonds issued has seriously injured our credit abroad. To issue these bonds required wholesale perjury and forgery. When these counties are properly attached to some other county for judicial purposes, the thieves who issued these bonds should be attended to. The State, through its Attorney General and the proper county attorneys, should put every engine of the law in force ; should pursue, capture, try, convict and lock up these rogues, so that our credit may be restored and other incipient rascals of a like character, quickened with a similar ambition, may be deterred from the crime through a fear of a like fate." This vigorous protest had the effect desired and the whole credit rests with Mr. Williams. He still continues in the practice of his profession and his name still is, as it always has been, held in the highest honor. On August 28, 1862, Archibald L. Williams was married in Posey AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 439 County, Indiana, to Elizabeth (Cloud) Ferguson, and they have six chil- dren, all of whom are residents of Topeka. Archibald F. Williams, our immediate subject, was educated in the common schools of Topeka and at Washburn College, with three years in- struction at a military school at Boonville, Missouri. He then read law under his eminent father and later took a course in the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, graduating in 1892. Mr. Williams began to practice as an attorney of the Union Pacific Railroad Company, later formed a law part- nership with C. K. HoUiday, but since 1895 has been alone. Mr. Williams has always been an active member of the Republican party and has been frequently honored by election to responsible offices. In 1903 he was elected to the Legislature, a position he resigned in order to accept .the one he now fills, that of United States commissioner. Mr. Williams is a member of the Bar Association of the State of Kansas and of the Commercial Club of Topeka and belongs also to the Elks. HON. JOSEPH S. FARRELL. Hon. Joseph S. Farrell, a successful farmer and stock-raiser of Sol- dier township, Shawnee County, who owns a half-section, the best part of section 29, township 10, range 16, was born December 24, 1849, in Delaware County, Iowa, and is a son of Francis and Vin (Ray) Farrell. The father of Mr. Farrell was born in Ireland and after he came to America spent some years at Philadelphia, where he was employed in the construction of public works. In 1848 he moved to Iowa, where he followed farming until his death in 1852. His widow survived until 1858. Our subject has two brothers : Francis, a resident of Pocahontas County, Iowa, who has seven children; and Thomas, of Cherokee County, Iowa, who has one child. Joseph S. Farrell was reared and educated in Iowa and early devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. In 1878 he came to Kansas and settled on a farm of 160 acres in Jewell County, which locality remained his home for 22 years. During this period Mr. Farrell became one of the county's most prominent men, serving 18 years on the School Board of the local district and taking a very active interest in political affairs. In 1896 he was elected to the Legislature on the Populist ticket and served one term and through the extra session, during which time he supported the maximum railroad rate bill and the school book bill, proving himself a conscientious and faith- 440 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY ful legislator. He served also as township trustee for some four years and dominated party affairs in his township for a number of years. In 1900 he. sold his property there and bought his present farm, which he conducts in a great measure as a stock and cattle farm. Mr. Farrell was married October 6, 1879, to Bridget Sullivan, who is a daughter of John and Mary (Cunningham) Sullivan, who came to Kansas in 1888 and settled in Jewell County, where Mr. Sullivan died April 18, 1894. Mr. and Mrs. Farrell have had these children : Mary V., residing at home; Katherine (Mrs. Charles Rail), of Kansas City, who has two chil- dren, — Charles and Emmet; Francis and James, both at home; Agnes Wini- fred, who died February 11, 1894; and Mabel and Marguerite, both at home. The family belong to the Catholic Church. Mr. Farrell completed the beautiful family residence a year ago. It is modern throughout and is situated on a bluff from which can be seen a wide stretch of valley and the city of Topeka. It is one of the ideal rural homes of the township. JOHN S. JORDAN. John S. Jordan, proprietor of the "Elmdale Fruit Farm," is one of the substantial and representative citizens of Williamsport township, Shawnee County, his 240 acres of valuable land being situated in sections 23 and 24, township 13, range 15. Mr. Jordon was born near Hudson, Columbia County, New York, June 26, 1835, and is a son of Abram J. and Mary (Snyder) Jordan. The parents of Mr. Jordan spent their whole lives in New York, where the father was a prosperous farmer. The family consisted of two daughters and four sons: Mrs. Caroline Henry, deceased; Mrs. Ann Palmer, de- ceased ; John S., of this sketch ; Benjamin, of Columbia County, New York ; George, deceased; William A., who lives on the old homestead; and Niram P., of Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania. Two children were born to a second marriage. Our subject was reared on his father's farm and obtained his education in the schools of Columbia County. When 18 years old he went to Kendall County, Illinois, and engaged in farming there until 1873 when he removed with his family to his present farm in Shawnee County. It was then well- improved and he has continued improving until it now is one of the most valuable fruit farms of the county. He has 120 acres in apples of the best varieties and ships an immense quantity. He also carries on general farm- ■^"8 VAi^usms Rooml-''^ t^r^^t^-r-^' f^^^. ^. ^^4^0^ AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 443 ing and stock-raising and makes every branch of his work contribute a satis- factory income, all his land but 20 acres being under cultivation. Mr. Jordan was married in i860, in Illinois, to Helen Jennie Moore, who was born at Lisbon, Kendall County, Illinois, and is a daughter of Horace and Jane (Cody) Moore, natives of Oneida County, New York. They have four children, namely : Edith May, wife of James Stanley Banks, of Grantville, Kansas; Clyde H., of Williamsport township; Horace A., liv- ing at home ; and Lulu, wife of Bert Schaffer, of Williamsport township. Prior to settling in Kansas, Mr. Jordan had crossed the plains in the employ of the government as a teamster, and was then impressed with the agricultural possibilities of this section. Although he takes only an intelligent citizen's interest in public affairs, he never misses an election, affiliating with the Republican party. HON. SILAS E. SHELDON, M. D. During a period of more than 30 years, the late Dr. Silas E. Sheldon, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, practiced the profession of medicine in the city of Topeka, where his life work ended on April 19, 1900. Dr. Sheldon was born in Lorain County, Ohio, and was a son of Elam and Azubah (Robinson) Sheldon. Silas E. Sheldon was reared on his father's farm and attended the local schools until 1854, when the family moved to Berea, Ohio, and the young man entered Baldwin University where he enjoyed collegiate advantages for two years. In that city he began the study of medicine, in 1856, with Dr. Alxander McBride as his preceptor, and in 1858 entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. In i860 he was graduated in medicine at the Cleve- land Medical College. Until 1862 he practiced in Cleveland but then entered the army in the capacity of assistant surgeon of the 32nd Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf., with which he continued until 1864. He remained in the service until the close of the war, from the above date being medical inspector on the staff of General Coxy who later was elected Governor of Ohio. During a por- tion of his army service, he was surgeon of the 104th Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf., with the rank of major, and was mustered out as surgeon. Dr. Sheldon's coming to Topeka was probably for the same reason that at that time brought professional men, business men and laborers here — a search for a wider field of opportunity. He was welcomed by the physicians already established who found in him a congenial colaborer, a valuable assist- ant and a careful, scientific investigator as well as a skilled practitioner. The work he accomplished in the line of medicine in his chosen city fills an import- 444 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY ant chapter in its history. For a considerable period, he was chief surgeon for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company. Dr. Sheldon was noted for his earnest and careful private practice and he carried the same quali- ties into the various lines of public work which called for his disinterested services on many occasions. His death brought to a close a life rich in good deeds, high endeavor and notable achievement. In politics, Dr. Sheldon was only active so far as he thought the success of his party would promote the best interests of his country. He was elected and served two sessions in the Kansas State Senate. His first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, for whose life, character and principles he entertained the most profound respect. He was one of the organizers of Lincoln Post, G. A. R., and the post's first commander. An enthusiast in Free Masonry, he held many of the high offices of the order. In this body he was prominent for many years and held high rank, in 1876 being elected grand commander of Knights Templar of Kansas. He was a vestryman in the Protestant Episco- pas Church for 17 years and devoted to church work. The State and local medical societies had in him a useful and learned member. He successfully maintained his private hospital in Topeka for many years. Dr. Sheldon is buried in a most beautiful spot opposite the Garfield Monument, in Lake View Cemetery, at Cleveland, Ohio, the home of his earlier years and successes. In 1866, Dr. Sheldon was married to Ann Eliza Ball, a daughter of Cap- tain John Ball, one of the leading citizens of Cleveland, Ohio. She still sur- vives and occupies a warm place in the hearts of a large circle of friends and of those whom her many charities and beneficences have reached. She gave to the State Library a collection of 100 valuable books, at the same time pro- viding for the maintenance of the collection by a gift of $5,000 as an endow- ment fund. She resides in handsome apartments at the Copeland Hotel. Like her late husband, she is very liberal in her gifts to worthy objects. CYRUS CORNING. Cyrus Corning, one of the well-known business men of Topeka, whose able and independent political career for a number of years made him widely known, was born July 12, 1844, at Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, New York, and is a son of Russell and Sarah (White) Corning. The father of Mr. Corning was born in New York and his mother in Vermont. The father, who was a farmer, moved with his family to Wiscon- sin in 1850 and came to Kansas in 1878, settling on a farm in Ness County where he died in 1882. His wife died seven years later. Both parents were AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 445 interred at Plainfield, Wisconsin. They had five children : Henry, a mechanic and farmer at Florence, Colorado ; Cyrus, of this sketch ; Sidney A., a lawyer at Plainfield, Wisconsin; Lovina (Mrs. James Sharp), of Nebraska; and Charles S., a farmer living near Plainfield, Wisconsin. Mr. Corning was educated at Allen's Grove Academy, at Allen's Grove, Wisconsin, Ripon College, at Ripon, and then attended Lawrence University at Appleton, acquitting himself so well that by the time he was ly years old he was authorized to take charge of a district school. He con- tinued to teach and became principal of the school at DePere, Brown County, and subsequently of the Appleton High School, remaining in the former con- nection for three and in the latter for two years. Failing health caused him to change his occupation and led him to make his first entrance into journalism. He started a paper called the Stockbridge Enterprise, which he conducted for about eight months, and then, in the spring of 1876, removed to Law- rence, Kansas, where he read law with Hon. George J. Barker, now post- master there. In that same summer he was admitted to practice and he continued in practice for seven years. During this time his health again gave him trouble and caused his giving up his practice in the city and his removal to Ness County, where he was elected first county attorney. Two years later he came to Topeka. Soon after, Mr. Corning became deeply interested in the reform move- ment and so convinced that his duty lay in the use of his voice and pen in furthering the day of its success, that he went to Osage County, which seemed a promising field, and started the Kansas Workman. This paper he conducted for 12 years in connection with a fair law practice. When the movement in which he was so interested became still more one of the issues of the day, Mr. Corning entered into the arena as a worker and speaker, but before long he found that the excitement and hardship of this work again threatened his health and again he was compelled to retire for a time. In 1884, however, he entered the field on an independent ticket and defeated the Lewelling party ticket by a majority of 35,ocx) votes. Mr. Corning has lived to see many of his prophesies come to pass and an encouraging number of the reforms, to which he has devoted the best energies of his life, adopted. He is a strong believer in State ownership of all trusts and corporations and, in times past, he has predicted, while lecturing on socialism, on the corner of Sixth and Kansas avenues, such laws as that enacted by the last Legislature giving the State the ownership of the oil business. In 1904 Mr. Corning started a general job printing office at No. 833 Kansas avenue and continues interested in it. During the fall of 1901 he started a paper at Enterprise, an independent journal called the Enterprise Star, its policy leaning toward Populism. Since 1890 he has resided perma- 446 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY nently at Topeka. Mr. Corning has had four noted public discussions : one with Senator Kelly, at McPherson, in 1888; the second with Joseph Ady, at Newton, in the same year; the third with Mr. Ady at Burlington; and twice in 1890 and 1891, with F. B. Dawes, Attorney General of the State. HON. MATTHEW R. MITCHELL. Hon. Matthew R. Mitchell, M. D., one of the citizens of Topeka, whose distinguished services during the Civil War of themselves justify a claim to prominent mention, without considering his political and professional eminence, was born Nevember 10, 1835, in Logan County, Ohio, and is a son of Matthew and Margaret S. (Speer) Mitchell. The parents of Dr. Mitchell belonged to the substantial agricultural class of Ohio. Of their 1 1 children, seven still survive, the three who became residents of Kansas being our subject and a brother, William S. (a retired farmer of Olathe, Johnson County), and a sister Elizabeth (widow of Thomas Hutchinson, of the same place). Matthew R. Mitchell was educated at the academy at Northwood, Ohio, and then entered Jefferson College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated in June, 1862. On the 25th of the following September, he enlisted for a term of service in the Civil War, becoming a member of Com- pany B, 88th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under command of Colonel Neff. When it became public policy to enlist colored troops, Mr. Mitchell was commissioned a ist lieutenant and two weeks later was appointed adjutant of the 27th Reg- iment, United States Colored Troops, under Colonel Blackman and Lieu- tenant Colonel Donaldson. He served as adjutant until August i, 1864, when he was wounded before Petersburg, being shot through the face. On account of being so seriously injured he was given a furlough of two months. When he rejoined his regiment along the Weldon Railroad, he found that he had been promoted to the rank of captain during his absence, under Gen- eral Butler. This resulted in his participation in the memorable siege of Fort Fisher when the colored troops gave such a good account of themselves. In June of that year he was commissioned major and with this rank he was mustered out at Smithfield, North Carolina, in September, 1865. Major Mitchell saw much hard service and took part in all the dangerous fighting in front of Richmond and at Petersburg, and endured the four days and four nights siege at Fort Fisher. After his return from the army, where he had made a brilliant record. Major Mitchell began the study of medicine, reading under Dr. Clason, Dr. V COL. ALEXANDER SOULE JOHNSON AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 449 Sullivan and Dr. Fulton, and then entered the Cincinnati Medical College, where he was graduated in 1868. At this time this institution had a faculty of distinguished and able men, including Dr. Blackman, Dr. Wright, Dr. Graham, Dr. Parvin, now of Philadelphia, subsequently of Jefferson Medical College, and a prominent author, and Dr. Barthelow, the author of "Medical Therapeutics," all of whom gained the esteem of Dr. Mitchell and gave him great encouragement. Dr. Mitchell located at Fairmount, Leavenworth County, Kansas, and during his seven years of residence there became one of the leading citizens, and was elected to the House of Representatives from the 24th District. In 1875, after the expiration of his legislative term. Dr. Mitchell located at Topeka and this city has been his place of residence ever since. For nine years he has been health officer here, a position of grave importance, and has filled the duties with complete efficiency. He was married on March 10, 1868, to Mary M. Fulton, of Bellefontaine, Ohio, who is a daughter of Dr. Abraham and Lucretia (Huntington) Fulton, the former of whom was one of Dr. Mitchell's early preceptors. They have three children: Porter M., Clara and Stella. Politically, Dr. Mitchell votes the Republican ticket. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and is ex-commander of Blue Post, No. 250, Topeka. He is an elder in the United Presbyterian Church. COL. ALEXANDER SOULE JOHNSON. CoL. Alexander Soule Johnson, whose portrait is shown on the oppo- site page, was born in that part of the Indian Territory which is now Wyan- dotte County, Kansas, on July 11, 1832, and died at Dallas, Texas, December 9, 1904. He was born in Topeka, in the State whose first white child he was and where he lived 72 eventful and useful years. In his funeral sermon Dr. Evans said : "A great and good man has passed away. He was a pioneer. He was one of the prophesies come true of her destiny. He was her first son. It is unnecessary to review the life of Colonel Johnson with a desire to mag- nify his name. But to impress upon those who hear this his manly characteris- tics, his unimpeachable honesty, his spirit of fairness and justice, we will go back over the span of his life and tell its history from his deeds." The story of his life runs parallel with that of his loved State and little in connection with its settlement, growth, progress and prosperity can be mentioned without reference to him and to his influence. "He was born brave," one who knew him said, which was a necessary birthright in a country 450 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY overrun by savages. His parents were Rev. Thomas and Sarah (Tittle) Johnson. All the immediate family of Sarah Tittle, living in a border settle- ment of Kentucky less than a hundred years ago, were massacred by Indians under their famous chieftain Tecumseh, she alone escaping. It was a strange fate that later sent her, wife of the Virginia Methodist preacher, a missionary with him to the Shawnee tribe that had bereft her of kindred. With Christian fortitude and courage they lived and labored among this people. In 1837 the Shawnee Methodist Mission was moved to what is now Johnson County, Kansas, named in honor of Rev. Thomas Johnson. Under his supervision the Shawnee Manual Labor School was established, where the Indians were taught helpful and practical knowledge and, by precept and example, the ways of peace. He conducted this school more than a quarter of a century and here his son Alexander studied much besides books during his earlier years, later entering Central College at Lafayette, Missouri, and completing its course. In 185 1 Alexander S. Johnson became partner in the firm of J. Riddels- berger, Westport (now Kansas City), Missouri, then the foremost forwarding and commission house in that section of the West. His business success was notable but a fortunate circumstance turned him from a counting room career. When the Territory of Kansas was organized, he and his father were elected members of the Territorial Council, which body chose Rev. Thomas Johnson its first presiding officer. In 1886 Colonel Johnson was elected to the State Legislature from Johnson County. These were the only offices held by him under the State, inclination leading him in other directions. He was superin- tendent of Shawnee Mission from 1858 to 1862 when it was abandoned, later becoming the home of the family by grant from the United States gov- ernment to the estate of Rev. Thomas Johnson. \\'hen Civil War was declared, both father and son espoused the Union cause which resulted in death of the former, he being killed on New Years Day, 1865, while defending his home from Rebel Raiders. The latter organized a company of volunteers which became part of the 13th Kansas Militia, of which he was appointed lieutenant-colonel, and served his country with great bravery and distinction. In early manhood young Johnson studied surveying and as United States deputy surveyor surveyed the Indian lands of Johnson County. Knowledge and experience thus gained proved stepping stones to his appointment in 1866 as land commissioner to the Fort Scott & Gulf road; in 1870 surveyor and appraiser of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe land grant, and subsequently its land and tax commissioner, which positions he held until his resignation in 1870. During these years with the Santa Fe, its three million acres were opened for settlement and sold under the management of Colonel Johnson. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 451 As means to an end, he conceived and perfected the road's display at the Cen- tennial Exposition, repeating the object lesson at the Atlanta Exposition. The land department became famous the world over, its lieutenants every- where telHng of "homes for millions" upon the fertile soil of Kansas. Ere long the "Great American Desert" became a tale of the past. An army of peaceful invaders turned the soil, sowed and planted and lo! what had been a desolate waste was converted into teeming fields, attractive homesteads and prosperous communities. The successful issue was due to Colonel John- son's great business and executive ability, backed by his "unimpeachable honesty, his spirit of fairness and justice." To his credit and that of his assistants be it said that throughout their handling of the land grant not one lawsuit resulted. When the stupendous task was accomplished and the inti- mate relationship of 20 years was sundered, his "boys" paid tribute to their chief in service of silver and words of gold. The speaker said : "During all these years of our association with you in this work, which we have seen crowned with triumphant success, we have perhaps succeeded in bringing to view almost every phase of your character and I speak for all when I say it never has been unfolded to your reproach. If we looked for business industry, we found you at your desk. If we looked for friendship, we found kind counsel. If we looked for truth, we found you scorned falsehood and misrep- resentation. If we looked for charity, we found you considerate of other industries. If we looked for honor, we found you unmoved by every bribe of interest. If we looked for constancy of friends, we found you defending your 'boys.' If we. looked for the broadest manhood, we found in you a Christian gentleman." Thus spoke those who had known Colonel Johnson day by day through many trying years and their words of commendation and affection voiced so long ago are a fitting memorial now to him who is no more. Colonel Johnson moved to Topeka in 1870 and immediately became iden- tified with the Methodist Church and active in all interests pertaining to the city's welfare. He was one of those instrumental in establishing Topeka's water service and Edison electric plant, serving on each board of control. For 18 years he was vice-president of the Central National Bank and one of its directors. He was president of the Topeka Club from its organization and a member of the State Historical Society and of the Old Settlers' Asso- ciation. He was a Knight Templar from early manhood. Unassuming to a degree, he never sought personal aggrandizement; instead he forgot self in remembering others. He was a rarely attractive and lovable man, his sweet and gentle nature suggesting one familiar only with the amenities and refine- ments of a retired and peaceful life, not a son of the border, born among Indians and reared amid scenes of strife. In 1852 Alexander S. Johnson married Prudence C. Funk, of Maryland. 452 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Four children were born to them, of whom but one is living — Mrs. Charles E. Fargo, of Dallas, Texas. In 1887 he married Zippie A. Scott, of Man- chester, New Hampshire, who survives him. Colonel Johnson was especially a domestic man, an ideal host and his beautiful home in Topeka was an appropriate setting for the genial, courtly gentleman whom to know was to love loyally. In his passing Kansas lost her oldest and one of her most distinguished sons. SAMUEL J. YAGER. Samuel J. Yager, who has been a resident of Auburn township, Shaw- nee County, since 1866, and owns a well-improved farm of 240 acres, situated in section 23, township 13, range 14, was born in Oldham County, Kentucky, March 13, 1834, and is a son of Willis and Nancy (Overstreet) Yager. Jesse Yager, the paternal grandfather, was born in Virginia, of German ancestry. He moved to Kentucky, where his son Willis was born. The latter died at the age of 35 years. The mother of our subject was a native of Old- ham County and died in Shawnee County, aged 65 years. Her father, Sam- uel Overstreet, was a soldier in the War of 1812. The father of Samuel J. Yager died when the latter was but two years of age, leaving five children, viz : John, deceased ; Mrs. Elizabeth Fields ; Willis, deceased ; Samuel J., of this sketch; and Mrs. Martha Netherton, deceased. After the death of the father, the mother took her little ones to Johnson County, Indiana. In 1864 our subject visited Shawnee County for two months and was so pleased with the appearance of the land that in 1866 he came here and settled permanently, buying 240 acres of land, only 40 of which had been fenced and cultivated. Mr. Yager has placed his land under cultiva- tion and has made many substantial improvements here, including the build- ing of a fine brick dwelling and all necessary barns and outbuildings. He devotes his land to growing grain and stock. Two of his sons are located in the neighborhood, each owning farms of 80 acres. Mr. Yager was married in 1864, in Indiana, to Magdalene M. Terrill, who was born near Middleton, Ohio, in 1845, and is a daughter of Hampton and Hannah (Aten) Terrill, whom she accompanied in childhood to Indiana, which was her father's native State. Mr. and Mrs. Yager have four children : Willis H. ; Sybil Maud, wife of Harry Wright of Topeka ; Jesse M. and Gar- rett A. Politically, Mr. Yager has been identified with the Republican party ever since the administration of James Buchanan for whom he cast his first PERRY T. FOSTER AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 455 presidential vote. He has been an elder in the Presbyterian Church at Au- burn for many years and ever since settling here has been one of the trustees. He has also taken a deep interest in the Sunday-school and has served as its superintendent. Mr. Yager is a man of sterling integrity, one who enjoys the esteem of his fellow-citizens to a marked degree. »»» PERRY T. FOSTER. Perry T. Foster^ a pioneer citizen of Shawnee County, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, has a fine farm of ioo acres four miles southwest of Topeka in Topeka township, which his father owned before him. He was born on a farm in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, September 11, 1834, and is a son of Robert and Nancy (Meyler) Foster. George Foster, grandfather of our subject, was born in England, and at an early age accompanied his father to the North of Ireland, then in later years came to America alone, settling in Pennsylvania. His foot was crip- pled by an accident and remained so throughout the remainder of his life. He died in Pennsylvania, leaving the following children: Robert, Thomas, William, James, George, Mary and Isabelle. Robert Foster, father of our subject, was born in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, in 1796, and was a farmer and stock-raiser throughout life. He tried three times to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil W-ar, but was rejected because of advanced age. In 1864, he accompanied his son to Kansas and took up the claim in Topeka township, Shawnee County, on which our subject and his son now reside. He lived there the remainder of his days, dying at the age of 70 years, one month and one day. He was married in Pennsylvania to Nancy Meyler, who was born at Utica, New York, and died on the home farm in Shawnee County at the age of 79 years. They reared the following children : Mary, deceased ; Jane, deceased ; Lov- ina, deceased; Nancy, of California; Lorinda, of Denver, Colorado; Free- man R. ; Perry T., whose name heads this sketch; and Merriman, who was in the nth Pennsylvania Reg^iment during the Civil War, serving for two years until discharged by reason of disability. Freeman R. Foster, who served in the same company and regiment as our subject during the Civil War, was a member of the Kansas Legislature two terms. He came to Shawnee County in 1854 and assisted in laying off the city of Topeka, in which he owned some 30 lots. His death resulted from an accident on his farm, caused by a team running away. Perry T. Foster was reared on the home farm until he was 22 years of age, then came West in 1856, to Jefferson City, Missouri, by rail, thence 22 456 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY by boat to Leavenworth, Kansas, and by team to the southwest quarter of section 24, township 12, range 15, in Topeka township, Shawnee County, which adjoins his present home. He built thereon a log house, 11 by 11 feet in dimensions, fenced the prairie and began its cultivation. There were still buffaloes in this country and he had the pleasure of a hunt in which he killed one of a herd. He continued farming and also engaged in the butcher busi- ness until the outbreak of the Civil War when he returned to his Eastern home, enlisting August 2, 1862, in Company B, 137th Reg., Pennsylvania Vol. Inf., under Capt. Dillon Walker and Colonel Bosworth. The regi- ment was attached to the Army of the Potomac, and Mr. Foster participated in engagements at South Mountain and Antietam. In the latter engage- ment while forming in line in double-quick time, he stepped into a dugout and injured his foot which has been crippled ever since, an injury very like the one sustained by his grandfather. He was sent home and was hon- orably discharged in February, 1863. He remained in Pennsylvania until 1864, and then, accompanied by his wife and his parents, he came West to his Kansas home, living in the cabin until the following winter, when he sold the property and moved to the claim taken up by his father. This has since been his home. He has erected a modern house for himself and one for his son, and has made all the improvements on the place. In December, i86r, Mr. Foster married Lucinda Thompson, who was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1841, and is a daughter of John and Betsy (Casler) Thompson, the former a native of Crawford County and the latter, of Utica, New York. Three children have been born to them: Robert J., who has four children, — Francis R., Ina, Estella and Marie; Ahce, who married George Robinson, of Wabaunsee County, and has a daughter, — Myrtle; and Lena P., who married Paul E. Dallas, of Wabaunsee County, and has a daughter, Mabel, and a son not yet named. Mr. Foster is one of the substantial men of his community and has many friends of many years standing. HERBERT HACKNEY. Herbert Hackney, president of The Topeka Milling Company, belongs to that body of progressive and far-sighted business men who have brought the great industries of the United States to almost absolute perfection. Mr. Hackney was born in England in 1850 and is a son of George and Martha t^Jepson) Hackney. George Hackney, father of our subject, was born May 26, 1826, in AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 457 Cheshire, England, and is a son of John and Hannah (Simm) Hackney. He is one of a family of 15 children and, as far as he has been able to trace, is the only survivor. He was educated in England as a mechancal engineer and was employed on the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. In 1852 he came to America in the "Sarah Sands," which was the first screw steamer to cross the Atlantic. She was subsequently lost, burned while car- rying troops to Australia. On April 5, 1848, George Hackney was married to Martha Jepson, who was born in Cheshire in 1827, and they had three children, the two survivors being Herbert, of this sketch, and Carrie Elizabeth, who is the wife of Clar- ence Skinner, of Topeka. Mr. and Mrs. Skinner have one daughter, — Addie. After coming to America, George Hackney lived for three years in New York City where he followed his trade, in 1855 removing to Milwaukee, and continuing to work as a mechanical engineer. From Wisconsin he moved to Topeka, Kansas, in 1877 and for 13 years had charge of the mechanical department of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway from Chicago to, California. During his residence in Chicago, he was chairman of the com- mittee of three members which was appointed by the mayor of that city to study the subject of elevated railroad terminals. The committee was composed of practical men and they traveled all through the East and studied the sub- ject in all lights at different points. As a result, Chicago has one of the best elevated railroad terminal systems in the world. Mr. Hackney retired from active life in 1893 after years of work and responsibility. George Hackney has the distinction of having built the first three loco- motives ever constructed in the State. The first one was named for Colonel Holliday, who was then president of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail- way Company; the second was named for C. C. Wheeler, general manager of the road, and the third for W. B. Strong, also at one time president of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company. In association with Levi Z. Leiter, P. G. Noel, George Lake and a fifth man, Mr. Hackney built the first roller mill in the State, which is now operated by our subject. Mr. Hackney is the only survivor of this body of business men. During the winter seasons Mr. Hackney resides in Topeka, but his summers are spent on his finely improved farm of 1 5 acres in Highland Park. In a remarkable degree he retains his faculties and is a most interesting and entertaining host. Among the many treasures which his home contains is a picture which was painted by his only daughter, of an old church of Cheshire, England. It possesses great interest for him as the original dates back to the time of Cromwell and in it his father and mother were married and in its shadow they lie buried. It is known as Asbury Church. Near it he first met his wife and they were, married there and the baptismal rite was there 458 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY administered to Herbert Hackney, our subject. In 1854 Mr. Hackney was admitted to membership in the Masonic fraternity in New York and ever since he has performed the duties and Hved up to the obHgations of a Master Mason. Herbert Hackney attended school in Wisconsin until he was 13 years old and was then apprenticed in a machine shop, where he remained until he had completed every detail of the work and was a finished machinist. In 1870, at the age of 28 years, he was manager of a large iron and steel plant at Youngstown, Ohio, of which Brown & Bonnell were proprietors. His prac- tical knowledge of iron and steel includes every part of the business from the mining of the iron ore to the finished product. At this time he managed 3,500 men, a fact indicative of the reliance placed in him by his employers. He has been connected with iron and steel manufacturing in Ohio, Illinois and Oregon and in Wisconsin. His experiences covered so wide a territory and his positions were of such responsibility that his knowledge of the business has been gained in the best and most complete way. In 1887 he became assistant superintendent of the machinery department of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and continued until 1892, since which time he has devoted his time and close attention to his present business. This enterprise known as The Topeka Milling Company, is operated by Hackney & Company, the officials being: Herbert Hackney, president and treasurer and George W. Hackney, his son, secretary and manager. The business of the company is the manufacture of the famous "Ralston Health Flour," "Ralston Health Pancake Flour," "Ralston Health Buckwheat Flour," "Blue Cross Health Breakfast Food" and "H. H." patent flour, pre- parations that through excellence of quality have found a market all over the world. This mill was built in 1882 and it has a daily capacity of 650 barrels of flour, 1,000 barrels of corn meal and 18,000 packages of cereals. This institution employs eight travelling salesmen and the goods are shipped to all parts of the United States. In this line the products of The Topeka Milling Company are of the very highest class manufactured in the world, having absolutely no superior. Since Mr. Hackney and son have taken charge of this business, they have been vigorously pushing to the front as American manufacturers. Mr. Hackley was married, first, in Milwaukee to May L. Todd, and they had two children : George W. and one deceased. Mr. Hackney was mar- ried, second, in Chicago to Anna S. Norton. He is a member of the Commer- cial Club of Topeka and has always been active in furthering the city's interests since he has located here. George W. Hackney, junior member of the firm, was born in 1877 at AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 459 Milwaukee. His education was received in the public schools and at North- western University, Evanston, Illinois. After leaving school, he was em- ployed by the World's Fair Company and then joined his father at Topeka. He is a practical business man, like his father and grandfather, and gives his undivided attention to the advancing of the interests of this large enterprise, thoroughly believing in the value of modern advertising. The offices of the company are situated on Jefferson street, while the mill property is on Adams street. It is thoroughly equipped with every kind of modern device and improved machinery that will contribute to the purity of the goods pro- duced so that they may be just what they are claimed to be — health foods. ALBERT PARKER. Albert Parker, formerly mayor of Topeka and for many years a very prominent business man and political factor here, is now practically retired from business activity but still continues interested in all that concerns the capital city. Mr. Parker was born at Lisbon, New Hampshire, June 28, 1846, and is a son of Levi P. and Sally (Forsaith) Parker. The parents of Mr. Parker were farming people of Grafton County, New Hampshire, and their lives were spent in that vicinity. Of their five chil- dren, our subject and one sister still survive. The mother died in 1872, but the father survived until 1891. Many residents of Topeka became acquainted with him during several enjoyable visits he made here, finding in him many of the admirable characteristics notable in those of New England birth and residence. Our subject was educated in the common schools of Lisbon. In 1866 he went to Littleton, New Hampshire, and spent seven years there in the drug business. In 1873 he came to Topeka and opened a drug-store at No. 621 Kansas avenue, where he remained for five years. After selling his store, he entered into the real estate and loan business under the firm name of A. Parker & Company and continued to be active in this line for about 10 years. To this day he still continues a slight interest in real estate and oil lands. In 1883 he was elected, on the Democratic ticket, register of deeds, re- ceivmg 1,000 more votes than there were Democrats, showing a large meas- ure of personal popularity. He served one term in this office. In 1891 his party chose him as candidate for mayor, the Republican candidate being Col. J. W. F. Hughes, of Topeka. The result of the election was a majority of 1 1 votes for Mr. Parker. There was a recount ordered on account of sus- pected irregularity and the result was that Colonel Hughes was declared 46o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY elected by a majority of nine votes. In order to vindicate his friends, Mr. Parker carried tlie contest to the District Court and later to the Superior Court, where the latter body, a Republican court with a Republican judge, decided that Mr. Parker was mayor by a majority of 17 votes. He served the remainder of the term of 15 months and was renominated but declined to serve again. While always ready to do a citizen's duty, he has never been eager enough for political rewards to ask a man for a vote. Honors have come to him but they have been through the work of his friends. In addition to the offices mentioned, in 1881 he was appointed city assessor and has served two terms as deputy assessor. Mr. Parker was married May 24, 1873, to Cyrena Giles, of Topeka, who is a daughter of Nelson and Cyrena (Dean) Giles. Mr. Giles was born in 181 5 at Bethlehem, New Hampshire, and is spending the evening of life with Mr. and Mrs. Parker. The latter have one son, Albert G. Parker. He graduated from the Topeka High School and is now a student at Washburn College. He is very fond of athletics as the modern, manly American youth is apt to be, and has won distinction as a very clever pitcher. Mr. and Mrs. Parker reside in a beautiful home at No. 312 West Eighth avenue facing the Capitol Building. DANIEL DUCK. Among the early settlers in Kansas who became men of means and prominence was Daniel Duck, who died while on a visit to his old home in Illinois, on November 30, 1896. He was born in Center County, Pennsyl- vania, August 23, 1826, and "grew up on his brother's farm, his father having died when our subject was nine years of age, and was educated in the dis- trict schools. In 1846 he enlisted for service in the Mexican War, entering Company E, Third Ohio Regiment, and was honorably discharged in 1847 o" account of disability. He moved to Stephenson County, Illinois, and after his mar- riage and the birth of one child came to Kansas in 1857. He settled in Clin- ton township, Douglas County, too poor at that time to enter a claim. He soon found work as a carpenter and then secured a tract of wild land on which there was a log cabin, in which the family lived for a long time. He was a man of great energy and industry as well as business judgment. The time came when he owned 700 acres of fine land. About 1892 he moved to Richland and built a fine home and lived retired from active farming for about four years before his death. In the Civil War he took part in the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 461 famous battle of the Blue, when the Kansas Home Guards checked Price's invasion of the State. Mr. Duck was married in Stephenson County, Illinois, October 24, 1850, to Polina E. Wells, who was born May 22, 1827, in Ohio, and accompanied her parents to Illinois when eight years of age. She is a daughter of Warner and Mary (Rimy) Wells, natives of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Duck had three daughters, namely: Mary Angeline, who died aged 17 months; the eldest daughter, who died unmarried; and Ellen S., who married Curtis Lamb and died in Richland in 1895, aged 40 years, leaving six children, — Polina E., wife of Joseph Daily, of Richland; Daniel C, of Douglas County; William C, of Oklahoma; Eva S., wife of Anthony Coyne of Douglas County ; Myrtle E., who lives with her grandmother ; and Frederick O. There are 12 great-grandchildren. Mr. Duck was a Republican in his early voting days but in the latter part of his life was a Populist. He was a member of the Farmers' Alliance. He was a devoted husband, a kind and loving father, a true friend as many can testify and an upright, honest man. He became possessed of worldly goods in large amount but gained them through years of hard work. He left a large circle of friends by whom he was much respected as is also his widow who continues to live in the comfortable home at Richland. With her husband she saw many early hardships but has lived to enjoy rest and ease in her declining years. TIMOTHY R. JOHNSON. Timothy R. Johnson, one of the representative citizens and promi- nent farmers of Silver Lake township, Shawnee County, owning 160 acres in section 22, township 11, range 14, was born January 28, 1832, in Chau- tauqua County, New York, and is a son of John B. and Lucy (Merwin) Johnson. The father of our subject was born at Keene, New Hampshire, and the mother was a native of Connecticut. They removed from New England to New York and from there, in 1836, to Washtenaw County, Michigan. Mr. Johnson bought a farm of 80 acres which he operated for 10 years and then sold. In June, 1846, he removed to Porter County, Indiana, purchasing a farm of 80 acres, on which he lived for 45 years. For the last 25 years of his life he made his home with our subject, accompanying him to Kansas in 1891, where he died on December i8th of that year, aged 84 years. Of the eight children, three survive, namely: Timothy R., of this sketch; Armena, 462 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY married James Disbrow, a cooper, a resident of Michigan, and has two chil- dren, — Rose and Mary ; and Hiram, of Basin, Montana, whose wife, Martha OHnger, died April i, 1901, leaving two daughters, — Elsie, who resides at Spokane, Washington, with her husband and two children, and Florence, who is the wife of J. B. Felts, of Basin, Montana, and has two children. Our subject acquired the greater part of his education in Michigan and when his school days were over he learned the carpenter's trade. During his two years of apprenticeship, he received $8 a month for the first year and $14 a month for the second year and then went into business for himself. For the next 10 years he worked at the carpenter's trade and then bought a farm, which he subsequently sold when he came to Kansas. On March 2, 1891, he bought his present farm in Silver Lake township. A stone house stood on the place and about the only other improvement was a very poor fence. These conditions did not at all meet with the approval of Mr. Johnson and the stone house was soon demolished and a handsome, modern, comfortable residence took its place. Mr. Johnson has put all his land under cultivation and he raises corn, wheat, potatoes and fruit, while his apple and peach orchards of 60 acres yield generously. He is a man of practical ideas, one who has been accustomed to industry all his life and he has proven himself as good a farmer as he was formerly considered a competent craftsman. Mr. Johnson has also an honorable army record. He enlisted for service in the Civil War, in April, 1864, in Company C, 138th Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf., a 100-day regiment, and was mustered in at Indianapolis for garrison duty. Upon the expiration of his term he reenlisted in the 151st Regiment, Indiana Vol. Inf., for a year, and was honorably discharged September 9, 1865. He is a member of Silver Lake Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Johnson was married February 2, 1852, to Mary H. Dille, who is a daughter of Hiram and Nancy (Reasoner) Dille, natives of Ohio, who re- moved to Indiana and there reared a family of 16 children, all of whom reached maturity. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have had these children : Floretta, who died October 14, 1855, aged two years, and was buried in Indiana; Celestia, who married Eri Hansford, a farmer and sorghum manufacturer, at Mencken, and has nine children, — John, of Topeka, Clara, wife of Arthur Ensminger, of Silver Lake, Mary," wife of Harry Shetrone, of Menoken, Allen, Hiram, Effie, Terry, Eri, Jr., and Lester ; Malinda, deceased, who was the wife of J. C. Freer, of Silver Lake township; Minard, residing with his father who married Rosa Ritenour and has these children, — Oscar D., Bessie M., Floyd T. and Mary H. ; Augusta, who married C. J. McCoid, a farmer of Silver Lake township, and has three children, — Ruth and Reuben (twins), and Harley; Effie, who married Riley D. Johnson, a farmer of Silver Lake township, and has one son. Nelson; and an infant who died aged four days. mr WILLIAM C. TRAPP AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 465 Mr. Johnson has been identified with the Republican party since its forma- tion, casting his first presidential vote for Gen. John C. Fremont. While he resided in Indiana he filled the office of justice of the peace and also served as school director. While not accepting office since coming to Kansas, he has taken a good citizen's interest in public affairs and his fellow-citizens always know just where to find him on any important matter concerning public utilities. For many years he has been an Odd Fellow, belonging to the En- campment in Indiana, and is a member of Ohio Lodge, No. 136, I. O. O. F., of Silver Lake. With his family, he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Silver Lake, and in this body he is a deacon and trustee, and is also the leader of the Bible class. He is a man respected and esteemed wherever known. ♦ ■ » WILLIAM C. TRAPP. William C. Trapp, deceased, was one of the best known merchant tailors of Topeka, the establishment founded by him still being conducted by his estate. He was a man of prominence in business circles and enjoyed a high degree of popularity among his fellow-citizens. Mr. Trapp was born in Prussia, Germany, March 3, 1845, and was one of a family of nine children born to his parents. His father was born in Prussia and in 1859 came to this continent, locating in Waterloo, Canada. Our subject was a lad of 14 years when he accompanied his parents across the water and settled in Waterloo. There he learned the trade of a tailor and worked until he was 17 years old, when he started for himself. Leav- ing his Canadian home, he was located at various places until 1867, when he came West to Topeka, Kansas. Here he accepted employment at his trade, and in 1872 embarked in business for himself. He placed his estab- lishment on a firm business basis and became one of the prosperous men of the city. He established a reputation as a merchant tailor second to none and commanded the highest class of trade. His death occurred July 24, 1892, and since that time the business has been conducted by his estate, being under the management of W. T. Beerbohm at the present time. Mr. Trapp was a member of the Topeka Club and had a large circle of intimate friends who mourned his death as a personal loss. On October 7, 1875, Mr. Trapp was joined in marriage with Christina Holmes, a daughter of the late Hon. George B. Holmes, who was a pioneer citizen of Topeka, deceased in 1879. Four children were born to this union, namely: William H., who married Lavinia Briscoe, has one child, Lillian 466 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Earnestine, and resides at Miami, Indian Territory; Lillian; Ruth, who died at the age of i8 years; and Carl W. Mrs. Trapp and Lillian and Carl W. Trapp reside in a comfortable home at No. 215 West nth street, Topeka. The family are members of the Presbyterian Church. A portrait of Mr. Trapp accompanies this sketch. \. P. TONE WILSON, JR. A. P. Tone Wilson, Jr., attorney-at-law and real estate specialist, at Topeka, with offices at No. 413 Kansas avenue, is one of the city's progres- sive, enterprising and successful business men. Mr. Wilson' was born in Ne- braska, June 26, 1874, and is a son of Anthony P. and Mary E (Boldon) Wilson. Anthony P. Wilson, father of our subject, is one of the leading attor- neys of Topeka and is largely also interested in farm loans and insurance, together with the publishing of a very valuable and important journal known as the Kansas Collection Agency Legal Directory. He was born at Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1846, and completed his law studies at Milwaukee. During three years of the Civil War he honorably wore the Union blue, serving as a member of Company I, 33rd Reg., Wisconsin Vol. Inf. In 1867 he took a homestead in Southeastern Nebraska, and in 1904 located at Topeka. His beautiful residence is located at No. 1220 Logan street. North Topeka. Mr. Wilson married Mary E. Boldon, formerly a school teacher of Alden, Iowa. They have a family of five sons and two daughters, all of the sons adopting law as their profession. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are associated with the Christian Church. A. P. Tone Wilson, Jr., completed his early education in the Nebraska schools and then graduated from the Western Business College, at Lincoln, subsequently entering the Kansas City Law School, at Kansas City, Missouri, where he was graduated with the class of 1898 and was admitted to the bar in the same year. For the next five years he practiced law at Colby, Kansas, removing then to Topeka where he has continued in successful practice, hav- ing numerous cases before the Supreme Court. In addition to his large legal business, he is extensively interested with his father and three brothers in Kansas real estate, this private syndicate owning over 15,000 acres of some of the best land in the "Sunflower" State. Mr. Wilson has made so close a study of land values and conditions that he has become an expert and is known under the modern title of real estate specialist. His personal experi- ences have been so many and his means of observation and investigation so AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 467 perfect, that few are better calculated to advise as to land investments. He believes thoroughly in printer's ink and his name confronts the reader in fully 2,500 different papers, magazines and journals. He is also interested with his able father in the publication of the Legal Directory, its aim being to provide a medium by which merchants may safely and quickly secure the co-operation of reliable attorneys, who will give prompt attention to their wants. The Kansas Collection Agency, which publishes this directory, is controlled by Anthony P. Wilson and A. P. Tone Wilson, Jr. It was organized for the purpose of making collections throughout the United States and supplying high-class credit reports. The business of the agency is conducted at No. 413 Kansas avenue. On January 8, 1903, Mr. Wilson was married at Panama, Iowa, to Lula Smith. They belong to the First Presbyterian Church. Their beautiful home at No. 1535 Topeka avenue is the scene of many delightful social functions. SAMUEL G. STEWART, A. M., M. D. Samuel G. Stewart, A. M., M. D., who for 32 years has been in active medical practice, has been a resident of Topeka since 1887. Dr. Stewart was born October i, 1845, at Oxford, Butler County, Ohio, and is a son of Dr. Robert and Mary Elizabeth (White) Stewart. Our subject's ancestors, traced as far back as the great-great-grand- parents, were of North of Ireland, Londonderry, stock on the paternal side and of Scotch-Irish on the maternal. Dr. Robert Stewart, his father, was a graduate of a medical college at Cincinnati, Ohio and practiced in that State for many years. Samuel G. Stewart obtained his academical training at Xenia, Ohio, and graduated at the Miami University at Oxford with the degree of B. S. He then entered Starling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, where he was graduated with his medical degree in 1873. Two years later he came to Kansas, on horseback, in order to look the country over with the idea in view of later locating here. He had an honorable war record, having served from 1861 until the close of hostilities as a member of Company D, 74th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., with the 14th Army Corps, under General Thomas, and he was a fully equipped physician and surgeon. But at this time the prospects did not sufiSciently please Dr. Stewart to induce him to settle at Topeka, and for the next 12 years he practiced in Montgomery County, Ohio. In 1887 Dr. Stewart settled at Topeka and this city has been the central 468 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY point of his interests ever since. During his previous years of practice, he had added to his professional knowledge by post-graduate work in New York, and he subsequently accepted a place on the faculty of the Kansas Medical College at Topeka, as professor of the principles and practice of medicine, his duties including three lectures a week to the students and one to the nurses under training. He is chief of the medical stafif of Christ's Hospital, Topeka. Dr. Stewart was first married, in 1876, to Margaret Bigger, of Ohio, who died in February, 1891, leaving three sons, namely: Robert, now a senior in the Kansas Medical College, who will graduate next year; James and William. Dr. Stewart married, second, Isabel Gibson, who was born in the North of Ireland, and they have three children, namely : Samuel G., Jr., Isabel and Margaret. Dr. Stewart is a member of the First United Presbyterian Church of Topeka. Dr. Stewart is a member of the Shawnee County and Kansas State medical societies, American Medical Association and the Clinical Medical Society, of New York City. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Young Men's Christian Association at Topeka. His long residence here, his eminent professional services and standing, his interest in public measures and his unblemished personal character have all served to make him a repre- sentative citizen in all the term implies. RT. REV. FRANK ROSEBROOK MILLSPAUGH, D. D. Rt. Rev. Frank Rosebrook Millspaugh, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and member of the board of trustees and president of the faculty of the Kansas Theological School, is one of Topeka's most distinguished citizens. He was born in New York State, April 12, 1848, and is one of three children born to Cornelius M. and Elvira (Rosebrook) Millspaugh. Frank Rosebrook Millspaugh was nine years of age when he moved with his parents to Faribault, Minnesota, and there he received his early educational training. He attended Shattuck Military School from which he graduated in 1870, and in 1873 he was graduated from Seabury Divinity School. The first church work he performed was when he was in charge of a number of missions in Minnesota, with headquarters at Brainerd. He was made dean of Trinity Cathedral, Omaha, Nebraska, in 1876 and thereafter held that charge for a period of 10 years. In cooperation with Rev. Robert Clark- son, D. D., LL. D., he built a cathedral at a cost of $100,000. In 1886 he AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 469. took charge of St. Paul's Church at Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was rector there for eight years, the church discharging a large indebtedness under his management. In 1894 he took charge of Grace Cathedral at Topeka, Kansas, and on September 9, 1895, was consecrated as Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas, succeeding Bishop Thomas. Under his care and direction the church has had a good growth in numbers and usefulness, making its imprint upon affairs of magnitude and working for the betterment of social and moral conditions in the State of Kansas. Taking up the work of his pre- decessors in connection with the Kansas Theological School, that institution has prospered and been of incalculable value in the improvement of the services rendered by the representatives of the church. The Kansas Theological School was conceived in the mind of Bishop Vail as early as 1869, when in his address to the diocesan convention he said : "We should provide for our candidates for orders such a theological school as shall secure the appropriate ministerial training." In furtherance of this pur- pose, he purchased the property occupied by the Diocesan Seminary for Girls, paying to the parish of Grace Church $3,000 for its rectoral rights. In 1874 the trustees of the College of the Sisters of Bethany gave a warranty deed of this property to the trustees of the Kansas Theological School for the considera- tion of $30,000, an amount which Bishop Vail had raised and expended in the building of the College of the Sisters of Bethany. The original plan of Bishop Vail was to have the school under the management of one professor, who was himself to do missionary work as well as theological studies. The school was opened in 1876 with two students, and Rev. Henry H. Loring, rector of Grace Church, was elected professor. In 1879, Rev. Mr. Loring removed from the diocese, and the candidates received private instruction from Rev. Dr. Beatty, who came at stated times to Topeka and, with other clergy who were appointed, held examinations in the building, and thereby kept it in use until a change was made in the plan of conducting the school. This change was made by Bishop Thomas in 1892, the charter being so changed as to give the trustees the power to confer upon graduates the degree of Bachelor of Divinity, and a full corps of professors and lecturers were se- cured. The working plan was so changed that the students for the most part were able to support themselves while attending the institution. The plans outlined by Bishop Thomas were carried out successfully until his death, and then under the fostering care of Bishop Millspaugh and of Bishop Brooke of Oklahoma, the school continued to prosper. The board of trustees of this institution is constituted as follows: Rt. Rev. Frank Rosebrook Millspaugh, D. D., Topeka, president; Rev. Nathaniel Seymour Thomas, Philadelphia; Rev. J. P. de Beavers Kaye, Topeka; Charles Blood Smith, Topeka; John W. Farnsworth, Topeka; Hiram C. Root, Topeka; and William Henderson, 470 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Topeka, secretary. The faculty includes the following: Rt. Rev. Frank Rosebrook Millspaugh, president; Rt. Rev. Francis Key Brooke, S. T. D. ; Very Rev. J. P. de Beavers Kaye; Rev. DeLou Burke; Rev. Irving E. Bax- ter; and Rev. Charles B. Crawford. Under Bishop Millspaugh's episcopate of lo years, a debt of about $40,000 on the College of the Sisters of Bethany has been paid and $30,000 added to the endowment fund. To Christ's Hospital, valued at $80,000, two large wings of brick have been added at a cost of over $30,000 and five acres added to the already large property. For the Kansas Theological School he has secured an endowment of $20,000. In the 10 years 30 new churches have been built in the diocese, and less than $5,000 will cover all the debts of the Diocese of Kansas. At Omaha, Nebraska, Bishop Millspaugh was united in marriage with Mary McPherson Clarkson, a daughter of Rt. Rev. Robert Clarkson, Bishop of Nebraska. They have a very comfortable home in Topeka. JOHN McNULTY CLUGSTON. John McNulty Clugston^ deceased, for many years one of the most prominent business men and citizens of Topeka, was engaged in the insurance business. He met with remarkable success in this line and at the time of his death was prominently known over the State of Kansas. Mr. Clugston was born at Mansfield, Ohio, February 23, 1842, and was one of six children born to Matthew and Margaret (McNulty) Clugston. He was reared in his native State and there received a good educational train- ing, leaving school to enlist in the service of his country. In June, 1861, when a young man of 18 years, he enlisted in Company G, 23rd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and served throughout the Civil War, being honorably discharged at its close. In 1870 Mr. Clugston left Ohio for the West and, after making a thorough investigation of many counties and cities in Kansas, located perma- nently in Topeka in July of that year. On July 28, 1870, there appeared in the Times, a paper published at his old home in Ohio, a letter from him descriptive of his trip and prophetic of the future greatness of Kansas, the adaptability of different localities for different enterprises being shown with remarkable foresight. The following extract from his letter reveals Topeka as it was at that time : "Leaving Lawrence, well impressed, I took a train AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 471 for Topeka, located 27 miles west of Lawrence on the Kansas River, and like Lawrence is built up on the north and south sides of the river. North Topeka claims 800 inhabitants — railroad depots being located there. South Topeka lies back from the river on a rise of ground high and dry. Topeka has 7,000 inhabitants. Kansas avenue, running south from the river, being the main business street of the city, and lighted by gas, presents a fine ap- pearance in the evening — fine buildings are being put up this season; the Tefft House is undergoing repairs, also an addition of 80 feet is being attached and the main building is being raised to its fourth story. An Opera House is being built and many large store rooms, ranging from 60 to 125 feet deep. Rents are high and business good. The east wing of the State Capitol is com- pleted at a cost of half a million dollars and built of Junction City limestone. Business buildings here are mostly of limestone and brick fronts. Topeka has the State Capitol and is the county-seat of Shawnee County. The city is ■divided into three wards, and they are now erecting a ward school building at a cost of $50,000 ; the city is settled mostly by York State, Ohio and Indiana people, society good and attention paid to strangers. Topeka has two rail- roads as follows : Kansas Pacific finished west to Kit Carson, about 200 miles east of Denver City and some 500 miles west of Kansas City. The other Toad is the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, running south of Topeka to Bur- lingame and graded to Emporia, which will be running to that point in July." Upon locating in Topeka, Mr. Clugston engaged in the grocery busi- ness, which he conducted with success for a few years. He then embarked in the insurance business, establishing a very extensive business which he •continued until his death on August 10, 1887. He was president of the Cook and Clugston Coal Company during its life in Kansas. Having ac- •quired much valuable real estate, he zealously strove to beautify the city in whose future welfare he manifested always a keen interest. He secured the beautiful tract, of six acres, known as "Brooks' Pasture" on the west side of Topeka, selecting six of Topeka's representative citizens for neighbors and ■designed what is now the most beautiful residence block in Topeka and known ■as "Governor's Square." Then with faith in the beauty of the city he selected with patience, securing lot after lot, the corner of loth and Topeka avenues, •one block west of Capitol Square, and beautified it with many well chosen trees, on which is now the residence called "The Virginia," the home of Mrs. Clugston and her only son, John McNulty Clugston, Jr. On December 10, 1879, John M. Clugston was united in marriage with Alice Colcher, a daughter of Mathias and Martha Jane (Davis) Colcher. Mrs. Clugston's father was a native of Ohio and there followed with great success the vocation of architect. Being reared in a Presbyterian family. 472 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Mr. Clugston was loyal to the church of his father and contributed liberally to its support. A courteous gentleman, a progressive business man and a loyal citizen, he had many friends. i JAMES CUTHBERT. James Cuthbert, one of the leading business men of Topeka, senior member of the firm of Cuthbert & Sargent, general contractors and stone cutters, was born in 1849 in Nairnshire, Scotland, and is a son of James and Jane (Bowie) Cuthbert. Mr. Cuthbert's people are all Scotch and his maternal grandmother was a member of the noted old Scitch clan of Mcintosh. The father of Mr. Cuthbert died on the old estate in Nairnshire, aged 85 years and the mother still resides there, having reached the age of 86 years. They had seven children, viz: Isabella (Mrs. Duncan McDonald), of Scotland; Elsie, a maiden lady residing. with her venerable mother; James, of Topeka; William, a sheep farmer in New Zealand; Mrs. Mary Mustard, deceased; Mrs. Jane Marwick, of New Zealand; and John, who died aged seven years. When Mr. Cuthbert came to America in 1872, he had completed his education and had already acquired skill as a stone builder. He was em- ployed by the government for three years at the St. Louis Custom House, and came to Topeka in 1879. Here he soon entered into a business com- bination, the firm of Smith, Sargent & Company being formed to do business as general contractors and stone cutters. This partnership continued for four years when Mr. Smith retired and the business has since been conducted under the firm style of Cuthbert & Sargent. They own a very valuable plant and large yards at i8th street and Topeka avenue, where they are well equipped for all kinds of masonry, cut stone and brick work. They employ a large force of men and their yards are a scene of busy activity. Many of the substantial buildings of Topeka have been constructed by this firm from foundation to finish. In 1877 Mr. Cuthbert was married to Samantha Fitzpatrick, and they have had 11 children, namely: Mary Jane, wife of A. C. McKitrick, of Denver, Colorado ; Jessie May, wife of N. G. Edleblute, of Baldwin, Kansas ; Katie Bell, William F., James R., Mabel and John, who live at home; George, Charles and Elsie, who are attending Topeka High School ; and Robert, who died in infancy. Mr. Cuthbert is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Topeka, of whose church edifice he was the builder. While not active in politics, Mr. Cuthbert performs a citizen's duty on HON. WALTER E. FAGAN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 475 on every occasion, and is identified with the RepubHcan party. He is a Knight Templar Mason and belongs also to the Modern Woodmen of America'. Socially he is president of the leading Scottish society in Topeka. Mr. Cuthbert is a progressive and enterprising business man and is one whose fair dealing and honest work have brought him the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens. HON. WALTER E. PAGAN. Hon. Walter E. Fagan^ deceased, formerly judge of probate and superintendent of the State Reform School at Topeka, whose portrait ac- companies this sketch, was born near Richmond, Indiana, July 14, 1859, and died at Topeka May 10, 1903. He was a son of Thomas and Isabel (Boyd) Fagan. Mr. Fagan was educated in the Richmond, Indiana, schools and at the State Normal School at Terre Haute. He came to Topeka in 1880 and first engaged in teaching in Shawnee County and later was engaged as a teacher in the State Reform School. He continued with this institution in various capacities and finally became its superintendent. His administration was characterized by many reforms and needed changes in methods of govern- ment. He was ably assisted by his estimable wife, who served as matron during his incumbency. In 1 89 1 Mr. Fagan took up the study of the law and was admitted to the bar in 1893, and in 1894 was appointed auditor of Shawnee County by Judge Hazen. In 1900 he was first elected judge of probate and was sub- sequently re-elected, receiving a magnificent majority. His public services were all of such a character as to secure him the confidence and continued esteem of his fellow-citizens. On February i, 1883, Judge Fagan was married to Lillie A. Buck, of Topeka, who is a daughter of John F. and Ada L. (Davis) Buck. The fa- ther of Mrs. Fagan was a teacher and also a dental surgeon. He had been connected with the Reform School at Lancaster, Ohio, and at Mount Union, Ohio, was superintendent of the Children's Home. He came to Topeka in 1882, to become the first superintendent of the State Reform School which had been established in this city six months previously. Dr. Buck lives re- tired in North Topeka. Judge Fagan is survived by his widow and one daughter. Norma Belle, aged five years. Judge Fagan was very active in Republican politics and for a long time 23 476 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY was a member of the Republican State Central Committee. He was promi- nent in Masonry and was also a member of the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica and the Sons of Herman. WILLIAM M. REAM. William M. Ream, one of the prominent and substantial citizens of Soldier township, Shawnee County, who resides on a fine farm of i6o acres, in section 31, township 10, range 16, was born January 27, 1835, in Perry County, Ohio, and is a son of William and Eliza (McClure) Ream. The father of Mr. Ream was a native of Ohio, and the mother, of Pennsylvania. The father owned a large farm in Ohio and raised a great deal of stock, his son, our subject, gaining experience there which he put into practice later in life. Of the eight children of the family, he was the only one whose interests and inclinations led him to establish his home in Kansas. From his farm in Ohio, Mr. Ream enlisted as a private, May i, 1864, in Company C, i6oth Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under Colonel Reasoner and General Sigel, and soon after was elected ist sergeant. He participated in many skirmishes and in the battles of Antietam and Martinburg and was mustered out at Zanesville, Ohio, in September, 1864. Returning to the farm, Mr. Ream remained there until 1866 when he went to Somerset, Ohio, where he engaged in a general mercantile business until 1872, under the firm name of Huston & Ream. During this period of his life he formed the acquaintance of Gen. Phil. H. Sheridan, the hero of Winchester, with whom he became associated in bonds of closest friendship. When the whole country mourned the death of that gallant officer, Mr. Ream was one of the chief mourners and was a pall-bearer at the funeral of General Sheridan's father. After selling his store, Mr. Ream went into a banking business, but in 1878 went to Texas, where he bought a ranch of 16,000 acres in Kerr County and controlled 16,000 more. This great extent of land he utilized in the raising of sheep and his first clip paid him 32 cents a pound. The passage of the Wilson tariff bill in the next year reduced his clip to eight cents a pound, the duty having been taken off wool, and this caused him to sell out. In the fall of 1880 he returned to Missouri, bought a farm and went to raising stock. In 1887 he came to Kansas and bought 160 acres at Kilmer Station where he continued for 16 years, engaged in farming and raising fine stock. In 1903 he sold to advantage and bought his present place. He cultivates 50 acres here and the rest of the 160 is fine grass land. The place is known AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 477 as the "Tom Stanley" farm at Ream's Corners. Mr. Ream has always been interested in business enterprises of importance. For eight years he was one of the directing board of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company and helped to build 44 miles of the road, — from Newark to Shawnee, Ohio. He still holds some of the valuable stock. Mr. Ream was married November 22, 1859, to Mary C. Axline, who is a daughter of Emanuel and Susannah (Shaffer) Axline, natives of Vir- ginia. Mrs. Ream was reared six miles from Harper's Ferry. Two of her brothers were in the Civil War; David C, of Louisville, Kentucky, now 84 years of age, formerly a private in an Indiana regiment and still so patriotic as to offer his services during the Spanish- American War and Solomon N., of the 31st Ohio, who died while at home on a furlough. Mr. and Mrs. Ream had five children, namely: Charlie, who died aged 11 years, December 23, 1872, and was buried at Somerset, Ohio; George, who died March 8, 1877, and was also buried at Somerset; Carl, who died August 2, 1874, and was buried at Somerset; Maud, who first married Louis Shaffer and by this union had one daughter, Nellie Ream, — her second marriage was with James R. Peck, of Jefferson County, Kansas, and they have two children, Mary Estella and Florence Ethel ; and Ralph K., who assists his father on the farm. Politically Mr. Ream is a Republican. He is a member of the Grange at Indian Creek. Mr. and Mrs. Ream have living with them a girl who came to them in January, 1862, and hence has been living with them for over 43 years. LeROY McLELLAN penwell. LeRoy McLellan Penwell^ president of the National Funeral Di- rectors' Association, treasurer of the Commercial Club of Topeka, a promi- nent Democratic politician and one of the best known fraternity men in this section of the country, was born November 25, 1862, at Buchanan, Michi- gan, and is a son of Eli W. and Mary L. (Rouse) Penwell. On the paternal side Mr. Penwell comes of Welsh ancestry and on the maternal the line runs to Ireland. The paternal great-grandparents were David and Jerusha (Hyde) Penwell, and John Nelson Penwell was our sub- ject's grandfather. In early days in Michigan, Mr. Penwell's father was a prosperous lumberman but the panic of 1872 caused him great loss as it did hundreds of other honest men. During the last years of his life he followed . the carpenter's and cabinet-maker's trades. He died in 1886 and his widow survived only until September, 1892. They had six children, four sons and 478 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY two daughters, the latter of whom died in infancy. The sons still survive but our subject is the only one who resides in Kansas. Mr. Penwell's education in the public schools closed at the age of 13 years and since then he has made his own way in the world, reaching posi- tions of honor, responsibility and financial ease entirely through his own abilities. He began working as a farm hand at $7 a month and kept it up for three years, during this period getting up regularly at four o'clock in the morning and working until dark. Possibly the discipline was good for him but it did not result in his becoming a permanent agriculturist. Later he adopted his father's trade and has often found it a valuable aid in his busi- ness ventures. In 1875 he came to Topeka at the time the Santa Fe shops were located here. Although Mr. Penwell is still a comparatively young man, he ex- presses it that he feels like a pioneer when he recalls the wonderful changes which have taken place in the development of the city in his life here. On May I, 1894, he became the junior partner of E. O. De Moss and they jointly opened an undertaking establishment at No. 511 Quincy street, at first on a small scale. The firm now utilizes eight rooms and are preparing larger accommodations. The present equipments are all modern and sanitary and in every detail of the business public convenience and private respect is shown. Mr. Penwell is a practical embalmer, having received his diploma on April 13, 1900. Mr. Penwell has become very prominent in political and also in fraternal circles. He is chairman of the Democratic County Central Committee and treasurer of the Democratic State Central Committee and during the last campaign he was a member of the executive committee. He is a member of almost every reputable fraternal organization and is an official in many. He is past grand of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has passed all the degrees in the order, including the encampment and at present holds the office of czar of the Muscovites, which society has practically the same rela- tion to Odd Fellowship as the Mystic Shrine has to Masonry. He is past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, past commander of the Select Knights, past master of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, past consul of the Modern Woodmen of America, a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the Im- proved Order of Red Men, of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, of the Knights and Ladies of Security and on March 22, 1905, he was elected exalted ruler of Topeka Lodge, No. 204, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is one of the degree team taken from the four Odd Fellow lodges of Topeka that won the first prize of the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the World. He has also served as lieutenant colonel on General Mitchell's staff in the Modern Woodmen of America. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 479 Mr. Penwell is secretary of the Kansas Funeral Directors' Association, organized at Emporia, Kansas, in 1897, and is one of the board of five examiners that put through the law to license embalming, which placed this matter in the hands of the State Board of Health. He served as ist vice- president of the National Funeral Directors' Association one year and was elected president at the annual meeting held October 13, 1904, at St. Louis, Missouri. At Mount Hope, Kansas, August 18, 1888, Mr. Penwell was married to Ella Maston, and the have one bright, attractive daughter, Portia W. It may not be out of place to remark that she is the light of the beautiful home, which is situated at No. 520 Monroe street. The family belong to the First Christian Church of Topeka. HENRY H. GLENN. Henry H. Glenn, one of Topeka's well-known business men and very highly esteemed citizens, was born at Philipsburg, Center County, Pennsyl- vania, February i, 1833, and is a son of George and Sarah (Hartsock) Glenn. Mr. Glenn was educated in the common schools of his native locality and removed as far West as Illinois in 1857. He was still in that State when the Civil War broke out and he enlisted for the three-years service, in September, 1861, entering Company C, 34th Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., under Col. E. N. Kirk. Two months later he was appointed quartermaster sergeant. After one year of service he was taken ill and was so sick that his life was despaired of. His comrades demanded his discharge from their colonel without his knowledge and the report was sent on to the headquarters of the department. Being delayed by red tape and having been overlooked in the various business affairs of the official quarters, the discharge did not arrive for three months and by that time he had entirely recovered. It was a unique situation. The colonel was aware of his mathematical accuracy and desiring his services appointed him civilian clerk in the brigade commissary depart- ment. Therefore he continued in the army through the whole of his term of service, doing as necessary and as important work as if he had been out on the field. When Sherman started on his "March to the Sea," Mr. Glenn, by the advice of his superior oiificer, boarded the last train for the North and thus arrived unexpectedly. He is a member of Lincoln Post, No. i, Grand Army of the Republic, of Topeka. In 1888 he came to Kansas and conducted a mercantile business at 48o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Leavenworth for three years and then came to Topeka. Here he has been in partnership with his son in conducting "The Fair" and has but lately disposed of his interest. Mr. Glenn was married February 8, 1855, to Elizabeth C. Gorazier, who is a daughter of Henry and Mary (Beck) Gorazier, of Huntingdon. Pennsylvania. They had the pleasure of celebrating their "Golden Wedding" on February 8, 1905. They became the parents of four children, two of whom died in infancy, the • survivors being Jessie E. and William C. The former married G. R. Bothwell, a mining broker of Salt Lake City, Utah, and they have had seven children : Ina G., who is in her second year at Leland Stanford, Jr., University, California; Zayda, Charlotte, Roy and Floyd, all attending school in Salt Lake City, and two who died in infancy. William C. Glenn has been and still is engaged in business enterprises with his father. He married Margaret Aument and they have two children : Charlotte M. and Harry A. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn are valued members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. ALBERT NEAMAN. Albert Newman, who is now serving his second term as county clerk of Shawnee County, is one of the most efficient officers the county has ever had and is exceedingly popular, not only in his own party, but among that class of independents who recognize and commend merit wherever they find it. He has been a prominent citizen of Topeka during the past decade, and has been especially prominent in political circles, being one of the local leaders of the Republican party. Mr. Newman was born at Falls City, Nebraska, September 3, 1873, and is one of a family of five children born to M. J. and Rachel (Marks) Newman. He was reared and educated at Omaha, Nebraska, and has been a resident of Topeka since 1894. He attained success as manager of both opera houses in this city, a position he held for a number of years. During the years of 1899 and 1900 he was secretary of the Republican County Central Committee, and in 1901 was elected county clerk on the Republican ticket by a majority of 3,780 over his opponent, P. H. Miller. His increasing popularity was attested in 1904 when he was reelected by a majority of 5,043, a silent tribute to his efficiency as a public servant. On April 5, 1898, Mr. Newman was joined in marriage with Sadie Snadtinger, by whom he has a son, Victor. Fraternally he is a Mason of the 32nd degree, a member of the Scottish Rite, and a member of the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 481 Modern Woodmen of America. He is also treasurer of the First District Congressional Committee. Mr. Newman resides with his family in a pleasant home at No. 923 Monroe street. JOHN DICKEY. John Dickey, an honored survivor of the great Civil War and a pioneer in Auburn township, Shawnee County, where he owns a fine farm of 160 acres known as "Seven Oaks Farm," located in section 30, township 13, range 14, was born in Fayette County, Ohio, near Washington Court House, September 23, 1842, and is a son of William and Eleanor (Ghormley) Dickey. The father of our subject was born in South Carolina. He was educated for the Presbyterian ministry and preached for 55 years. He organized a church at Bloomingburg, Ohio, in which he preached for 40 years to a day. His death took place there at the age of 83 years. For military service in the War of 18 12, he received a grant of 160 acres of land. He married Eleanor Ghormley, who was born in Pennsylvania and died in Ohio, aged 60 years. They had five children, those who reached maturity being: William W., of Johnson County, Kansas, who served three years during the Civil War in Company C, 20th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf. ; Sarah Jane, wife of Tracy Down, of Chalk Mound, Kansas; John, of this sketch; and Amanda, wife of H. H. Davis, of this county. By a former marriage with Rebecca Ross, he had 10 children. Our subject remained on his father's farm in Ohio until he was 16 years old, too young by far to don a soldier's uniform, but this he did on August 6, 1861, when he enlisted in Company A, First Reg., Ohio Vol. Cav., under Capt. John H. Robinson. Companies A and C of this regiment were sent to Virginia and took a prominent part in the battles of Cheat Mountain, Green Brier River, Winchester, Port Republic, Mine Run, Fredericksburg, Chantilla, Slaughter Mountain, Second Bull Run, Gettysburg, Monterey, Falling Water, Brandy Station, Antietam, and the Wilderness. This troop of cavalry was then transferred to the Army of the Tennessee, being intended for General Kilpatrick's body-guard. On Augnst 22, 1862, Mr. Dickey was taken prisoner, with 300 com- panions, at the time that General Stuart made a raid on General Pope's wagon train. He was confined in Castle Thunder, Libby Prison and Belle Isle, but was paroled before long. During his three years of arduous service, he participated in 23 regular battles and many minor engagements. At the 482 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY , close of his army life, he returned to Ohio and engaged in farming for four years, coming then to Kansas and settling on his present farm in 1868. When Mr. Dickey located here, he found a great tract of unimproved land in his part of the county. From the very first he took a deep interest and genuine pride in his possessions and has given the best years of his life to developing his farm, now one of the finest in his locality, devoted to the raising of grain and stock. In 1879 Mr. Dickey was married to Sadie Reed, who was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, July 7, 1856, and is a daughter of H. H. and Eliza (Fisher) Reed. They have two children: Guy Thompson and Earl Fisher, both of whom still remain under the parental roof. In political sentiment, Mr. Dickey has always been a Republican. He has acceptably filled a number of the township offices, being trustee for five years and clerk for seven years and is justly looked upon as one of the reliable representative men of this section. OTIS E. HUNGATE. Otis E. Hungate, prosecuting attorney of Shawnee County, is a mem- ber of the well-known law firm of Austin & Hungate of Topeka, with offices in the Stormont Building. As a public officer, as well as in private practice, he has won distinction at the bar and takes rank among the foremost lawyers of the capital city. Mr. Hungate was born in Topeka, December 8, 1871, and is a son of Andrew J. and Sarah L. (Ritchie) Hungate, his mother being a sister of Gen. John Ritchie, who attained distinction in the Union Army during the Civil War. Andrew J. Hungate, whose death occurred October 30, 1904, was one of the pioneer citizens of Shawnee County and was its foremost live-stock salesman up to the time of his death. Otis E. Hungate was reared and educated in Topeka, attending the public and high schools of this city. He read law in the office of Attorney Joseph Waters and attended the law department of the University of Michi- gan at Ann Arbor, in 1891 and 1892. He was admitted to practice at Topeka December 8, 1892, on his 21st birthday. He immediately entered practice in his native city and during 1893, 1894 and 1895 served as assistant city attorney. He then resumed private practice and attained a high degree of success. He formed a partnership with Mr. Austin, under the firm name of Austin & Hungate, and this is widely known as one of the strongest com- MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL MOORE AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 485 binations of legal talent in the county. In January, 1901, he was appointed assistant prosecuting attorney for the county, serving until August of that year when he again returned to private practice. On May 21, 1903, he was appointed prosecuting attorney for Shawnee County to fill the unexpired term of Galen Nichols, and in November, 1904, was elected to succeed himself by the overwhelming majority of 4,800 votes, the largest ever received by a candidate for this office. The duties of his office are onerous, requiring two assistants and a stenographer. On December 23, 1896, Mr. Hungate was married to Alice Kepley, a daughter of Eph Kepley, of Bourbon County, Kansas, and a sister of R. B. Kepley, who was formery sheriff of Shawnee County. Her father is one of Bourbon County's most eminent citizens. This union resulted in the birth of a daughter, Augusta. Religiously, he and his family attend Grace Cathedral and are liberal contributors to its support. Fraternally, our subject belongs to the Masons, Woodmen, Elks and Eagles. He is a man of strong personality and has many warm friends throughout this section of the State. SAMUEL MOORE. Samuel Moore, deceased, was one of the best known and highly es- teemed residents of Auburn township, Shawnee County, and was also one of the best farmers and largest landowners. He was born in County Down, Ireland, March 21, 1845, arid died September 17, 1904, on his home farm in Auburn township, in section 17, township 13, range 15. He was a son of Andrew and Mary Ann (Douglass) Moore, one of six sons, three of whom came to America. Mr. Moore was a self-made man, coming to Topeka, July 14, 1869, with wife and child, a poor farmer, and leaving a large and valuable estate, which he had earned through his own industry and good management. For fhree years after coming, he rented land and then moved upon a quarter- section of land in Auburn township — located in section 17, township 13, range 15 — which he bought several years later and which has continued to be the home of his widow and family. To this he subsequently added other tracts of unimproved land, until he owned 640 acres in addition to 160 acres that he gave to his sons. He took a great^ deal of interest in his home and family, built a comfortable residence and erected substantial buildings of all kinds. His main crop was corn. He was also a large and successful stock-raiser. In 1866 Mr. Moore was united in marriage with Anna Baxter, the es- 486 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY timable lady who still survives him. She was born in County Down, Ireland, September 23, 1846, and is a daughter of William and Anna (McCully) Baxter, the youngest of their 1 1 children. Her two brothers, John and Isaac, and her sister, Mrs. Susanna (Allen) Whitten, came to this locality be- fore she did, all four being pioneers here. Mr. and Mrs. Moore had 17 children, the 10 who survived infancy being: Mary, who died aged 11 years; John, who lives at home; Malcolm, of Auburn township; Maggie, who married John Henderson and at her death at the age of 25 years left two children; and Mary Ellen, Susie, Maria, George, Hugh and William^, who live at home. Samuel Henderson, Mrs. Moore's grandson, also lives with her. Mr. Moore was a very intelligent, well-informed man. He was very fond of reading and often spent long evenings with his books and papers. He reared a large family to respect his authority and he provided them with all reasonable comforts and gave them many advantages. They were reared in the faith of the Presbyterian Church and he was a trustee in the Auburn church for many years. Politically he was a Republican. In his death Auburn township lost one of its best citizens. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Moore accompany this sketch. THOMAS J. FAXON. Thomas J. Faxon, one of the prominent farmers and substantial and representative citizens of Shawnee County, residing in section 12, township 12, range 16, in Tecumseh township and the owner of three fine farms aggregating 320 acres, is also a veteran of the great Civil War. Mr. Faxon was born August i, 1839, in Raisin township, Lenawee County, Michigan, and is a son of Thomas J. and Delia (Faxon) Faxon. The parents of Mr. Faxon were distantly related. The father was a native of Massachusetts and the mother, of Whitesboro, New York. The family is of Scotch-English stock and was established in New England at an early day, subsequently branching out into other sections. The parents of Mr. Faxon went to Michigan in youth, married there and also died there. They had five children, namely: Theodore S., of Adrian, Michigan; Thomas J., of this sketch; Mrs. Minerva Emma Worden, of Ypsilanti, Michigan; Mrs. Eliza D. Rogers, deceased, formerly of Adrian, Michigan ; and Margaret, who died young. Thomas J. Faxon remained on his father's farm until 1858, when he AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 487 went to Davenport, Iowa, and he was working on a farm in that vicinity when the Civil War broke out. When the call came for troops to defend the flag under which he had been born and which he had grown to love with true loyalty, he was one of the first to decide to offer his services and as soon as he could adjust his affairs he became a soldier in the Union Army. In August, 1861, he entered Company E, Second Reg., Iowa Vol. Cav., under Captain Kendrick and Colonel Elliott. The regiment was sent to St. Louis, to Cairo and then to New Madrid, then on to Shiloh, Corinth and luka and fought their way, with constant skirmishing, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr. Faxon escaped serious injury and was with his regiment all the time with the exception of two weeks when he was held as a prisoner of war, having been captured at Holly Springs, Mississippi. After a faithful service of three years, he was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, in October, 1864. The war still continuing, Mr. Faxon reenlisted in April, 1865, at Detroit, in company A, Eighth Reg., United States Vet. Vol., under Capt. John D. Parkhurst and Colonel Monk. The closing of the war came soon after and Mr. Faxon did not see any more active service. The Eighth Regiment held an honorable place in the Grand Review at Washington, D. C. Mr. Faxon then returned to Michigan and went into a grocery business with his father and brother at Adrian, where he remained for about four years and then came, in November, 1869, to Tecumseh township, Shawnee County, where he has resided ever since. He brought with him his family and household goods and settled on an unimproved tract of 160 acres. This land he fenced, broke and put under cultivation himself, later added more land and made the excellent improvements now noted, having a comfortable attractive home with pleasant surroundings. Formerly he devoted his land to the raising of both grain and stock but now gives his attention mainly to stock-raising alone. Mr. Faxon was married October 9, 1867, to Maria C. Canfield, who was born at Kendall, Orleans County, New York, April 27, 1844, and is a daughter of Thomas S. and Miranda C. (Barnes) Canfield, natives of Con- necticut and Vermont, respectively. Mr. Canfield died in Michigan, but Mrs. Canfield died in Shawnee County. To Mr. and Mrs. Faxon were born four children: Maggie M., who died aged 11 months; Ralph H., an educated young man with three years' experience at Washburn College, who is private secretary to Senator Long, — he married Louise Winans, of Hutchinson, Kansas, and one child, a son, Wallace W. ; Mira D., wife of Gilbert Griswold; and Bessie M., who lives at home. Mr. Griswold a-^sists Mr. Faxon in the operation of his farm and he and wife have these children: Charles T., Florence I. and Walter F. Mrs. Faxon and daughters belong to Bethel Presbyterian Church; Mr. Faxon was a liberal contributor when the church 488 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY was built. He is a member of Jesse Nelson Post, No. 62, G. A. R., of Tecumseh. Formerly he was affiliated with the Republican party but ifl later years has felt justified in voting independently, making a choice more of the man than the party. Mr. Faxon is a very well-known citizen and he and family are held in the highest respect in Tecumseh township. THOMAS ELLIOTT BOWMAN. Thomas Elliott Bowman, whose death the people of Topeka and vicinity were called upon to mourn on the 26th day of May, 1896, was one of the most prominent and useful members of the community. He had been a leading spirit in the business circles of the city for some 16 years prior to his demise, and the life lead by him, characterized at all times by honesty and fair dealing and an impulse to assist his unfortunate fellow- beings, endeared him to the people. Mr. Bowman was born in the "Green Mountain" State, and was one of four children born to his parents, who came of substantial New England stock. His father was Thomas Bowman. Upon reaching maturity, our sub- ject went to Boston, where for many years prior to coming to Kansas he was interested in the manufacture of silk as a member of the firm of Seavey, Foster & Bowman. He was an energetic and forceful character in busi- ness and soon became independent so far as this world's goods are con- cerned. Success crowned his efforts, but it was unfortunately at the cost of his health, and he found it necessary in middle life to sever family and busi- ness ties and take up life anew in a more equable climate. A character like that of our subject, however, is never daunted by trials of such a nature, and it was with confidence in his ability to succeed in a new line of business and in a new country that he took up his residence in Topeka, beginning a loan business. Here he became a great force in business circles and during the entire period of his residence was a potent factor in the splendid develop- ment which came to the capital city. In his private life Mr. Bowman was a most exemplary character. He was generous and free with his means and no meritorious case of charity ever left his door unanswered. His philanthropy was dealt out, however, in the true Scriptural manner, so that but few knew its wide extent and generous variety. He was ever ready to lend his influence and means to advance plans for the educational uplift of the communities in which he re- sided, but while he was friendly to all agencies in this line, he became particularly interested in the kindergarten idea, firmly believing with the great AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 489 exponent of that system, Herr Froebel, that our educational system must be reconstructed, and that from the foundation. He lived to see the idea become immensely popular and no doubt would have succeeded in making it a part of the regular school system in Topeka had he been spared. Concerning our subject, one of the leading papers of the city on the day following his death contained this well-merited paragraph: "In the death of Mr. Bowman, Topeka loses a citizen of high character, a business man of exemplary habits and a generous giver to all philanthropic Work. Although hampered at all times to a considerable extent with a delicate constitution, he was a leading spirit in several philanthropic enter- prises. He was a member of the First Congregational Church and was deeply interested in the work of that organization. He found ways of mak- ing the most of life and his temperament has been a most happy and cheerful one." Mr. Bowman was united in marriage with Mary E. Burleson, a daughter of Caleb N. Burleson, of Vermont. She died in December, 1863, leaving a son, H. C. Bowman, who is now one of the leading business men oi the city, and a daughter, Marion, wife of Fred O. Popenoe, of Topeka. Our subject formed a second union in 1865 with Eliza Wilson, a daughter of John G. Wilson, of Massachusetts. Mrs. Bowman resides in the fine family home at No. 221 West loth avenue. In the year 1897 she built an annex to the Central Congregational Church of solid stone at a cost of $4,500. This was given in memory of her husband and bears the inscription: "T. E. Bowman Memorial." It is much to have lived — it is vastly of greater moment to have lived well; so well that in death we yet have life in the fragrant memories that cluster about the hearts of family and friends. In such manner does the life of our deceased subject continue to wield an unctuous and blessed influence in the community where he passed his riper days, loved by all who had known him intimately and respected by the entire countryside. HON. DAVID MILLINGTON HOWARD. Hon. David Millington Howard, one of the well-known citizens and most extensive stock-raisers and successful farmers of Rossville township, Shawnee County, a resident of section 3, township 11, range 13, and the owner of 1,600 acres of land, was born in 1843, ^t Shaftsbury, Vermont, and is a son of Jared and Mary (Matteson) Howard. The Howard family is a very old and honorable one in Vermont, where 490 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY /I it has flourished for generations. Otis Howard, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was born there and lived on his own large estate, agriculture and stock- raising having been the family occupations up to the present time. His children were: Rachel, Jared, Rebecca, Jacob M., Polly and Mercy. Jacob M. Howard was a very prominent man in Michigan and served several terms as a Representative and for nine years as a member of the State Senate. Our subject came to Kansas in 1872, accompanied by his parents, who settled in section 3, township 11, range 13, in Rossville township, Shawnee County, on a tract of 67 acres. Until 1876 he engaged in general farming and then became interested in stock-raising, adding large tracts of land and introducing a fine herd of Shorthorn cattle. On his great 1,600-acre farm he now keeps some 600 head of these valuable cattle and his stock farm is noted all over the State. In 1870 Mr. Howard was married, in Shaftsbury, Vermont, to Chettie A. Stanley, who was born in Vermont and is a daughter of Joseph and Jane (Fuller) Stanley, and a granddaughter of Benajah Stanley, a prominent man of his day in Vermont. In addition to his extensive business interests, Mr. Howard has been closely identified with public affairs since he came to Kansas. In political sympathy he is a Populist and by that party was elected to the State Legislature in 1890 and approval was shown of his course there by his reelection in 1893. He is a fearless, out-spoken man, who having settled- convictions is not afraid to live up to them. Fraternally he is a Mason and an Odd Fellow and be- longs also to the Knights and Ladies of Security. GUILFORD DUDLEY Guilford Dudley, formerly adjutant general of Kansas, and for the past half century a resident of Topeka, died at his home No. 719 Harrison street, April 14, 1905, at the age of 70 years. Mr. Dudley was born at Bath, Steuben County, New York, m 1835. In many ways the life of the late Mr. Dudley was typical of Western energy although his rearing had been along the quiet, conservative lines of agricultural environment.^ From the district schools he entered Oberlin Col- lege, Ohio, and soon after graduation from that liberal institution he started Westward, seeking his fortune. In 1855 he settled for a few months at Lawrence, Kansas, but Topeka attracted him on account of more favorable business conditions and he located here in a real estate business and also opened a hotel. In those stirring days it was almost impossible for a man AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 491 of spirit to avoid taking part in the momentous events that were here trans- piring and Mr. Dudley found himself enrolled with James H. Lane, whose career belongs to the history of the State. Personal admiration for the cour- age of this leader as well as sympathy with his aims, led Mr. Dudley into serving as one of his guards. Mr. Dudley had, in the meantime, come into such prominence that in 1862 he was appointed adjutant general of Kansas, an office for which he was eminently qualified, but which he resigned after an incumbency of 18 months. During his long and active career, Mr. Dudley accepted but two other public positions, that of clerk of the Territorial Legislature, in 1859, and that of city clerk of Topeka, in 1861. While Mr. Dudley's commercial prominence came largely through his extensive banking interests, he was concerned in many other lines, all of which were made to contribute to his success. Prior to starting his first banking business at Topeka, he traveled through Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Kansas, as collecting agent for the wholesale grocery firm of Carney & Stephens, of Leavenworth. In 1869 he started the bank which for more than 30 years continued one of the solid financial institutions of the city, one old and trusted like its founder. Mr. Dudley was also a farmer and probably took more pleasure in his agricultural operations than in all the social life and political concerns of Topeka. With him the raising of fine stock was not a fad, for he ,made it one of the serious questions of his life, studied the subject from every point of view, read literature from every authority and during the time he was regent of the State Agricultural College gave lectures to the students of such a practical nature that they were of the greatest permanent value. Pos- sessing the ample means which such investigations demand, Mr. Dudley ex- perimented on food values relating to horses and cattle and invented what is now generally used by stock-raisers as a most satisfactory combination, — the "balanced ration food." He was also one of the very first to recognize the value of alfalfa. He was a frequent contributor to agricultural journals and his suggestions were welcomed on account of their practical nature, his results having been reached through scientific research instead of through chance. Mr. Dudley did not confine his reading to works pertaining to this subject in which he was so much interested, but covered a wide range, feeding a naturally searching mind. Mr. Dudley was a large property owner, his possessions including much real property of value on Kansas avenue, his beautiful home on Harrison street, a number of fine farms and the tract which is partly used as Associa- tion Park by the Topeka Baseball Company. He was president of the great 492 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Crosby Roller Milling Company, in which he owned a large amount of stock. Mr. Dudley was married at Topeka, June 5, 1867, to Samantha V. Otis, who was born at Rutland, Vermont. She still survives with a son and daughter, the former bearing his father's honored name, and the latter being the wife of Dr. William Walker, of Philadelphia. Although Mr. Dudley was a man of quiet tastes he enjoyed sociability and the companionship of congenial friends. He was a member of the Topeka Club, and was one of the 50 charter members of the Saint Ananias Club, of Topeka, and shortly before his fatal illness he had succeeded in organizing what was to be known as the Farmers' Club, its membership to be made up of old residents who had been farmers. He was a man who made his in- fluence felt wherever he was, not through any ostentation, but quietly and wisely. HENRY H. KEITH, M. D. Henry H. Keith, M. D., senior member of the well-known firm of Keith & Rhodes, physicians and surgeons of Topeka, and founder of the Keith Hospital and Sanitarium, is now serving in the capacity of coroner of Shawnee County. He stands among the foremost in his profession and the remarkable success attained by him has come through close application to his work and constant study of new and approved methods, which are constantly being brought to the fore. He was born July i, 1867, and is one of four children born to John M. and Mary (Christie) Keith. His father was a native of Indiana, and there followed the occupation of a farmer until his death in 1897. Henry H. Keith was reared and educated in the State of Illinois, where upon reaching man's estate he engaged in the drug business for some years. He attended Columbus Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, and was grad- uated therefrom in 1892, and since that time has taken two post-graduate courses in New York, in 1895 ^"d again in 1898. He was also graduated from Ensworth Medical College, of St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1900. His first practice of medicine was as chief surgeon of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company's coal mines, and for a time he resided in Cherokee County, Kansas. He came to Topeka in 1898 and here he has since engaged in prac- tice. In 1903 he established and now conducts the modern and up-to-date hospital, well known^ as the Keith Hospital and Sanitarium, an institution with a capacity for the accommodation of 35 patients at a time. He was elected county coroner on the Republican ticket in 1904 with a majority JAMES C. SHIMER AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 495 of 4,800 votes, and since January i, 1905, has discharged the duties of that office in an eminently satisfactory manner. He resides with his family in a comfortable home at No. 17 10 loth avenue, and maintains a fine suite of offices at No. 531 Kansas avenue, thoroughly equipped and furnished. Dr. Keith married Helen Fitch. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Knights and Ladies of Security and Fraternal Order of Eagles. He is a member of the county and State medical societies and of the American Medical Association. JAMES C. SHIMER. James C. Shimer, one of Topeka's prominent and reputable business men, wholesale and retail dealer in coal, feed and flour, was born in Marion County, Indiana, on the site of the present suburb of Irvington. The story of his life is one full of interest, exemplifying as it does the power of con- centrated effort, honest endeavor and persistent industry. In all the essentials Mr. Shimer is a self-made man. From the age of four years he was reared in the home of a wealthy uncle, under the direct care of his paternal grandmother. He assisted on the farm during his boy- hood and attended the local schools until he was 16 years old. He was very ambitious to obtain higher educational advantages, but his views and those of his uncle did not coincide and the result was that he left home and hired out to another farmer, for $16 a month. He remained there one year and, out of that meager salary, saved enough to clothe him and to pay for a course through business college. Feeling that now he was better prepared for a life of business usefulness, he returned to his uncle's farm and remained there until he was 19 years old. In 1887 Mr. Shimer came to Kansas and settled at Topeka where he se- cured employment in the bridge and building department of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway shops where he remained for five years. By this time he had accumulated enough capital to make starting into business for himself, on a small scale, a possibility. Selecting staple articles as his line, he and his brother-in-law, H. D. McNeely, under the firm name of McNeely & Shimer, embarked in the retail coal, flour and feed business, in two small rooms 12 by 14 in dimensions, located on the site of his present establishment at No. 181 5 Kansas avenue. Mr. McNeely attended to the inside work and Mr. Shimer did the hauling. The partnership continued only through the first winter and Mr. Shimer has been alone in the business ever since. Although now a capitalist and one of the most extensive dealers 24 496 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY in his line in Topeka, his early business days were fraught with a great deal of anxiety and hardship. He had to contend with long credits, fluctuating prices and general commercial depression and but for the public confidence he had gained through his honest and upright dealing from the very first, he could scarcely have managed, at times, to pull through safely. During his second year in business his prospects brightened and he was able to see himself firmly established and with business foresight he recog- nized the advisability of purchasing his present site, where the business was first started. The price asked was $1,200, which he paid in installments. In 1889 he erected a fine brick building 20 by 50 feet in dimensions, two stories in height, borrowing a part of the money necessary for this venture. He now has all his property paid for, has neither debts nor mortgages and also owns six lots on Kansas avenue north of his place of business and «ight and one-half lots on Van Buren street, including three houses and his beautiful home which is situated at No. 181 2 Van Buren street. This handsome modern residence cost him $3,200 and is a model of artistic archi- tecture, an ornament to the street and a home of comfort and elegance within. When he built his place of business he lived first in the rooms above his store but later moved into a small house just south of his present fine resi- dence, where the family resided until the new home was completed. Mr. Shimer has done other building, erecting several substantial barns, one of these being for his stock, as he owns eight horses. The other is for his hay and he has a convenient arrangement by which he can handle it right from the cars without any hauling by teams. When Oklahoma Territory was first opened up, Mr. Shimer with a part- ner started a mill, the partner's business being to look after the same. He was no business man and the mill was closed until Mr. Shimer hired a miller to take charge of it. In the meantime a local Topeka mill, known as the Farmers' Exchange Mill, situated just west of the Fair Grounds, was also in sad straits, having an encumbrance upon it of $1,500. This was a business opportunity which appealed to Mr. Shimer and he succeeded in closing a deal by which an exchange was made, by which he became the owner of the Farmers' Exchange Mill and the other parties of the Okla- homa mill. After paying up the mortgage and expending about $1,500 more in remodeling his newly acquired property, Mr. Shimer had a very valuable adjunct to his flour and feed business, but other changes and plans made it an unnecessary feature of his business and he finally disposed of it. He carries a full line in flour, feed and coal. His coal warehouses are by the side of the railroad tracks, well above ground and he has every facility for doing a large business. Mr. Shimer can justly be proud of his success. It has been wholly the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 497 result of his own endeavor, without the assistance of relatives or friends or the doubtful speculation by which immense fortunes have been secured in these latter days. Honest dealing, prompt delivery and courteous treatment have greatly assisted Mr. Shimer in his business relations and have brought him the esteem of his associates. Mr. Shimer was married in December, 1889, to Dora McElvain, who was born at Lincoln, Illinois. They have seven children, namely: Grace, Rob- ert, Merle, Ralph, Ruth, Emery and Kermet, the youngest being named for the youngest son of President Roosevelt. Mrs. Shimer and the three young- est children have lately paid a visit to the old home in Indiana, where the husband and father solved many of life's very serious problems in his boy- hood and youth. They returned with a much higher appreciation, if pos- sible, of what Mr. Shimer had accomplished in comparatively so short a time. Mr. Shimer has always been active in his support of all movements looking to the business and social development of Topeka. He has been a liberal contributor to the city's educational and charitable enterprises and can always be counted upon to further laudable public improvements. He has been a life-long Republican and, on account of his substantial character, has been selected by his party and fellow-citizens for civic offices. His term as alderman of the Fifth Ward expired in April, 1905, but his services were of so valuable a nature to the city and ward that he was not permitted to re- turn to private life, but was re-elected for another term of two years. His fraternal connection is with the Knights of Pythias. Topeka has, more than many cities, its quota of men who have made their lives successful through their own efforts and their life histories are calculated to inspire others with emulation. Mr. Shimer is a prominent ■example of this class and his life teaches a lesson of success and how to at- tain the goal that must appeal to every young man who is fighting the battle of life under the constant spur of necessity backed by ambition. A portrait of the subject of this article appears on a foregoing page in proximity to this. THOMAS C. BIDDLE, M. D. Thomas C. Biddle, M. D., a distinguished physician and surgeon, is superintendent of the State Hospital for the Insane at Topeka, the duties of which office he has discharged since April, 1899. He was born on his father's farm in Putnam County, Indiana, September 14, 1857, and is one of a family of 13 children born to his parents, Richard and Elizabeth (Jones) Biddle. His father was a farmer by occupation. 498 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Dr. Biddle was reared in Putnam County, Indiana, and there attended the common schools. He later attended DePauw University, and then took up the study of medicine. He attended Rush Medical College, Chicago, grad- uating in 1881, then pursued a course in the New York Post-Graduate Medical College. Immediately thereafter he located at Reading, Kansas, and practiced his profession for a period of six years. Seeking a larger field, he located at Emporia, Kansas, where he continued successfully until 1895, when he accepted the appointment of superintendent of the State Hospital for the Insane at Osawatomie, Kansas. He filled that position most satisfactorily for three years, then resigned to answer the call to arms during the Spanish- American War. He was commissioned assistant surgeon in the 21st Regi- ment, Kansas Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, and served most creditably until he was honorably discharged in December, 1898. In April, 1899, ^^ was appointed to his present position as superintendent of the State Hospital for the Insane at Topeka. The affairs of this institution have been placed upon a firm basis and the people of Kansas can well take pride in the manner in which it has been managed, free from the stigma of complaint and scandal which has characterized the institutions of so many other States. This in- stitution was established in the late '70's, the first inmate being taken in on June I, 1879, and from that time until the close of the 19th century it cared for 4,545 patients. According to the report made at the end of that period, 1,604 had been discharged as recovered, 698 discharged as improved, 297 as unimproved, 7 as not insane, 130 transferred to the Osawatomie asylum, 44 on visit or eloped, and 903 had died. This is surely a most creditable report. Dr. Biddle is ably assisted .in his work by Dr. W. C. Van Nuys and Dr. J. C. Bennett. The capacity of the institution is 1,050, and gives em- ployment to 145 attendants. Our subject was united in marriage with Elva Egbert, a daughter of S. W. Egbert. In politics, he is an enthusiastic Republican, and has been an active worker for party success. Fraternally, he is a Mason. T. B. SWEET. T. B. Sweet, one of Topeka's leading capitalists, who is closely identi- fied with almost all of her most successful business enterprises, a large land- owner in various sections of Kansas and in seven States of the Union, was bom April 11, 1841, in Maine, and is a son of Lorella and Mary W. (Bailey) Sweet. The Sweet family, with its various branches and connections, remains to this day a prominent one in New England. Ebenezer Sweet, the great- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 499 grandfather, and Col. Ellis Sweet, the grandfather, were men of afifairs in their day, the latter also serving with distinction in the War of 1812. The father of our subject was a trained mechanic and assisted in the building of the great Merrimack mills at Lowell, Massachusetts. He married Mary W. Bailey, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, and they had three children. In 1859 the family moved to Champaign, Illinois, where the parents spent the rest of their lives and where one son still resides, a leading attorney. T. B. Sweet was educated in the common schools at Farmington, Maine, and then at Farmington Academy, the latter being now the great State Normal School, which he left at the age of 14 years. He began his business career in the mercantile line and then went into the drug business, following the latter for 10 years. Then he became cashier of the First National Bank of Champaign. His attention was first attracted to Kansas after the Civil War, and he visited the State in 1869 with a view to investing in land. His observations convinced him that there was a great future for this section, and in October, 1872, he located permanently at Topeka. Shortly after, he organized the Kansas Loan & Trust Company and for 25 years or more continued as its head. Since September i, 1898, he has given his attention exclusively to his personal afifairs, his many enterprises requiring his time and close consideration. A few of his business connections are: Director in the Bank of Topeka; director in the Edison Electric Light Illuminating Com- pany; trustee of Washburn College; one of the original trustees of Christ's Hospital; and director in the Missouri & Kansas Telephone Company. He is also a trustee and on the directing board of the University of Topeka, a Methodist Episcopal organization; a trustee in the Methodist Old Peoples' Home; and was for years an official in the State and local Y. M. C. A., and chairman of the Methodist Episcopal State Sunday-School organization. For 16 years he represented Kansas on the International Sunday-School Com- mittee. He was the first president of the Brotherhood of St. Paul, connected with the First Methodist Episcopal Church and takes a veiy active part in all its work, financially furthering its many benevolent enterprises. Mr. Sweet was married at Jacksonville, Illinois, to Annie Brown, who was a daughter of Judge William and Susan (Finley) Brown, the former of whom was born in 18 10, served in the Illinois Legislature when it met in Vandalia and died in 1871. Judge Brown's father was born in the South and was a slave-holder, but moved to a free State in order to rear his chil- dren differently. The maternal grandfather was president of the college at Athens, Georgia, for many years. Four members of Judge Brown's family s^^mirvive. Mr. and Mrs. Sweet have had five children, viz : Susie Brown, an^complished lady, who was educated at the College of the Sisters of Bethany, Topeka, and at the Woman's College, Baltimore; William Brown, 500 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY deceased; Mary Bailey, educated at the College of the Sisters of Bethany, the State University at Lawrence and the Woman's College, Baltimore, who is a teacher in the Chicago Training School ; Paul Bailey, educated at Wash- burn College and at Yale College, who took honors at Yale ; and Annie Brown, who is a graduate of Washburn College. The family home at No. 231 Topeka avenue is one of the finest residences in the city. Aside from his business prominence, Mr. Sweet has been so interested in religious and philanthropic work that he is known and esteemed over the whole State, especially so in all organizations connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church. ALMON L. TOMSON. Almon L. Tomson, whose fine farm of 240 acres of valuable fruit and farming land justifies the assumption that he is one of the substantial men of Soldier township, Shawnee County, as he is also one of the township's most esteemed citizens, was born April 30, 1839, in Shalersville township, Portage County, Ohio, and is a son of James and Eliza (Marvin) Tomson. The father of Mr. Tomson was born in 181 2 at Williamstown, Vermont, while the mother was born at Shalersville, Ohio, in 181 6. The father died February 15, 1866, on the farm in Portage County, Ohio, on which he had settled at marriage. They reared five children. Our subject was educated in the district schools and the village of Shalers- ville, and grew up a practical farmer. He owned a farm of 166 acres and was one of the leading men of Shalersville township prior to coming to Kansas, for nine years being a justice of the peace and also filling the offices of trustee and assessor. In 1890 he exchanged his Ohio farm for 160 acres of the property he now owns, to which he subsequently added 80 acres. It is situated in section 12, township 10, range 15, and is now one of the most valuable farms in Soldier township, although when he came upon it he found it in poor condition, needing the experienced handling of a good agriculturist. He has put out a great deal of small fruit which has proved a sticcessful venture and he also raises a large number of Poland-China hogs, and a fine strain of cattle. His son Arthur B. is associated with him in the operation of the farm. Mr. Tomson was married June 6, 1865, to Sarah M. Proctor, who is a daughter of Ephraim J. and Mary A. (Middleton) Proctor. Mr. Proctor was born in 1812 in Vermont and his wife in the same year, in Ohio, moved to Iowa in 1845, where Mr. Proctor farmed and did blacksmith? They reared four children. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 501 Mr. and Mrs. Tomson have had five children, namely: Amy E., v^^hO' died March 29, 1878, aged 11 years, and was buried at Shalersville ; James. C, who is a successful farmer in Soldier township, owning 160 acres also ia Trego County, Kansas, and 30 head of cattle; Annie B., who died March 22,. 1878, and was buried at Shalersville; Almon L., Jr., born February 6, 1879, who owns a wheat farm of 80 acres in Trego County, Kansas ; and Arthur B.,. born November 20, 1881, who works with his father on shares. Politically, Mr. Tomson is a Democrat, but he has taken no very active part in politics since coming to Kansas. He is a member of Muddy Creek Grange. He is well known in the township where both he and his family are held in great respect. HON. SAMUEL A. KINGMAN. Almost more honored and beloved than any other of the State's dis- tinguished citizens was the late Judge Kingman, who for 14 years served on the Supreme Court bench, and for nine years was chief justice. As the acknowledged leader in that great historical gathering, the Wyandotte con- vention, in 1859, the same which formed the Free-State constitution which insured inalienable rights to the citizens of this great commonwealth, he won the undying gratitude of his fellow-citizens. Had his life closed then before it had been crowned with later honors, he had done enough. As father of the homestead exemption law, one which in its every provision is generous and satisfactory, he insured justice to the weak and helpless and provided for the widow and the fatherless. Kansas loved him; Kansas honored him, and, when he passed away, in venerable old age, the State mourned him. Judge Kingman was born in the earlier years of the past century, on June 26, 1 81 8, a native of Worthitigton, Massachusetts, and was a son of Isaiah and Lucy Kingman. His education was pursued first in the common schools of his native village and he also passed some time at the local Mountain Academy, all of his knowledge gained here, however, being indifferent to what he wrought out for himself. Ambitious to enter upon the study of a profession, he found it necessary to provide the means for himself and at the age of 17 began to teach school. Two years later he secured a school in Kentucky and an opportunity to devote some time to the study of the law, and subsequently sought his first clients at Carrollton, in that State. Later he removed to Livingston County and entered into politics there, was elected county clerk and district attorney and also served three years in the State Legislature. The wider fields opening in the West encouraged him to remove in the 502 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY spring of 1856 to Iowa, and in the following year to Kansas. After six months spent at Leavenworth, he took up a land claim in Brown County, near the present site of the town of Horton, but in the summer of 1858 he removed to Hiawatha and resumed his law practice. His ability, his gifts and high character were almost immediately recognized and when the time came for the calling of that notable assemblage, the Wyandotte constitutional convention, he was appointed the delegate from Brown County. His great work in this convention is State history. When the organization of the State of Kansas was completed, he was elected associate justice of the Supreme Court, serving as such until 1864 when he was nominated for associate justice on the Union Republican ticket, which had Solon O. Thatcher as its nominee for Governor. This ticket was defeated. In the following year. Judge King- man removed to Atchison and entered into partnership with the late dis- tinguished John James Ingalls, in the practice of the law. One year later, in 1866, he was elected by the Republican party chief justice of the Supreme Court, was reelected in 1872 and continued in office until failing health caused him to resign these heavy responsibilities in 1877. For over 14 years he had occupied this high office and during nine of these had been chief justice. Dur- ing this long period, no charge was ever entertained that cast any doubt on his personal integrity; he was able, dignified and absolutely impartial. He is represented in the first 17 volumes of the State Reports and the roll call of those lawyers who came before his court reveals the names of such eminent men as John Martin, Stinson, Gamble, McCahon, Brewer, Ingalls, A. L. Williams, Waggener, Shannon, Crozier, Foster, Glick, Ruggles, Plumb, Stillings, Fenlon, Wheat, Bertram, Burns, Usher, Simpson, Burris, Devin- ney, Otis, McClure, Humphrey, Peck, Thatcher, Cobb and Webb. Chief Justice Kingman was the writer of 226 model opinions, notable papers not only for their sound judgment, perfect comprehension of legal principles, but as well for their brevity and conciseness. Failing health continued to prevent Judge Kingman from entering con- spicuously into either political or legal life after 1877, although he survived, in retirement, far beyond the allotted age of man as given by the Psalmist. He filled the office of State librarian for a short time, but found the duties too confining. He was interested in many representative State and city bodies, having resided at Topeka since 1872. He was the first president of the State Historical Society, of which he was one of the founders and of which he continued a director. At the time of his decease he was still a valued mem- ber of the Saint Ananias Club, of Topeka, where he was always welcome ; he was its president as long as he lived and was known as its "Perpetual Presi- dent." He had served as presiding officer of a number of legal bodies and had been president of the Bar Association of the State of Kansas and of the C. T. McLELLAN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 505 State judges' Association. He was a great reader and a skilled writer of verse. On October 30, 1844, Judge Kingman was united in marriage with Matilda Willets Hartman, of Terre Haute, Indiana, a daughter of Samuel and Susan (Mears) Hartman, of Catawissa, Pennsylvania. Samuel Hart- man was a native of Pennsylvania. Judge Kingman is survived by his widow and two daughters : Mrs. Lillian Butterfield and Lucy D., the latter of whom is a prominent member of the Topeka Federation of Women's Clubs. He is also survived by two granddaughters, — Mrs. H. T. Cartlidge and Mrs. George N. Clarke, — and by one great-grandson, — Richard Kingman Cart- lidge. Mrs. Kingman resides at No. 635 Monroe street. The death of Judge Kingman occurred on September 9, 1904. It was the occasion of innumerable tributes to his worth from those who had known him in the sanctity of private life, in the political arena and on the judicial bench, all of them breathing esteem, honor and admiration. C. T. McLELLAN. C. T. McLellan, division superintendent of the Eastern Division of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, has been in railroad work since 1868, beginning as a brakeman and advancing, step by step, to his present office of great responsibility. He is a native of New England, born at Brunswick, Maine. Mr. McLellan received only a common-school education, and in every essential is a self-made man. The year 1868 found him in Iowa and there he accepted a position as brakeman in the employ of the Chicago & North- Western Railway, since which year he has worked in every branch of the operating department of railroad service. He became chief clerk in the di- vision superintendent's office at Las Vegas, New Mexico, later was made trainmaster, and subsequently served as conductor and trainmaster of the International & Great Northern and Texas & Pacific railroads, in Texas, prior to coming to the Santa Fe road. In September, 1890, he was appointed to his present position, a very important o'ne. He is in charge of the follow- ing territory: From Kansas City to Emporia, by way of Topeka, and by way of Ottawa ; and from St. Joseph to Topeka, including the branch through Leavenworth and branches between Hawthorne and Holliday, Lawrence and Ottawa and Osage City and Quenemo. All this territory is under his personal 5o6 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY supervision as superintendent; he has one trainmaster, two chief dispatchers, six trick dispatchers and eight clerks. Mr. McLellan was appointed receiver of the Leavenworth, Topeka & South- Western Railroad Company in April, 1894, and later, when the road was sold, he was elected president, a position he still fills. Mr. McClellan was married in Missouri to Mary A. Hadley, who is a native of New Hampshire. They have one son and four daughters,, the eldest of the latter being a graduate of Washburn College. They live at No. 421 Woodlawn avenue in the suburb of Potwin. Fraternally Mr. McLellan is a Mason, being a member of Siloam Lodge, No. 225, A. F. & A. M. His portrait accompanies this sketch. ADAM NEISWENDER. Adam Neiswender, deceased, was one of the highly respected men and representative agriculturists of Silver Lake township, Shawnee County, for many years and when his death took place January 16, 1901, he left behind a devoted family and many friends to mourn his loss. He was born April 28, 1828, at Franklin, Pennsylvania, and was a son of Michael and Barbara (Beecher) Neiswender. The parents of Adam Neiswender were born in Switzerland and came to America in order to better their condition. They settled first at Reading, Pennsylvania, and then moved to the vicinity of Columbus, Ohio, where the father bought a farm of 160 acres and cultivated it until his death, which occurred December 14, 1858, when he was 67 years of age. The mother died October i, 1879, aged 85 years. Of their 12 children, Michael, David and Adam came to Kansas and all are deceased and lie buried in Prairie Home Cemetery. Our subject went to school at Columbus, Ohio, and then learned the trade of carpenter and bridge builder with his brother. In 1872 he came to Kansas and in the same year bought 80 acres of his present farm in section 14, township II, range 14, in Silver Lake township, Shawnee County, to which he subsequently added another 80 acres and this land he cultivated and improved until the time of his death, being able to leave to his widow- a fine home and valuable property. Adam Neiswender was married in November, 1861, to Elizabeth Quinn, who was a daughter of David and Catherine Quinn. She died July 15, 1871, aged 33 years, having had two sons, — Frank, who died February 12, 1863, aged three months ; and Harry, who resides at Sunset, Colorado. The latter's first wife, Katie Kennett, was a daughter of Bonnie and Maria (Reeser) AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 507 Kennett; they had one son, Grover, a capable young man of 17 years who is now Mrs. Neiswender's right-hand man on the farm. By his second mar- riage Harry Neiswender has one son, Harold Pierce. Our subject was mar- ried, second, to the estimable lady who survives him, Catherine Naftzger, who was born in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, one of a family of six children, Mrs. Neiswender's mother died when she was 15 months old. She has two brothers, Benjamin and Adam. The former lives in Florida. He married Rebecca Runkle who died in Iowa in 1884. They had four children : Annie (who died in 1885), Lizzie, Adam and Carrie (who died in 1902). The second brother lives in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, where he married Barbara Eversole; they have six children. Mr. Neiswender was a strong Democrat all his life. When he Hved in Pennsylvania, he attended the Lutheran Church, but after locating in Silver Lake township he found few Lutherans in the neighborhood and as he was a liberal-minded man he helped to build and. support the Presbyterian Church at Silver Lake, and also assisted the Methodist and Baptist Churches. JOHN SUTHERIN. John Sutherin^ a prominent business man of Topeka, engaged in the coal business at First avenue and Monroe street, was born in 1841 at New- castle-on-Tyne, Northumberland County, England, and is a son of Martin Sutherin. In 1853 Mr. Sutherin accompanied his father to America, locating in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. In 1857 the family removed to Preston County, West Virginia. The father died at the age of 79 years and the four surviving children are: John, our subject; Annie, who is the wife of Robert Logan, living near Dover, Shawnee County; Margaret, who is the wife of Matthew Hunter, of Chicago, Illinois ; and Bessie, who is the wife of Jeffer- son Sumner, of Topeka township, Shawnee County. In 1 861 Mr. Sutherin enlisted from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in Com- pany G, Second Reg., West Virginia Vol. Inf., three Ohio, four Pennsyl- vania and three Virginia companies composing the regiment. Later, in 1863, his company was transferred to the First West Virginia Horse Artillery, which was mainly made use of in raiding expeditions, and here Mr. Sutherin saw Very hard service. He was mustered out June 22, 1864, with an honor- able and faithful soldier's record. Until 1871 Mr. Sutherin resided in Beaver County, his old home, and then came to Kansas and engaged in mining and then in farming on the Gage 5o8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY tract west of Topeka. He has been identified with coal interests almost since his arrival in Shawnee County and is the oldest coal merchant in Topeka in continuous business. He settled on the Gage farm 34 years ago and now has a farm of 80 acres on which he has spent $7,000 in improvements. Al- though in business in the city he still holds his farm. He has always taken a lively interest in public affairs and for 27 years has been a member of the School Board of Topeka township. On September 12, 1864, Mr. Sutherin married Isabel Douglas, who was also a native of Northumberland County, England. She died in 1896, leav- ing eight children, viz : Isabel, wife of H. E. Shaffer, of the plumbing firm of George Sutherin & Company, of Topeka; Mary, wife of William H. Hunter of Bloomington, Illinois; George W., a master plumber in business at No. 107 East Fifth street, Topeka; Martin; Annie, wife of Cal Zin, of Dover, Shawnee County; Sadie, wife of E. W. Pinkerton, of Los Angeles, California; John, who conducts the home farm; and Maggie. Mr. Sutherin is one of the leading members and a trustee of the Low- man Hill Methodist Episcopal Church. Fraternally he is a Master Mason, a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and for the past 31 years has been an Odd Fellow. He is a man whose sterling character is gener- ally recognized and he may justly be numbered with the representative men of Shawnee County. RICHARD DISNEY. Richard Disney^ who died October 20, 1902, was one of the leading farmers and highly respected men of Monmouth township, Shawnee County, for many years and was one of the early settlers, coming in 1856. He was born June 7, 1824, in Maryland, and was a son of Mordecai and Axium Disney. The parents of Mr. Disney were farming people. They had a large family consisting of eight sons and twd daughters, the only two to come to Kansas being our subject and his brother William; all are now deceased, Richard, the eldest, being the last to pass away. From Maryland, Richard Disney went with his parents to Ohio and thence to Henderson County, Illinois, being about 15 years old at this time. He lived in Illinois until 1856, when he came to Shawnee County, both he and his brother William preempting land here and living together. He started with one quarter-section but at the time of his death owned 362 J^ acres, in one body and also other tracts. He was a large cattleman and was accustomed to winter 100 head. During the Civil War he was a member of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 509 the State militia and served 15 days in the campaign against General Price. Although he was a stanch member of the Republican party, he never wanted political ofifice, consenting only to serve on the School Board. Mr. Disney was first married to Lavina Anderson, who died in Illinois and left one son, Wesley, who is a resident of Chautauqua County, Kansas. On July 19, 1857, he was married, second, to Angeline Gregory, who was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, December 21, 1828, and when three years old accompanied her parents to Galena, Illinois, and in 1856 came with her widowed father and her four brothers to Kansas. Her parents were David and Naomi (Walters) Gregory, natives of Virginia and of Ohio. Of Mr. and Mrs. Gregory's 10 children, Joel, the eldest, died in the Mexican War. Mrs. Disney was next oldest; she has a brother in Illinois and one in Cali- fornia. Mr. and Mrs. Disney had eight children, three of whom died in in- fancy, the survivors being : Mary Florence, George W., Charles and Clara E. Julia died aged 14 years. Mr. Disney was in poor health for some years, but he bore his afflictions with patience. He had always been careful and industrious and left his family a large and valuable property. Mrs. Disney has 178 acres and -her son Charles has the remainder of the estate. It is well cultivated and improved and would bring a high price in the market. STEPHEN A. BEDWELL, JR. Stephen A. Bedwell^ Jr., owner and proprietor of the Bedwell Private Asylum, which is a beautifully located institution in the eastern limits of Topeka, is a gentleman well and favorably known all over the State. Mr. Bedwell was born in 1852, in Platte County, Missouri, on his father's farm which extended many miles and was bounded by the Buchanan County line. He is a son of the late Stephen and Christina (Pennington) Bedwell. The parents of Mr. Bedwell were both of German extraction but of Tennessee birth. They subsequently moved to Platte County, Missouri, where the father successfully engaged in farming for years, but spent his last years in honorable retirement at Leavenworth, Kansas, where his death took place in 1891. Of the family of six sons and three daughters, four sons and two daughters still survive. Francis Bedwell, an older brother of our subject, opened a private asylum at Leavenworth, which was the first institu- tion of its kind in the State. This he has removed to Kansas City and it is the best equipped and most modern asylum there. Our subject spent his boyhood in the manner of farmer boys, the sum- 510 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY mers claiming his time on the farm and his winters being spent in school. When eight years old he went to Atchison County, Kansas, and had the ad- vantages afforded by the Atchison City schools. When he had reached his majority he was employed by his brother who was interested in his early asylum projects, and it was through the experience gained there that the younger brother was encouraged to open a like institution at another point. In 1889 he moved to Shawnee County and settled in North Topeka, opening up a small asylum. He received so many applications from patients that in 1898 he purchased an old family residence, which he remodeled, improved and added to until he had spent fully $7,000 in making it what it is, — a de- lightful spot for both sick and well. The Bedwell Private Asylum is beautifully located on the eastern limits of East loth avenue, in the edge of Topeka township. In 1896 Mr. Bedwell purchased a tract of 10 acres, then but partly improved, and subsequently added 20 acres, which he uses for gardening purposes, the latter tract of land being valued at $200 an acre. The asylum proper is modern throughout, is heated by furnaces and private water-works insure plenty of hot and cold water. There are 25 clean, airy, sanitary rooms at all time ready for patients, and Mr. Bedwell has accommodated as many as 52 and, on an emergency, 100 can be provided for. Beautiful shade trees surround the institution and every medical care is provided. It has been so often demonstrated that en- vironment has so much to do with cure, that medical men are each year insisting more and more on just such conditions as can be found at the Bed- well Private Asylum. Mr. Bedwell was married in November, 1894 to Ella M. Dibbell, who belongs to a very prominent family of Topeka. She was born in New York. They have three children, viz : Mrs. Leslie Byers, of Topeka, who has one daughter, Oma; and Effa and Selina, young ladies at home. In his public attitude, Mr. Bedwell is a "good roads man." He is a member of the Fraternal Aid. For a number of years he has been a member of the township School Board and is generally recognized as one of the most public-spirited as well as substantial men of his locality. J. W. MAGILL J. W. Magill, engineer and manufacturer, who is closely connected with large engineering enterprises south of Galveston, Texas, has maintained his beautiful home in Topeka since 1887. He was born in 1838 on the Hudson River, at Poughkeepsie, New York, and is a son of John and Sarah Ann (Mulcox) Magill. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 511 On the paternal side the ancestry is Scotch and on the maternal it is English and Irish, while on both sides the families have been engaged in manufacturing. The Magill family controlled the manufacture of linen at Glasgow, Scotland, prior to the Revolutionary War, and the Mulcox name is connected with the manufacture of the famous Cheshire cheese of Chester, England. Our subject received an academic education in New York. He in- herited a love of mechanics in which he took four years of training, becoming a. skilled engineer, and through experience became possessed of a thorough knowledge of wool and cotton manufacturing. For some years he was ■connected with the largest manufacturing company of the city of New York, Garner & Company, which operated factories, in which 7,000 looms were kept running. Mr. Magill was manager of a plant for some time and then pur- chased it, converting it into a factory for the manufacture of merino and knit underwear. He continued the operation of this immense industry until 1887, when his wife's failing health caused him to seek a home in another climate. Topeka being the advised locality, he came hither, deciding to open up a large manufacturing business here which would give employment to a force •of 1,000 workmen. He drew up the plans and specifications and subsequently erected the building, but just at this time the panic came upon Topeka' s in- dustrial life and the great factory, with its 150 looms, was obliged to remain idle. Although this entailed immense financial loss, Mr. Magill had ideas and courage left and turned his attention to other enterprises. He became in- terested in Texas land and was assistant under Dr. Savin at San Antonio in the Texas land department. Later he associated himself with Col. John Willett in the construction of a sea-wall and iron-pier harbor in Southwestern Texas, 250 miles south of Galveston, and since the death of Colonel Willett has continued the project with the latter's son. They are much interested in securing a much needed harbor and have bright prospects. Mr. Magill has never sought political honors, although he has been on friendly terms with many men in public life, one of these being the present honored President of the United States. In 1861 he assisted in raising Com- pany B, 57th Reg., New York Vol. Inf., and was made its sergeant but did not remain long on the field as he contracted rheumatism. He has always been known as a patriotic, outspoken, loyal citizen. At Little Falls, New York, in the diocese of Bishop Potter, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Mr. Magill was married by Dr. Rogers to Maria Cottam, who was born in England and in childhood accompanied her father, Matthew Cottam, to America. He was an English manufacturer and later became one of the head managers of Garner & Company, of New York. 512 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Six daughters and three sons have been born to this union. Mrs. Magill has obtained much benefit from the cHmate of Topeka and enjoys, with her family, the comforts of the beautiful home at No. 200 Western avenue. Mr. Magill is a Knight Templar Mason. The family belong to the Protestant Episcopal Church and are members of the congregation of Grace Cathedral, Topeka. PERRY ELLIS COOK. Perry Ellis Cook, contractor, is a citizen of Topeka, who has watched his city develop from almost a village into a beautiful and well-regulated capital city. He was born in Indiana and is a son of Oscar and Charity (Wiley) Cook, residents of Brownsburg, Indiana. The ancestors of Mr. Cook date back to the early settlers around Seneca, New York, from which section his grandfather migrated to Boone County, Indiana, when that locality was one vast forest. He was accompanied by his son Oscar, who was born at Seneca, in March, 1823, and now resides with a daughter within six miles of where his father settled in his boyhood. For generations back the family have followed agricultural pursuits. Mr. Cook's mother came from an old and distinguished Kentucky family, all of whom were land-owners. Of the immediate family, four brothers and one sister still survive. They are scattered, living in Indianapolis, Central Iowa, Chicago, Jefferson County, Iowa, and Brownsburg, Indiana. Perry Ellis Cook was reared on his father's farm and attended the public schools of his native county. At the age of 17 years he left home and went to Iowa, having previously learned the carpenter's trade, which he has fol- lowed more or less ever since. After his marriage, which took place in Iowa, he returned home for a visit and remained a year, but in 1884 he decided to locate permanently in the West, and accompanied by his wife, came to Topeka. Here he found a fine opening in his trade and he continued to follow it until 1900, when he entered contracting and now has a well-established business in that line. He has not only witnessed the erection of all of the important buildings here, but he has put up many of them himself, notably the Com- mercial Hotel and the annex to the Keith-Rhodes Hospital and Sanitarium. The greater bulk of his work has been, however, the erection of fine resi- dences, his own being a good example, — a very attractive home situated in East Hill Addition. Mr. Cook married, when a resident of Iowa, a young lady named Randa Conger, who was born in Illinois, but whose home had been in Marshall ROBERT BROWN GEMMELL AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 515 County, Iowa, since she was a year and a half old. A family of four children have been added to the happy family circle, namely: Wilbur, aged 19 years; Blanche, aged 16; Perry Ellis, Jr., aged 13; and Herbert, aged 11. Mr. Cook is a man of social nature and enjoys membership in several fraternal organizations, among which are the Odd Fellows, the Eagles and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a self-made man and has met with the greater part of his business success since coming to Kansas. He reached Topeka, which was then unpaved and even wanted sewerage, with a capital of $25. This has been turned over many times and that he is now in the enjoyment of ample means is but the natural result of his industry and enter- prise. ROBERT BROWN GEMMELL Robert Brown Gemmell, deceased, whose portrait is herewith shown, served for many years as superintendent of telegraph for the Atchison, To- peka & Santa Fe Railway Company and was one of the most prominent and public-spirited men of Topeka. Mr. Gemmell was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, April 27, 1839, and was a son of James and Nancy (Brown) Gemmell. His father was a native of Scotland and there learned the trade of a marble cutter, becoming an expert in that line. To James and Nancy (Brown) Gemmell were bom seven children, of whom four grew to maturity, namely : Robert Brown, our subject; Mrs. John D. Gill, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania; Mrs. Mary Aiken, of New Castle, Pennsylvania ; and Anna, of Greensburg, Pennsyl- vania. Robert B. Gemmell was reared and educated in his native town, and at the age of 15 years began his railroad career as an operator on the Penn- sylvania Railroad. For five years he worked in this service, then in 1859 was appointed division operator of the road, in which capacity he served two years. He was next appointed chief clerk to the superintendent of the mid- dle division of the Pennsylvania road. An example of the confidence im- posed in him by his employers was shown when he held this position. He was given entire charge of the wire of the special train which conveyed Presi- dent Abraham Lincoln from Harrisburg to Philadelphia on the night of February 22, 1861, while on his journey to Washington to take his seat as President. In 1863 he was appointed trainmaster of the middle division of the road with headquarters at Altoona, Pennsylvania. He resigned this position in October, 1866, to come to Kansas, where he accepted the position 25 5i6 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY of chief clerk and general superintendent of telegraph of the Kansas Pa- cific road, now the Union Pacific. He afterwards became general freight and ticket agent of the road. For one year he was superintendent of the Lawrence & Southwestern road. In 1875 he became connected with the general freight department of the Santa Fe road as chief clerk, a position he filled for three years. On July i, 1878, he was appointed superintendent of telegraph, serving as such, thereafter, until his death. While acting in this capacity his jurisdiction extended over 6,230 miles, including the tele- graph lines along the Santa Fe; Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe; Wichita & Western; New Mexico & Arizona; L. T. & S. W., and M. A. & B. roads. He was also joint superintendent of the railroad and Western Union tele- graph lines, which were owned jointly by the two companies. He had charge of the commercial telegraph business and all agents on the railway lines re- ported to his office, from which' the proportion of the Western Union business was forwarded to the proper officers and managers. Aside from his laborious railroad duties, Mr. Gemmell took a great interest in local matters, his work being principally in the affairs of the church. He was one of the oldest members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he held numerous offices, being an elder at the time of death. From 1881 to 1891, he was president of the Topeka Y. M. C. A., having been one of the most active in its organization. From 1882 to 1887, he was chairman of the State committee of the Y. M. C. A., and in January, 1896, was elected chairman of the executive committee of the Railroad Y. M. C. A. Robert Brown Gemmell died September 14, 1896, after an illness of three weeks. He first fell a victim to the ills of malarial fever, which de- veloped into typhoid, then into hypostatic pneumonia, dying from a compli- cation of these diseases. The following quotation from the Topeka Daily Capital is an estimate of his worth in the community and the high regard in which he was held : "Only those who knew Mr. Gemmell well can fully appreciate the full beauty of his character and the worth of his life. Few there are who c^re to work as he did; few there are who are fitted for such work. Unselfish- ness is always the keystone of such a character and it is upon these charac- ters that Christianity has always relied for support. It seems unfortunate that such a man as Mr. Gemmell should not be permitted to live out the full measure of years. The many he has befriended will now miss him; those have made a practice of seeking him for religious comfort will mourn their loss ; and his own loved family and dear friends in their grief c.n only be consoled bv the insnirin?- memory of the man snd his work, memories that must live. During Mr. Gemmell's residence in Topeka he exerted a won- derful influence in the work of Christianity. In him the church Ijad a vigor- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS -51; •ous and conscientious worker, a man who never tired in the tasl< of bring- ing sunshine into the hves of those who are walking in the shadow. And the young men of Topeka, among whom he ahvays dehghted to work, owe him a debt of gratitude they can only pay by emulating his beautiful ex- ample. This was the only compensation he ever asked while living." Robert B. Gemmell left a wife and three children, the latter being as follows: ^lary, wife of Arthur Adams, of Alameda, Califprnia; Robert, of Salt Lake City, Utah; and Lillian, wife of Herbert S. Boal, of Citronelle, Alabama. Mr. Gemmell was the owner of considerable real estate in Topeka. In addition to the home on East Eighth avenue, he possessed lots on Topeka avenue and in other sections in the city. His was a well-rounded life. He was a successful business man, a public-spirited citizen and a most devoted .and loving husband and father. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DAWSON. Benjamin Franklin Dawson^ one of the most highly considered resi- ■dents of Shawnee County, came to Topeka township when the surrounding prairies were almost trackless wastes of waving grass and the woods were thickets of untouched growths of tree and bramble. Mr. Dawson was born .at Terre Haute, Indiana, December 2, 1828, and was taken to Edgar County, Illinois, when two years old. He is a son of Thomas W. and Nancy (Milligan) Dawson. Isaac Dawson, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Virginia and was a pioneer in Kentucky. Thom.as W. Dawson, the father, was born in Kentucky, married in Ohio, moved as a very early settler to Edgar County, Illinois, and took part in the Black Hawk War. Both he and his wife died in Topeka. The family consisted of eight members, our subject being the ■oldest. The others were : James M., deceased ; Mrs. Eliza J. Browning, of ■Oklahoma ; Mary, who died in Edgar County, Illinois ; Emma, who died in Topeka ; Mrs. Elizabeth Lesley, a resident of Kansas ; and Newton and Milli- gan, both deceased. Benjamin F. Dawson remained on the home farm in Illinois until 1855, when he joined his brother, James M., on an expedition to Kansas. At that time no great lines of transportation made the trip easy and expeditious. The brothers, well provisioned, started from the old homestead with a wagon and good team, and covered the distance to Shawnee County in three weeks. As they had been led to expect, the brothers found much of the country un- 5i8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY cleared, Topeka but a hamlet, Leavenworth the nearest market and Tecumseli the closest trading place. Our subject soon preempted his present farm, the southwest quarter of section 27, township 11, range 16, two-thirds of which was brush and timber. A former settler, Isaac Edwards, had erected a cabin 16 by 18 feet in dimensions, and the brothers lived in this during their first Kansas winter. Although public questions were beginning to be agitated in the State, the clearing, improving and cultivation of the farm kept the subject of this sketch ^•ery much occupied and until the actual outbreak of hostilities at the opening of the Civil War, he industriously raised his grain and dis- posed of it at Leavenworth. He well recalls the troubles incident to the admission of Kansas as a Free State and was an eye witness of some of the political encounters at Lawrence. When General Price invaded Kansas, he enHsted in the State militia under Captain Huntoon and Colonel Veale and was with the troops sent out to check Price's advance to Kansas City. At the famous battle of the Blue he was made a prisoner, but was soon paroled. During the whole of the war he was in close sympathy with the Union forces. With the exception of three years during which he conducted a meat market, in partnership with Jacob Awark, at Topeka, Mr. Dawson has always resided on his farm, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. Formerly he raised each year a large number of cattle, hogs and horses al- though he has always considered his land best adapted to the growing of grain. The Dawson farm is one which is justly noted for its production of fine fruit. Mr. Dawson early made a specialty of setting out orchards, making careful selections as to climate and culture, and has produced probably as fine apples, peaches and cherries as can be found in the State. Some 24 years ago he erected his present beautiful brick residence, just outside the city- limits. It is located in the midst of a well-kept lawn and presents a very attractive appearance. Mr. Dawson was married at Topeka to Susan M. Wade, who was born in 1843, i" Illinois, and came to Shawnee County with her parents in 1856. They have six children, namely : Carrie and Mary, both at home ; Mrs. Emma Lanham, of Chicago ; Mrs. Julia Gallagher, of Topeka ; William, a farmer of Topeka township ; and Franklin, of Oakland, Topeka. Mr. Dawson and family belong to the Third Presbyterian Church of Topeka. Mr. Dawson, coming of Southern ancestry, was reared a Democrat, but for many years has been identified with the Republican party. He has always' taken more or less interest in public matters and performs every duty of a representative citizen. Owing to the fact that his health has been delicate during recent years, he has spent several seasons at Los Angeles, California. He has read freely, traveled considerably, has a wide range of information and is especially well posted on the interesting early days in Kansas. Time AND REPRESENTATIVE CITiZExXo. 519 has dealt very gently with him and he bears his 'jj years with the appearance of a much younger man. Scarcely any resident is better known in this locality than Mr. Dawson and very few are held in higher esteem. JOSEPH H. SKINNER. Joseph H. Skinner, who operates an extensive nursery in Soldier town- ship, Shawnee County, is afi experienced man in this business, having devoted himself to this line of work all his life. He was born September 12, 185 1, at Troy, Ohio, and is a son of Elias and Martha J. (Orbison) Skinner. He came to Topeka from Troy, Ohio, in 1890, and engaged in a nursery business with two partners under the firm name of Taylor, Peters & Skinner. The partnership continued for three years. Mr. Taylor then retired from the firm to operate a nursery of his own, and the firm style then became Peters & Skinner. Mr. Skinner was married December 2, 1875, to Lizzie O. Leaf, and they have five children : Sue, wife of E. E. Olinger ; Ralph E. and George M., who are employed on the home farm; and Nellie S. and Alice E., who are ■students attending the Topeka High School. Mr. Skinner and family belong -to the Presbyterian Church. Politically he is a stanch Republican. HON. MATTHEW THOMPSON CAMPBELL. Hon. Matthew Thompson Campbell, an attorney of Topeka, has resided in this city continuously since 1872. He was born at Bloomington, Indiana, May 2, 1846, and is a son of Matthew M. and Martha (McPherters) Campbell. His grandfather, Arthur Lee Campbell, was the owner of a great tract of land in Kentucky, where the city of Louisville now stands, and was a warm friend of President Andrew Jackson, with whom he used to correspond relative to Lidian affairs. Matthew M. Campbell, father of our subject, was born in Tennessee and upon reaching manhood's estate went to Indiana. There he attended and graduated at the State University at Bloomington, and afterward taught the languages in that institution for a period of 15 years. He with his family came West to Kansas in i860 as agent for the American Bible Society, visiting every house in the State. He returned to Indiana in 1862 and served as county superintendent of public instruction for a number of years. He S20 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY was also chaplain in the army in the Civil War. He again came to Kansas- in the later days of 1880 and located with the subject of our sketch at Topeka, where his wife died in 1881. He attained wide prominence as an educator, corresponding with educators all over the world, and contributed many articles for educational journals. His death occurred in December, 1897, and he lies buried by the side of his wife in the Topeka Cemetery. In politics he was a Republican and a strong temperance advocate. Matthew Thompson Campbell first came to Topeka in i860 with the rest of the family, but in a few years returned East to take a course in Eastman's. Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York. He experienced a change of mind as to his career in business and decided to enter the legal profession. He entered the University of Indiana, and after graduation in 1869 came West to Atchison County, Kansas, reading law in the office of Hubbard & Glenn for two years. He was admitted to the bar at Atchison under Judge Nathan Price, and immediately thereafter began the practice of the law at Waterville, Marshall County, Kansas. In December, 1872, he came to Topeka where he has since practiced his profession. He has the confidence and esteem, of a large clientage, as well as of the general public. He is a Republican in politics, and in 1876-77 represented the district north of the Kansas River in the State Legislature. He has also served as a member of the Board of Education of Topeka. He maintains his office at No. 531 Kansas avenue. On September 3, 1871, Mr. Campbell was united in marriage with Louise Adams at Waterville, Kansas. She is a daughter of Henry J. Adams, who was the first Free-State mayor of Leavenworth and was one of the leaders of his party. His brother, Franklin G. Adams, a very prominent man, was graduated from Cincinnati College in 1852, and in 1858 was made probate judge of Atchison County, Kansas. In 1861 he was appointed register of the United States Land Office by President Lincoln, and in 1865 was appointed United States Indian agent. In 1864, he established the Atchison Daily and Weekly Free Press, and was later proprietor of the Waterville Telegraph. In 1876 he became first secretary of the State Historical Society, and held that office many years and until his death. On September 29, 1855, he married Harriet E. Clark. Henry J. Adams married Abbie R. Gibson, whose sister married the noted sculptor, Hiram Powers. Our subject and his wife became the parents of six children, as follows v Annie, who married J. E. Griest, of Ellis, Kansas, now chief clerk of the Western Division of the Union Pacific Railroad, and has three children : Theodore Reed Griest, aged six years, Louise, aged four years, and John Mendleson, aged two years ; Arthur Lee, the second, child born to our sub- ject and his wife, who was named after his paternal grandfather; Florence- Powers (named after the daughter of Hiram Powers, above mentioned"). AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 521 who is now acting as her father's stenographer; George M. (who is a soph- more at Washburn College and is greatly interested in scientific works).; Eugene Dunlap, a freshman at Washburn College, who was named after Rev. Eugene Dunlap, a great and personal friend of Mr. Campbell, being at Eugene's birth pastor of the North Congregational Church at Topeka but now a resident of Chicago; and Donald Adams (who takes his mother's family name), who is attending Topeka High School. The family are members of the Congregational Church of Topeka. Their residence is in the First Ward of the city. C. F. MENNINGER, M. D. C. F. Menninger, M. D., one of the leading professional men of Topeka, president of the Board of Health and officially connected with num- erous medical and charitable institutions in this city, was born July 11, 1862, in Indiana. After completing the public school course in his native place, he came under the personal instruction of Rev. Richard Totten for three years, a period that the Doctor considers a very valuable portion of his life. He then entered Central Normal School, Danville, Indiana, where he was graduated with the degree of B. S. Then entering Campbell University at Holton, Kan- sas, he secured his degree of Master of Arts and in 1889, at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, Chicago, he was graduated in medicine. His locating at Topeka was the result of his having spent the summer vacation of 1887 and 1888 here. In 1889 he decided to make this city the scene of his professional work. In 1891 he opened an office in the front part of the build- ing at No. 727 Kansas avenue, but he subsequently changed to the rear rooms on the same floor, where he could have an abundance of light. He is cen- trally located and has a comfortable, convenient and well-equipped set of apartments. He is a general practitioner and is also a member of the staff of Christ's Hospital, having charge of the obstetrical work. He is also president of the Board of Health, cx-ofRcio president of the Board of Plumb- ing Examiners, and a member of the executive committee of the Topeka Orphans' Home. He is also physician for the Lutheran Orphans Asylum. In 1885 Dr. Menninger was married to Flo V. Knisely, and they have three sons, viz : Carl A., Edwin A. and William Clair. Their beautiful home is situated at No. 125 1 Topeka avenue. Mrs. Menninger is well known in Topeka as a lady of culture and one whose study of the Holy Scriptures has made a great demand upon her as a teacher. She now devotes a large part 522 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY of her time to teaching the Bible, two days of the week being entirely given up to her large classes, among which are numbered 200 of the ladies of Topeka. Mrs. Menninger is gifted with a clear understanding and the faculty of im- parting know'ledge. Dr. Menninger belongs to numerous medical organizations, including the Kansas State and the Missouri Valley homeopathic medical associations, and the American Institute of Homeopathy, — the national body of that school. He is a member of the board of directors of the Free Public Library and of the Academy of Science. His fraternal connection is with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church and the chorister of the Sunday-school. This brings us to note the Doctor's love for and proficiency in music. If he has any other hobby, it is the culture of lilies. When relieved from professional cares, he is very apt to be found absorbed in finding new beauties in his valuable collection of choice flowers, or in the enjoyment of musical compositions, either in his own refined home or elsewhere. The pursuit of these tastes serve to relieve the mental strain and physical weariness which attend, more or less, the life of every faithful physician. WILLIAM R. FISH. William R. Fish, deceased, was formerly one of the prominent business men and substantial citizens of Topeka. Mr. Fish was born March 6, 1843, at Dupont, Jefferson County, Indiana, and was a son of Marshall and Sarah C. (Abbott) Fish. On the paternal side the family ancestry reached to the pioneers of Kentucky. On the maternal side the ancestry was Irish. The Fish family removed to Illinois during our subject's boyhood and he attended the public schools of Marion County. When 18 years of age, he went to Chicago where he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company G, 88th Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf. He served through the war, par- ticipating in 18 serious engagements and many skirmishes, but surviving all dangers and returning safely home, with a soldier's honors, in 1865. In 1881 he established himself in the cofifee and tea business at Topeka, where he prospered and gained the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. His death took place in June, 1891, as the result of a lamentable railway accident. Mr. Fish was married in 1870, at Kinmundy, Illinois, to Sarah E. Nevill, who is a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Fuell) Nevill, natives of Ken- tucky. They had two children, viz : William R. ; and Kitty M., who died PHILIP KECK AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 525 aged three years. Mrs. Fish and son reside in their handsome home at No. 411 Greenwood avenue, Potwin Place. Mr. Fish was fraternally associated with the Knights of Honor and the National Union. PHILIP KECK. Philip Keck, a prosperous farmer of Auburn township, owns a fine farm of 160 acres in section 20, township 13, range 14, on which he re- sides, and a nearby tract of 160 acres which he uses in grain farming and ■stock-raising. Mr. Keck was born May i, 1840, in Wittenberg, Germany, and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Hoover) Keck. The father of our subject died on his farm in Germany, and the mother and her children came to America and settled in Ohio. She died in Kan- sas, aged 66 years. The family consisted of four children : John, who died in Darke County, Ohio; Jacob, of Oakland, California; Mrs. Kate Franklin, who died at Topeka; and Philip, of this sketch. Our subject was five years old when his mother took passage for her- self and family on the sailing vessel "George Washington," landing at the port of New York 31 days later. The destination of the family was Darke County, Ohio, and almost the whole of the journey was made by boat, three months elapsing from the time the little party left Germany until the new home was reached. Here, surrounded by many hardships, Mr. Keck grew to sturdy young manhood. When the Civil War broke out, he felt it his duty to assist in supporting the government of the country which had extended so cordial a welcome and provided so desirable a home, and on September 10, 1861, he enlisted for three years in Company K, 34th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under Captain Smiley and Col. Don Piatt. The history of this famous regiment is incorporated in the records of State and Union, and during its years of notable service, no more faithful soldier was found than Philip Keck. Much of the service of this regiment was in the mountains of West Virginia and the 34th Ohio won as honorable a position as any other regi- ment and was one of the victorious ones at the battle of Winchester under General Sheridan. Mr. Keek's term of service expired just after the battles of Winchester and Cedar Creek and he was honorably discharged in 1864. After the close of his army service, Mr. Keck returned to Ohio and •continued, to farm there until 1868, when he came to Kansas, accompanied by his wife and two children. He located in Auburn township, Shawnee County, where he bought 160 acres in section 19, township 13, range 14, 30 acres of which had been broken. On the property stood a log cabin. 526 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY which sufficed for a shelter until he could build a comfortable house. la 1897 he purchased the farm on which he now resides. The land is all in one body and makes one of the finest farms in his section of the county. Mr. Keck was married Augiist 20, 1865, to Charity M. Reed, who was born in Darke County, Ohio, March 26, 1844, and is a daughter of Allen and Mary (Wood) Reed, natives of Ohio. They have had 10 children, of whom Benjamin died at the age of three years, and Martha, at the age of three months. The survivors are : William J., who owns a fine farm near his father; Maria Belle, who is the wife of Michael Boley, of Topeka town- ship ; Ida, who is the wife of William Snyder, of Auburn township ; Allen, a farmer of Auburn township; J. Noah, Frank and Minnie, who live at home;, and John, who married Meryl Cofifman. Mr. Keck is proud of his 19 grand- children, all of whom do him credit. Mr. Keck cast his first presidential vote for Lincoln and has always- been a Republican. He is a justice of the peace in Auburn township, and for 15 years he has been a member of the School Board, during which period the present fine school building has been erected. He has been a member of Lincoln Post, No. i, G. A. R., at Topeka, for many years and is honored there as a worthy comrade. For the past 27 years he has been a deacon in the Wakarusa Valley Congregational Church. Mr. Keck is widely known and commands the respect, as he enjoys the esteem, of his fellow-citizens,, his neighbors and his family. A portrait of Mr. Keck accompanies this- sketch, being presented on a foregoing page in proximity tO' this. CHARLES J. AYE. Charles J. Aye, one of the well-known, responsible men and good farmers of Tecumseh township, Shawnee County, who resides in section 19, township 12, range 17, where he owns 85 acres of excellent land, is also one of the old soldiers who survived the dangers and hardships of the Civil War in which he took an honorable part. ^^Tr. Aye was born February 6, 1842, in Vermilion County, Indiana, and is a son of George D. and Anna Elizabeth ^Jordan) Aye. Jacob Aye, the grandfather of Charles J., was born in Germany and came to the United States and settled in Maryland, but later went to Vir- ginia, where George D. Aye was born. On the maternal side, the family was an early one to settle in this portion of Kansas. The maternal grand- father. Rev. Charles Jordan, removed to Shawnee County in 1854 and settled AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 527 at Tecumseh, being the first Methodist minister in the county. Mrs. Aye was born in Kentucky, but both she and her husband died in Kansas. Their chil- dren were : Mrs. Nancy Kiser ; John, of Vermihon County, Indiana, who served through the whole Civil War; Mrs. Edna J. Smith, of Terre Haute, Indiana; Mrs. Lucy Parks, of Springfield, Missouri; Charles J., of this sketch; William, of Rossville, Kansas; Thomas, deceased; Mrs. Mary Ma- tilda Rogers, of Denver, Colorado; and Morrison H., of Topeka. Our subject was a child of seven years when the family removed to Edgar County, Illinois, where they lived until 1855, when they came to Kan- sas, with their household possessions, arriving in Coffey County on Decem- ber 15th. The father preempted a quarter-section of land on the Neosho River. After the death of his wife in the following year, the father returned to Illinois, but in the spring of 1857 our subject came to Shawnee County and went to work for his relatives, the Jordans. In 1861 he crossed the plains with the Southers and Clark train to Denver and on the second trip that year went up over the range to Georgia Gulch. He returned in December and spent the next season in farming, but on August 14, 1862, he became an enlisted soldier, entering Company H, nth Reg., Kansas Vol. Inf., under Col- onel Ewing and Capt. Joel Huntoon. This regiment took part in the battles of Prairie Grove, Cane Hill, Fort Wayne and all the engagements of Price's campaign. In the spring of 1865 it was sent to Idaho to subdue the Indians. It then returned to Fort Leavenworth, where it was mustered out November ■ j8, 1865. While recalling battles, mention may be made of the fight at Bull Creek, in the "Border Ruffian War," when our subject was engaged with the noted' "Jim" Lane. The fight and return to Lawrence took some five days and Mr. Aye says that the biggest battle of all for him was with his father, who had some opinions concerning his son's running away and ' was disposed to administer necessary discipline. Mr. Aye has resided in Tecumseh township since 1866 with the exception of two years spent in Jefferson County. He carries on general farming and ' stock-raising, having many head of cattle, hogs, horses and mules. In February, 1866, Mr. Aye was married to Romanzy C. Stroup, wdio ■ was born in Rush County, Indiana, March 27, 1846, and in 1862 came to Kansas with her parents, who were Nathan and Mary Stroup, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Aye have four children : Silas S., of Monmouth township; Charlotte, who married Frank Amo, of' Tecumseh township and has eight children; Nathan, living at home; and Mrs. Hattie Jackson, of Williamsport township, who has two children. Mr. Aye cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and has been a stqnrh Rppublicqn ever since. He has held a number of the township offices and has always been active in his support of education and religion. He ■ _528 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY donates to all religious bodies but is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He assisted in the building of the new church edifice of- the Bethel - and the Brethren bodies at Tecumseh. He belongs to the Jesse Nelson Post, No. 62, G. A. R., of Tecumseh. Fraternally, he is a Mason. HON. EDWARD WALLIS HOCH. Hon. Edward Wallis Hoch, Governor of the State of Kansas, elected to the Office in November, 1904, stands to-day as one of the leading public men of the United States. Through the years of greatest storm and stress, Kansas became acquainted with this fearless and uncompromising defender of the people's rights, and when the time was ripe conferred on him the high- est honor in the commonwealth he had served so well. Born in Kentucky on March 17, 1849, and educated in the schools of his native place, Danville, and at Center College, Kentucky, Edward Wallis Hoch ■came to Kansas at the age of 23, little dreaming of the future awaiting him. Completing his apprenticeship to the printer's trade, he turned his attention for a time to farming in Marion County, but in a shore time he purchased a newspaper, the Marion Record, and entered upon a career in the field of journalism. Overcoming the obstacles and discouragements which swept many a brave man off his feet in those days, Mr. Hoch by 1876 had firmly established himself, and since that time the Marion Record has been not only a financial success, but has been the exponent of what is the greatest and best as regards public interests in this State. In 1888 he became prominent in public life as the member from Marion County to the State House of Representatives, where his voice was raised m support of those reforms for which he had so long battled with his pen. His eloquence and convincing arguments always claimed attention. In 1892 he was reelected and was made Speaker pro tern and in this position, a difficult one at the time, his discretion and judgment brought about the success of the Republican contingent and peaceful adjustment of all difficulties. On two occasions he has been urged for Congress by his party, and the trend of public opinion was shown as early as 1894, when he was actively supported by the Republican State Convention for Governor. At the Republican State Convention, at Wichita, Kansas, Mr. Hoch was nominated for the office of Governor by acclamation on March 8, 1904. His Democratic opponent at the polls in November, 1904, was David M. Dale, of Wichita, Kansas. Mr. Hoch was elected by the large plurality of 69,740. His election to this high office justifies the judgment and prediction of his AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 529. friends for many years. Not for one moment do the people doubt what his- administration will be. With a determined devotion to principle, with high ideals of public duty, he will pursue his fearless way, with disinterested patriotism, doing his full obligation in every way, independent of favor or criticism. At the very outset of his term of office, he has been identified with the movement to oust the Standard Oil Company and its branches from the State of Kansas. The war on this hydra-headed monopoly is being viewed, with intense interest by other commonwealths of this country, many of which hope to follow the leadership of Kansas in this struggle, if the fight proves successful. In May, 1876, Governor Hoch was married to Sarah Lou Dickerson, . of Marion, Kansas, and they have four children, namely : Edna, Homer W., Anna and Wallis, who is named after his father. In Matters of religion Mr. Hoch is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and has long been an active worker in the church and Sunday-school. JOHN MADDEN. John Madden, one of the progressive and enterprising retail grocers of Topeka, whose completely equipped grocery and market is situated on the corner of 12th street and Kansas avenue, is a citizen whose business success, has been attained through upright methods and persistent efforts. Mr. Madden was born July 20, 1867, in Coshocton County, Ohio, and is a son of Simeon and Lucy (Corder) Madden. The Madden family has been established in Virginia for generations. On the maternal side it is more recently English. The father of Mr. Madden was born January 7, 1841, and the mother, December 5, 1845. The latter died in August, 1899. They had three children, viz: John, the subject of this sketch; Milton, a missionary to Japan; and Mrs. Miriam Timmons, of Topeka. Mr. Madden was reared on a farm although his birth took place in town, and thus his education was secured in the country schools. Later he took a business course at Sedalia, Missouri, and was only 17 years old when he was operating a farm on his own account. In 1887 he came to Kansas and bought a farm in Wabaunsee County, a partially improved tract of 160 acres. He remained on this property, erecting buildings and otherwise improving it until 1902, when he removed to Topeka. He purchased his present business of his father and has successfully conducted it ever since, the father having- .530 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY retired after an honorable business career in this city of more than 15 years. Our subject retains the farm, having it under rental, but gives his attention to his large commercial interests. When he first came to Topeka he was ' offered a position in the Santa Fe general offices, of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, but he preferred an independent business of his own. His establishment ranks with the leading houses of its kind and he gives his personal attention to the selection of choice, varied and seasonable . goods. I Mr. Madden was married at Paxico, Kansas, to Christina Finny, a lady whose American ancestors were established in this country before the Revo- lutionary War. They have four sons, whose ages range from 14 to seven years, viz: Milton, Edgar, Paul and Charles. Mr. and Mrs. Madden are members of the Euclid Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. Milton Madden, our subject's brother, who is a missionary to Japan, was educated in the public schools and later was graduated from the Topeka Business College. From there he entered Bethany College, West Virginia, and after four years of preparation was selected by the First Chris- tian Church of Topeka, as missionary, and with his family is located at .Sendai, Japan. He married Maud Whitmore and they have three children : Harvey, Elma and Garfield. ELZA V. COLDREN, M. D. Elza V. CoLDREN, M. D., who has been engaged in the practice of medi- •cine in Topeka since 1882, is one of the best known members of the profes- sion in the city. He was born at Marion, Ohio, September 22, 1841, and is a son of Reuben and Mary Ann (Newhouse) Coldren. Reuben Coldren, father of our subject, was prominently engaged in the lumber business for many years, but at the time of his death in April, 1890, was living a retired life. His union with Mary Ann Newhouse resulted in the following offspring: Lemuel T., of Spokane, Washington; Alwilda, widow of George Bowman, who was a banker at San Jose, California; Aure- lia J., wife of George Swartz, of Kansas City, Missouri, who is extensively engaged in lumbering in Louisiana,' the town of Swartz being named after him; Isaac J., of Coffeyville, Kansas; and Edward, who died at Boone, Iowa, in February, 1870, and is buried there. Elza V. Coldren received his early education in a seminary at LaGrange, Indiana, and the Des Moines (Iowa) High School. He then read medicine in the office of Dr. A. J. Willie at Nevada, Iowa, and attended the College of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 531 Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, Iowa, graduating therefrom in February, 1864. In 1861 he had enhsted in the "Silver Band" as a musician, enhsting as a member of the loth Regiment, Iowa Vol. Inf., Colonel Purcel command- ing. While in the service, he continued his study of medicine and was ap- pointed assistant surgeon at Estie Hospital at Keokuk, continuing as such until he was mustered out in 1864. He was in the engagement in which his regiment was ambushed by the guerilla forces of Gen. M. Jefif. Thompson and 18 members of his company killed. Doctor Cqldren first started in practice at Nevada, Iowa, and after three years moved to Hazelgreen, Wisconsin, where he practiced continuously for 17 years. He came to Topeka, Kansas, in 1882 and has met with remarkable success as a general practitioner. He is a member of the Kansas State Medi- ■cal Society, American Medical Association; Academy of Medicine and Shaw- nee County Medical Soicety, and is a member of the medical stafif of The Jane C. Stormont Hospital. Politically he is a supporter of Republican principles. In 1865, Dr. Coldren was joined in marriage with Jane Ellen Simpson, a daughter of Anthony and Elizabeth (Bronson) Simpson, her parents being natives of Yorkshire, England. They came to America and were prominent •citizens of Dubuque, Iowa, Mr. Simpson being largely engaged in lead mining. Our subject and his wife are parents of the following children : Clarence E., .a member of the DeWolfe Hopper opera company, who was married in 1892; Aline, who married George Brenning, of St. Louis, Missouri, and has two chil- dren, — George and Lorine; and Lorine, who married A. M. Officer, of Topeka, and has two children, Aline and Margaret. The Doctor and his family reside in a pleasant home at No. 1018 Polk street. REV. MARTIN GUY DEAN. Rev. Martin Guy Dean, an esteemed citizen of Topeka, and a mem- "ber of the Central Congregational Church, of which Rev. C. M. Sheldon is pastor, and of the Central Association of Congregational Churches of Kan- sas, was born at Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, October 14, 1829, and is a son of Samuel and Hannah (Aldrich) Dean. On the paternal side, the ancestry is from Dublin, Ireland, and on the maternal from New England, our subject's mother having been a native_ of New Hampshire. The early years of Martin G. Dean were filled with hard- ships incident to residence in the Michigan forests, far from the benefits and advantages of civilization. When he was 12 years of age, circumstances 532 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY threw him upon his own resources, on account of the death of his uncle, wha had adopted him when five years of age, when he was orijhaned by the death of his mother. He was ambitious and early determined to secure a college education and in bringing about the possibility followed various lines of work as a boy, earning $12 a month when 14 years of age. Prior to his ordi- nation to the ministry, he worked in the insurance field, on newspapers and also earned many an honest dollar by selling books and by working in the pine woods of Michigan. In 1845 he entered Albion Seminary at Albion, Michi- gan, and pursued his studies there for three years. In 1848 he entered the Western Theological Seminary at Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated in 185 1, having relinquished the idea of going to the University of Michigan on account of defective (weak) eyes. After preaching about 18 months, he was ordained to the ministry in October, 1852. From 1854 to i860 he had the advantage of coming directly under the instruction of that famous educator, Horace Mann, at Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he graduated in i860. Upon taking up his ministerial labors in the Christian Church, he accepted his first pastorate at Monroe, New Jersey, and later was located at Honeoye Falls, New York, a village situated 14 miles from Rochester. For the next 14 years he was a resident of St. Paul, Min- nesota, where he had gone to regain his health. During this period he trav- eled and preached in three or four states. During his long life in the ministry, he has filled charges in 10 different states, including Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Kansas, and as many Eastern states. Since November, 1879, he has been a resident of Kansas, and of Topeka for three years, where he owns a hand- some residence at No. 1734 West street, in the pleasant neighborhood of Washburn College. During the Civil War he saw a year of service, as chap- lain of the 145th Regiment, New York Vol. Inf. Rev. Mr. Dean has been married four times. In 1903 he was united to Mrs. Maud (Moore) Street, a most charming lady, and an admirable house- keeper. Mrs. Street, by her former marriage, had one little daughter, Reba, who is the light of the household. Dr. Dean has one daughter, Grace, whose mother, Kate (Slawson) Dean, died in Kansas in the year 1882. Although in his 76th year, our subject presents no venerable appear- ance ; on the other hand, he appears' more as a man of 30 years. He is one of those fortunate individuals who can boast that he has never been afflicted with even a headache, backache or rheumatism. His family is one rather noted for longevity and vigor, two of his sisters, older than himself, still enjoying health of mind and body, one of whom, 85 years old, travels exten- sively alone. He attributes his present very remarkable vitality to abundant outdoor exercise and to sensible dieting, believing that to cure one's self the chief thing is to leave doctors, pill bags and drug-stores alone. During the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 535 bicycle craze, after he had reached his 70th year, he was fond of bicycle riding and his faithful wheel registered 75,000 miles in three years. As an edu- cated Christian clergyman, he has a wide circle of attached and admiring friends, and he possesses all the attributes which make him a charming com- panion, a faithful friend and a valuable citizen. WASHBURN COLLEGE. Period of Construction — 1865-1896. For the origin of Washburn Col- lege we must go back to New England. We find it in that spirit which the first New England settlers brought over with them in the early part of the seventeenth century, those who in their poverty founded Harvard College in 1636. It was traditional in the church of the Massachusetts and Connecticut Puritans to make sacrifices for the higher education. Wherever the Congre- gational Church has gone, it has taken that tradition with it. The Congrega- tionalists who came to Kansas, whether they came from New England directly or not, brought with them this tradition. When the Association of Congre- gational Churches was organized, to found a college was one of the first things thought of. At their first meeting in 1857 they adopted this resolution: "That a committee of five be raised to obtain information in regard to the location of a college under the patronage of this body, and if they deem it ex- pedient, to secure such a location." Among those appointed upon the commit- tee of five were John Ritchie and Lewis Bodwell. Lewis Bodwell was pastor of the Congregational Church of Topeka and John Ritchie, one of the leading members. These two men, together with Harvey D. Rice and Harrison Han- nahs, were those most deeply interested in the new enterprise. The Associa- tion of Congregational Churches assumed direction and oversight and the preliminary work for the college was guided by that body. There seems to have been no question as to whether a college should be founded. There was no doubt about that. There was some debate as to where the location should be. Some friends of the embryo college wished it at Topeka, others wished it at Lawrence, others at Leavenworth or elsewhere. In 1858 the association voted to accept the offers of Topeka subscribers; in 1859 the Topeka subscribers not having redemed their pledges, it was voted to place the college at Lawrence and to call it Monumental College. The Lawrence people were anxious to have the college. Nearly all of the inhabi- tants must have signed the subscription list, for we are told that when un- rolled at the association meeting it reached from the door to the moderator's 26 536 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY desk and half way back again. Mount Oread was offered as a site for the college, hundreds of acres of land and $10,000 for endowment, and a $25,000 building. The Topeka delegation consisting of Harrison Hannahs resisted the action of the association, as they deemed Topeka a better place for a college and claimed that Topeka was at the time making efforts in good faith to fulfill the pledges made the year before. In fact, Mr. Rice was in the East at the time to raise money for Colonel Ritchie, to be used for the college. If i860 had not been the famine year, Lawrence might have redeemed her pledges, Monu- mental College might have occupied Mount Oread and the State University been forced to occupy another home. As it was, in i860 the Topeka people were ready to make again the proposal they had made in 1858, and were pre- pared — at least in part — to make their pledges good. One part of the pro- posal made by the Topeka friends of the college was that 160 acres of land should be given within a mile and a half of the town-site. How this was pro- cured is told by Mr. Rice in his "Reminiscences" and has a place in this sketch, for it is the history of the procuring of the site upon which these buildings stand which we now are using. In 1858 gold was discovered near Pike's Peak and George Davis, who owned this quarter section was anxious to go in the spring of 1859. Previ- ously he had refused to sell. Colonel Ritchie and Mr. Rice accordingly got their heads together and agreed that Colonel Ritchie should mortgage the quarter section upon which he lived and Mr. Rice should give his time to go back to New England and raise the money on the security of Colonel Ritchie's Llnd. Mr. Rice went first to Brooklyn to see Henry Ward Beecher, for he had come to Kansas in the first place as a member of the Beecher Bible Rifle Com- pany. But Mr. Beecher was away and so Mr. Rice went on to Hartford, where he had lived. There, after two weeks of rather discouraging effort, he called upon Mrs. Hooker, Henry Ward Beecher's sister. She and her sisters, Mrs. Stowe and Miss Catherine E. Beecher, became much interested, and soon after Mr. Hooker and his partner, Hon. Francis Gillett, United States Senator from Connecticut, furnished Mr. Rice with a thousand dollars. This, with another thousand dollars already obtained, he took back to Topeka in the form of a $2,000 draft. The draft was cashed in Leavenworth, the Topeka banks not having $2,000, and $1,600 of it were taken to pay Mr. Davis for this land. It was held by Colonel Ritchie who was ready to turn it over to the college when the time should come. The time came in 1865. February 6, 1865, a charter was granted to the trustees of Lincoln College, and soon efforts were made to realize the long- projected plan. Over $7,000 was subscribed. Colonel Ritchie subscribed $3,000 and Mr. Rice $1,000. The 160 acres now the college site, were deeded to the college by John Ritchie and his wife at $2,400. Lots at loth avenue AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 537 and Jackson they deeded at $200 and Mr. Ritchie gave $400 in cash. The trustees were now ready to build, but an unexpected obstacle presented itself. None of the Topeka contractors had faith in the new undertaking. They re- fused to bid for the work. But Mr. Rice, not much liking to be stopped that way, as he says, proposed to the trustees that he be given the contract at $7,000. The proposal was accepted. United States soldiers from Maine and Massa- •chusetts then stationed in Topeka dug the trenches. The stone for the build- ing was drawn by Mr. Rice's ox-team. Stone sills wei-e obtained that had been destined for Bethany College, which had been started then but could not be completed until later. The pine timber was hauled mostly from Atchison and Leavenworth by Mr. Rice. Native lumber was sawed on the Wakarusa twelve miles south. The building thus constructed is the one now standing on loth avenue and Jackson street. Colonel Ritchie and Mr. Rice, two of those most active in giving Lincoln College its habitation, got their impulse largely, the one from Knox College, :the other from Williams. Mr. Rice lived in Northern Massachusetts in his boyhood and used very frequently to pass through Williamstown on his way to Troy. He wished much to go to Williams, but, being unable to, resolved that he would do what he could to make it possible for others to go to college. Colonel Ritchie before coming to Kansas had visited President Blanchard of Knox College and was impressed with the work for good done there. Presi- -dent Blanchard gave him $200 for the college, of which Colonel Ritchie may already have been thinking. The early history of Washburn touches Knox College in another way. Major Hannahs had also visited that institution, had observed how well co-education worked there, and, when he later became in- terested in the Kansas college, resolved to use his influence to open its doors to young women as well as young men. School opened in the new building January 3, 1866. There were three teachers. Rev. Samuel D. Bowker, George H. Collier and Rev. H. O. Butter- field. Mr. Bowker had already been working in the interests of the college and had secured several thousand dollars and several hundred "valuable vol- umes" as a nucleus for a library. Each of the teachers was encouraged to make efforts to help raise an endowment fund. A special effort was being made in Kansas in 1866 to raise $10,000 for endowment. The movement met with some success as $3,300 was pledged on it by January, 1866. The first term seems to have been a successful one. We learn that "the 'examination at the close of the winter term was quite thorough and creditable to the institution. The classes in the languages and mathematics evinced by their clear conception and ready answers the work of the teacher and pupil during the term. Between thirty and forty students were in attendance." Thirty-eight names were given in the catalogue. These were all in the pre- 538 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY paratory department. The next year opened with two college students and 65, others. In 1868 Addison P. Davis was given his diploma, the first student to be graduated. The last part of this year, 1868, Lincoln College became Washburn Col- lege. November 19th, a meeting of the trustees was held at which a letter from Rev. Mr. Butterfield was read announcing a gift of $25,000 from Deacon Ichabod Washburn of Worcester, Massachusetts, and suggesting the propriety of changing the name of the college in honor of the donor. Some felt, among them John Ritchie, that Lincoln College was a name peculiarly fitting and were reluctant to give it up, especially as Lincoln himself had ex- pressed an interest in the college, and shortly before his death had promised it a contribution ; but there were several other literary institutions in the United States bearing the name of Lincoln and it was regarded as most fitting that the college should bear the name of the one who, up to this time, had been its greatest benefactor, and who had secured its permanence. The next year Rev. Mr. Butterfield was elected President. He remained president a little over a year and was succeeded in 1871 by Rev. Peter Mac- Vicar. The first important task of Dr. MacVicar was to push through the erection of a building upon the permanent site. The building at loth avenue and Jackson street had from the first been regarded as a merely temporary abode of the College. The trustees had since the formation of the corpora- tion held the 160 acres deeded to them by John Ritchie, and although there, had been some hesitation about going out into the prairie so far, and some attempts had been made to secure a location nearer the center of the city, it was decided to put up a building, if possible, on the site now occupied. Ac- cordingly a subscription book was passed around upon which the citizens of Topeka generously pledged themselves in 1872 for $31,500. $25,000 was. subscribed in 25 days. The academy building and site were sold to the city for $15,000 and by December, 1872, the new building was enclosed. The northeastern corner of the quarter section was chosen for a campus. The trustees hoped to lease the rest to those who liked to breathe the learned atmosphere of a classical institution, and thus establish a college community. The campus was plowed up and around it was planted an osage hedge and outside of that a high board fence. The osage hedge has grown and the board fence is no longer necessary. Two hundred and fifty white elms and 200 cottonwoods were set out. It was hard to make the trees live, the wind blew so continually and the ground was so dry. It was largely to protect the trees that the fence was built and the ground kept plowed. Corn was usually- raised in the summer. At one time Dr. MacVicar was paid in part by 314 bushels of corn at i8c a bushel. It did not prove practicable to make the building ready for occupancy AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 539 until 1874. Then two rooms and a kitchen were finished off, and in the autumn the college was moved to the building we now called Rice Hall. Meantime they had to vacate the building sold to the city and hold their sessions at such places as they could find. In 1872-73 the school was held in a grocery store on the west side of loth avenue between Kansas avenue and Jackson street. In 1873-74 it was held in the building at the south- west corner of Eighth and Kansas avenues, while the library remained stored in boxes in the basement of E. H. Blake's residence, corner of Sixth avenue and Tyler street. At the time the college was moved to College Hill, the most of the teach- ing was done by Professor Dunbar and Prof. George C. Merrill. Professor Merrill remained until 1875, when he was called to Phillips, Andover. Pro- fessor Dunbar remained until 1878. Professor Merrill excelled in mathe- matics, and surveyed the ground for the original campus. Professor Dunbar was an unusually proficient student of languages. Washburn students of those days thought he had too little patience with their shortcomings. The number 'Of students from 1874 to 1878 was not large. When C. K. Holliday entered, in 1876 or 1877, there were only 13, in 1878 there were 20. The few ladies who boarded at the school had rooms in the basement. The boys had rooms in the second story. Dr. MacVicar and other members of the faculty occupied the floor between. On the first floor also were recitation rooms, the library, and at the west end, the chapel. These were discouraging years for the president and trustees. It was hard times financially, the prospect for students was unpromising. In 1874, however, $10,000 was procured in the East to add to the endowment fund. The vested funds of the college in June, 1877, were reported to be a little over $45,000. After a trip East in the spring of 1878 the president thinks the situation encouraging. In fact, from this time on for a decade substantial growth is the order of the day. New buildings are erected, students increase in number, new departments are added. In 1879 Hartford was built. Professor Stearns in the summer went East and in the city of Hartford succeeded in a very short time in raising $3,000. With the proceeds work was at once begun upon a new cottage for young ladies. It is to be remarked that this building was not placed upon the campus enclosed by the hedge and the board fence. For one thing boys are human and might be distracted if the cottage were too near the dormitories in the main building; for another, President MacVicar wished no buildings but large substantial ones of stone on the campus. Hartford was ready in the autumn of 1879, a little late for the beginning of the term. Until it was done the young ladies boarded in the city, making the trip to and from Col- lege Hill in a hack. "So impatient were we," one of them has written. 540 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY "to move into the cottage, that while the sitting-room floor was covered with shavings and the house was all unfinished we took possession." The first meal under the new roof was an event. A plentiful supply of crackers, milk and syrup was spread upon the kitchen table, guiltless of a tablecloth, and otherwise primitive in its appointments, and eight girls sitting on inverted crocks made a hearty meal. They made a bed all across one room and slept sweetly under the protecting care of "our dear matron, Mrs. Webster." It was the purpose of the board of trustees to add such buildings as Hartford as there should be a demand for them. The catalogue published in 1880- contains the following statement : "In the founding of Washburn College as a Christian institution of learning, it was the intention to provide facilities of Christian culture for young women as well as young men. In pursuance of this intention, the Trustees have set apart an eligible tract adjoining the' college campus as a site for the ladies department. Instead of attempting, however, to erect extensive buildings at great cost, the Trustees have adopted what may be called the 'Cottage Plan' — that is, the erection of buildings in- the form of dwellings, at a cost of about $3,000 each, capable of accommodat- ing twenty or twenty-five pupils, under the care of a preceptress. The first of this style of buildings has been erected and is now wholly occupied. An- other cottage is partially completed and occupied. "This plan prevents the congregating of large numbers in one building, obviates the objection to extended stairways, is safer in the event of fire, and renders the whole arrangement more attractive and homelike. The domestic economy is on the Mount Holyoke principle. Each pupil is re- quired to aid to the extent of an hour a day in household work, under the personal supervision of the matron." The cottage referred to as partially completed and occupied was Cottage- No. 2, later South Cottage. This was burned to the ground in December, 1890. In the catalogue of 1882-83 a third cottage to be called the "Kansas. Cottage" is prophesied. But this was never erected. Some money was sub- scribed for it, but not enough, and when Holbrook was built there was not the need of it. In January, 1883, Whitin Hall was ready to be used as a cottage for boys. The catalogue, announced that about 75 young men could be accommo- dated in the two buildings. College Hall and Whitin. Board could be furnished at from $2.00 to $2.50 per week. "At this low rate, very little would be gained by self-boarding. Generally also the deleterious efifect of boarding one's self is such as to render it quite objectionable. On the plan efifected the food' is prepared in a neat and wholesome manner, as in a well regulated family. By the formation of boarding clubs the expenses of board may be still further reduced." AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 541 In 1886 Holbrook was occupied. For several years before this it had been impossible to receive all the young ladies who wished to enter the college. By this addition about 100 girls could be taken. During this same year Boswell Memorial was completed. That has served us for a library now for 19 years. Previously the books had been shelved in a room on the first floor of the main building — now Rice Hall. The room was dark, dingy and unpleasant. The books were not arranged in order and there was no catalogue. No periodicals were subscribed for. Satur- day mornings it was opened for a little while so that students might take out books. When the new building was ready and the books moved there, they were classified and catalogued by Professor Whittemore. Presiously there had been a list of books made by Professor Lovewell. Professor Whittemore spent his time in the summer of 1886 moving the books from the main building to Boswell Memorial. He served as librarian for 12 years after this, and all the old books, together with those added during that time, were entered by him in the accession book. When the new library was opened, periodicals were subscribed for, and the rooms were open in the afternoons. A little later they were opened for two hours in the morning besides. July 3, 1889, the contract for the Chapel was let, and in 1890 it was occupied. Dedicatory services were held in the afternoon of baccalaureate Sunday 15 years ago. During this period, 1878-1890, the campus was also improved by the planting of hundreds of trees. Two hundred evergreens were planted in the spring of 1882. The next spring 1,000 forest trees were set out west of the cottages, to be transplanted later. A year or two after this, several hundred evergreens were planted. Some were placed south of the cottages, others put in groups of five about the campus. A number were set out in "Potato Park." Potato Park has disappeared now. It used to be situated between +]ie cottages and Whitin. A square with a road around it was fenced in and inside potatoes raised. Through this ran the board walk con- necting Hartford with the main building. Outside the campus there had also been striking changes. In 1880 the trustees had purchased a tract of 135 acres north of the college site. It was to be divided up into building lots and sold to persons in smypathy with the college. The investment proved to be a good one, as the land increased in value. Many lots were sold and houses put up. Three in the row west of College avenue were built by Washburn professors. We are told under date of September, 1888, that in less than two years over 200 dwellings in easy access of the college had been erected, that it was much easier to rent houses 542 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY near the campus than formerly. At that time on College Hill there were being erected four residences at an average cost of $5,000 each. In June, 1884, the college was brought nearer the city by the extension of the street railway to the campus. Before horse-cars ran out here, the young ladies of the cottages had had to depend upon a hack to convey them to the city. It made a trip regularly every Sunday to take them to church; some- times it took them on a shopping expedition on a Saturday, and, once in a great while was enlisted for a party. Now, with the horse-car running nine times a day, trips to town could be made more frequently. The trip to the Santa Fe Station and back was made in one hour and 40 minutes. A few years later the electric line was put in, and the two lines ran in competition for a while. Miss Lyman used to be sorry for the neglected horse-car driver and ride down with him, while the girls rode down by the more rapid electrics. The trustees had labored strenuously to get the company to extend the car tracks to the college. They had paid $5,000 to the company to accomplish that result and it was a manifest material advantage that the city should be accessible. Yet the faculty were a little anxious as to the moral effects of contact with the city. Young persons who made frequent trips were dis- cussed in faculty meetings. A group of boys setting out one afternoon was intercepted by Professor Craigin and made to return. The remarkable increase in material advantages had been attended by a corresponding enlargement of opportunities. But this was made possible only by increased resources. These came through additions to the endowment, by special contributions, and through increased attendance. The endowment fund was increased to over $100,000. One of the most generous contributors was Mrs. Williston who used to send a draft for $1,000 or more every year until her death. Upon her decease the estate went to Williston Seminary. In 1878 Professor Lovewell came to Washburn. He, C. D. Merrill, and Professor Stearns with Dr. MacVicar were the working force. In 1879 Miss White became preceptress. Professor Merrill, however, was not retained. From this time on the teaching force was added to rapidly. We opened the year 1882 with five teachers besides Dr. MacVicar, instead of three. 1886 and 1887 were years of expansion and by 1890 there were nine who gave their full time to the college, besides Miss Ingalls and Miss Case in the music department, and Mr. Harshbarger who taught three hours as assistant in math- ematics. One of those who made a deep impress upon the college in the early '8o's was Professor Bliss. He was offered the presidency of Washburn upon Dr. MacVicar's resignation, and is now president of Roberts College, Con- stantinople. With the increase in the staff the work of the teachers was systematized. Each one was enabled to confine himself to that branch in which he was most AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 543 proficient. Professor Whittemore taught the Latin; Professor Phelps, the Greek; Professor Lovewell, physics and chemistry; Miss Storrs or Miss Aldrich, the French and German ; Miss White or Miss Merriam, preceptress, EngHsh literature and a little history; Professor Curtis or Mr. Adams, the mathematics, while Professor Puffer drilled the students in declamation and oratory. The music department received more systematic attention from 1883. Miss Carrie Barnes, now Mrs. Lovewell, was given charge of that depart- ment that fall. Miss Lard succeeded Miss Barnes for several years and then •came Miss Ingalls and at the same time a division of the department into vocal and instrumental. A good deal was said then about increased facilities in the science departments. Professor Craigin, now residing in Colorado, was •especially active in procuring fossils and other specimens in natural history. For a time he issued a scientific publication. In 1887 Professor Lovewell was allowed $1,300 for scientific apparatus. Among other things there were pro- cured a Holtz machine, a saccharometer, a polariscope, a cathetometer, a •sperometer, a Sprengel's mercury air-pump, Watt's "Dictionary of Chemistry," the works of Faraday, Maxwell, Prescott, and other volumes. There had during these years been a marked increase in the number of students. In 1878 there were about 20 in the fall term; in 1879, about 50; in 1882, 130; in 1885, over 200; and so on. In 1890 a class of 12 graduated. Up to that time the graduating class usually numbered three or four. The college was growing at the top and that was encouraging. They were conscious of the growth at the time. The Telephone for February, 1889, the publication of the Congregational churches, sums up this growth thus: Within the last four years the number of students in the four college classes has doubled, and in the highest class of the preparatory department there has been a similar increase * * * All of the members of the present Junior class have been connected -with the college for more than four years. The courses of study have been undergoing a gradual development as the means of the college and as necessity has required * * * And Dr. MacVicar's text for his baccalaureate sermon the next Com- mencement was: "Thou shalfsee greater things than these." The body of students as it had grown in numbers, and still more in importance — since the growth was at the top — had developed a self-con- •sciousness and a corps d'esprit heretofore unknown. Student organizations and enterprises had come into being; literary societies had been started; a Christian Association had been begun; a magazine conducted entirely by the students was issued; football and baseball teams were organized. Some of the time they had a glee club. During the latter part of the '8o's and early '90's there developed unusual 544 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY interest and success in oratory. This is attributed partly to the instruction, and inspiration of Professor Puffer, whose constant drill for the monthly public rhetoricals must have had its effect. Perhaps it was due partly to the happy chance which sent to Washburn at about the same time those who had special talent in oratory. Whatever the cause, Washburn won first place in the State Oratorical Contest three times in four years from 1889 to 1892, — Brewster winning in 1889, Naylor in 1890 and Poston in 1892. In 1890' Naylor won first place in the Inter-State Contest, as everybody knows. After the Washburn victory at Emporia in 1889 the State University Times came out with the following editorial. I quote in part : Look at Washburn. Every month her students have some kind of contest; a prize debate, a contest in declamation or oratory, or a splendid musical entertain- ment given by the students. What is the result? Their college life is not a. monotonous drudgery * * *. It is these contests that have given Washburn her Brewster, and threaten to send his peer to Lawrence next February to again take off the prize. It is this college life and activity that made such a grand showing for her at Emporia last month. There was her orator, her glee club, her cherubs, her banners and colors, and almost every one of her enthusiastic sons and daughters was there to sound her praises. Going out of the hall that night, we heard the- remark, "This just as an advertisement has been worth a thousand dollars to Wash- burn College," — and so it was — We can learn a great deal from the lesson she has taught us at Emporia, and from her college spirit at all times. That dignified body, the Washburn faculty, had not looked with so much favor upon the manifestations of college spirit at Emporia. What the offense was I am not informed, but certain it is there was one, for it was ruled by the faculty that the next year the young ladies of the academy should not be allowed to go to Lawrence to the State Oratorical Contest. Whether the facult}' had just cause for condemnation, those same- young ladies could truly say now after the lapse of 15 sobering years. Then they thought the faculty to be unjust, and the other students did, too. There resulted a sympathetic strike. The students all refused to attend classes for several days. They were induced to come to terms, however, by the President, and the girls did not go to Lawrence. It remains for me to say a few words about the remainder of Dr. Mac- Vicar's administration from 1850 to 1895. It was a trying period for the president and trustees. The very success and expansion of the preceding- years had brought serious problems. More buildings, more students, ampli- fied opportunities for them, had brought largely increased expenses. It was not a time to increase the endowment, for the country was suffering from one of the worst financial depressions in its history. The trustees felt that "to cut down the work would be to miss an opportunity in the State," yet: feared that it might have to be done. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 545 At the trustees' meeting of June, 1892, after reports from different members of the faculty, a report from which the following was taken was made by a committee appointed to consider the needs of the college. After a suitable introduction they go on to say: "The department of Elocution needs relief; that of Modem Languages, enlargement ; the departments of Greek and Latin need illustrative materials ; . that of Mathematics and of Astronomy need instruments ; while History and English Literature need an enlarged library. "But there are other needs which press equally upon the slender re- sources of the college and cause one need to be felt above all others, the need of money to supply all needs. "With a view of making more obvious, both the sympathy of the Trustees with the enlightened views of the devoted instructors in the college and their own estimate of the needs of the college, the Trustees hereby declare that the college needs immediately: "First, the endowment of a chair of Mental and Moral Science to be ■ filled by the President. "Second, the endowment of a chair of History and Social Science, in- cluding Political Economy. "Third, a chair of Belles Lettres and Logic. "Fourth, a chair of Mathematics and Astronomy, later to be separated. "Fifth, a professorship of Greek and Latin, later to be separated. "Sixth, a professorship of Natural Science and Chemistry, later to be subdivided into several professorships. "Seventh, a professorship of Modern Languages. "Eighth, a professorship of Elocution. "These are immediate needs, and each one obviously involves expenditures other than those required for the salary of the head of the department. The Library must be greatly enriched to make it serve the uses of any one of these departments. Apparatus and illustrative material can be most useful only where each department has exclusive lecture or class rooms. * * * * jf an effort were made to raise twenty thousand dollars from the Alumni and their friends toward the endowment of the Peter MacVicar Chair of Mental and Moral Science, its success would be assured by the aid of the former- teachers of these graduates. If at the same time twenty or thirty thousand more were raised through other efforts, some of the income of our present funds might be used for the present urgent needs of all departments. "Something must be done. We must advance or die. Trusting in Him who has so wonderfully guided and blessed Washburn in all its history, we ■ face the future, and for the better college that is needed we will at once plan to raise first : — fifty thousand dollars, then a second fifty thousand, then a third"' ,546 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY fifty thousand, not resting until one hundred and fifty thousand is added to our present endowment fund, and permanent professors with special depart- ments take the place of teachers having various topics of instruction, and little time for the preparation of any topic. * * *" It seemed impossible to raise the $150,000 or even one third of that amount. For a time the only possible alternative seemed to be a policy of re- trenchment. That policy, however, proved to be the impossible one. The college had been growing so large and progressing so fast that it was im- possible to check it. The momentum was too great. When in 1895 it was decided that some courses must be cut out, that conditions would not warrant so large expenditures, the college resisted. To go ahead seemed to invite financial ruin, but suddenly to check our strong and lusty college was a worse ruin. Dr. MacVicar who had given the best years of his noble life to Washburn was not able to carry the increased burden. The Washburn of 1895 was a more weighty burden to carry than the Lincoln College of 30 years before. That it was so was due in large part to Dr! MacVicar. To build the college had been his life work. He is the dominating person of this period I am writing of. He had planned for the college. He was in fact as well as in name the head of it. He more than any other one man had made a foundation worth while for others to build upon still further. His competent business managerrient, his splendid courage and faith, his uplifting words and thoughts many who are present remember and those of another generation can be told. It is more difficult to tell of the quiet power which was of the very essence of his nature. In 1895 Dr. MacVicar was compelled to give up his active work. How the burden has been courageously borne and how the promises of earlier years have not been disappointed, it is the task of my colleague to set forth. —A. M. Hyde. Period of Expansion — 1896-1905. The period in the history of Wash- burn College called the period of expansion is too recent to vifew with any historical perspective, especially by one whose connection with the college is practically contemporaneous with it. Any history of this period would, "however, be incomplete and misleading, that failed to give the fullest recogni- tion to the splendid work that has preceded it. One cannot read the simple record of the board of trustees month by month and year by year through the formative period of its history without being impressed with the wisdom and devotion of the men who founded the college, and with no resources but its endowment of splendid opportunities carried it on through the unstable and trying years of our State's history and gave to these comparative pros- perous times an institution already rich in tradition and character and ideals. AND REPRESENTATIVE CTiTZEMb. 547- Whether the nine years that have passed since Peter Mac Vicar laid down the load that had bent his broad shoulders and exhausted his powerful mind, . the period of which I am to speak to-day, be a realization or a promise I do not know. I believe it to be both. A realization in that it is a partial fulfillment of the hopes and ambitions of the early heroes of the college, the legitimate fruitage of their many years of careful planting and patient nurtur- ing. A promise that the period of slow and painful development is past and from this time forth the workers may sooner see the fruit of their labors. What has been accomplished in this period is best shown by a simple state- ment of facts. In 1896 the work of the college was organized in three de- partments — the college, the college preparatory and a department of music, enrolling altogether 214 students and employing 14 instructors. In the col- lege proper 96 students were enrolled, having the choice of 75 courses of study of one-half year each. In 1897 the attendance in this department had increased to 119; in 1900 to 151; in 1903 to 172; and in 1905 to 247. In the year 1895-96 10 instructors were employed in college work. In the fall of 1896 a chair of history was added. In 1899- 1900 instruction was pro- vided in elementary law, courses in sociology were first added and an addi- tional instructor was secured to take charge of the work in German. In 1902 the department of physics and astronomy was organized , under a separate instructor, and new electives were opened to students in law and the fine arts. During the present year 19 instructors have been giving courses in the college department, offering to their students 134 half-year courses. To sum up, there has been an increase of nearly 100 per cent, in the teaching force and in the amount of work offered in the college department, and a gain of 150 per cent, in the attendance. During the same period the teach- ing force of the academy has been doubled and the attendance increased 50 ■ per cent. These figures show that the period under consideration has been a period of rapid development in the departments with which the college started. Since 1896 there has been added to the work of the college a department, of art, a school of law and a school of medicine. During the year 1902-03 the departments of music and art were combined, a school of fine arts was organized, including work in painting and illustration and in oratory. This school has employed the time, wholly or in part, of nine instructors and has enrolled during the year just closing 218 students. It offers four year courses leading to the Bachelor's degree in piano, organ, voice, violin, painting and oratory. Its development has been materially assisted by the enterprise of the city of Topeka in planning the massive pipe organ in its auditorium. The school of medicine was formed by merging the Kansas Medical College of Topeka. This institution was organized in 1889. It grew out of" .548 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY the conviction of many of the physicians of the city that there was an oppor- tunity here to estabhsh a medical school that would bring to Topeka many young men anxious to enter the profession of medicine and put them in touch with the splendid opportunities that the city afifords. Small in its beginnings, the school steadily grew in numbers and efficiency and at the time of its merg- ing into Washburn College, during the spring of 1903, it had a faculty of 34 members, 100 students and a substantial building at the corner of 12th and Tyler streets. The courses of lectures, originally three in number, had been increased to four and following the merger the length of each course was increased from six to seven months. The greater part of the medical work is still carried on at the medical building, but a portion of the laboratory work is given on the college campus. In the spring of 1903 the board of trustees announced the organization ■of a school of law. It was believed that the city of Topeka, containing as it does courts of so many different kinds, ranging from the Police to the United States District Court, offered superior opportunities for instruction in law. A thorough curriculum covering three years of nine months each was adopted and in the fall of 1903 work was begun in suitable rooms in the ' city near the State and City libraries. The school has shown great vigor and promise of success. It already has a good working library, the gift of T. W. Harrison of this city. The enrollment of students for each of the two years of its history has been about 40. In 1896 the college had six buildings — Rice Hall, Boswell Memorial, the Chapel, Whitin, Holbrook and Hartford. These buildings were erected at a •cost of $145,000. The endowment at this time was $70,000 and the equip- ment was valued at $24,000. Estimating the campus and other -lands at $100,000, the total value of the material equipment was $339,000. In June, 1902, in addition to the above the college had an observatory building cost- ing $30,000, containing $19,250 worth of equipment, and a central heating plant and mains valued at $7,500. In June, 1903, the Jewell Fund had been completed, adding $20,000 to the endowment. The medical building with its equipment had been secured, valued together at $15,250. The law library valued at $5,000 and land worth $2,000 had come into the possession of the college. Since 1903 the college has come into possession of the Cooper col- lection of minerals worth $15,000 and other equipment estimated at $5,000. The president's residence has been erected at a cost of $7,500 and the Carnegie library at a cost of $40,000. To summarize, during the years 1896 to 1905 the attendance of all departments of the college has increased from 214 to 663. The equipment, including land, buildings, books and apparatus has advanced in value from AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. . 549 •$339'000 to $506,000. The number of courses of instruction offered in the departments that existed at the beginning of this period has almost doubled and there have been added the schools of law and medicine and a large amount of work in the school of fine arts. I have said that this gratifying growth of the college is a promise that the day of slow development is past. The resources of our State are rapidly increasing, our young people are intelligent and earnestly desirous of the opportunities for an education. Is it not a reasonable hope that Wash- burn, situated at the very heart of the State, may keep pace with the common- wealth in its rapid development? Indeed, may we not expect it to maintain a place of leadership in the great work of educating the mind and the heart •of those who are so soon to be the history makers of our great State? D. L. McEachron. REV. PETER MacVICAR. Rev. Peter MacVicar, deceased, who became president of Washburn College, Topeka, in 1871, and held that office for many years, was one of the leaders in educational work in Kansas. He was born June 15, 1829, at St. George, New Brunswick, Canada, and was a son of George and Christiana -MacVicar. Rev. Mr. MacVicar came of Scotch ancestry and possessed many of the leading traits of character which placed his ancestors, in years gone by, in the front rank of professional eminence. His father was a farmer and he .grew up in healthful country surroundings but his tastes did not lead in the direction of agriculture. In his boyhood the family removed to the Territory •of Wisconsin, settling near Waukesha, where the youth was able to attend ■school and in 1852 became a student at, Beloit College. When he graduated four years later, as valedictorian of his class, his friends predicted for him a bright and successful future. They never had occasion to change their opinions, for his whole subsequent life demonstrated on what a firm founda- tion his early success was founded. After one year as a member of the faculty of Beloit College, he entered Union Theological Seminary and completed his theological course at An- dover, in i860. In the fall of i860. Rev. Mr. MacVicar came to Topeka and accepted a call to the pastorate of the First Congregational Church. In the changes brought about by the Civil War, his energies were diffused in many direc- tions, and he was a member of the State militia during the period when troops ■were called out to repel the advances of the Confederate forces. 550 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY In 1866 our subject accepted the superintendency of the Department of. PubHc Instruction for the State of Kansas, although, at that time, no suit- able provision had been made for the carrying on of the work. It was at this time that his influence was shown, by which the school land in the Osage Indian Reservation was secured as a part of the school fund. He was one of the leaders in securing this great public service to the State, and during his whole incumbency, lasting until 1870, his efforts were never relaxed. One of the great results of the united efforts of a body of educators, wha were also practical business men, was the establishing at Topeka at the close of the Civil War of an educational institution which, in its scope, was far beyond any other school in the State. Thus Washburn College came into existence in 1865. Rev. Mr. MacVicar had much to do with the drawing up of its charter, and remained closely identified with its interests until his death, which occurred January 5, 1903. To-day the institution stands as an an enduring monument to his disinterested public spirit, to his great executive ability as well as to his persistence, courage and culture. From nothing tangible has arisen a magnificent group of buildings' which have been erected at, a cost of $150,000, surrounded by a campus of 160 acres. Every opportunity for educational development is given here where great libraries offer their store of the wisdom of the past and present, and equipped laboratories invite scientific research. Its faculty has been called from other great institutions, and its finances are in such shape that its future progress is well assured. In September, 1863, President MacVicar was married to Martha Porter Dana, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, who is a lineal descendant of Gen. Israel Putnam. Our subject was survived by his widow and two children: Dana C, an attorney, of Topeka; and Mary (Mrs. W. H. Morris), of Topeka. JAMES F. BLAKEMORE. Although leading a quiet life and rarely assuming a conspicuous place in the civic life of Topeka, the late James F. Blakemore was a useful and rep- resentative citizen. He was born March 17, 1830, at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, and was a son of Thomas Blakemore. The parents of Mr. Blakemore were natives of England. The father was a manufacturer of pearl buttons, which industry he carried on first in Philadelphia, and later in Cincinnati, Ohio, whither the family removed when James F., the youngest of the family of 10 children, was a child. Our subject was thus reared and educated at Cincinnati, graduating at HON. GEORGE W. MARTIN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 553 St. Avery's Academy. He remained in that city until 1872 and then came West and located at Topeka, engaging with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, with which he continued to be connected until the close of his life. From one position to another he was promoted until at one time he was foreman of the machine shops at Dodge City. He died September 19, 1904. He was a good citizen, a reliable workman and a devoted husband and father. For 47 years he was a Mason. On March 18, 1873, Mr. Blakemore was married to Mrs. Nancy (Coon) LaRue, widow of J. LaRue, whose death occurred in 1864. Mrs. Blakemore still survives, with one son, Thomas H., who is a resident of St. Louis. She lives in a very pleasant and comfortable home at No. 813 Jeffer- son street, Topeka. Mr. Blakemore is very kindly remembered by his associates and by the company which he served with such unswerving fidelity and mechanical skill for so many years. He is remembered also as one of the pioneer railroad men of the city, as he came here in the infancy of railroad transportation in Kansas. HON. GEORGE W. MARTIN. Hon. George W. Martin^ of Topeka, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, is secretary of the State Historical Society and was formerly reg- ister of the United States Land Office in Kansas and also State printer ; he was born in the mountains of Pennsylvania, at the town of Hollidaysburg, June 30, 1841, and is a son of David and Mary (Howell) Martin. Mr. Martin comes of Irish ancestry on the paternal side and of Welsh on the maternal. For more than 20 years the father, David Martin, was in the employ of the State of Pennsylvania. In 1857 he removed with his family to Lecompton, Kansas, and there both he and his wife died in July, 1892, within 21 hours of each other. They were honored citizens. George W. Martin attended the public schools at Hollidaysburg and then learned the printing trade, in the office of the Register, the leading journal of his native town. After reaching Lecompton, he became an em- ployee of the Union, which later was succeeded by the Kansas National Dem- ocrat. In order to complete his knowledge of everything pertaining to news- paper work, Mr. Martin spent one year in the book offices of William S. and Alfred Martien, book-binders, in Philadelphia. Upon his return to Kansas, Mr. Martin was employed for a short period on the Lawrence Republican, and then went to Junction City, where in 1861 27 554 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY he became editor of the Junction City Union^ his control of this paper con- tinuing until 1888, when he purchased an interest in the Daily Gazette, at Kansas City, Kansas, of which he was editor until 1899. During the four years in which the Union was the pioneer of Western Kansas journals, Mr. Martin directed every effort to build up every industry in the State and through his journalistic work he had much to do with bringing about immi- gration from many portions of the East and of interesting capital in the agri- cultural resources of the western part of the State. Politically, Mr. Martin has always been a Republican, one of the kind whose undying loyalty and stern fidelity can never be questioned. He has suffered for his faith, but has never given up his fealty. At the same time he has his personal convictions just as strong and there have been occasions when some of the measures of the party in the State have not met with his approval. In 1882 he was elected to the State Legislature from Geary County, and in the spring of 1883 he was elected mayor of Junction City. His public life has been on a par with his private career, a persistent following of the clear line of duty. He has had great influence in shaping political affairs in his portion of the State. Mr. Martin's ability as a clear and convincing writer has made the newspapers, over which he has had charge, powers in the State and those measures and principles which he has advocated have always, sooner or later, become burning questions of the day. Probably one of the most talked- of articles, at the time, was a disquisition of Mr. Martin's, entitled "The Owl Club Letter,"' on the subject of social drinking. On January i, 1865, Mr. Martin was appointed postmaster at Junction City, and in the following April he was made register of the United States Land Office. He was removed from this office by President Johnson and his reinstatement was the first appointment made in the State by President Grant. This office he held until 1871, when the district was divided and he established the offices at Concordia and Salina. In January, 1873, he was elected State printer and held the office for eight years. It is generally accepted as a fact that he was a model State printer and that the excellence of the work had never before been reached nor has it ever since been ex- celled. He received a diploma and medal at the Centennial Exposition for blank book and other work. On December 20, 1862, Mr. Martin was married to Lydia Coulson, who was born at 3.1inerva, Columbia County, Ohio, and died June 7, 1900. She was a daughter of Allen and Catherine Coulson, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania, and the latter in Virginia. They came to Kansas in 1857. Mr. and Mrs. Martin had five children, two of whom died in in- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 555 fancy. On October 10, 1901, Mr. Martin married Mrs. Josephine Blakely, the widow of a friend and business partner of early days. Mr. Martin is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He organized the first church of this faith at Junction City and was one of its ruHng elders until he removed to Kansas City. He has long been prominently identified with the Odd Fellows and has served as grand master for Kansas and has been a delegate to two sovereign grand lodges. Since 1899 Mr. Martin has filled an office for which he is well equipped, that of secretary of the State Historical Society. JAMES L. KING. James L. King, present State librarian of Kansas, and author of this volume of the "History of Shawnee County," was born at La Harpe, Han- cock County, Illinois, August 2, 1850, his boyhood days being passed in his native town and county, with the exception of two years during the Civil War, which were spent in the South with his father. Col. Selah W. King, an officer of the 50th Regiment, Illinois Vol. Inf. He was only 10 years old when the war begun, but followed the soldiers of Company G of the 5otli Regiment, which his father organized, from Camp Wood (Quincy, Illinois,) to Chillicothe, Missouri, thence to St. Joseph, and later to Cairo, Illinois, and Paducah and Smithland, Kentucky, immediately preceding the campaigns of General Grant and Commodore Foote against Fort Henry and Fort Donel- •son. Afterwards he spent a year with the troops at Corinth, Mississippi, after the battles at Shiloh and Corinth. Although too young to enlist, he lived with the soldiers in camp, drilled and marched with them, and undoubt- ■edly saw as much of the war as any man of his years in the whole country. At the close of the war, he resumed his studies in the La Harpe Academy, where most of his school education was obtained. He also performed clerical work in the law office of his father, who was a practitioner at the bar of Hancock County for nearly half a century, and was a man of considerable prominence, being the friend of Abraham Lincoln, Owen Love joy, Richard Yates, Richard J. Oglesby, John A. Logan and other political leaders of that period. The family moved from Ohio to Illinois in 1842, and was of Eng- lish and Scotch ancestry, Mrs. King's maiden name being Eliza Aleshire. In 1867 James L. King, became an apprentice in the office of the Car- thage (Illinois) Gazette, where he acquired the printer's trade, for which he had long betrayed a fondness. At the age of 19 years he was the owner 1 556 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and editor of the Home Neivs, a weekly paper published in La Harpe, with which he combined the book and stationery business. In 1870 he commenced the publication of the Headlight, the first paper to be established in the new town of Creston, Iowa. He also worked in an editorial capacity on the Dubuque Times and the Davenport Gazette. His citizenship in Kansas dates, from the year 1871, when he located in Topeka. His first employment was. in the business department of the Kansas Magadne. He was deputy county treasurer in 1872, and in 1873 became city editor of the Commonwealths His first newspaper work in Topeka was on the Tanner and Cobbler, a cam- paign paper which he started in 1872 in conjunction with Milton R. Moore. He was one of the editors of the Topeka Daily Times in 1875. In 1876 he was the editor and publisher of the Capital, a weekly literary and social journal, which was launched three years before the present Topeka news- paper of that name. In 1887 he edited the Lantern, a semi-literary weekly^ and in 1889 the National Passenger, a Rock Island railroad enterprise. At different times he has worked on all of the principal newspapers of Topeka, and was for many years the Kansas correspondent of the St. Louis Globe- Democrat and Kansas City Journal. His brother, Henry King, is the present editor of the Globe-Democrat. James L. King began service as a clerk in the Topeka Post Office in 1876. Here he remained for 17 years, filling through promotion every posi- tion in the office. He was assistant postmaster under the administrations of Postmasters Thomas J. Anderson and John Mileham, in 1880 and 1885, and in 1889 received the appointment of postmaster from President Benjamin Harrison. During his official service he found time to continue his news- paper work to some extent, and he has been a frequent contributor to ency- clopedias, magazines and local periodicals. In 1901 he made a tour of the neighboring republic of Mexico and wrote a descriptive pamphlet on the sub- ject, under the title of "Mexico in Glimpses." He is also the author of "Manitou and the Mountains," "Cloudcroft" and a number of unpretentious, monographs and short stories on local topics. He was appointed to be State librarian in December, 1894, serving until 1898. From 1898 to 1902 he had charge of the traveling library system of Kansas. He is chairman of the Kansas Traveling Libraries Commission,, and was one of the first and most enthusiastic promoters of that m ovement. He was the first president of the Kansas State Library Association, and is a member of the National Library Association. In 1902 he was reappointed to the office of State librarian, of which he is the present incumbent. Mr. King was married October 10, 1877, to Elizabeth Coolbaugh, daugh- ter of Edwin B. and Celestia J. Coolbaugh, of Towanda, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mr=. King have resided continuously in Topeka since that date. Their AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 557 only child, Emilie Packer King, was married November 23, 1904, to Wil- liam Williams Wikidal, of Topeka. A portrait of Mr. King is shown early in this work. C. COL. THOMAS N. STINSON. CoL. Thomas N. Stinson, deceased, one of the pioneers of Shawnee County, was at one time owner of 800 acres of valuable land in this county, ■of which the farm now owned by Mrs. Stinson in section i, township , range 5 in Tecumseh township, formed a part. He was born at Dayton, Ohio, April 14, 18 18, his father being a school teacher by occupation. Of the childr^ born to the parents of our subject, Jane married Major Davis, who was Indian agent to the Pottawatomie tribe; and James became prominent as a surveyor in Illinois, laying off the Illinois and Michigan ■Canal in that State. At the age of 21 years, his parents having died, Thomas N. Stinson left liis brother in Ohio and came West to Westport, as Kansas City, Missouri, was originally known. He worked in the clerk's office at Independence, Mis- souri, for a time, then for the clerk of the court. He worked for the firm of Simpson & Hunter, large merchants of Westport for a time without pay in order to learn the business, and later was employed by them to go into Kan- •sas to trade with the Delaware and Kaw Indians. He later established a store among the Pottawatomies and conducted it until about one year after his mar- riage. Then upon the throwing open for settlement of a large tract of land in Kansas, through the treaty between the Shawnees and the United States, he came to what is now Shawnee County and acquired 800 acres of land. He erected a small log house in which he lived with his family until 1856, when he erected the stone house which has since served as the residence of his family. He conducted a store at Tecumseh for a short time, but in the mean- time oversaw the work on his farm, on which he continued to live until his death in 1882. When the first election in Kansas Territory was held, the TOtes of his district were cast at his house. Governor Reeder was then in office, and as slavery was the paramount issue before the people who were ■seeking admission to the Union as a new State, his life was a very strenuous one. Upon one occasion, the Governor and Colonel Stinson were engaged m a game of chess, when an attempt was made to mob the former, who coolly requested our subject not to disturb the game and they would complete the game later. This game was completed four years later and required two ■days to determine supremacy, Colonel Stinson finally winning with a case of champagne as a reward. He was the first school treasurer in this district. 558 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and served as a colonel in the Kansas militia. He was a Presbyterian in relig- ious belief, as were his parents. In 1850 Colonel Stinson was united in marriage with Julia A. Beauch- mie, who was born in Kansas City, Kansas, March 26, 1834, and is a daughter of Mackinac Beauchmie, who was named after the Straits of Mackinac. He was of French descent, and was a trapper with the Choteaus for the American. Fur Company. He was married in Missouri to an Indian squaw, Betsy Rogers, mother of Mrs. Stinson, who was a daughter of Louis Rogers. Her father was a white of pure blood, who in childhood had been captured by the Shawnees in reparation for the loss in battle of the only son of Chief Black Fist. Louis Rogers was given a home and was loved by the tribe and its chief, the latter making him his heir. He married a cousin of old Tecumseh, after whom the town and township of Tecumseh are named. Because of her descent from a chief, Mrs. Stinson received a large allotment of land from the government and remained in Kansas, preferring to remain ^^•here her children would have the proper educational advantages than to go to the Indian Territory. She and her husband had the following children : Thomas, who went to the Philippines in the American Army; Julia, who married C. B. Hamilton and died in the city of Mexico; Mary, wife of Charles Smith, who has extensive coal interests in Pittsburg and lives in Kansas City ; Hattie, deceased wife of Walter Logan, of Arizona; and Thornton, a farmer of Tecumseh township. Mrs. Stinson is a woman of refinement and character, and is a pleasant and interesting conversationalist. CHARLES L. WOOD. Charles L. Wood, senior member of the firm of Wood & Williamson,, proprietors of the National Hotel, at Topeka, was born in Montgomery County, Illinois, not far from the capital city of Springfield, January 4, 1862,. and is a son of John C. and Malinda A. (Judd) Wood. In tracing the Wood family back a number of generations, the fore- bears are found to have been of Scotch and English extraction and some mem- bers of this family were with the Plymouth colony in New England. The- immediate ancestors of our subject came, however, from sturdy Pennsylvania stock. The father was a farmer and also a Methodist preacher. He died in 1883 at Greenfield, Illinois, but his widow still survives. Of their nine children, five are still living, all residents of Kansas. Charles L. Wood remained on a farm until 21 years of age, his educatioiT AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 559 including the instruction afforded by the public schools and by a business college. In 1884 he went to North Dakota, where he became assistant man- ager of a wheat farm for his cousin, J. C. Gill, in the meantime making many friends and being appointed deputy assessor of Cass County. During two winters he also taught school. His first experience in the hotel business was at Castleton, North Dakota, where he was in partnership with Douglas Smith. They conducted what was known as the "City Restaurant," under the firm name of Smith & Wood, and they continued the business from the fall of 1886 to the spring of 1888. At this period Mr. Wood came to Kansas and in association with his brother, J. C. Wood, conducted the Windsor Hotel at Hays under the name of Wood Brothers, but shortly after he became cashier for the Union Pacific Railroad eating house at Ellis, Kansas, under Frank Washburn, a position he filled one year and then came to Topeka. He served first as chief clerk of the National Hotel, and then went to Colorado as manager of the Union Pacific Railroad eating house at Cheyenne Wells, and subsec]uently spent one season as chief clerk of the Hotel Florence, at San Diego, California. Mr. Wood then came back to the National Hotel at Topeka and served as chief clerk until 1897. He then became interested in real estate and the hotel brokerage business, doing well in the latter line. In 1898 he took the management of the Chesterfield Hotel, but in the fall sold out his interest and became chief clerk of the Copeland Hotel. In the spring of 1 899 he took the management of the National Hotel. On the first of the following No- vember, Mr. Wood purchased the hotel and fixtures and is the senior member of the firm which operates it. On November i, 1903, Mr. Wood formed a partnership with C. R. Williamson, who was an old commercial traveler. This popular hotel, a view of which is shown on another page of this work, is in the heart of the business district, located at Nos. 633-635 Kansas avenue, contains 100 rooms and can accommodate 200 guests. It is a five-story and basement building and every equipment is first-class and modern. One particular feature is the excellence of the cuisine and this alone has brought the house the favor of the traveling public. It is conducted on the American plan and caters to an exclusive transient business. Charges are moderate, ranging from $2 to $3 per day according to location of room and with or without bath. Electric lights and elevator service are two very important features of this hotel. A force of 35 employes is kept. A modern local and long distance telephone is provided in each room. Mr. Wood is secretary and treasurer of the Kansas & Missouri Hotel Men's Association, an organization which was first formed with 12 members, 56o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY in 1895, at the National Hotel, Topeka, as the Kansas Hotel Keepers' Asso- ciation, and was reorganized at Kansas City, January 2, 1901, when its name was changed to the former title. Its object is to prevent the perpetra- tion of fraud, to minimize the number of bad accounts and to work for the interests of hotel men in general. The membership now reaches 200 in the two States and an annual meeting is held, an executive board being in session all the time. All the leading hotels in the two States are represented,^ witli the exception of two in St. Louis. The president of the association is H. C. Whitley, proprietor of the Whitley House, at Emporia, Kansas; and Mr. Wood is secretary and treasurer. On the occasion of the last annual meeting, March 16, 1905, it was decided to admit members to the association from the Southwestern States. The Commercial Hotel Register is published monthly at Topeka by the association and is devoted to hotel interests. Mr. Wood has been interested in many circles in Topeka and is as widely known as any other citizen. He is a member of the Commercial Club and has been vice-president and is chairman of the advertising committee at the pres- ent time. For some time he has been associated with the Modoc Glee Club; he possesses a fine tenor voice. He is the general manager of the club and attends to the finances when it makes annual entertainment excursions. He belongs also to the Elks. Mr. Wood was married at Greensburg, Indiana, October 17, 1899, to Ina Graham, who was born in Kentucky. Mr. Wood belongs to the Methodist Church, while Mrs. Wood affiliates with the Episcopal. Although a thoroughly self-made man, Mr. Wood claims no great degree of credit for himself, arguing that honorable business principles, close application, methodical habits and courteous manners make success possible for any one. He is a very popular citizen of Topeka. He made many friends in St. Louis during the Louisiana Exposition, as the manager of the Epworth Hotel, a huge caravansary with 530 rooms where guests from all over the world were made comfortable. CHARLES R. WILLIAMSON. Charles R. Williamson, of the firm of Wood & Williamson, proprie- tors of the National Hotel, was a traveling man on the road for 40 years. He first took up the hotel business when he allied himself with Mr. Wood in conducting the National Hotel. Both are genial and very popular gentlemen. THOMAS K. TOMSON AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 563 THOMAS K. TOMSON. Thomas K. Tomson^ whose portrait is herewith shown, is extensively ■engaged in raising cattle and in general farming operations in Dover town- ship, Shawnee County. He has been a resident of this county for many years and is prominently known among its citizens. He was born at Youngs- town, Ohio, in 1826, and is a son of Cornelius and Anna (Kyle) Tomson, and grandson of Leffard Tomson, who was a native of Pennsylvania. Our -subject's mother was a daughter of Joshua and Mary (Stewart) Kyle, her father a native of Ireland and her mother, born on a ship in mid-ocean. Thomas K. Tomson received his educational training in the public ■schools of Youngstown, Ohio, and in the spring of 1856 made a trip through the Western country. Upon his return to Ohio he was married, in 1857, and shortly after went with his wife to Lee County, Iowa, where he lived -on a farm near Fort Madison for two years. He then purchased land near Carthage, in Jasper County, Missouri, but never settled upon it. In 1861 he came to Topeka, Kansas, and the following year took up a quarter-section of land in Wabaunsee County, on which he lived four years. He then sold -out and bought and improved a farm four and a half miles east of this farm, living upon it four years. He purchased a farm in Mission township, four and a half rriiles west of Topeka, and after one year moved to the city, where Tie purchased a livery and other properties, a portion of which he still owns. In the meantime he engaged extensively in dealing in cattle in partnership with his two sons, John R. and James G., leaving his livery in charge of his partner, who first was a Mr. Dilley and later J. B. Love, who now conducts "the establishment. In 1881 Mr. Tomson purchased his present farm of 212 acres, situated in section 35, township 12, range 13, and section 2, township 13' range 13, in Dover township, and all told has some 575 acres. He is a progressive business man of unusual ability, and has attained a high degree -of success. Mr. Tomson was married in 1857 to Elizabeth C. Davis, a native of Ohio, who died in 1878, leaving five children: Anna Bell, now deceased; "Ella, who married N. J. Riley, a farmer and stock-raiser living near Cotton- wood Falls, Kansas, and has three children,— Fred, Bell and William ; John R., who married Carrie Loomis, a daughter of Harry J. Loomis, who lo- cated in Wabaunsee County in 1856 and still lives there, — they have one •child, Marjorie Bell ; Frank D., who has a position, at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, paying a salary of $4,000 a year,— he married Tina Coburn, a daughter of Tester D. Coburn, of Topeka, secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, -and has two children, Gertrude and Helen; and James G., engaged in the 564 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY stock-raising business with his father and brother, who married Jean Edna. Beach and Hves with his father. Mr. Tomson and his sons make a specialty of Shorthorns, and usually have on hand about 130 head. Thomas K. Tomson formed a second marital union with Mrs. McArthur, a daughter of Joseph Miller, one of the pioneers of Topeka. She was seven years old when she accompanied her parents to this city and here she resided until her death in 1899. This union resulted in the birth of a son, Joseph M.,, who is attending Topeka Business College. Fraternally, Mr. Tomson and his son, James G., are Odd Fellows, and his sons, John R., and Frank D., are Masons. Politically, all are stanch Republicans. In religious attach- ments they belong to the Congregational Church. REV. DeLOU burke. Rev. DeLou Burke, canon of Grace Cathedral, at Topeka, is one of the most scholarly clergymen of this city, and is also one whose influence is felt in many directions. His voice is always heard in support of higher and better things, for what is noble, holy and helpful, and probably no man of his- calling is more universally esteemed. He was born at Crawfordsville, In- diana, March 24, 1858. Canon Burke was educated at the Central Normal College, at Danville,. Indiana, where he was graduated in 1877. He was one of the first students at this college, which was then in its infancy but has since had lusty growth. From his graduation until 1888, he engaged in teaching, and then entered the- Nashotah Theological Seminary, at Nashotah, Wisconsin, where he was- graduated in 1892. On Trinity Sunday of that year, he was ordained priest by Bishop Nicholson, in All Saints' Cathedral, Milwaukee. He then passed two years as rector of St. Mark's Church, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and then accepted a call to St. James Church, South Bend, In- diana. There his ministerial labors continued through a period of six years, during which he secured the erection of a beautiful new church edifice. In the fall of 1898 he accepted a call to St. James' Church at Vincennes, In- diana, and held his first service on Advent Sunday. In September, 1901, he was elected to the chair of philosophy and pedagogy, in the Vincennes Uni- versity. This educational position he filled until the call came to him from- Grace Cathedral, at Topeka. Rev. Mr. Burke was warmly welcomed to Topeka and a few months later was made canon of the cathedral. As such, with multitudinous other duties, he has charge of two flourishing missions, the Church of the Good AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 565. Shepherd, in North Topeka, and the Church of St. Simon, a colored mission. He is secretary of the faculty of the Kansas Theological School, in which he is professor of Christian ethics and Christian evidences ; is assistant chap- lain of Christ's Hospital; and acting chaplain and teacher of Church history at the College of the Sisters of Bethany. In addition to these numerous duties, Canon Burke finds time to do some teaching at home, those fortunate enough to come under his personal and private instruction having access tO' his fine library, which is one of the best in the city. As a writer on moral questions, he is also well known. . Canon Burke has no domestic ties, but he enjoys the companionship of congenial spirits to be found in fraternal associations. He has taken all the degrees of Odd Fellowship, including the Canton; is a Knight Templar Mason, and has taken all the degrees in the Knights of Pythias except the- Uniform Rank. W. M. FORBES. W. M. Forbes, who has been engaged in an insurance, real estate and loan- business at Topeka since February, 1886, is one of the leading insurance men- of Shawnee County, and is also one of Topeka's well-known and representative- citizens. Mr. Forbes was born in Decatur County, Indiana, February 28, 1847, and is a son of John G. and Elizabeth (Mathews) Forbes. The Forbes family came originally from Scotland. The parents of our subject removed to Black Hawk County, Iowa, when he was small. The father - was a farmer and there the family was reared and the parents passed away. W. M. Forbes was educated in the district schools, the Upper Iowa Univer- sity at Fayette and the State University at Iowa City, where he was graduated" with the degree of A. B., in 1873, and in law, in 1874. He then engaged in teach- ing school for a time, and for two years was principal of the Burlington city schools. He then settled at Beatrice, Nebraska, where he practiced law for seven years and also was engaged in a banking business at Table Rock. In the early sprmg of 1886 he came to Topeka and has been engaged in his present line ever" since, and is now located at No. 107 West Seventh street. He gives his main attention to fire and tornado insurance risks and represents these leading com- panies: Royal, of Liverpool, England; Insurance Company of North America, Philadelphia ; St. Paul Fire & Marine, Minneapolis ; Pennsylvania Fire, Phila- delphia ; National Fire, Hartford, Connecticut; Phoenix, Hartford; and Spring- field Fire & Marine, of Massachusetts. Mr. Forbes was married in Iowa to Lucretia Parsons, a native of Illinois, and they have four sons, viz : Robert L., a farmer; Frank, associated with his- .566 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY father; Carroll, mining engineer with the Victoria Mining Company, a grad- uate of the Michigan State School of Mines ; and Roy, who is a student in the junior year at the Topeka High School. Mr. Forbes' pleasant home is situated at No. 328 Woodlawn avenue, Pot- win Place, and he served two years as mayor of this suburb and for 10 years was a member of the School Board. Fraternally, he is a Master Mason, and for the past ID years has been national treasurer of the Knights and Ladies of Security. He belongs to the official board of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a man who stands very high in the estimation of his fellow-citizens, both in his personal relations and as an honorable business factor. ROYAL C. BRADSHAW. Royal C. Bradshaw, trustee of Mission township, Shawnee County, is a veteran of the Civil War and makes his home in section 33, township 11, range 15, in the above named township. He is the owner of considerable real estate in Topeka, and is possessed of exceptional business ability. He was born in Chautauqua County, New York, August 4, 1842, and is a son of Solo- mon and Mary (Scott) Bradshaw. Solomon Bradshaw was born in Connecticut in 1801, and died at the age of 84 years. He married Mary Scott, who was born in New York State in 1810, and died in 1894, just 10 years after the demise of her husband. They became the parents of seven children, as follows : Henry, deceased ; Tirzah, wife of Levi Holmes, of Jamestown, New York ; William, of Jamestown, New York; Nancy, now a resident of Fredonia, New York, who married Henry Boujean, and after his demise married William Bloomer, who is also deceased ; Archibald, who lives on the home farm near Mayville, New York ; Royal C. ; and Margaret, who has attained distinction as an author and poet, among her best appreciated efforts being the novel, "My Heart Remembers How." Royal C. Bradshaw was educated in the public schools of his native town, and was reared on the old homestead in Chautauqua County. After the breaking out of the Civil War, he enlisted from Cattaraugus County, New York, June i, 1 86 1, as a private in Company H, 71st Reg., New York Vol. Inf., under Capt. Thomas Rafferty and Col. George B. Hall. He was mustered into service at Camp Scott, Staten Island, June 20, 1861, and served with distinction through- out a greater part of the war. He was promoted first to corporal, then to ser- geant major, and on May 12, 1864, for bravery and meritorious conduct in the battle of Spottsylvania was made 2nd lieutenant. He was honorably dis- charged on June 21, 1864, and was immediately mustered in as 2nd lieutenant AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 567- of Company E, of his old regiment, under Capt. Tom Murphy and Col. Henry L. Potter. This regiment was assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Divis- ion Third Army Corps, in the Army of the Potomac, and saw the hardest fought battles of the war, participating at Stafford Court House ; siege of York- town ; Fair Oaks or Seven Pines ; the Seven Days Battle, including Oak Grove, White Oak Swamp, Glendale, Malvern Hill and Carter's Hill ; Bristow Station ; Groveton; Fredericksburg; Chancellorsville ; Gettysburg; Wapping Heights; Kelley's Ford; Locust Grove; the Wilderness; Spottsylvania ; North Anna, Tolopotomy; Cold Harbor; Petersburg, and minor engagements. While in front of Petersburg, his term of service expired and he went to New York City, where he was honorably discharged July 30, 1864. He returned to his home in New York State, and there farmed until 1871, in which year he came West to Topeka. He located in Waubaunsee County, where he farmed in Maple Hill township for some years, also serving as trustee of that township during the years 1874, 1875, 1883 and 1884. He later removed to Topeka, where he owns considerable valuable town property, and there lived until a few years ago, when he purchased three acres in section 33, township 11, range 15, in Mission township and erected the handsome home in which he now lives. He is a man of strong personality and pleasing manner, and has a host of firm friends wher- - ever he is known. June 6, 1867, Mr. Bradshaw married Eva M. Fay, who was a daughter of Joseph B. and Martha (Haywood) Fay, of Chautauqua County, New York. Her father died at Chicago in 1886, aged 68 years, and her mother died in Topeka in 1896, aged 78 years. Mrs. Bradshaw, who died January 3, 1903, aged 58 years, was the mother of two children : Joseph F., who died December 22, 1890, at the age of 21 years ; and Martha H., wife of Walter M. Gust, who is identified with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. Our subject is a Republican in politics, and belongs to the Masonic Order. L. M. POWELL, A. B., M. D. L. M. Powell, A. B., M. D., is one of the most distinguished physicians and surgeons of Topeka, where he has been engaged in practice for many years.- He was born at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1858, and is one of two children born to Charles Morgan and Margaret Ann (Lewis) Powell. His father, now de- ceased, was a successful contractor in Iowa until his death in i860. His mother was again married to Rev. J. W. Clock, in 1863. Dr. L. M. Powell accompanied his parents to Baldwin City, Kansas, in 1871, and there attended school. He attended Baker University, then known .568 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY as the "Old Chapel," and in 1878 was graduated from the High School at Ottawa, Kansas. He took a one year course in the Baptist College, of Ottawa, and then entered the University of Kansas at Lawrence, from which he was graduated in 1885 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He also took the pre- paratory medical course offered by the University. He was for two years assistant to the professor of. chemistry. He then engaged in teaching school for a number of years, serving as principal of the High School at Newton, Kansas, one year, principal of the Quincy School at North Topeka one year, and of Lincoln School at Topeka one year. In 1888 he entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, and was graduated with the -class of 1891. Upon leaving that institution he came West to Topeka, Kansas, where he has since practiced his chosen profession with a high degree of suc- cess. He fills the chair of clinical obstetrics in the Kansas Medical College, at Topeka. He is a Phi Beta Kappa. For five years he was chemist and microsco- pist for the State Board of Health. He was president of the Board of Health of Topeka one year, and is secretary of the medical staff of the Jane C. Stor- mont Hospital. He belongs to the American Medical Association, the Kansas State Medical Society and the Shawnee County Medical Society. He repre- sented the Fourth Ward on the School Board one term while residing in that ward. He has a fine suite of offices in the Central National Bank Building, and •commands the most desirable practice in the city. In 1888, at the close of his school teaching, Dr. Powell was joined in mar- riage with Clara Bunker,, of Marion, Ohio, and they have four children : Grace D., Loretta M., Elizabeth C. and Wendell B. Religiously, they are members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, of Topeka. ARCHIBALD McKEEVER. Archibald McKeever, who now lives in honorable retirement at his comfortable home at No. 1107 W^estern avenue, Topeka, is one of the'pioneers of Kansas, one w'hose life has been identified with the most eventful years of the State's existence. Mr. McKeever was born April 6, 1830, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Clark and Jane (Wallace) McKeever. The McKeever family is of Scotch-Irish extraction and both of the par- ents of our subject were born in Ireland. The mother died in 1858 but the father, who was born in 1798, survived until within nine years of completing a century, his death taking place in this State in 1889. Of their eight children, Archibald was the fourth, five reached maturity and two survive, — our sub- ject and a sister, who lives in Jackson County, Kansas. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 569 Until he was 10 years old, Mr. McKeever attended the district schools about three months in the year, his companion farmer boys enjoying about the same privileges, but an active mind and close association with men of in- telligence and participation in stirring events have made him not only a man of great information but one of discriminating judgment as well. From Penn- sylvania he went to Central Ohio and in 1857 he came to Jackson, Kansas, settling on what was known as the Delaware Trust Land, where he secured .480 acres for which he paid $3.50 per acre. In those early days in the Terri- tory primitive conditions still existed and the pioneer settlers accommodated themselves to them. After he had secured his claim, he built his own pictur- esque log hut, paying $1 each for the logs, and this humble dwelling served as his home for some years. He remained here only until 1876, led to move to Jefferson County in order that his stock could be sure of having water, that great and crying necessity wanting in some of the fairest sections of this State. He did not attempt extensive farming but found the raising of stock and cattle extremely profitable even in those days. Mr. McKeever was one of the very first settlers in Jackson County and his reminiscences of pioneer life teem with interest. At that time the prin- cipal trading place where supplies could be obtained was Leavenworth, about 40 miles away, to which he and his pioneer neighbors went two or three times a year, laying in supplies which had to last until the trip could be made again. Mr. McKeever was popular with his neighbors and was twice elected assessor of Jackson County and served two terms as county commissioner. In the year following the great drought in Kansas, a notable period in the history •of the "Sunflower" State, he accomplished the assessing of Jackson County in 27 days, assessing clear to the Kaw River. As there was an excellent mill at Valley Falls, Mr. McKeever relates that he frequently went there to trade. For 1 5 years he rode the saddle, looking up and buying steers, and some of his stories of the adventures of those days stir the blood of a younger generation. His old homestead in Jackson County is now occupied by Ex-Sheriff Cook. Formerly Mr. McKeever was a Republican and he was elected county commissioner on that ticket and he lacked but one vote of being selected as a nominee for county treasurer. His political affiliations at present are with the Populist party. From Jackson County he removed to Jefferson County, where he owns 1,000 acres of fine land all in one body, which is operated as a stock farm by his son George. It is accounted one of the best farms in this part of the State. It produces from 60 to 80 bushels of corn to the acre and •other produce accordingly. In 1903 Mr. McKeever left the farm and moved into Topeka, where he has since invested in considerable property, including a handsome home in 570 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY a choice locality and his time is pleasantly occupied in looking after these investments. At St. Joseph, Missouri, Mr. McKeever was married, in 1861, to Elvira Means, who is a daughter of James Means, who was a pioneer in Buchanan County, Missouri. Her great-grandfather, Robert Means, purchased about 1,600 acres of Missouri land and Mr. McKeever has the deeds of two of these quarter-sections which lie in Southwestern Missouri, near Springfield. This land is as yet unimproved and probably will be of great value as it is. largely mineral. A family of eight sons and one daughter were born to Mr. and Mrs. McKeever, the daughter and the oldest and youngest sons now being deceased. Those who survive are: James, who is in the furniture business at Topeka; Edwin D., who is one of the city's prominent attorneys;. William, who is a professor in the State Agricultviral College at Manhattan, Kansas ; George who, as noted, operates the farm in Jefferson County ; Horace Greeley, junior member of the law firm of Cromwell & McKeever, of Enid, Oklahoma ; and Harry Sunshine, who is in the real estate business at Topeka. It has been one of Mr. McKeever's aims to so educate his children that they could take advantage of all the opportunities that modern life presented to- them and he has great reason to feel gratified over the result. They have all developed into representative men, worthy successors of the pioneering stock from which they originated and possessing many of the sterling traits of their father and grandfather. Hon. Edwin D. McKeever, the second surviving son of Archibald and Elvira (Means) McKeever, and assistant United States district attorney at Topeka, was born in Jackson County, Kansas, May 6, 1866. His education was a liberal one, including four years at Washburn College, Topeka, and then he entered upon the study of the law in the office of Johnson, Martin & Keeler, and was admitted to the bar in July, 1889. He has been in active prac- tice ever since, taking part in much of the important litigation of the various courts, including the Supreme Court. On January i, 1902, he was made assistant United States district attorney, in which position he has added to his professional laurels. Mr. McKeever has been a very active and influential member of the Republican party for many years, entering upon the field of politics coincident with that of the law. He was first elected to the Legislature in 1896 and served in this body for three terms, and during 1899 he served as chairman of the judiciary committee. In 1901 he was speaker pro tern of the House, and his whole career as a statesman but served to advance him in the confi- dence of his party and in the esteem of his fellow-citizens. His continuation in office is but proof of this and his fitness is a fact beyond question. In 1893 Edwin D. McKeever was united in marriage with Luetta Mohler, ALBERTUS T. LUCAS AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 573 an accomplished young lady who was born in Indiana. They have one son, Archibald, his grandfather's namesake, who was born in 1896. Mr. Mc- Keever has been a resident of Topeka since 1884, coming here some years prior to his father's arrival. He owns one of the fine homes for which this city has gained reputation, a beautiful modern residence situated at No. 1214 West loth avenue. ALBERTUS T. LUCAS. Albertus T. LucaSj sheriff of Shawnee County, whose portrait accom- panies this sketch, is serving his second term in that capacity and is widely known throughout this section of the State. He has been a resident of To- peka since early youth, and has been identified with numerous enterprises in this city. He was born at Brimfield, Illinois, July 26, 1867, and is one of four children born to John E. and Gruetta (Wilson) Lucas. John E. Lucas was born at Warsaw, Indiana, where he was reared, later moving to Peoria, Illinois, and finally in 1868 coming to Shawnee County, Kansas. For 12 years he followed farming in Mission and Auburn townships and became a resident of Topeka in 1880. He has long been identified with city affairs in various departments and lately served as city detective. On April 17, 1905, he received the appointment of under sheriff of Shawnee County. He is a citizen of manly attributes, strictly honest and of unquestioned integrity, and possesses the good will and esteem of his fel- low-men. Albertus T. Lucas was less than a year old when he came to Shawnee County with his parents, who settled on a farm in Mission township. Later they moved to another farm, in Auburn township, and in 1880 established the family home in Topeka. Our subject grew to manhood in Shawnee County and received a good education in the country schools and in the schools of the city. Upon arriving at man's estate, he engaged in the livery busi- ness and after a time had charge of the money wagon of the Wells, Fargo & Company Express. He next served as steward of the Elk Club and then two years as deputy sheriff. Upon giving up the latter business, he conducted a laundry for one year, after which he sold out and engaged as traveling salesman for a large packing company. Three years later, in the spring of 1901, he was elected sheriff of Shawnee County on the Republican ticket, receiving a majority of 1,315 votes over Frank M. Stahl and Dan. Markem, Independent and Democratic nominees. He was re-elected November 8, 1904, with little opposition, leading the ticket with a majority of 5,097 over Dan Markem, whom he has twice defeated. He is unswerving in his sup- 28 574 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY port of the Republican party. Through his faithful and honest administra- tion of the affairs of the office of sheriff, he stands well in the esteem of the general public. On January 22, 1896, Mr. Lucas was united in marriage with Mary Miller, a daughter of ^Bradford Miller, who has been mayor of Topeka, county treasurer and county commissioner. They have one child, Helen. Religiously, they are members of the Presbyterian Church. Our subject is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Modern Wood- men of America, Ancient Order of United Workmen and United Commer- cial Travelers. HON. THOMAS A. OSBORN. Prominent in the long line of statesmen who have contributed to the glory of Kansas, was the late Thomas A. Osborn, the sixth Governor of the "Sunflower" State. Thomas A. Osborn was born on October 26, 1836, at Meadville, Pennsylvania, where his life closed on February 4, 1898. The early life of Mr. Osborn, up to the age of 15 years, was spent in laying the foundations of an education in the common schools, the limited resources of his parents affording him no better opportunities. At this age he became a wage earner, learned the printing business and thus secured the means himself to pay his way through Allegheny College. Then followed the study of the law. He was 21 years of age when he went to Michigan and was admitted to the bar. In 1857 he came to Kansas, as a printer, securing em- ployment in the office of the Herald of Freedom, at Lawrence, and subse- quently filling every position in the business. In 1858 he went to Elwood, a small town in Doniphan County and formed a law partnership with the later distinguished James H. Lane, who was subsequently elected to the United States Senate, when the partnership was dissolved. At this time the young lawyer was beginning to be recognized as an able member of his profession, was invited to take part in the political struggle then going on, and in 1859, but two years after he. had come to Kansas, was elected on the Republican ticket as a member of the first State Legislature. This was followed in 1862 by his election as Lieutenant-Governor and it was during this incumbency that he presided at the impeachment trial of Governor Charles Robinson, all of which is absorbing State history. In 1864, when but 28 years of age, he was chosen by President Lincoln as United States marshal for Kansas, a responsible and difficult position, which he held until removed by President Johnson, in 1867. That he contin- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 575 ued in the confidence and esteem of the majority of the citizens of Kansas was ■shown by his election as Governor, in 1872, and emphasized by his reelection. What years of growth, development and increase of wealth, prosperity and peace, were these years of the administration of Governor Osborn ! He was a man of such strength of character, such uncorruptible integrity, such pro- gressive ideas and political foresight that under his guidance industries were encouraged, the tide of immigration flowed in, education and religion flour- ished and Kansas took her proper place in the sisterhood of States. Yet he had much with which to contend, including the Indian depredations on the frontier, and the grasshopper pest which destroyed crops over a great section. It was almost entirely through the wisdom of Governor Osborn that the dire effects of these calamities were lessened, his prompt call for a special session of the Legislature resulting in the immediate appointment of a State relief committee, which raised and disbursed large sums to the sufferers. He closed his career as chief executive of the Commonwealth with the honors his faith- ful service merited and was urged by his party for a seat in the United States Senate. In 1877 he was selected by President Hayes as United States Minister to Chili, and he was commended by the government upon his diplomatic attitude during the troubles at the time of the Chili-Bolivia War. In 1881 he was honored anew by being appointed by President Garfield to the Brazilian mis- sion and during this period he cast credit upon his country by his tact and wisdom in assisting in securing peace between Chih, Peru and Bolivia, also receiving the public acknowledgments of the government of Chili in this connection. This important post our subject resigned in 1885 and again took up his residence at Topeka. Later he represented his district several times in the State Senate, but mainly devoted his time to looking after his large property interests, being connected with a number of successful enter- prises in other parts of the State. In 1870, while a resident of Leavenworth, Governor Osborn was mar- ried to Julia Delahay, who was a daughter of Hon. M. W. Delahay, one of the early judges of the Federal Court. Their only child and son, Edward D. Osborn, was born in 1871 and, after a thorough preparation for the legal profession, was admitted to the bar in 1895. He is one of the prominent mem- bers of the Kansas bar, in practice at Topeka, being a member of the well- known law firm of Harvey & Osborn. For a number of years the delicate state of Mrs. Osborn's health demanded a change of climate, and to prolong a tender and beautiful companionship travels were made in many lands. The frail life ended in 1892. The death of Governor Osborn came, perhaps, just as he would have -chosen, among the associations of his youth, where silently he had builded 576 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY future hopes which it is possible scarcely reached to the heights of the reality. His personal friends were numbered by the score, his genial nature and abso- lute sincerity endearing many to him through his whole career. He rests in an honored tomb in the capital city of Kansas. REV. NORMAN PLASS, D. D. Rev. Norman Plass, D. D., president of Washburn College, Topeka^ was born at Claverach, New York, May 4, i860. His father, who died in 1889, was Gilbert Plass, an extensive land-owner in Columbia County, New York. His mother, who is still living at Hudson, New York, was Mary (Benedict) Plass, of New England descent. The name was originally Van der Plasse, and the family belonged to the nobility of Holland. Among the ancestors are Martin Van der Plasse, the Dutch artist, and Dinghen Van der Plasse, who fled to England among the Protestant refugees, and introduced starching into that country at a time when the English greatly admired the white and stiff garments of the Dutch, but did not know how to produce them. The first settlers of the name came to New Amsterdam, now New York City,, in 1673. Dr. Plass was married June 18, 1884, to Jessie Charlotte Wheeler, of Williamstown, Massachusetts, who is a lineal descendant of Rev. Peter Bulke- ley, founder of Concord, Massachusetts, and from Rev. Charles Chauncey,, D. D., second president of Harvard College. They have had four children : Harold, born July 16, 1889, who died in 1896; Helen Mary, born December 18, 1892; Raymond Benedict, born February i, 1898; and Katharine, born May 21, 1904. Dr. Plass was prepared for college at the Hudson Academy, Hudson,. New York, from which he entered Williams College in the autumn of 1878,, and graduated in the spring of 1882, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Among his instructors at Williams were Mark Hopkins, the famous educator, and G. Stanley Hall, now president of Clark University. In the autumn of 1882 he entered Yale University, where he pursued courses in the Divinity School and in other departments. In 1886, he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Divinity. In 1885, in recognition of scholarly work accom- plished since graduation, he received at Williams College the degree of Mas- ter of Arts. He was further honored by Williams, at the commencement of 1904, by having conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. Dr. Plass was ordained to the Christian ministry in 1886. He has held AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 577 pastorates, in the Reformed (Dutch) Church, at Schodach, New York; and in the Congregational Church at Detroit, Michigan ; Lincoln, Nebraska ; Medina and Cincinnati, Ohio ; and Barrington, Rhode Island. He has also been State superintendent of the Rhode Island Anti-Saloon League, and was superin- tendent of the Anti-Saloon League of Greater New York, and assistant State superintendent from 1897 to 1899. In the year 1900, he was in the field for the national Congregational Home Missionary Society. In the autumn of 1901 he was elected professor of Theism and Christian Evidences, and Financial Agent, of Washburn College, Topeka. The fol- lowing commencement he was elected to the Presidency of the college, in which position he has since continued to serve. Under his administration the -college has greatly prospered. (See article on Washburn College). Dr. Plass is a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity; The American Eco- nomic Association; the American Academy of Political and Social Science; the National Economic League; the Constitutional League of the United States ; the National Geographical Society ; is a counsellor of the Evangelical Alliance of the United States, and a member of the Kansas Academy of Sci- ence, and the Commercial and Fortnightly clubs of Topeka. He is the author of two volumes, published by Revell — "Buds that Bloom on Bonnier Banks," in 1900; and "How Christmas was Kept in Heaven," in 1902. 4» » A. W. SHERER. A. W. Sherer, who has been connected for some years with the auditing office of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company at Topeka, has been a resident of the State since the age of seven years. He was "born in Strafford County, New Hampshire, September 20, 1878, and is a son of Charles G. and Flora A. (Craig) Sherer. Mr. Sherer comes of Revolutionary stock on the maternal side, and his grandmother Craig, who resides with her daughter, Mrs. Charles G. Sherer, IS a cousin to one of the noted military men of that day. Charles G. Sherer was born April 30, 1845, in Deering, New Hampshire, and was educated in the schools of that locality. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he determined, although opposed by his parents, to become a soldier, and finally became a member of Company D, Seventh Reg., New Hampshire Vol. Cav., in which he served from 1861 to 1863, taking part as a member of this regiment m the famous Wilson raid. In the spring of 1864 he reenlisted in Company C, First Reg., New Hampshire Vol. Cav., and served until the close of the 578 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY war, being honorably discharged July 12, 1865. His father, who was alsO' in the service, died of ship fever and was buried at sea. After the close of the war, Charles G. Sherer returned to New Hamp- shire and learned the carpenter's trade and then spent one season in New Mexico in the employ of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company. In 1886 he came to Topeka and joined his family, who were established at Oakland, and continued to work at his trade. He has served in ofifice in Topeka, having been street commissioner and road overseer under Mayor Bing- ham. He is a member of Topeka Post, No. 71, G. A. R. of which he is past commander, and is also a member of the Sons of Veterans and of the Knights and Ladies of Security. He is a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church. On June 11, 1873, in Lowell, Massachusetts, Charles G. Sherer was. married to Flora A. Craig, and they have had four sons, three of whom still survive : A. W., Frank G. and Albert. Frank G. is a veteran of the Spanish- American War. He served in Troop B, 15th United States Cavalry, in the Philippine Islands for two years, being then discharged on account of dis- ability. In 1886 A. W. Sherer came to Kansas with his mother and maternal grandmother. After completing a good common-school education, he re- ceived a certificate from the Oakland School, being then about 14 years old. For a time he worked in a nursery and then in a grocery adjacent to the woolen mill in Oakland. On May 15, 1898, he entered the employ of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, in the passenger depart- ment; beginning as ticket boy in the auditor's office, he has climbed to hi& present position through his own efforts. He has always been interested in military matters and has served seven years in the Kansas National Guard, entering as a private and now ranking as chief musician and quartermaster sergeant in the local company. He has the honor of being division com- mander of the Sons of Veterans of the Division of Kansas. He is eligible to membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. His fraternal con- nections include membership in Orient Lodge, No. 51, A. F. & A. M. ; the Knights and Ladies of Security; Calla Division, No. 8, Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias; and Modern Woodmen of America, in which he has served as assistant chief forester under Chief Forester L. N. Penwell, of Topeka. He has served as assistant marshal of Oakland under Deputy Sheriff Wilson and Sherifif Lucas. Mr. Sherer was married December 25, 1901, to Marie Belle Duree, of Shawnee County, and they have a bright little daughter of eight months bearing the name of Frances Arvilla, named for her paternal great-grand- mother and grandmother and her maternal grandmother. Mr. Sherer is pre- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 579 paring a very cosy home at Oakland where he has lately invested in some very desirable property and now owns some six lots in the town, including a fine orchard. Mr. Sherer is one of the active Republicans of Topeka and does his full share in furthering the interests of the party in Oakland. Both he and his wife belong to the Presbyterian Church. VERY REV. FRANCIS M. HAYDEN. Very Rev. Francis M. Hayden, rector of the Church of the Assump- tion, of Topeka, is one of the city's representative men and one of the most able, intellectual and courtly members of the Roman Catholic clergy in the State of Kansas. Father Hayden was born at Roscommon, County Roscom- mon, Ireland, November 3, 1852. His early education was pursued with the idea of his dedication to the church, and after coming to America, in 1869, his studies were continued with this end in view. After his graduation, with high honors, at the Semi- nary of St. Vincent, at Latrobe, Pennsylvania, he was ordained priest at St. Michael's Seminary, at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, by Rt. Rev. Bishop Domenec on May 17, 1875. Father Hayden's work has been almost entirely confined to Kansas. The annals of the development of this great State would be incomplete indeed, without extended mention being made of the great work done by the faithful, persevering Catholic clergy, and among these the esteemed subject of this review must take a prominent place. His first charge was at Leavenworth, and then the young priest came on his first mission to Topeka. Young, zeal- ous and self-sacrificing, he next accepted the little Catholic mission at Solo- mon City, in Dickinson County, a center at that time for a large territory of scattered Catholic families. When he parted from this congregation, it was no longer counted a mission, for his vigorous labors had resulted in the build- ing of a fine church edifice and the cementing of bonds which make it a happy and prosperous parish. His four years of arduous but successful w^ork at Kansas City, where he established St. Bridget's parish, opened the way for his transference to the deanery of Topeka, in 1887. Here Father Haden entered upon congenial work. He faced debt and parish difiiculties of various kinds but these only aroused his latent energies and his strong guiding hand was soon evident in the progress made here, both materially and spiritually. His school, under the charge of the Sisters of Charity, has been considered so highly educational that many careful parents. 58o HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY outside the Catholic Church, have selected it in preference to others as a splendid institution in which to have their children fitted for High School. On May 17, 1900, a notable event took place in the cluuxh of which Father Hayden is pastor, this being the celebration of his sacerdotal "Silver Jubilee." It was an event which will never pass from the minds of those who were permitted to take part in it. While high dignitaries of the church as- sisted in the exercises and rich gifts were presented, Father Hayden's heart was most touched by the love and esteem shown him not only by those to whom he had so faithfully ministered, but by those who were not of his relig- ious faith but who honored him as a noble man. Father Hayden's worth and work will stand for years as his monument. His life, that of a true, cultured Christian gentleman, has not been lived in vain. The material progress he has inaugurated has been remarkable, but none can adequately tell of the influence exerted by the high standards he has held and the Christian example he has set. A father to his people, a priest and all that is priestly, he is broad-minded enough and tender-hearted enough to extend his loving care and interest to all who need it. 4 »» ALBERT NEESE. Albert Neese, one of the leading citizens of Richland, merchant and banker and the owner of much valuable city property, was born in Cham- paign County, Ohio, February 21, i860, and is a son of David and Mary E. (HuUinger) Neese. The parents of Mr. Neese, who now reside at Richland, were also natives of Ohio. They had these children : Albert, of this review ; Frank, who died in Colorado, in 1896, aged 37 years; Laura, who is the wife of P. D. C. Vannice, of Richland ; and a child who died at the age of six years. Mr. Neese came to Monmouth township, Shawnee County, with his parents when 12 years of age and worked on the farm until he was 18 and then kept books for the Lawrence Plow Company, of Lawrence, for three years, during which period he was a stockholder in the company. After with- drawing, he came to Richland, in 1882, and started into the mercantile busi- ness with his brother Frank. The latter's health gave way and he went to Colorado, since which time our subject has continued alone, operating the largest store in the county outside Topeka. He also conducts one of the 20 private banks in the State, having operated it for 20 years, starting before the present banking laws were passed. On March i, 1905, the capital of his bank was increased to $10,000. He owns a great deal of city real estate, in- r ' '• - - ROSWELL L. COFRAN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 583 •eluding a hotel and business blocks and is one of the dominating factors of the town, enterprising, progressive and prosperous. Mr. Nesse was married in September, 1894, to Ella Sullivan, who was •born in Douglas County, Kansas, and is a daughter of John and Ann Sullivan. Tliey have two children : Helen and Georgia. Mr. Neese takes only a local interest in politics, voting the Democratic ticket. He is a Mason, belonging to the Blue Lodge at Overbrook, the Com- mandery at Topeka and the Shrine at Leavenworth. ROSWELL L. COFRAN. RoswELL L. CoFRAN, thricc honored by election to the highest municipal •office in Topeka, is one of the city's leading business men and for years has been closely identified with the city's advancement and commercial pros- perity. Mr. Cofran was born in 1845, ^t Wheelock, Vermont, and is a son of John and Nancy (Hoyt) Cofran. Mr. Cofran's life until the opening of the Civil War, in 1861, was spent ■mainly in securing an education, his studies including aca'demic and univer- sity courses. Although but a youth, he entertained such loyal sentiments that when the Sixth Vermont Regiment was formed, he enlisted as a mem- ber of one of its companies, in which he was promoted to be a corporal, and ■gave his services all through the struggle until 1863. In 1870 Mr. Cofran first became a resident of Topeka. His natural inclinations led him to learn the trade of machinist and he was employed for six years in this city in the Topeka Foundry (now known as the Western Foundry). Mr. Cofran showed a natural aptitude for such work and his ■close application to his duties and ready comprehension of the details of this line of industry soon gave him a just reputation as a careful and reliable workman. In 1876 he became the proprietor of the Western Foundry, since which time the success of this plant has been assured. In connection with the foundry, he owns a large machine shop which is thoroughly equipped with modern machinery, and a blacksmith shop and a brass foundry. The trade •of this large concern extends all over the West and Southwest and even into Mexico. In addition to managing this important and constantly expanding busi- ness, Mr. Cofran has been very prominently identified with political affairs here and is an acknowledged Democratic leader. In 1885 he was elected mayor "of Topeka for a term of two years, in 1889 he was reelected mayor and again S84 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY in 1 89 1. Each time his opponent was Hon. D. C. Metsker, who was elected to the office in 1887 but was defeated two years later by Mr. Cofran. In 1 88 1 Mr. Cofran was married to Caroline Fritchie, of Topeka, and. they have two daughters and one son, namely : Grace, Maud and Roswell L., Jr., all living at home. Mr. Cofran belongs to the Masons and has taken all the degrees up to and including the 32nd. He is also a member of the- I. O. O. F., B. P. O. E. and K. P. His portrait accompanies this sketch. HON. DEWITT C. NELLIS. Hon. Dewitt C. Nellis, for many years a very prominent member of the bar in Kansas and at one time judge of the 17th Judicial District, is- now retired from professional work. Mr. Nellis was born January 2, 1849, ^t the family home in Mont- gomery County, New York, and comes of a family of seven known genera- tions as follows: William Nellis, born in 1688; Andrew Nellis, born in 1715;- Philip Nellis, born in 1746; Peter Philip, born in 1783; James, born in 181 6;. Dewitt C. Nellis, born in 1849; and Luther McAfee Nellis, son of our sub- ject, born in 1875. Among the Palatines who first emigrated from their German homes to New York were Christian, William and Johannis Nellis,^ all members of the Lutheran Church, and from them are descended all of the Nellis family in America at the present time. Philip Nellis, great-grandfather of our subject, was born December i, 1746, in New York State. He married Elizabeth Dietz, who was born in the province of Cherry Valley, New York, June 10, 1752, and was of Palatine- parentage. After marriage they located in the township of Manheim, within the present limits of Herkimer County, New York. During the Revolution- ary War, Philip Nellis served in the Continental Army as a minute man in what was called the Palatine Regiment, which in the battle of Oriskany, August 6, 1777, sustained the loss of many brave men and officers, and in- which General Herkimer was mortally wounded. Mr. Nellis received a bullet wound in his left shoulder which made him a partial cripple the remainder of his life. He was in the battle of Saratoga, September 19, 1777, and in other important engagements during the remainder of the war. He alsO' was with a company organized for repelling Indian incursions of the Mohawk Valley, and was detailed for a short time on duty on the Hudson River. He was one of the boatmen to convey General Washington across the Hudson at a time when the army was suffering greatly by reason of the scarcity of food supplies. It was in the night time and the light from the torch used in^ AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 585. the boat attracted a large sturgeon, weiging about 20 pounds, which flopped into the boat by accident as it threw itself about in the water. The General looked at it calmly and smiled, seeming to regard it as a good omen for the- supplying of food to his soldiers. After landing, the fish was quickly prepared and cooked and was as quickly eaten by the hungry soldiers. Philip Nellis and his wife, with the five children who were then born, were driven from their home at the burning of Palatine Church Settlement by the Indians, who plundered the valley and destroyed everything except the Palatine Church, every vestage of the personal property of the pioneers being burned or carried away. This old stone church in Palatine township, built in 1770, was one: of very few buildings that escaped burning by the Indians of John Johnson's army during this raid of October 19, 1780. It stands on the border of the- road over which the invading army moved. For generations it was an un- solved question why it escaped burning. Some 20 years ago visitors from Canada, bearing the name of Nellis, visited relatives near St. Johns- ville, Montgomery County, New York, and from them it was- learned that the church was protected by a British officer, who had prom- ised his friend, Henry Nellis, that no harm should come to it. Henry Nellis ■ who was the wealthiest of the Mohawk Valley Palatines, had contributed toward the erection of the church. At the outbreak of the Revolution, he went to the place now known as Brantford, in Ontario, Canada, while five of his- brothers served in the patriot army. The Palatine Church is still standing and used for worship. Philip Nellis and his family later returned and erected a new home at Stone Arabia in the township of Palatine, and there lived the remainder of their lives, Mr. Nellis dying in November, 1818, at the home- of his son, Peter Philip, and Mrs. Nellis on January 12, 1825, at the age of 72 years and seven months. They were parents of 1 1 children. Peter Philip Nellis, the grandfather of our subject, was the seventh child of his parents and was born September 17, 1783, in the new home- erected after the Indian invasion. At the age of five years he began attend- ing a German school in Palatine township, Montgomery County, New York, and for four years studied in the German language, which his parents used exclusively during their lives. At the age of nine he entered an English school ' and by the time he was 1 5 had well mastered both languages. At that age • he was confirmed a member of the Palatine Lutheran Church. On January 25, 1806, he married Margaret Spraker, one of a family of 10 girls and one- boy born to her parents. She was a daughter of John Spraker, and a grand- daughter of George Spraker. In 1808, accompanied by his parents and his own family, Peter Philip Nellis moved to Herkimer County, New York, locating in Fairfield township. In 1835 he again moved back to Montgomery County (25 miles) and bought his father-in-law's farm "Oswegatchie," where the- .586 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Nellis family still claims its headquarters. He died November ii, 1872, aged 89 years, one month and 25 days, and his wife died January 25, 1864, at the age of 80 years. They had lived together as man and wife for more than -60 years. James Nellis, father of our subject was born in Fairfield township, Herki- mer County, New York, April 2, 1816, in the house built by his father in 1808. He received a good education and was a man of accomplishments, be- ing an especially fine singer. He was married January 25, 1842, to Mary Magdalene Van Wirt, who was one of the finest soprano singers of her time in that section of the State. She was born in 1821, and was a daughter •of Daniel Van Wirt, son of Christian Van Wirt, who was born in 1770. The latter was married December 4, 1790, to Magdalene Van Gochnat, a daughter ' of John Eberhardt Van Gochnat, who resided three miles west of Johnstown, New York. Christian Van Wirt was one of the board of trustees of the Lutheran Church at Johnstown, when it was incorporated December 16, 1810. He died March 26, 1847, ^^'^ his wife died on June 7th of the same year. James Nellis and his wife became parents of nine children. Mrs. Nellis died March 20, 1886, aged 64 years, eight months and 11 days, and was survived about two years by her husband, who died February 24, 1888, aged 71 years, ID months and 22 days. Both were devout Christians and active members of the Lutheran Church at Palatine, New York. Dewitt C. Nellis was reared in his native county, and attended the Oswegatchie school until he arrived at the age of 15 years, then passed the regents' examination and began an academic course at Canajoharie Academy. He spent seven years at that institution and at Fairfield Collegiate Institute. At the age of 19 years, he began teaching school at Ford's Bush, New York, and taught there for three years in the school at Stone Arabia. He read law for six months with Colonel Spraker at Canajoharie, and on July 31, 1871, started for Kansas. He taught school here and pursued the study of the law at Topeka two years, being admitted to the bar on February 21, 1873. He had read law in the office of Martin, Burns & Case, prominent members of the bar, and was well equipped to enter upon his professional career. Prior to his admission to the bar, during the winter of 1872-73, he taught school at Tecumseh for a term of four months. On April 26, 1873, he was appointed county attorney of Ellis County, Kansas, having moved to Hays, on March 6th of that year. He was elected to that office four successive terms, serving in all for a period of eight years. He became a member of the English Lutheran Church at Topeka, April 7, 1872, and for two years was a scholar and teacher in its Sabbath-school. At Hays he assisted in the organization of the Congregational Church in 1873, and two years later, when the field was practically abandoned to the Presbyterians by this church, Mr. Nellis became AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 587- an officer in the Presbyterian society, assisting in the work of raising funds for building a church and parsonage. In 1878, with other's, he organized the Trinity Lutheran Church Society, and Rev. A. J. Hartsook of SaHna officiated as pastor at the dedication of the new church. Together with I. M. Yost and H. D. Shaffer, he had coUected money and directed the financial part in the erection of the church, and it was built, paid for and dedicated before the society had a pastor. Mr. Nellis was superintendent of the Sabbath-schools of the various churches with which he was there identified. On March 15, 1881, . he was appointed judge of the 17th Judicial District of Kansas by Governor John P. St. John, his district consisting of the 1 5 counties in the northwestern part of the State. He was defeated at the judicial convention of the Republi- can party at Millbrook for the nomination to that office. He was a candidate for Attorney General before the Republican convention at Topeka in 1884, and was defeated on the fifth ballot by Hon. S. B. Bradford, by a vote of 168 to 167. This was his last effort in the political arena because his hearing had. become imperfect. In June, 1885, he removed to Topeka and here continued the practice of the law until 1887, when his hearing became so poor he retired from active practice. He has since been identified with the Kansas Farmer Company, and is one of the city's most substantial business men. On March 4, 1874, Mr. Nellis was married to Emma Virginia McAfee,-. her father, assisted by Rev. L. Blakesley of the Congregational Church, per- forming the ceremony. It was a double wedding, the only sister of Mrs. Nellis being married to D. H. Forbes at the same time. Miss McAfee was the first young lady Mr. Nellis met after his arrival in Topeka and was introduced to her at the Lutheran Church on August 12, i'87i. She was born in Leaven- worth, Ksmsas, June 28, 1855, and is a daughter of Rev. Josiah B. and Anna R. (Yowler) McAfee, her father being a retired minister of Topeka, whose- life work is recorded elsewhere in this work. Emma Virginia McAfee was born just two days after Cora Kyle, the first white child born in Leavenworth, and in recognition of this honor the City Council, then just formed, and the- town company presented each of them with a deeded city lot. The lot given to Mrs. Nellis was sold for taxes a few years later and is now occupied by the City Market and Fire Department. When she was nearly two years old, her parents moved to Grasshopper Falls, Kansas, where she lived seven years, attending the public schools four years of that period. In 1865 she accom-- panied her father to Topeka, where she attended Washburn College, after leaving the public schools, and then the College of the Sisters of Bethany. During the latter part of her school life she took a course at Pond's Business College, in which her father had purchased a life scholarship. During the- summer of 1873, she taught a school northwest of North Topeka, near where the Rock Island roundhouse now is. On April 10, 1874, she joined her hus-- .588 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY band at Hays, Kansas, and there resided until their return to Topeka in Feb- ruary, 1885. She became a member of the Enghsh Lutheran Church at Topeka on her 13th birthday anniversary, being the first member to be re- ceived by confirmation. She was organist several years prior to leaving for Hays City, then filled a like position in the church of that place until her re- turn to Topeka. She then resumed the duties of organist in the Topeka church and continued for six years, when she resigned to accompany her daughter, Celeste, to Chicago in 1892. For a period of 22 years, she served gratuitously as organist and also was a teacher in the Sabbath-schools of the various churches, rarely missing in attendance unless prevented by sickness. Three children were born to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Nellis, namely : Luther McAfee, a record of whose life follows; Celeste Birdella, born March 7, 1877; and Annie Mary, who was born February 9, 1879. Luther McAfee Nellis was born in the city of Topeka, March i, 1875, in the house then known as the Dawson house at No. 226 Van Buren street, now numbered 710 Van Buren street. The house was then occupied by his grandfather. Rev. Josiah B. McAfee. In August, 1875, he was baptised at the home of his uncle, D. H. Forbes, by his grandfather, and shortly after was taken to Hays, where he lived until 10 years old. Owing to an injury ■to his spine, he did not attend school until he was seven years old, and upon returning to Topeka he continued in the schools until the second year in High School, when he received an appointment as ticket taker at the World's Fair at Chicago. During 1903 and 1904 he served in the city Council of Topeka, representing the Fourth Ward. He was admitted to membership in the English Lutheran Church, August 10, 1887, and is a faithful member. He was admitted as an attorney at Topeka, February 21, 1898, and is now a member of the Kansas Farmer Company. He is an active Mason, and has taken all the degrees in the York rite and nearly all in the Scottish rite. J. ALBERT BERRY, M. D. J. Albert Berry, M. D., one of the best known members of the medi- cal profession in Topeka, is distinguished as a specialist on diseases of the ■stomach, having spent years of study in this branch under the forgmost special- ists of the United States and Canada. He was born in Canada, March 22, 1 86 1, and is a son of George and Ann Jane (McKinley) Berry. The paternal grandfather of our subject was a native of the North of Ireland, and in early life emigrated to Canada, where the town of Berryton was named in his honor. George Berry, father of our subject, was born AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 589 in Canada, where he became an extensive farmer and land-owner. He was .united in marriage with Ann Jane McKinley, who was distantly related to William McKinley, late President of the United States. The genealogy of ihis family can be traced back for a period of 900 years, and is closely inter- woven with the history of Northern and Central Scotland during that period. The name was originally spelled MacKinley, but the "a" was dropped from ihe name by the noted soldier, James McKinley, when he migrated to Ire- land. George Berry and his wife became parents of the following children : Rebecca, wife of George Collinson of Canada; J. Albert; and George H., and W. J., who are engaged in farming in Canada. Mr. Berry died about 1890, and is survived by his widow who is past the age of 84 years. J. Albert Berry was reared on a farm, working upon the home place ■during the summer months and attending school in the winter months, until he was 17 years old. His father had purchased another fine farm and was desirous of our subject taking charge of it, but the latter had become too strongly imbued with an ambition to practice medicine to give it up. He left the district schools for the public schools in town, graduating in 1881, and in 1883 completed a collegiate course. In October of the latter year, he -entered the famous McGill University at Montreal, and was graduated from Ihe medical department March 22, 1887, the 26th anniversary of his birth.- Upon receiving his sheepskin, he came West to Kansas City, Missouri, and ^oon after located at Mill Grove, Missouri. His next location was DeWitt, Nebraska, arriving there empty-handed but full of ambition, and when he departed from that town he was worth $10,000. He next went to Kalispell, Montana, where he formed a partnership with an old classmate of McGill, a Doctor McDonald, and together they acted as surgeons for the Montana Divi- sion of the Great Northern Railroad, their territory extending as far West as Spokane, Washington. They filled this position from 1893 to 1895. In 1897 Dr. Berry took a special course in surgery at the Post-Graduate Medical 5chool and Hospital, No. 2400 Dearborn street, Chicago, paying $1,000 for an assistantship. After one month he concluded to take up conservative medi- ■cine and devoted his attention thereafter to the digestive tract, — the mouth, throat, stomach and intestines. In this hospital he was demonstrator in 'Stomach clinics under Dr. Fenton B. Turk. After completing his course in 1898, he went to Spokane, Washington, but on account of sickness in his family returned home for a time. He then returned to Chicago and pursued a six-months' course in diseases of the stomach, and took a special course on "the eye, ear, nose and throat under Dr. Casey Wood and Dr. Thomas A. Wood- rufif, both Canadians of distinction. On December 20, 1899, Dr. Berry located in Topeka, where he has since built up a large office practice, working as a •specialist along his own chosen lines. He is associated with Dr. Arthur S. 590 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Andrews in the Topeka Electrical and X-Ray Sanitarium, his specialty being catarrh of the nose, throat and stomach and diseases of the rectum, kidneys, and bladder. He is physician for the Copeland Hotel, and is on the medical staff of the Jane C. Stormont Hospital. During the year 1900 he took a post graduate course in the New York Hospital. He is local medical ex- aminer for the Illinois Life Insurance Company ; the Franklin Life Insurance Company, of Springfield, Illinois ; the Security Mutual Insurance Company, of Binghampton, New York; the National Life; the Merchants' Life Insurance Company of Burlington, Iowa, and is council surgeon of the United Com- mercial Travelers of America. He is a member of the Shawnee County and Kansas State medical societies, and the American Medical Association. Dr. Berry was united in marriage with S. Jennie Dagg, a daughter of Richard and Ellen (Ardell) Dagg, both natives of County Tipperary, Ire- land. Her father was postmaster of the city of London, Ontario, Canada for a period of 20 years. Fraternally, our subject is a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Elks. LOUIS PHILIP WIKIDAL. Louis Philip Wikidal, deceased, who had been interested in extensive farming interests in the State for a number of years, died at Topeka, March 17, 1883. He was born at Canton, Ohio, August 27, 1835, and was a son of Martin and Fredericka (Schaefer) Wikidal. Mr. Wikidal was reared in Canton and was educated in the Moravian College at Lititz, Pennsylvania. At manhood he embarked in a hardware business at Canton, Ohio, and later became interested in a manufacturing business in which he continued until he located in Topeka, in 1876. For many years he was one of the leading and useful citizens, active in the de- veloping of the resources of the State and in increasing her agricultural and commercial importance. In 1862 Mr. Wikidal was married to Elizabeth Williams, a daughter of George Williams. Five children were born to them: Mary F., who is the wife of C. S. Eagle, the well-known cigar merchant of Topeka; Julia, who is the widow of John M. Wells, of Canton, Ohio ; Martin and William Williams, both of Topeka, and Louis P., of Chanute, Kansas. The latter is connected with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway at Chanute, Kansas. William Williams Wikidal, the second son of the family, married Emilie Packer King, the only daughter of James L. King, who is the editor of this work and State librarian of Kansas. The late Mr. Wikidal was identified with the Republican party but never JAMES SWAN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 593 sought political honors. He was prominent also in the Masonic fraternity. His widow still resides in Topeka, enjoying the comforts of a beautiful home at No. 435 Harrison street. ■4»» JAMES SWAN. James Swan^ one of the prosperous farmers and well-known men of Mission township, Shawnee County, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, owns 240 acres of land in section 27, township 12, range 15. He was born in 1828 in Fifeshire, Scotland, and is a son of George and Anna (Oliphant) Swan. George Swan, the paternal grandfather, died in Scotland in 1846, aged 83 years. Our subject's father followed the trade of baker in his native land. The mother died in Scotland, and in the fall of 1853 the father and his oldest daughter came to America and settled in Guernsey County, Ohio, where he died in 1863, aged 81 years. James Swan, our immediate subject, came to the United States in No- vember, 1850, and settled in Guernsey County, Ohio, with Rev. Mr. Bloom and wife, the former of whom was a farmer and a local preacher. About 1853 he went to Indiana, prior to the coming of his father and sister to Ohio, and the former he never saw in this country. Mr. Swan remained in Indi- ana until the spring of 1857 and then came to Kansas on a prospecting trip, after which he returned to Indiana and settled up his affairs. In 1858 he filed a claim for 80 acres of his present farm and by i860 his family was established here, for a time on a rented farm. In 1862 Mr. Swan enlisted in the government service, entering the Sixth Regiment, Kansas Vol. Cav., and faithfully performed a soldier's duties until he was mustered out in June, 1865, at Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas. During this time he participated in these battles : Prairie Grove and Cane Hill, Missouri, and Honey Springs, Indian Territory. This did not include all the activity of the regiment for, being stationed on the frontier, it bore the brunt of the constant skirmishing going on and served as a protection to outlying farms and isolated homes. When the regiment took part in the battle of Saline River, Mr. Swan was engaged in a much more dangerous task, having been detailed in February, 1864, as officer in charge of the mail service. The hardship and danger attendant upon this work brought on illness and he was relieved from this duty on May 15, 1864. He has never fully recovered from the nervous strain of those months during which he so faithfully performed his duty that in November, 1864, he was promoted 29 594 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY to the rank of ist sergeant and was finally discharged as such. During his mail service he had lo men under his charge and the duties of the position required that the mail should be carried through a great stretch of hostile country. Two of his men were killed and two others were wounded but the mails reached their destination in safety. After the close of his army service, Mr. Swan returned to his farm in Mission township, Shawnee County, and entered upon its development and improvement. He added to the original tract until now he owns a large and valuable body of land. The home property has many desirable features that add to its value and attractiveness, not the least of which is a living spring that furnishes an excellent supply of water. A bearing orchard of five acres, where all kinds of fruit suited to this section are grown, fur- nishes its owner with an abundance of fruit for home use and for sale. The landscape as viewed from the house presents quite a pleading sight, as the vista includes the fruit trees of the orchard and many forest trees and ever- greens. In 1854, in Steuben County, Indiana, Mr. Swan married Wilhemina Pothoff, who is a daughter of Albert and Elizabeth (Homer) Pothofif, both now deceased. Mr. Pothoff was a farmer in Indiana, in which State he died, aged 66 years. Mr. and Mrs. Swan have reared five children, namely : John F., who married Millie Eaton and has six children, — Robert B., Mary, Will- iam, Ida Belle, Jessie and Clarissa; Lillian, who married C. F. Slaton and has three children, — Maude, Grace and Roy; James W., of Colorado; Jessie E., wife of A. J. Sinel; and A. R., who married Ida Belle Kallmeyer and has one child, — Albert Frederick. Politically Mr. Swan has been a life-long Republican. For 13 years he has been a member of the School Board and from 1879 ""*'! 1884 he served as township trustee. He has been a justice of the peace for 13 years and in 1880 he was the township census taker. His official duties have been per- formed with uniform accuracy and with the same consideration for the pub- lic's interest that made him such a faithful soldier during the direful days of the Civil War. Mr. Swan is a member of the Masonic fraternity. HON. FLOYD P. BAKER. In the capital city of Kansas there are men now living retired from active participation in the shaping of passing events, who are able to regard with justifiable satisfnction the results of their long years of leadership and honorable devotion to the public's welfare. In Floyd P. Baker is found such a citizen, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 595 whose life has been closely identified with the interests of Kansas since i860. Floyd P. Baker was born November 16, 1820, in Washington County, New York, and is a son of Reuben and Lois (Baxter) Baker. They married in 181 1 and reared 11 children. The father was a self-educated man, preparing himself for the profession of teaching by study by the light of a pine-knot iire. He lived to the age of 82 years and his widow survived until i860. The Bakers are of Massachusetts extraction and the Baxters belong to the old families of New York. The educational advantages enjoyed by Mr. Baker in his youth were meager, three months in the year being all the time he could claim for school- ing and during these months he daily waded through the winter snows of that region, but, nevertheless, he prepared himself for teaching and started out on his own account when 18 years of age. After six months experience as a schoolmaster in £rie County, New York, he went to Michigan where he spent the next two years farming, blacksmithing and teaching a private school in which he was expected to instruct in astronomy and botany, advanced branches which he was obliged to privately study to keep ahead of his class, his own instruction not having included these. In 1840 a new line opened up for him and he engaged as agent for the lines of packet boats and stages which ran from New York City to Montreal, Canada, in which he continued until 1848, when he went to Racine, Wisconsin. Here he completed his law studies and was admitted to the bar and here fol- lowed farming and also engaged in an insurance business until 185 1, when he went to San Francisco where he practiced his profession for 12 months. Cir- cumstances then arose which took him to the Sandwich Islands, where he became the crown attorney and clerk of the District Court at Hilo, Hawaii, where he remained three years. Upon his return to the United States, he located in Andrew County, Missouri, where he engaged in agricultural pur- suits until i860 when he came first to Kansas, locating in Nemaha County, where he was shortly after made superintendent of schools. It was in the fall of this year that he became well known to the people 'Of this State, in a public capacity, being appointed one of a committee of five of an organization which had been formed at Lawrence, with S. E. Pomeroy as chairman, to take means to help the people of Kansas then in dire need on account of the failure of the crops. At that time Mr. Baker had his head- quarters at Atchison, although his home was at old Centralia. His duties were manifold and during this time every energy was exerted by him to better the condition and relieve the necessities of the hundreds who were living with famine staring them in the face with the rigors of an unusually severe winter to add to their sufiferings. It was during this period that he underwent an experience which came near terminating not only his career of disinterested 596 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY usefulness but his life as well. On January i8, 1861, when he left his head- quarters at Atchison for a visit to his home, he found that all the teams were loaded heavily as they could stand with provisions that had been sent from the East in answer to the efforts of his committee, and he decided-^o walk the dis- tance. This was considerable of an undertaking but would probably have been safely accomplished had not a blinding snow-storm arisen which caused him to lose his way over the old Indian trail he was following. He was almost exhausted with cold and \\eariness when the light of a log cabin came into view and he was welcomed by its owner with the true and hearty hospitality which always marked the Kansas pioneer. Here he learned that he had prob- ably been wandering for hours in a circle and that he was within a quarter of a mile of the place whence he started, and here he received the best entertain- ment that the owner of the humble cabin could command. In 1863 Mr. Baker came to Topeka, having served in the State Legislature during the previous year, and here entered upon his long and pregnant career as a journalist. In association with S. D. McDonald he purchased the State Record, which he continued to issue until 1871, when he sold his interest ta the Commonwealth and went to Texas, locating at Dennison just at the time when business enterprises were being pushed forward there. During his three years residence in the South, he became one of the leading men of that section,, and edited and published the Advocate at Dennison, and also during that time organized the State Historical Society of Kansas, of which he was first secre- tary and later president. In 1875 Mr. Baker returned to Topeka where his family were still residing. In this year Mr. Baker bought the Topeka Commonivcalth, a paper which, under his able management and experienced direction, took a very prominent position in State literature and politics, and he continued its issue until 1888 when it was consolidated with the Topeka Capital. In the meantime, Mr. Baker oper- ated a wholesale paper and type house. During the year 1878 he received the appointment of assistant commissioner to the World's Fair at Paris, the duties- of which he filled with becoming dignity, serving in the forestry department. Mr. Baker was married, first, to Eliza F. Wilson, of Montgomery County, New York, who died at Racine, Wisconsin. Their one son, Floyd, died at New Orleans, aged five years. Mr. Baker was married, second, to Orinda Searle, in 1850, who was a member of one of the prominent families of Racine. They had five children, namely: Albert, who died aged 15 months; Nestor, who- was born in the Sandwich Islands, formerly a prominent citizen of Topeka, now of San Francisco; Clifford C, who has been interested with his father for 25 years in the newspaper business and for four years secretary of the Senate and subsequently State printer; Isaac, connected with the Standard Oil Company, who is a resident of Bay City, IMichigan; and Minnie, who is: AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 597 the wife of H. W. Sharp, division superintendent of die Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway at Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Baker organized the State Historical Society of Kansas, of which he was first secretary and later president. Since 1844 he has been an Odd Fellow and has attained high place in this organization. He served as grand patriarch of the Encampment, grand master of the Grand Lodge of the State of Kansas and was a representative to the Grand Lodge of the United States. In 1846 he was made a Mason. JAMES A. HICKEY. James A. Hickey, one of the original settlers of Topeka, in 1854, and the only one now living here, has been one of its well-known and valued citi- -zens for its half century of existence. Mr. Hickey was born in Ireland, October 28, 1833, and is a son of Owen Hickey, who died on the way to America, his son being then about 12 years of age. Our subject's venerable mother, now aged 98 years, still lives, making her home with a cousin in Allegany County, J^ew York. Mr. Hickey, after coming to this country, lived in Clinton County, New York, for a time and then came to Topeka in 1854. By a mere chance he was absent at Lawrence when the city was organized, but he was given a share in the Topeka Town Association, 100 shares being issued. The original settlers were : Milton C. Dickey, Enoch Chase, George Davis, Jacob B. Chase, Cyrus K. Holliday, Daniel H. Home, Fry W. Giles and Dr. J. F. Merriam, and to this list must be added the name of James A. Hickey. They were the first settlers to become squatters here and the four first named built the first house here, the others following. This house was made of logs and was covered with prairie grass and sod. Probably no man in this section knows better the ups and downs of To- peka's early days than Mr. Hickey. Quail and prairie chickens were very plentiful and a few deer were still here as were also prairie wolves, but the nearest trading point was Kansas City, and desperate characters infested the whole border. Mr. Hickey's land was the quarter section which is now the Ritchie Addition to Topeka. Business houses started up one after the other, the first merchant being a man named Jones, who was soon followed by Allen & Gordon, of Lawrence. Rev. S. Y. Lum, of Lawrence, came to minister to the settlers and frequently had to sleep in hay stacks. The first subscription school was conducted by Miss Harlan in a frame shanty on Madison street, "but later the New England Emigrant Aid Company built a school house on Harrison street, where Jacob Smith now resides. 598 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Mr. Hickey dealt in real estate and for 19 years lived in his old home on Van Buren street. He also clerked in dry goods and implement houses for some years. During the Civil War he was an official and has served as under sheriff under A. H. Hale, Sherman Bodwell, H. E. Bush, A. M. Fuller, Chester Thomas and John M. Wilkinson. He can recall many of the most interesting events of those early days, saw the first railroad enter the town — the Union Pacific — on January i, 1866, and can remember when the mails were brought from Lawrence by any one who happened to pass along and was willing to take the trouble. For the past eight years he has lived in the southeast of the city where he has a productive fruit farm. In 1870 Mr. Hickey was married in Kentucky to Mrs. Ophelia (Allan) Deming, widow of Dr. Augustus Deming, who left two children, — Mrs. A. D. Gray, and Caroline, who lives at home. The late Dr. Deming came to Topeka in 1859, practiced here and during the Civil War served as surgeon with the rank of major. He died at Leavenworth, January 8, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Hickey have four grandchildren, sons and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gray : Arthur, David Deming, Philip, Augustus and Gertrude Caroline. Mr. and Mrs. Hickey are among the oldest members of the First Presby- terian Church, Mrs. Hickey's name appearing as one of the 20 charter mem- bers. Rev. Mr. Steele was the first regular pastor. Mr. Hickey is a member of the Old Settlers' Association and was its presi- dent one year. With his wonderful memory and vivid descriptive powers, Mr. Hickey can easily bring to life the intensely interesting occurrences which marked the founding of this great capital city of Kansas. In all that she has grown to be he bore his part in the early days, helping to lay business founda- tions and to preserve peace and order. HUBERT A. HEATH. Hubert A. Heath, manager of the Kansas Farmer, one of the old estab- lished journals of Topeka, was born April 28, 1857, at Cerro Gordo, Piatt County, Illinois, and is a son of John Heath, one of the old residents there. Mr. Heath's boyhood and school days were passed at Cerro Gordo and he was graduated at the Wesleyan University in Illinois. In 1881 he came to Topeka and has been connected with the Kansas Farmer ever since. He has long been identified with stock interests in this State and for the past 10 years has been secretary of the Stock Breeders' Association, and was a special agent of the Bureau of Animal Industry under Hon. J. M. Rusk, U. S. Secretary of Agriculture, for three years, when he resigned the post. The position was AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 599 one which had come to him entirely unsoHcited. Since then all his energies have been directed to the extension of the circulation and influence of the paper with which he has been connected for the past 25 years, a paper which finds a welcome at almost every intelligent farmer's home in the State and which has been a helpful friend and adviser to many perplexed agriculturists. Mr. Heath was married to Estelle Read, of Bloomington, Illinois, and they have two daughters and one son. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics Mr. Heath takes an independent attitude, his paper being an agricultural instead of a political journal. ELIAS SHULL. Elias Shull, one of the prominent citizens of Topeka, who has been identified with the growth and development of the city since June, 1869, and one of the leading pension attorneys of this part of the State, was born April 4, 1839, at Massillon, Stark County, Ohio, and is a son of Jacob and Sarah (Diehl) Shull. Jacob Shull was born March 24, 1803, at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He was a cabinet-maker by trade. In early manhood he migrated to Ohio. In the spring of 1840 he removed to Huntington County, Indiana, where he died September 26, 1845. On December i, 1835, he married Sarah Diehl, who was born September 18, 1810, near Greencastle, Pennsylvania. She sur- vived her husband for almost 50 years, her death resulting from an injury re- ceived by a fall on the ice in January, 1893. Elias Shull enjoyed liberal educational advantages. He passed from Chambersburg Academy to Wittenberg College, at Springfield, Ohio, and belonged to the graduating class of 1862, but on Commencement Day he was wearing the blue uniform of the United States Army on the Virginia hills. After his term of service expired and he had been honorably discharged, he taught one term in the Davenport (Iowa) High School. At a later period he reentered military service as a clerk and quartermaster's agent at Vicksburg and in the region round about, and remained in attendance upon the duties of these positions, frequently in great peril, until the close of hostilities. His next work was the superintendence of the collecting of the Union dead from their scattered burial places on both shores of the Mississippi near Vicksburg and from inland battle-fields adjacent, and the transference of these precious remains to the National Cemetery near the city of Vicksburg. After this patriotic and pious work was accomplished, Mr. Shull went to Washington, D. C, July 15, 1867, where, thenceforth, until April, 1869, he 6oo HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY was a clerk in the United States service. Early in June, 1869, he came to Topeka, where his interests have centered ever since. Here he became clerk in the office of the assistant general solicitor of the Kansas Pacific Railroad Company ; was eight years clerk in the Topeka pension agency ; \\'as connected with mortgage loaning companies for seven years and for some years was president of the Kansas Investment Company. In February, 1887, Mr. ShuU was admitted to the bar of Shawnee County and he has been in active practice ever since, confining his energies mainly to the prosecution of pension claims, etc. In recalling his public offices, including his military connections, the biog- rapher finds that Mr. Shull was a corporal in Company B, 86th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., from which he was honorably discharged; quartermaster's agent in full control of a woodyard on Island No. 98 in the Mississippi River, established under the provisions of General Order No. 124 of the War Department (series of 1864), to work timber into cordwood wherewith to supply steamboats in the military service on that river; and quartermaster's clerk at Vicksburg, Mississippi. The only elective office of a public nature ever held by him was that of a member of the Board of Education of Topeka, in which he continued about five years. Until his service in said office, the High School of Topeka was not free to anybody ; on his motion it was then made entirely free to every scholar residing in Topeka having the prescribed proficiency. In 1887 he united with the Grand Army of the Republic and continues to be the first post historian of Lincoln Post, No. i, at Topeka, and is also quartermaster of that post, now in the eighth year of consecutive service, which is a period ex- ceeding in duration that of any predecessor. In 1879 ^^- ShuU joined the Ancient Order of United Workmen and for several years was the financier of his lodge and still is actively interested in its work. In religious connection, he adheres to the church of the English Lutherans of the General Synod in the United States and was treasurer of the council of the church at Topeka for more than 23 consecutive years. Mr. Shull was married February 28, 1871, at Topeka, Kansas, to Mary C. Alsip, who was born in Washington County, Maryland, and who was about eight years younger than he. Their children were : Homer A., born February 17, 1872; Lucy May, born May 25, 1873; Harvey, born August 25, 1874, deceased January 30, 1902; Jacob, born June 18, 1876; Oscar born June 16, 1878, deceased in November, 1881 ; Sarah, born January 8, 1880; Cora, born in September, 1884; and John D., born April 4, 1886. Harvey Shull's temper- ament, and achievements to the time of his early death, inspired high hopes of things yet to be accomplished, but his work was ended ere he seemed to have reached the prime of his strength. In politics Mr. Shull has been an ardent Republican, but not too ardent JOHN MILLS AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 603 to sometimes, on local elections, vote for a nominee of the opposing party, when he inclined to the opinion that it was promotive of the highest welfare so to do. He voted for Abraham Lincoln in i860, and never afterwards for a presidential nominee other than Republican in party connection. JOHN MILLS. John Mills^ deceased, who in life was a very highly esteemed citizen and good farmer of Silver Lake township, Shawnee County, was born Feb- ruary 26, 1820, in Carroll County, Ohio, and was a son of William Mills, who served through the War of 181 2 and moved to Carroll County, Ohio, from Berks County, Pennsylvania, where he was born. John Mills, whose portrait accompanies this sketch was reared and edu- cated in Carroll County, Ohio, where he became a substantial farmer and Jived until 1882, when he came to Shawnee County and purchased a farm in Silver Lake township, on which he resided until his death on January 22, 1892. His burial took place here. Mr. Mills was married June 7, 1866, in Carroll County, Ohio, to Mary E. Fouts, who was born March 8, 1841, and is a daughter of George and Eleanor (Hemming) Fouts. Her father was a carpenter by trade, a worthy, industrious man. He died March 23, 1875, but his widow survived until December 22, 1900. Both rest in the burying ground near their old home in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Mills had four children, namely: Martha, who married C. W. Maupin, a farmer of Silver Lake township and has two chil- dren, Chapman W. and John Dewey; George, deceased; James H., a hard- ware merchant at Rossville, who married Laura D. Johnson, and has one child, a daughter, — Evelyn Eudora; and Harry E., a farmer living west of Rossville, who married Flora A. McCullough, and has one httle six-year old daughter, Wilma O. The eldest son, George Mills, died at San Fran- cisco while in a hospital, on October 13, 1899, from hardships and exposure during his service as a soldier in the Spanish-American War. He en- listed in Company I, 20th Kansas Infantry, U. S. Volunteers, under Gen- eral Funston and went to the Philippines May 12, 1898, and while there -performed a soldier's full duty at Caloocan, Tulijan, Malinta, Poli, Marilao, Bigoa Guiginto, Malolas, Bagbag River, Calumpit, Grand River, Santo Tomas, San Fernando, Bacolor and Santa Rita. Many hearts were grieved at his early death. On March 17, 1897, Mrs. Mills was married to Rezin Fowler, who was born July i, 1825, in Floyd County, Indiana, and is a son of Richard and 6o4 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Docie (Miller) Fowler. The parents of Mr. Fowler were natives of Ken- tucky, farming people there. Later they moved to Indiana, where the father died in August, 1861, and the mother in 1863. Of their 10 children, Rezia was the only one who came to Kansas. Mr. Fowler was reared a farmer and carried on agricultural pursuits. in Washington County, Indiana, for a period of 48 years. In 1873 he came to Silver Lake township, Shawnee County, Kansas, buying a farm of 16O' acres. This he operated for the next 23 years and then retired from active life, taking up his residence in a pleasant home on the corner of Walnut. street and Railroad avenue, in the village of Silver Lake. He retains a very valuable tract of 30 acres within a half mile of the town, which he has under rental. Mr. Fowler has been twice married, first to Sarah Loughmiller, on December 15, 1849, who died March 5, 1895, and was buried in Prairie Home Cemetery. They had four children, namely: Erastus, who died in Indiana, aged three and a half years; Edwin F,, a carpenter by trade, who married Maud Barnes and moved to Oregon, where he died in 1888; John L., a carpenter by trade, in business at Ottawa, Kansas, who married Fannie Bridgeford, and has two children, — Carl and Morrell; and Harry A., a farmer and carpenter, living in Shawnee County, who married Eva Stockwell and has. one son, — Loren. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In this body he has been a trustee for a number of years. Mr. Fowler has taken no very active interest in politics since he came to Shawnee County, but in recognition of his standing and reliability he was twice elected treas- urer of Silver Lake township and served with the greatest acceptability. The whole family is well known and much esteemed. JULIUS TAYLOR CLARK. The birth of the venerated and esteemed subject of this sketch took place- at a history-making period, not only on American but also on foreign soil, and" his whole long and useful life, with its varied interests and honorable successes, has been one more or less connected with important events. Mr. Clark was- born August 3, 1814, and is a son of Jesse Ashley and Rhoda (Hill) Clark. The Clark family, from which Julius Taylor Clark descended, was- founded in New England by three English emigrants of the name, who prob- ably settled in Connecticut in colonial days. The great-grandfather was a resi- dent there and was educated as an Episcopal (Church of England) clergyman,. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 605. but as in those early days all Episcopal clergymen in America were obliged to go to England for ordination, a dislike of crossing the ocean for this pur- pose caused him to leave that ecclesiastical connection and to unite with the Independents or Congregationalists, as they now are called. He served as a Congregational minister until his death. He left three sons : Jesse, Ashley and John. Jesse Clark, the grandfather, married Tamma Wheeler, who died in the first year of marriage, leaving one son, Jesse Ashley, who was born May 25,, 1789, at Spencertown, New York. Jesse Ashley Clark spent his early days- with his grandfather Clark, but when yet a young man went to Northwestern Vermont, where he was employed in teaching and clerical work. He married Rhoda Hill, a daughter of Caleb and Cynthia (Strong) Hill. She was the oldest of 12 children who reached maturity. They owned and occupied the major portion of Isle-La-Motte, a beautiful island at the northern extremity of Lake Champlain. After marriage, Mr. Clark resided on this island and engaged in farming and teaching until 1820, when he removed to Malone, . New York. During his period of residence on the island, these children were ■ born, viz: Justus McKinstry, December 27, 1812; Julius Taylor, August 3, 1814; Tamma Wheeler, August 25, 1816; and Abigail Ashley, February 17, 1 81 9. Jack Wheeler Clark was born at Malone, March 9, 1821. The father - was a resident of Ottawa, Illinois, when the mother of our subject died, in 1836. The father married again and at the time of death was survived by his widow and a son, Jesse Ashley, and a daughter, Harriet. They subsequently removed to San Francisco. In the War of 1812, when the British troops crossed the Canada line in 1814, at Champlain, near the north end of the lake of that name, a detachment landed on Isle-La-Motte, taking all the men prisoners but releasing them on parole. Among these were the father and the maternal grandfather of Mr. Clark. Grandfather Hill was shot and killed by some one, while standing in his own door, either through accident or by design, but the prepetrator of the act was never discovered. Grandmother Clark was wont to tell that when the family saw the British soldiers coming, she caught our subject, then an infant, in her arms, while the mother carried the three-year-old brother into the bushes and there they remained hidden until the soldiers disappeared. The paternal great-grandmother was a Scott and on her mother's side she was an Ashley, a descendant of the celebrated Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftsbury, who was made a peer, as Baron Ashley, in 1661. Seth- Strong, the father of our subject's maternal grandmother, spent his last days with Grandmother Hill and died in her house on Isle-La-Motte. In 1824 the father of our subject, removed from Malone, New York, to • Fort Covington, Franklin County, and soon after to the village of Bombay,. 6o6 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY some five miles distant, where he engaged in a mercantile business until 1833, when he removed to Ottawa, Illinois. He was one of the original founders . and proprietors of that city, preempting and purchasing the land from the gov- ernment. He occupied a farm adjoining Ottawa, on the south side of the Illinois River, until 1840, when the whole family removed to Madison, Wiscon- sin. A few years later the father removed to the village of Cambridge, a few miles east of Madison, where he died in 1852, his remains being interred in a burial lot owned by our subject at Madison. Julius Taylor Clark began his education at his mother's knee and he has been assured that when but three years of age he was able to read and spell words of three syllables. His studies in preparation for a collegiate course, were pursued at Fort Covington, partly in a private school under Rev. J. A. Savage, D. D., and partly at the village academy. In 1833 he entered Union College, at Schenectady, where for three years he had the honor of standing with a few others, at the maximum head of the roll, for both scholarship and deportment, and from this institution he subsequently received the degree of M. A. During his last year in college he entered his name as a law student in the office of Potter & Page, in Schenectady, this firm being attorneys for tjie Albany & Utica Railroad, the longest road at that time in America. At the celebration on the completion of this road, Mr. Clark was one of the guests in the making of the initial trip. In the summer of 1836 he returned to his father's home, then at Ottawa, removal having been made during his absence at college. Mr. Clark completed his law studies under the instruction of Hon. Cyrus Walker, of Macomb, Illinois, and began practice at Ottawa. When his father removed to Madison, Wisconsin, he accompanied the family and there began the practice of the law with William M. Seymour, who was already well estab- lished there. After a limited period this partnership was dissolved and Mr. Clark succeeded to the entire practice, not a large one, as the town was not yet of great importance and the country was but thinly populated. In this way he found time to assist in the editing of the only newspaper published there, and also for reporting in the Upper House of the Legislature. He served also for some time as auditor of the Territory, under Governor James Duane Doty and Secretary Field. Subsequently he accepted the appointment of agent of the general government among the Chippewa Indians, to instruct them, as far as possible, in the ways and habits of civilized life. He remained several years in this capacity and then resumed his law practice at Madison, entering into partnership with Messrs. Catlin and Abbott. Mr. Catlin soon retired but the firm of Abbott & Clark continued for a number of years and after its dissolution Mr. Clark continued in practice alone until 1864. His health at this time was somewhat impaired through the strain and confinement AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 607 of his profession and this induced him to remove to his large and well ap- pointed farm just outside the city limits, where the active out-door life restored his health and where he enjoyed some four years of solid comfort. In the summer of 1868 he disposed of his farm and removed with his family to Kansas, where he purchased 1,300 acres of land, adjoining the pres- ent town of Osage City in Osage County, and entered upon its stocking and improvement. However, he sold this land in the following year and removed to Topeka, accepting the position of secretary and superintendent, as he was already one of the proprietors, of the Topeka Gas Company. Mr. Clark con- tinued in this capacity until the sale of the plant in 1895. Mr. Clark was married, first, on May 3, 1846, at Madison, Wisconsin, to Palmyra S. Cornell, who died of tuberculosis on December 25, 1853, and was interred in her husband's burial lot atMadison. She was survived by two sons, Julius Scott and Edgar Sterling. The former is a resident of Topeka and has a family of two sons and four daughters. The latter was named in honor of the first professor of the Wisconsin University, of which Mr. Clark was at that time one of the regents and secretary of the board. He was severely hurt by being thrown from a horse, from the effects of which he died at Burlingame, Kansas, September 10, 1869. His remains and those of a daughter, Jessie, who died in the same year, lie in the family lot at Topeka. Mr. Clark was married second on December 28, 1854, to Juliet Millard, at Dubuque, Iowa, where she was principal of a ladies' seminary under the auspices of Miss Mann, sister of the great philanthropist, Horace Mann, and an equally celebrated instructor. After a beautiful, devoted and happy wedded life of 45 years, Mrs. Clark died at Topeka, on April 30, 1899. She was tenderly laid to rest in the beautiful family enclosure in the Topeka Cemetery. Of the children of this second union, two died in infancy, the survivors being : Justus Millard, Winnifred and Mary Adaline. Justus Millard married Bertie Hammond and they have two children, Julius and Roy. By profession he is a civil engineer and at present is chief engineer in the construction of the Boise, Nampa & Owyhee Railroad. Winnifred was married on October 6, 1888, to L. H. Wolfe, of Indianapolis, Indiana, and they have two children, — Jessie and Herman. Mary Adaline was married on October 6, 1895, to J. W. F. Hughes, of Topeka, and they have three children, — James Clark, Alice Winnifred and Mary Juliet. As noted, during his residence at Madison, Mr. Clark was one of the representative citizens. He was a member and was secretary of the first board of regents who laid the foundations of the celebrated University of Wisconsin, and upon him devolved the principal labor and responsibility of the undertaking. Mainly from the profits of the purchase and sale of a 160-acre tract of land adjoining the city, after reserving 40 acres for the use of the University, means •6o8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY , were realized to erect the first of the university buildings. Congress also granted land and its sale assisted in furthering the work, but for a long time it was the brains of Mr. Clark which brought about the consummation of the great plans involved and assured the success of the undertaking. He was also a member of the board of regents of the State Normal schools from the time of their formation until his resignation on his removal from the State in 1868. On the organization of the Kansas Children's Home Society, in 1894, Mr. Clark was honored by being chosen president, an office he still holds. In 1900 he was elected one of the vice-presidents of the American Sunday School Union and in these organizations he has the veneration and love of thousands. He has always been interested in the Kansas State Historical Society and at various times he has added valuable documents and data. Mr. Clark is the author of the well-known book "Ojibwa Conquest," which he wrote during his residence among the Chippewa Indians, but which he did not place before the public until his retirement from active business. He is connected with various social bodies. COL. WILDER STEVENS METCALF. Col. Wilder Stevens Metcalf, United States pension agent at Topeka, has been prominent in both military and professional life for a number of years. He was born at Mile, Maine, September 10, 1855, and is a son of Isaac ^Stevens and Antoinette B. (Putnam) Metcalf. The family is of New England ancestry, the father a native of Massachu- setts and the mother of New Hampshire, and their forebears were colonial set- tlers prior to the Revolutionary War, in which they bore prominent parts. The father of Colonel Metcalf graduated as a civil engineer from Bowdoin College in 1848, and became identified with the Illinois Central Railroad as chief of ■division. In 1855 he removed to Elyria, Ohio. Wilder Stevens Metcalf completed the public school course at Elyria in 1872, and then entered Oberlin College, where he was graduated an A. B. in 1878. In 1887 he came to Kansas, locating at Lawrence, where he entered into partnership with Edward Russell, in the farm mortgage business. Since the death of Mr. Russell, in 1898, our subject has continued alone, still retaining his residence in Douglas County. After coming to Kansas he completed his law studies and was graduated in 1897 at the Kansas University and in the same year was admitted to the Kansas bar. Prior to coming to this State, Colonel Metcalf had been identified for years with the Ohio National Guard, military life always having attractions for him. When the Spanish-American War came on, he enlisted in the 20th AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 609 Hegiment, Kansas Infantry, U. S. Volunteers under Colonel (now General) Funston and succeeded the latter in command. During the two years this regiment served in the Philippines, its members and commanders brought it into prominence through fine training as well as gallant action. Colonel Met- -calf was breveted brigadier general by President McKinley for gallant and meritorious action in the Philippines. For the past 18 years Colonel Metcalf has been a member of the Kansas National Guard and a large part of his fine library is filled with text-books on military matters. Colonel Metcalf has always been an ardent Republican and in 1899 he was sent as a delegate-at-large to the Republican National Convention held at Philadelphia. On March i, 1902, he was appointed United State pension agent at Topeka, his offices being in the Federal Building in this city. He has held civic positions at Lawrence and is a member of the Board of Education of Douglas County. Colonel Metcalf was married at Wellington, Ohio, July 30, 1878, to Mary E. Crosier, who was born in Ohio. They attend the Congregational Church. His fraternal associations include the higher branches of Masonry, the Society of the Army of the Philippines and the Military Order of Foreign Wars, and he is eligible to membership in the Sons of the American Revolution. EDWARD B. GUILD. Edward B. Guild^ proprietor of the oldest music house at Topeka and in the State of Kansas, is one of the city's old and esteemed business men. Mr. Guild was born at Seneca Falls, New York, and is a son of Loring and Pamelia (Butts) Guild. The Guild family is a New England one and is well represented in Boston, Massachusetts. The father of our subject removed to Wisconsin when Ed- ward B. was small and for some years published a newspaper at Kenosha. Later he removed to Madison, whence he came to Lawrence, Kansas, in i860, re- moving then to Boonesboro, Iowa, in 1864, engaging in mercantile pursuits and milling during these years. In 1875 ^e came to Kansas again and settled at Topeka, where his death took place in the same year. He married in New York and Mrs. Guild died in 1892, at the home of our subject. Edward B. Guild was prepared by Rev. Mr. Montague, at Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, for entrance to the State University, in 1853, where he was grad- uated in 1859, sharing honors with Alexander Botkin, who later became a famous lawyer and was selected to assist in revising the criminal laws of the United States. Another classmate belonging to that notable body of graduates 6io HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY of 1859 was Bishop Samuel Fallows, of Chicago, and still another was Leon- ard S. Clark, now a prominent attorney at San Francisco. In 1862 the degree of M. A. was conferred by his college on Mr. Guild. From 1875 Mr. Guild's business interests have been at Topeka. Until 1875 he was engaged in a general mercantile line in Iowa and then opened up in Topeka in the musical line, succeeding S. W. Stone. Mr. Guild occupies a commodious building at No. 722 Kansas. avenue, 25 by 150 feet in dimen- sions, where he carries a large and complete stock of everything in his line. Mr. Guild was married at Topeka in 1878, to Ovella H. Dunn, who is a daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Ann (Morgan) Dunn, the father being one of the early merchants of this city. They have three children : Leslie E., How- ard C. and Florence Gladys. Their beautiful home is situated at No. 515 Topeka avenue. Mr. Guild is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security, is vice- president of the local council of National Union and is a member of the Com- mercial Club of Topeka. His long and honorable business career here has made him known to a large majority of the citizens. EDWIN KNOWLES. Edwin Knowles, cashier of The Central National Bank, of Topeka, and one of the leading financiers of this section, was born August 20, 1835, in the State of Maine, and is a son of Alfred Knowles. Mr. Knowles came to Kansas in 1856 and preempted a claim of a quarter- section of land in Miami County. In 1871 he settled in Nemaha County where he engaged in banking and ixiilling, residing for six years at Seneca, remov- ing then to Sabetha and in 1883 to Topeka. After becoming a resident of the capital city, Mr. Knowles became cashier of the Central' Bank of Kansas, and in January, 1894, assisted in the organiza- tion of The Central National Bank, of Topeka. The first officers were : P. I. Bonebrake, president; C. C. Wheeler, vice-president; Edwin Knowles, cash- ier ; and Willis Norton, assistant cashier. The directors during the first year were : P. I. Bonebrake, Edwin Knowles, George R. Peck, the late Dr. D. W. Stormont, W. B. Strong, A. S. Johnson, H. P. Dillon, the late Willard Davis and E. B. Purcell. The present officers are: P. I. Bonebrake, president; C. S. Downing, vice-president ; Edwin Knowles, cashier and S. E. Thompson, assistant cashier. In 1867 Mr. Knowles was married to Elizabeth Bergen and they have one daughter and one son. Mr. Knowles is a progressive and public-spirited J. p. LEWIS, M. D. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 613 citizen, a man of prominence and character. He served six years as a member of the State Board of Charities and has been associated with a number of civic bodies; J. P. LEWIS, M. D. J. P. Lewis, M. D., whose portrait accompanies this sketch, is recog- nized as one of the foremost physicians and surgeons of Eastern Kansas. He is a resident of Topeka, where he has practiced continuously since 1883. He is a broad-minded, well-educated man and has taken a deep concern in the welfare of his home city. Dr. Lewis was born at Sulphur Springs, Ohio, December 20, 1848, and is a son of William and Caroline (Porter) Lewis. His paternal grandfather, Jacob Lewis, was a noted gunsmith, manufacturing all his guns by hand. Dr. William Lewis, father of our subject, was born in Ohio and there studied medicine under the direction of the ablest physician and surgeon in the com- munity, there being few medical colleges and societies at that date. With several others he formed a class under this preceptor, using a sub-cellar as a dissecting room. He engaged in practice at Sulphur Springs until 1861, when he enlisted in the Union Army as a private in the 31st Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf., under Capt. John Free. He later became surgeon in his regiment, and served as such until he was discharged because of disability. This sick- ness resulted in his death on April 18, 1863, at Sulphur Springs, Ohio, where he was buried. He was united in marriage with Caroline Porter, who was born in Baltimore, Maryland, a daughter of John Porter, who was a prominent man and a political power in that city. Mr. Porter fought in the War of the Revolution under General Washington. In late life he moved to Ohio and there engaged in agricultural pursuits. Five children were born of this union, namely : Sarah E., wife of Dr. William Stallsmith, of Logan, Ohio; Amanda, deceased wife of Dr. Raney, of Logan, Ohio; J. P., whose name heads this sketch; and two who died in early life. J. P. Lewis attended the public and high schools of McConnellsvile, Ohio, graduating from the high school in 1869, and then entered the Med- ical College of Ohio, at Cincinnati. Upon graduating from this institution, in 1873, he took the prize for surgical work in a class of 320 students and was heartily congratulated by the newspapers and his many friends. He located for practice at New Lexington, Ohio, and later at Pleasantville, Ohio, where he remained until 1883, in which year he came to Topeka, Kansas. He has been a constant student of his profession, and has taken a number of post-graduate courses in the institutions of this country and abroad. He 30 6i4 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY attended the New York Polyclinic Hospital, and took a course in the General Hospital at Berlin, Germany. He went from there to Vienna and took up special work in gynecology. In returning home, he stopped in London long enough to complete a course in hospital and clinic work, and in Liverpool took a course in orthopedic surgery under the celebrated Dr. Hugh O. Thomas. He has met with remarkable success in his practice in Topeka, and has frequently been called upon to fill official positions. He was the first county health officer of Shawnee County, and at the same time was city physician, keeping the first record of the births and deaths the city ever had. He is on the medical staff of Christ's Hospital and is an ex-professor of anatomy and gynecology at the Kansas Medical College, a department of Washburn University. Politically, he is a Republican. In the fall of 1872, Dr. Lewis was joined in marriage with Sarah A. Brown, a daughter of Isaac and Mary Brown, her father being a farmer and stock-raiser of Sulphur Springs, Ohio. She died April 18, 1880, at New Lexington, Ohio, leaving two children : Florence, who is her father's house- keeper and companion ; and Olive, wife of Dr. Lawrence Chamberlin. Our subject formed a second union, in October, 1882, with Mattie A. Shoemaker, who died December 16, 1901, aged 41 years. One son was born to this union, — Charles W., who was formerly agent for the Provident Savings Life As- surance Company of New York, but is now engaged in the manufacture of the "Perfection" seed and grain cleaner, under the name of the Lewis-Tuttle Manufacturing Company, with headquarters at Topeka. He is one of the most active and energetic young business men of the city. Dr. Lewis is a member of Topeka Lodge, No. 204, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and served as its first treasurer. H. L. ALKIRE, M. D. H. L. Alkire, M. D., dean of the Kansas Medical College, at Topeka, one of the leading specialists on diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat,, has been associated with this well-known medical institution since the year of its organization. He is a native of Illinois, born near Springfield, November 17, 1862, and is a son of W. W. and Judith (Lightfoot) Alkire. Although our subject was born in Illinois, he was developed in Kansas, where he received district school and university training. After three years of the latter, he read medicine under Dr. D. J. Holland, of Atchison, for 18 months and then entered Jefferson Medical College, at Philadelphia, where AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 615 he was graduated with his degree, in 1887. He practiced in Western Kansas until 1889 and then settled at Topeka, where he continued in general practice until 1895. Finding his greatest professional interest to be in diseases of the -eye, ear, nose and throat, he took a course m the New York Polyclinic School, returning to Topeka in 1896. Since then he has made a specialty of the above diseases and has met with great success in this line. Since 1904 he has been ■dean of the Kansas Medical College, having been connected with this institu- tion since its organization, first as professor of chemistry, then in the chair ■of anatomy, and at present fills the chair of anatomy and otology. Dr. Alkire is a member of all the leading medical organizations including the American Medical Association, the Kansas State Medical Society, the Shawnee County Medical Society, the Northeast District Society, the Golden Belt Society, and the Society of Ophthalmology and Oto-Laryngology. He is also a Mason of high degree, having passed through the order's higher branches, and belongs to other fraternal orders. Dr. Alkire was married at Omaha, Nebraska, to Emma V. Somerlott, who was born in Maryland. ) JOHN S. DEAN. John S. Dean, United States district attorney, is considered one of the leading members of his profession in Kansas, and is a member of the well- known law firm of Kellar & Dean, of Topeka. Mr. Dean was born in Seneca County, Ohio, in November, 1861, and is a son of William O. and Hattie J. (Curtis) Dean. The ancestral line of Mr. Dean reaches far back to the early settlement of New England, even to the days of the Plymouth colony, a member of which was William Spooner, who was an ancestor of Polly Spooner, our subject's grandmother. On the paternal side, his great-grandfather, Aaron Dean, was a soldier in both the Revolutionary War and that of 1812. His father, Wil- liam O. Dean, served in the Civil War and now resides on his farm in Ohio, where the beloved mother died in 1898. The six children of the family all ■survive. John S. Dean completed his high school course at Oberlin, Ohio, in 1879 and then spent two years in Oberlin College, and then took up the study of the law in the office of the late Judge James Pillar, and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court at Columbus, Ohio, in 1883. He then came to Peabody, Kansas, and engaged in the practice of the law, subsequently being elected county attorney of Marion County. Later he formed a law partnership with 6i6 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY L. F. Kellar, who is a brother-in-law of Governor Edward W. Hoch, and in 1 90 1 was appointed United States district attorney. In 1883 Mr. Dean was married to Jennie Laird, wha was born in Ohio, and is a daughter of D. B. Laird, formerly of Pennsylvania. They have a family of three sons and three daughters. Politically, Mr. Dean has always been active in the Republican party and his efficiency has been frequently recognized. He had the pleasure of being a delegate to the St. Louis convention in 1896, which nominated the late Presi- dent McKinley. He is a member of the Bar Association of the State of Kan- sas, and there are few phases of the science of the law with which he is not thoroughly acquainted and competent to pass upon. His home continues to be at Marion, although the duties of his present office require his presence at Topeka. He is a member of various fraternal organizations at Marion and of the Elks at Topeka. CHARLES W. JEWELL. Charles W Jewell, deceased, was one of the founders of many of To- peka's business and educational organizations. He was born in Massachusetts, had but a district school education but was a man of so much native intelligence and progressive spirit that he became prominent wherever he lived. His busi- ness career began as a merchant at Harmar, Ohio. Later he was mate and part owner of a steamboat which bore the name of "Martha Putnam.'' In i860 he came to Kansas and engaged for a year in farming and stock-raising in Crawford County, and resided near what is now the town of Arcadia until 1862, when he was appointed quartermaster and ist lieutenant in the Sixth Kansas Cavalry, from which he received an honorable discharge. In Novem- ber, 1864, he came to Topeka. Mr. Jewell entered into a banking business on March 10, 1866, with the late Fry W. Giles, under the firm name of F. W. Giles & Company. It was. a private bank, which later became the Topeka National Bank, which failed in 1878. Mr. Jewell was authorized to settle the affairs of the bank which he did, paying the depositors in full. Mr. Jewell then organized the Topeka State Bank, of which he was president until 1887, when it was sold to the First National Bank at which time he retired from business. His death took place February 27, 1901, and he was buried in the Topeka Cemetery. He was identified with the developing of the entire city in the early days, was one of the founders of the Topeka Free Public Library, which was first located oppo- site the Central National Bank Building. He was also one of the founders of Washburn College, one of its trustees and treasurer and was connected with it AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 617 when it was Lincoln College. He was one of the original committee of three who had charge of the State grounds, known as the State House committee. At his decease he left the sum of $10,000 for Washburn College on condition that the college would raise a like sum for their permanent endowment fund. Mr. Jewell was for many years a member of the Board of Education of the city of Topeka. In 1853 he was married in Ohio to Susan A. Hendrie, who was born near Stamford, Connecticut,, but later removed to Watertown, Ohio. She now resides in California. They had seven children, three sons and three daugh- ters still surviving. CHARLES E. JEWELL. Charles E. Jewell, one of Topeka's successful business men and a mem- ber of one of the pioneer families in Kansas, was born in 1854 in Ohio, and is .a son of the late Charles W. and Susan A. (Hendrie) Jewell. Charles E. Jewell was educated in the public schools at Topeka and at Washburn College. For seven years he was connected with the banking busi- ness, but when the Topeka State Bank sold out in 1887, he entered into the loan brokerage business. He has always been active in the Republican party, .and is treasurer of the Shawnee County Republican Central Committee. Mr. Jewell married a lady by the name of L. M. Meek, who is a native of Indiana. He enjoys fraternal relationship with the Order of Elks. WILLIAM S. HIBBARD. William S. Hibbard, one of the representative men of Williamsport township, Shawnee County, and the operator of a fine farm of 178 acres, was born at Lisbon, Grafton County, New Hampshire, November 20, 1828, and is a son of Moses and Eliza (Sutherland) Hibbard. The father of Mr. Hibbard was a physician in active practice in Lisbon ■during his whole life, except the last six years spent in Townsend, Vermont, where he died aged 63 years. He was a surgeon in the State militia. The mother of Mr. Hibbard died in Vermont in 1881, at the age of 76 years. The paternal grandfather, Aaron Hibbard, was born in Connecticut and was a Revolutionary soldier. The Hibbard family is well known in the annals of New England, its founder, Robert Hibbard, having come from England with his wife and settled at Salem, Massachusetts, about 1635. Our subject was 6i8 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY born the eldest of a family of six sons and six daughters, those surviving being i David S., a clergman of the Congregational Church at Gorham, Maine; Mrs. Sarah Thomson, a widow, residing with our subject; Ellen, a resident, of Gorham, Maine ; Mrs. Luella Neil, of Galliopolis, Ohio ; and Albert, of Reno, Nevada. William S. Hibbard was reared at Lisbon and remained there through his school days. Prior to locating on his present farm in Kansas, he saw a number of other sections of the country and had numerous experiences. Prior to leaving his native place when 21 years old, he did some clerking in a store and then accepted a clerkship and an offer to teach in Lawrence County, Ohio. Later he took a trip to New Orleans and up the Red River, stopping to teach one term of school at Shreveport, and then going on as far as San Antonio,. Texas. Upon returning North he found the river at Shreveport too low for steam- boating and no vessels ready or able to depart. He was not to be deterred, however, and with another young man who was equally anxious to get home, hired a skiff and in this frail boat sailed 500 miles. Finally he reached his- home in New Hampshire. Some time later he embarked in a general mercan- tile business at fronton, Ohio, which he continued for some three years and then engaged in clerking at the iron furnaces there for several years. In 1877 he came to Shawnee County and took up a quarter section of land in Auburn township where he lived many years and made excellent improvements. Dur- ing the Civil War he was out with the State militia under Col. George W. Veale and Captain Burke and was captured near Kansas City, but escaped with 20 companions at Fort Scott. Mr. Hibbard then went back to Ohio and resumed clerking at the iron furnaces for the next three years, after which he returned to farming, an occu- pation in which he has continued to be interested ever since. In 1876 he came to the present farm, which originally consisted of 218 acres. A part of the farm had been broken but it was practically unimproved. He now has one of the valuable farms of this section, well improved and carefully cultivated.. His main crops are wheat and corn, and he raises much stock. Mr. Hibbard was married in 1859 to Eliza Gault, who was born in Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania, in 1831, and is a daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (Simmerwell) Gault, natives of Ireland. They have had four children, viz: Anna S., wife of T. B. Nelson, of Williamsport township; Harry L., who died at Kansas City aged 37 years; D. S., a Presbyterian missionary stationed at Dumagueta, Philippine Islands; and James S., of Oklahoma. All the sons are graduates of Emporia College. The death of Harry L. Hibbard, the eldest son of our subject, was a blow not only to his family, but to the community which took pride in what seemed a very bright future for this brilliant young AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 619 man. As an engineer he went to Nicaragua and then partly completed a medi- cal education in New York, but again accepted a flattering offer as an engineer and went to South America in this capacity. Thus he was enabled to put himself through medical college and, after a year and a half at Bellevue Hos- pital, New York, he settled in practice of medicine and surgery at Kansas City. His widow still survives and is employed by James L. King, State librarian. Mr. Hibbard has always been a Republican. He has served a number of terms as township clerk. He is a member of and an elder in the Presbyterian Church and, what is remarkable, is a charter member of four church organiza- tions, viz : the church at Ironton, Ohio, at Hamden, Ohio, at Auburn, Kansas, and at Wakarusa, Kansas. ALBERT TURNER REID. Albert Turner Reid,* proprietor of the Reid-Stone School of Art, at Topeka, and part owner and proprietor of the Leavenworth Post, is one of the best known newspaper illustrators of the day, in addition to being a com- poser of popular music. Mr. Reid was born August 12, 1873, at Concordia, Kansas, and is a son of the late William E. and Jean (Turner) Reid. The late William E. Reid was a man of versatile talent. He excelled in almost everything he attempted, business, law, music and painting. In early life his artistic penmanship led to his employment as a teacher of the same, at Milwaukee, and the city adopted his beautiful Spencerian system. He was a graduate of the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and was successful in his profession. Later he became known as a capitalist and financier, owning and operating two banks in Kansas, one at Mankato, Jewell County, and the other, now the First National Bank, at Smith Center, Smith County. Each was known as Reid Brothers' Bank. His death oc- curred April 8, 1887, at the early age of 45 years, and his interment was at Clyde, Kansas. Had he lived, it is more than probable that Kansas would have had one more name to add to her long, list of talented musicians and artists. William E. Reid was survived by four sons and one daughter, all of whom have inherited more or less of his artistic nature. These are: Albert T., George S., Frank A., Lew A., and Jean L. George S. is in business at Mi- ami, Florida, as an importer. Frank A., of Leavenworth, is associated with our subject in the ownership of the Leavenworth Post, a new venture which has a promising outlook. Lew A., student, musician and artist, is a resident of Topeka, well and favorably known in artistic circles. The one sister is still pursuing her studies in the Topeka High School. 620 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY Albert Turner Reid was liberally educated, enjoying the advantages of the Clyde and Concordia high schools, the Kansas State University and a business college at Milwaukee. His business training was obtained in one of his father's banks. As indicated above, our subject, like his father, has been very successful along musical and artistic lines, and is well known as an illus- trator all over the country. Prior to settling at Topeka, he was on the staff of the Kansas City Star for three years and then was on the staff of the old Chicago Record^ where he had many admirers. Later he went to the New York Herald, and he continues to be a regular contributor to Judge, the Kan- sas City Journal, the Bit and Spur, McClures and the Topeka Mail and Breeze. When demands became insistent that he teach his method of drawing, Mr. Reid arranged his affairs so that he could give his personal attention to pupils and opened the Reid-Stone School of Art, at Topeka. This institution accommodates more than 50 students and its graduates have no difficulty in finding first-class positions. Two of these now hold remunerative positions on Topeka papers. Two of Mr. Reid's musical compositions may be said to be famous : one of these — "Guardians of Liberty" — being a standard piece of band music all over the country. The other — "Dat Meddlin' Coon" — was sung through every amusement center for two years by that prince of entertainers. Lew Dockstader. On October 22, 1902, Mr. Reid was married to Vera Low, who is a daughter of M. A. and Diantha (Hovey) Low, of Topeka. Mr. Low is general attorney for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company. To this union one daughter was born, named Marian. Politically, Mr. Reid is a stanch Republican. During the Republican National Convention at Chicago in 1904, he attended in the capacity of illus- trator for a number of the leading journals of the country. Mr. Reid is a member of the Elks, belonging to Concordia Lodge, No. 286. E. A. POPENOE, A.M. E. A. PoPENOE, A. M.,* professor of zoology and entomology at the State Agricultural College, at Manhattan, Kansas, occupies a very prominent position in the State as a scientist. Professor Popenoe was born at Centerville, Montgomery County, Ohio, in 1853, ^"^^ is a son of Willis P. and Marinda (Holcomb) Popenoe. The parents of Professor Popenoe were born in Ohio and resided there until 1 86 1, when they removed to a farm near Bloomington, Illinois. Four of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 621 their family of six children grew to maturity, viz : E. A., of this sketch; Lucy, who resides with her parents; Fred O., a business citizen of Topeka; and Willis P., Jr., who died of yellow fever in Mexico in 1894. The last named, who was a well-known resident of Topeka, was superintendent of the State Agricultural Fair one year and was secretary of the Kansas Horse Breeders' Association. The subject of this sketch grew up on his father's farm and possibly this very fact explains the deep interest he has always evinced in everything pertaining to agriculture and the success he has attained in his scientific inves- tigations. In 1869 he came to Topeka and in 1870 he entered Washburn Col- lege, where he pursued his studies until he was graduated in 1876, and then entered the educational field as a teacher and continued as such in Topeka, being principal of the Quincy and later of the Harrison School, until Septem- ber, 1879, when he was elected to the chair of botany and horticulture in the State Agricultural College at Manhattan. Owing to the unprecedented •growth of the school, he later divided his labors and had in charge horticulture and entomology. In 1894 he took his present position. His work has been •of the greatest importance to the State and he, possibly more than any other man in Kansas, has demonstrated that to be a true agriculturist one must also be considerable of a scientist. He has been a member of the State Board of Agriculture ever since 1876, with the exception of two years when he was not in political sympathy with the State administration. Since 1888 he has been manager of the State Experimental Station of entomology. For 10 years he has filled the office of secretary of the Kansas Academy of Science, •of which he was president one year. He is a life member of the State Horti- ■cultural Association, a member of the American Pomological Society, of the American Association of Economic Entomologists, of Washington, D. C, and of the Entomological Society. Professor Popenoe is very well known through Kansas, having visited nearly all the counties on lecturing and investigating tours. He is familiar with the State's natural resources, climatic conditions and social features. During a long season, when he served as State inspector of nurseries, his contributions to the various agricultural and horticultural journals laid the foundation for various legislative measures. He owns a fine farm of 187 acres in section 14, township 12, range 15, in Topeka township, where he him- self broke some of the land and planted extensive orchards. He conducts the estate mainly as a dairy farm. It is an ideal rural home and came into his possession in 1899. Here he has a fine chance to carry on his experiments, watch the growth of his herd of Jersey and Shorthorn cattle, and enjoy the treasures of a magnificent library of more than 2,000 volumes, made up of all that is best in literature and in science. He has probably the finest herbarium 622 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY and choicest collection of insects indigenous to Kansas, to be found in the; State. Professor Popenoe was married in 1883 to Carrie G. Holcomb, who- was born at Decatur, Illinois, and is a daughter of Myron and Dorcas C. (Winchell) Holcomb. Four sons have been born to them: Charles H., a student at the State Agricultural College ; Herbert L., a student at Washburn. Academy; Edwin A., Jr., preparing to enter Washburn; and Willis Parker, a lad of seven years. Politically, Prefossor Popenoe is identified with the Republican party in. which he is as active as is consistent with his public duties. Fraternally, he is a Mason and is master of Lafayette Lodge, of Manhattan, Kansas. He is an. enthusiast in his work and has brought honor upon his name and State through, the vast extent and the thorough accuracy of his scientific researches. GEORGE O. WILMARTH. George O. Wilmarth,* chief of the Fire Department of Topeka, is one of the pioneers of this city, where he has resided since 1859, and is the second oldest fire chief in the United States at the present time. He is one of the- city's most popular and efficient public servants, and has speaking acquaintance with more of the citizens, possibly, than has any other man. Mr. Wilmarth was one of two children born to Otis and Julia Wilmarth. He was born April 23, 1843, in Rhode Island, where he was reared and received a good education in the public schools. In his native State he engaged in the mercantile business for a number of years, and in 1859 he came West to- Topeka, Kansas. Here he engaged in the mercantile business until 1872, when he was made chief of the Fire Department, a position he has since filled.^ At that time the department was small and its work inefficient. He has de- voted the best years of his life to developing a fire department of which the city may well feel proud. His efforts have been appreciated and he to-day occupies an enviable position in the public esteem. He has four engine houses and a force of 39 men under his charge. He has made a thorough study of the fire systems of the various cities of the country, and has been cjuick to suggest such improvements as were desirable, with the result that Topeka has the best service of any city in the State. Mr. Wilmarth is the second oldest chief in the United States, the oldest being Thomas O'Connor, of New Or- leans, Louisiana. Our subject was married to Mary A. Starkey and they have a son, Charles B., a successful fruit-grower of California. Mr. Wilmarth is a member of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 623, the Masonic order; Knights of Pythias; Odd Fellows; Red Men; and United Workmen. In politics, he is a stanch Republican. He and his wife are mem- bers of the First Congregational Church, and reside at No. i loi Eighth avenue. HON. JOSEPH REED. Hon. Joseph Reed,* one of the best known citizens and most popular public ofificials of Topeka, who has with dignity and efficiency filled many hon- orable offices, was born at Portland, Maine, December 10, 1848, and is a son- of Joseph and Catherine J. (Webster) Reed. The Reed family is one not unknown to fame in the United States, many of its members having attained prominence in various walks of life. Our sub- ject has every reason to feel proud of belonging to that branch of the family which produced one of Maine's most exalted and disinterested statesmen, the late Hon. Thomas B. Reed, his cousin and intimate personal friend. The ■ parents of Judge Reed were both born in Maine and the father conducted a real estate office at one location in the city of Portland for 47 years. The mother died in 1861, survived by the father for 20 years. The three surviv- ing brothers of Judge Reed are all prominent and successful men in their different localities: John B., a broker and capitalist at Portland, Maine; George W., a journalist of Topeka; and Thomas T., who is in the real estate ■ business at St. Louis, Joseph Reed was reared in the quiet old city of Portland and was given a liberal and thorough education in the schools there. He read law under the direction of Albert Merrill, of Portland, and was admitted to practice in June, 1871. Late in the same year he visited Jewell City, Kansas, but pros- pects did not seem bright enough to induce him to locate there and he re- turned East as far as Chicago, reaching that city in 1871 on the day before what was then the greatest conflagration of modern times had laid the city in ashes and prostrated every business. He remained there, however, untiL 1878, when he returned to Kansas and settled at Topeka where he has con- -tinued in the practice of his profession ever since. The young lawyer was not averse to entering into politics, his family being rather noted successes in that line, and he was soon elected a justice of the peace, an office he held for nine years. From 1887 to 1889 he was assistant city attorney and in 1888 he was elected police judge, an office he filled for 11 months. On March 9, 1889, he was appointed com- missioner of elections, an office he held until a Populist Governor was elected, when he was succeeded by Frank Harrold. He served also as assistant city 624 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY attorney for one year and as deputy county attorney for the same length of time. His private practice has been along all reputable lines and he stands high with his professional brethren both in city and county. Judge Reed has been twice married, first on December 14, 1872, to Almira Toops, who is a daughter of Charles and Serepta Toops. They had five children, viz : Joseph, Jr., an engineer on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway; Edna lone, wife of William T. Dawson, a prominent farmer of Oakland, Kansas; Corliss, a railroad engineer in Chicago; Roscoe, a me- chanic in Topeka; and Catherine A., an accomplished musician and teacher of music in this city. The mother of this family died October 19, 1889. In March, 1901, Judge Reed was married to Mary Nina Reid, of Topeka, who is a daughter of John and Mary E. Reid, the latter of whom was once matron of the State Penitentiary at Sing Sing, New York, and the former peniten- tiary commissioner of Illinois. One son has been born to this second mar- riage, Thomas B., a manly youth of 13 years. The only grandchild that Judge Reed has is little Estella Irene Dawson, only child of his eldest daugh- ter. Judge Reed and family occupy a very pleasant home at No. 1936 Kan- sas avenue, Topeka. For many years Judge Reed has been a Mason, and is a member of Orient Lodge, No. 51, A. F. & A. M., of Topeka, and belongs also to Shaw- nee Lodge, No. I, I. O. O. F. ; Knights of Pythias; and Capitol Lodge, No. 3, Ancient Order of United Workmen. JAMES HAYES. James Hayes,* one of the leaders among the florists of Topeka, a pio- neer in the business and the proprietor of several first-class greenhouses, was born February 2, 1847, in the North of Ireland. John Hayes, his father, was a gardener by profession, and he and his wife passed their lives in Ireland. Our subject is one of a family of eight children, four of whom reached maturity and two still survive, viz: James, our subject; and John, who is gardener for O. D. Munn, proprietor of the Scientific American, and the owner of a very large estate. One sister, Mary, left a daughter, Rebecca and a son, formerly in the greenhouse business, who is now in the employ of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company. James Hayes attended school until about 15 years of age, since which time he has been more or less connected with his present line. He grew up under his father's tuition as a gardener and then was apprenticed for seven years, afterward spending three years as private gardener for a nobleman AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 625- on the latter's large estate in Ireland. After leaving his own country, he spent two years in England and then came to America, making the passage on the vessel "Palmyra." It was a strange coincidence that the lady whom he afterward married also crossed the ocean on that vessel, although they did not become acquainted until at a later date, at Boston, Massachusetts. The year following Mr. Hayes' marriage in Boston, he moved with his wife to Hoosick Falls, New York, where he worked as a private gardener until 1884, and then removed to Greenwich, Connecticut, and from there in 1886 to Baltimore, Maryland. The spring of 1887 was a particularly depressing and backward one in- Baltimore and the city in its March slush and mud presented anything but an attractive appearance to one who delighted in beautiful landscapes. On the loth of the month, when he reached the "Sunflower" State, and in the rapid train was rolled swiftly into the city of Topeka, his wearied eyes were greeted . by bright, warm sunshine and a balmy air was blowing over the blooming peach trees. His heart warmed to Topeka and an interest was aroused which has never left him and which resulted in the establishing here of his extensive business. It was founded with a capital of $3,000. A purchase of two acres was first made, to which he has added until he owns seven acres of very valu- able land. He started in with two houses but now owns several more, located about a quarter of a mile from Washburn College. Where his beautiful home and his greenhouses now stand was a stretch of virgin prairie. At that time one could drive from his place in a direct line to the Capitol Building, while now the intervention of streets and avenues make it much longer. All these changes have come under his own eye and many of the improvements in this section have been the result of his public spirit and business enterprise. Mr. Hayes has two greenhouses 75 by 18 feet in dimensions, which are utilized exclusively for carnations, and also another, 120 by 12, for carnations, but at the present writing (April, 1905) it is filled with bedding plants and lace ferns. This house was constructed for roses, but Mr. Hayes has since added another house, 120 by 21, exclusively for roses, during their season, at a cost of $1,500, its equipment being modern and complete. There are 12 runs of four-inch pipe, which cost 18 cents a foot; air pressure is used to keep the plants clean, the air tank being three feet under the surface, and he operates his own system of water-works. Another greenhouse 75 by 12 feet in dimen- sions he uses for smilax and lace ferns and has also established a reputation for growing American Beauty roses. He makes a specialty of roses and car- nations, but has also a collection of all other greenhouse flowers and is ready on all important occasions to supply quantities to meet every demand. The beautiful floral decorations used on the occasion of the inauguration of Gov- ernor Hoch and which aroused such universal tributes of admiration, were •626 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY supplied by Mr. Hayes. He also supplies the flowers for funeral decorating, a notable example being the obsequies of Senator Plumb, whose body lay in state at the capitol. The business is conducted both wholesale and retail, the latter department at No. 107 Eighth avenue being managed by the son of our subject, who is also a practical florist. Mr. Hayes was married, as noted above, to Mary Stevenson, who was born in Ireland, and they have three children : Mary, Walter and James. Mary is the wife of Benton Holloway and resides very near her maiden- hood home. Walter manages the retail business; James, Jr., also assists, both . sons being interested in only less degree than the father. Mr. Hayes no longer does any of the hard work, but still oversees and advises, enjoying the beau- tiful results of his care and patience as much as he did in boyhood. The busi- ness has expanded to great proportions and is one of the most commendable industries of Topeka. Mr. Hayes has been prominent in Masonry for many years, is a Knight Templar and has received the 32nd degree. Mrs. Hayes is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and of the Triple Tie Benefit Association. Mr. Hayes belongs also to the Elks, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and to the Knights and Ladies of Security. Both he and his wife belong to. the Protestant Episcopal Church. When Mr. and Mrs. Hayes first settled in Topeka, they accommodated themselves in a four-room house. This gave way to a comfortable modern home but the latter was destroyed by fire in 1896. A small amount of insur- ance was realized and Mr. Hayes immediately rebuilt, erecting one of the finest homes in Topeka, which is not only notable on account of its attractive- ness, but also for its solid comfort. Few homes west of College avenue can compare with it. Personally, Mr. Hayes is of genial presence and hearty manner, has a wide circle of warm friends and admirers and is entitled to all the good things which life can yet bring him. GASPER CHRISTOPHER CLEMENS. Gasper Christopher Clemens,* who occupies a leading position as a member of the Topeka bar, is a notable example of the self-made man. He Avas born April 23, 1849, '^t Xenia, Ohio, and is a son of William E. and Eliza J. (Barnes) Clemens. The father of Mr. Clemens was born in Virginia, and the mother in Kentucky, the latter being a daughter of Henry Barnes, who was a lieutenant •of dragoons in the War of 1812. William E. Barnes was a pioneer in Ohio, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS. 627 -where he was first a farmer and latterly a merchant. Both he and wife were active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Family misfortunes brought about conditions which threw life's responsi- bilities upon our subject when he was a lad of 13 years. With only a rudimen- tary education, but with a far-reaching purpose to attain success, the child took up his burden, working at first as a laborer in a brick-yard during the day-time and spending his evenings in study. He thus mastered the English common branches, unaided and alone and, still ambitious, secured for himself an enviable classical education. In 1886 he began teaching a country school and in the following year took up the study of the law, providing for his necessities by continued teach- ing, and on January 5, 1869, he was admitted to practice by the Superior Court of Ohio. He practiced in his native city for a period of 14 months, but March, 1870, found him established at Topeka. Here he at once entered upon a successful and lucrative practice which he has maintained and increased up to the present time. That all of his energies have not been devoted to the ■practice of his profession was demonstrated by the issuance of a valuable work published in 1877, which is entitled "Corporate Securities," the only work -on that subject extant. It has been most favorably received by the best law authorities of the country and has met with a heavy sale. It was favorably reviewed by law publications, meeting hearty commendation from the Ameri- can Law Review and the Chicago Legal Neivs, the standard journals of law. Mr. Clemens has not sought political favor, his tastes being literary and professional. The deep scholarship which he possesses he has secured by his own efforts, but in addition to this he combines the practical qualtities and the professional ability which have brought him ample success and a large measure of public esteem. MYRON HOLCOMB. Myron, Holcomb,* a well-known citizen of Shawnee County, who has been superintendent of the large farm of his son-in-law, Professor E. A. Popenoe of the State Agricultural College, for the past six years, is also a survivor of the great Civil War. Mr. Holcomb was born in Greene County, Ohio, April 27, 1829, and is a son of Alonzo and Lucy (Morgan) Holcomb. Mr. Holcomb's ancestors came from Wales and settled in New England at a very early period. The family has been one noted for its loyalty and patriotism. James Holcomb, the grandfather, fought through the Revolu- tion, and the same spirit led our subject and other members of his family to ■offer their lives and services in 1861-65. Alonzo and Lucy (Morgan) Hoi- 628 HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY comb had seven children, namely : Irene, deceased ; Malinda, of Shawnee County; Zanthus, deceased; Myron, of this sketch; Ludolphus, member of a battery of artillery from Illinois in the Civil War, now in a soldiers' home in that Stae; Henry C, of San Francisco; and Cornelia, of Topeka. Our subject was i8 months old when his parents removed to Sangamon County, Illinois, and he was reared there on a farm until he was 24 years of age, when he went to Macon County, in the same State. In 1862 he enlisted for service in the Civil War, entering Company E, 11 6th Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., under Capt. Lewis J. Eyman and Colonel Tupper. The regiment was. sent to the Army of the Tennessee and saw hard service. Mr. Holcomb par- ticipated in the battles of Arkansas Post, siege of Vicksburg and the Atlanta campaign. After a furlough of 60 days, he rejoined his regiment at Raleigh^ North Carolina, took part in the triumphant review at Washington, D. C.,. and was honorably discharged after almost three years of soldierly service. His record shows that on all occasions he proved himself obedient, cheerful and brave. After the close of his army life, Mr. Holcomb went to McLean County, Illinois, where he worked at the carpenter's trade until 1869 and then moved with his family to Topeka. Here he continued work at his trade, entered later into contracting and building and prospered in a material way. For the past six years he has been superintendent of Professor Popenoe's large estate, the duties of the latter making his continued residence impossible. This farm consists of 187 acres and is mainly devoted to dairying, although not exclu- sively so. Under Mr. Holcorab's careful supervision, every department of the farm is fully developed. In 1852 Mr. Holcomb was married to Dorcas C. Winchell, who was born in Franklin County, New York, January 8, 1828, and is a daughter of Elijah and Dorcas Winchell. They have four children, viz : O. A., of Topeka, whose sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume ; Carrie G., wife of Pro- fessor Popenoe; Elizabeth, wife of Benjamin Ost, of Los Angeles, California; and Mina E., wife of E. G. Miner, of Topeka. Mr. Holcomb is one of the old and stanch Republicans, voting first for the Know Nothing candidates in the early days, but ever since steadfastly upholding Republican principles. He has never accepted political office, but has always done the full duty of a citizen. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.