Biographies Index

BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS

BIOGRAPHIES

NEAL, L. J.

L. J. Neal, a prominent hardware merchant of Whitewater, Kans., was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, June 1, 1848, and is a son of John and Johnanna (Stillwaggon) Neal. The Neals are of Scotch descent and Johanna Stillwaggon traces her lineage through a long line of honorable English ancestors who were of Norman descent, and came to Briton with William the Conqueror. Johanna Stillwaggon was a daughter of John and Sarah (Fitz Randolph) Stillwaggon. Sarah Fitz Randolph was born in South Amboy, N. J., in 1780, and was a daughter of John and Elizabeth Fitz Randolph. John Fitz Randolph was born on August 4, 1749, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He was a son of Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, who was born at Princeton, N. J., on November u. 1703. Nathaniel as the son of Benjamin, who was also born at Princeton. N. J., on April 24, 1693, and Benjamin was the younger son of Edward Fitz Randolph, the founder of the Fitz Randolph family in America and emigrated to this country from England in 1630.

Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, above mentioned, was the promoter of Princeton College. In 1759 he proposed the circulation of a subscription for the establishment of a college at Princeton, N. J., and succeeded in obtaining about $2,500 and obtained a charter. Afterwards a second charter was issued by Governor Belcher and $8,500 was obtained for the college. Nathaniel Fitz Randolph gave four and one-half acres of land for the college grounds and also $100 in money, besides devoting much time to the project. The deed of the four and one-half acres of land was executed January 25, 1753, and the property was transferred to the trustees of Princeton College and the excavation for the building was begun in 1754 and the cornerstone was laid September 17, 1754.

L. J. Neal's parents removed from their Pennsylvania home to Sheyboygan, Wis., when he was a child. John Neal followed farming in Wisconsin, where he spent the balance of his life. His wife also died in that State. L. J. Neal, whose name introduces this sketch, received a limited education in a log school house near Sheybogan, Wis., and remained on his father's farm until 1867, when he enlisted in the regular army and served three years, and during that time was stationed in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. After receiving an honorable discharge from the army at the expiration of his term of enlistment, he returned to Wisconsin, where he spent about four years, when he went to McHenry county, Illinois, and was employed as a farm laborer about three years. He then came to Kansas and was located for a short time at Peabody, when he went to Leadville, Colo.

He was engaged in silver and gold mining in that section about twenty-two years, and while there served as a member of the Leadville fire department for three years, and held the position of lieutenant in chat organization. On March 17, 1904, he came to Whitewater, Kans., and entered into partnership with his brother, G. W. Neal, who was engaged in the hardware business there. G. W. Neal died January 1, 1905, and at the death of his brother, L. J. Neal bought the entire interest of the heirs and has conducted the business alone since that time. In 1909 he erected a new store building, which is now occupied by the business. He carries a full line of hardware, and is one of the extensive dealers of Butler county. Mr. Neal is a Republican and belongs to the Masonic lodge. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 602-603)

PACE, L. M.

L. M. Pace, a prominent hardware merchant of Whitewater, was pioneer railroad agent of Kansas. Mr. Pace was born in Weldon, Ill., June 16, 1858, and is a son of Robert A. and Isabelle (Mason) Pace, both natives of Cumberland county, Kentucky. Robert Pace was a son of John and Lucy (Alexander) Pace, natives of Henry county, Virginia. The Pace family are of old Virginia stock, and was founded in the colony of Virginia in 1665, and is of English origin. John Pace was the founder of the Pace family in Virginia, and so far as known, all members of the Pace family in America are descendants from him. John Pace, Jr., son of John Pace, the founder of the family in this coun-try, was employed in the early days in Virginia as an overseer of slaves on a plantation. Three of the descendants of John Pace served in the Revolutionary war.

L. M. Pace, the subject of this sketch, first came to Butler county in charge of the commissary during the construction of the Missouri Pacific railroad, which was built through Towanda, and he was the first station agent at that place. Towanda was a little frontier town at that time and an Indian trading post had been located there for a number of years, conducted by J. R. Meade. Mr. Pace was agent at Towanda for three years, when he went to Peabody and entered the employ of the Rock Island railroad as station agent, and remained there three years, and in 1892 came to Whitewater as station agent for the Rock Island road. He remained in the employ of that road until 1899, when he engaged in the hardware business at Whitewater in partnership with C. B. Dein. Ten years later Mr. Pace purchased his partner's interest in the hardware business, and conducted it at the old stand until 1913, when he moved his stock into the building formerly occupied by the Neiman Hardware Company. His son, Walter R. Pace, is now associated with him in business, and Mr. Pace has succeeded in shifting most of the detailed management of the business to the junior member of the firm. The Pace hardware store carries one of the best stocks of general hardware to be found in the county, and they are also extensive dealers in all kinds of farming implements and machinery.

Mr. Pace was married at Towanda, Kans., October 12, 1887, to Miss Florence Wait, a daughter of Clark and Hannah (Putnam) Wait, natives of New York, and early settlers of Towanda, Kans. The Putnam branch of the family traces its ancestry back to Gen. Israel Putnam of Revolutionary fame. Clark Wait died in 1903, and his wife preceded him in death a number of years, she having passed away in 1875.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pace have been born one child, Walter, born in 1893, Enterprise, Dickenson county, Kansas. Walter was only three years old when the family came to Whitewater, so for all practical purposes, Whitewater is his native town. He was educated in the public schools of Whitewater, including the Whitewater High School, after which he took a course in a Wichita business college, when he entered the hardware business at Whitewater with his father, as above stated.
L. M. Pace is a member of the Masonic lodge, the Modern Woodmen of America, and his political affiliations are with the Democratic party. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 603-604)

NOLDER, H. M.

H. M. Nolder, the present mayor of Whitewater, is one of the most extensive poultry dealers in central Kansas. Mr. Nolder began business in Whitewater in 1910, and since that time his small beginning has developed into one of the most important business concerns in this section of the State. His business extends over a radius of sixty or seventy miles from Whitewater and by his method of square dealing he has built up a reputation for paying top notch prices for poultry and eggs throughout the section where he does business, which had been a dominant factor in the rapid development of his business. He ships poultry by the car load lots to the principal markets of the East, including New York, Boston and Philadelphia, and in the other direction he markets his produce as far west as Los Angeles.
Mr. Nolder is a native of Kansas, having been born in Harvey county, June 8, 1872, and bears the distinction of being born in a dugout. His parents were George and Mary (Lemons) Nolder, both natives of Ohio. When the father first came to Kansas he was employed on the construction of the Santa Fe railroad from Topeka to Emporia, and by the time that the railroad was extended to Newton he went to work for the company in the capacity of fireman and was thus engaged for a few years. He died in 1876, and his wife departed this life in 1883, and thus H. M. Nolder was left an orphan in early childhood. He went to live with J. A. Commons, a farmer in Harvey county, at about the age of ten. When he was about fifteen years of age he ran away from his employer and went to Wichita. Here he obtained employment with a farmer near that city by the name of August Gabrison, a Swede, and worked for him for two years and remained in the vicinity of Wichita about six years. He then returned to his former employer in Harvey county. Mr. Nolder obtained a very good education under the circumstances that surrounded his boyhood days. He attended the district schools and Lewis Academy at Wichita, and later was a student in the Halstead High School and the Normal School at Great Bend, Kans. He was married March 15, 1900, to Miss Hattie, daughter of W. S. Evans, who settled at Halstead, Harvey county, at an early date. To Mr. and Mrs. Nolder have been born three children: Howard E., Ella Millicent and George Oscar.

Shortly after his marriage, Mr. Nolder engaged in farming, renting land in Harvey county, which he followed until 1910, when he came to Whitewater and engaged in his present business. His capital was limited and for the first few years he was compelled to proceed with caution, and by strict economy he has accumulated a substantial working capital and today controls one of the important business enterprises of Butler county. He has been a lifelong Republican, and has served for five years on the city council of Whitewater. In 1915 he was elected mayor and is now serving in that capacity. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America and Kansas Fraternal Citizens, and holds membership in the Christian church. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 604-605)

NEAL, E. L.

E. L. Neal, Whitewater, Kans., is a native of Sheyboygan county, Wisconsin, and is a son of G. W. Neal. For a geneological review of the Neal family, see sketch of L. J. Neal in this volume. G. W. Neal, the father of E. L. Neal, whose name introduces this sketch, was a Civil war veteran and served three years and four months in Company D, Third regiment, Wisconsin infantry. He was one of the veterans who saw much service in camp, on the march and on the field of battle. He was with Grant in the early part of the war with the Army of the West, and was with Sherman on his memorable march, and was severely wounded at the battle of Resaca, which ended his military career, as he was soon afterwards discharged by reason of disability, and returned to his Wisconsin home.

Shortly after the war the family removed to Michigan, where they remained for a time, when they went to Illinois, locating in De Kalb county, and in 1871 came to Kansas, locating at Coneburg, on the line of the Santa Fe railroad, which was then in the course of construction. About that time the name of Coneburg was changed to Peabody, in honor of F. H. Peabody, then president of the Santa Fe railroad. Mr. Peabody donated to the town a $10,000 library in consideration of the honor conferred upon him in giving the town his name. Soon after coming to Coneburg, or Peabody, G. W. Neal engaged in the grain and lumber business about the time the railroad was ready for operation, and he received the first car load of lumber that was shipped over the new railroad, and was one of the first to buy grain and other produce from the early settlers and ship it from that section. He also conducted a coal yard and continued in business in Peabody until 1884. In June, 1885, he removed to the new town of Brainerd, where he established a lumber yard and also engaged in the hardware business, and in 1889 he moved his stock of goods to Whitewater, where he and his son conducted the business until 1904, when L. J. Neal bought a half interest in the business and the brothers conducted it in partnership until the death of G. W. Neal in January, 1905. After the death of his father, E. L. Neal was in Wichita for a number of years, engaged in the hardware trade and during the last few years has been in Whitewater with L. M. Pace.

Mr. Neal was united in marriage December 15, 1891, to Mrs. Lillian (Horner) DeTalente, a daughter of Dr. John Horner. She died October 17, 1904. Mr. Neal is a Republican, and has always taken a keen interest in local politics. He has been a member of the Whitewater council and for six years was city clerk. He is perhaps one of the best posted men on local history in northwestern Butler county. In 1906 the Whitewater "Independent" published a historical edition, and Mr. Neal wrote the history of that section which appeared in the edition, and it stands today as one of the most authentic historical reviews of that section ever published. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 605-606)

WATERFALL, SAMUEL

Samuel Waterfall, a Kansas pioneer and veteran of the Civil war, is a native of Switzerland. He was born about twelve miles south of Berne, December 16, 1843, a son of Jacob and Barbara ("Weber) Waterfall, natives of Switzerland. The name Waterfall was spelled Wasserfall in Switzerland, which translated into English is Waterfall. The Waterfall family immigrated to America in 1854, and when Samuel was eleven years of age they landed in New York, and shortly afterwards went to Massillon, Ohio. After remaining there about a year they removed to Clinton Station, Ohio, and from there to Loudenville, and later to Knox county, Ohio. The father was a stone cutter and an unusually fine workman.

Samuel Waterfall was following the peaceful vocation of farming when the Civil war broke out, and President Lincoln called for volunteers to defend the Union. At the first call he offered his services, but was rejected on account of being under size, but he enlisted again August 19, 1861, and was mustered into service as a member of Company A, Twentieth regiment, Ohio infantry, and at the expiration of his term of enlistment was discharged December 6, 1863. The following day he re-enlisted as a veteran volunteer in the same company and regiment. During his long and hazardous term of service as a soldier he participated in the following engagements: Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Iuka, Harkinsberry, Raymond, Champion Hills, siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Baker's Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Nickajack Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Lovejoy Station, Savannah, Pocotaligo, Orangeburg, Cheraw, Bentonville, and at the surrender of Johnson near Raleigh, N. C, and numerous other engagements and skirmishes. During his service in the army Mr. Waterfall was with his command in nearly every Southern State, and they were at many places several times. He had many narrow escapes and was seriously wounded at the battle of Atlanta, and was on two occasions overcome by heat, once while on the firing line in battle, and another time while on the march. After the surrender of Lee and the grand review at Washington, he was discharged and mustered out of service July 24, 1865, at Camp Chase, Ohio.

At the close of the war Mr. Waterfall went to Madison county, Illinois, where his people moved while he was in the army. He remained in Illinois until the fall of 1868, when he went to Springfield, Mo., remaining in that State until 1871, when he returned to Madison county, Illinois, and followed farming near East Alton, Ill., until 1873, when he removed to El Dorado, Butler county, Kansas. The following .spring he went to Harvey county, and from there to Carroll county, Arkansas, but soon afterward returned to Butler county and rented a farm in Glencoe township on the south branch of the Little Walnut, and the following year he filed on a claim of government land in that township. On February 20, 1880, he sold his claim and removed to section 2, Lincoln township, Sedgwick county, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising until 1902, when he came to Whitewater, and has been prominently identified with the community of that vicinity since.

Mr, Waterfall was married January 10, 1867, to Miss Emeline V. Childers, a native of Nashville, Tenn. She was born May 5, 1850, and is a daughter of Jacob and Jane (Scott) Childers, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Tennessee. To Mr. and Mrs. Waterfall have been born the following children: Maggie A. married Al A. Warren, farmer, Whitewater; Grace F., married W. D. Chaney, Whitewoter; James S., Alton, Ill.; Effie J. married Henry N. Jessen, Whitewater; Charles J., Harvey county, Kansas; L. G., Whitewater. The eldest child, Andrew, and the youngest, Joseph R., are both deceased.

Mr. Waterfall is a Republican and has steadfastly supported the policies and principles of that party since casting his first vote for Lincoln while in the army in 1864. He has always taken an active part in local political affairs, and while a resident of Sedgwick county he served as constable and was also justice of the peace for seven years. He was elected justice of the peace in Whitewater in 1904, but refused to accept the office. In 1913 he was elected police judge and still holds that office. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and was commander of the W. C. Ward Post, No. 375, Whitewater, Kans., in 1899, and since that time has been adjutant. In 1910 he was appointed assistant deputy inspector.

Mr. Waterfall has had an eventful career as a soldier and pioneer. He was one of the early mail carriers of southwestern Kansas and an early day freighter. He carried mail from New Excelsior to Quito, and when Hickory post office was established he carried mail between Hickory, New Excelsior and Quito twice each week for three and three-quarter years, and is now living retired, never having fully recovered his health since the war. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 607-608)

PARKER, JOEL

Joel Parker, a prominent farmer of Glencoe township, and Butler county pioneer, is a native of Illinois. He was born in 1840, and is a son of George and Cynthia Ann (Rhoades) Parker. Joel Parker is one of the following surviving children, born to George and Cynthia Ann (Rhoades) Parker: Mrs. Nancy Clark; Mrs. Mary Jane Morris; Mrs. Anna Davis, all of whom reside in Alton, Ill.; Jesse Parker, Wenachie, Wash., and Joel, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Parker came to Kansas in 1870, and located in Harvey county for four years and then located in Glencoe township, where he has since been successfully engaged in farming and stock raising. He now owns 480 acres of land which is considered one of the best farms in Butler county, for general farm purposes. He has been quite an extensive stockman, and Mrs. Parker is a chicken fancier, making a specialty of Plymouth Rocks.

Mr. Parker was married in 1865, to Miss Martha Sinclair. Mrs. Parker is a native of Illinois, and was born in 1843, a daughter of Abraham and Nancy (Jones) Sinclair. Her father was a prosperous farmer in Illinois. Mrs. Parker was the youngest of a family of twelve children, and has one living brother, Alex Sinclair, who resides at Alton, Ill. To Mr. and Mrs. Parker have been born the following children, who are now living: C. E., resides at Plains, Colo.; J. E., Benson, Ariz.; Mrs. Emma Scott, Freeman, Mo., and Mrs. Cora Seward, Leon, Kans.

Mr. and Mrs. Parker located in Butler county at a time when its future was uncertain, but they always had faith in the future of this county, and they have lived to see this section of Kansas even excel their expectations. They passed through all the discouraging features and various vicissitudes incident to frontier life and, notwithstanding drouths, crop failures grasshoppers and cyclones, they have not only survived, but have prospered, and today rank among the well-to-do and influential citizens of Butler county.

Mrs. Parker recalls the early days when they had very little farm produce to sell, except butter, and when neighbors met on the streets of El Dorado, the first question that one would ask another was, "What did you get for your butter?" Usually it was not very much, for this was before the days of the high cost of living. Even though money was scarce and luxuries almost unknown, the early pioneers enjoyed themselves, and got much out of life, perhaps more than we do today. They lived closer to nature, and were less disturbed by the rivalry of style and display. They had no ambition to have a bigger automobile or a better hat than their neighbor, and after all, the early pioneers are not deserving or asking as much sympathy as we might think, for they were happy and lived the pure out-door life unaffected by much of the gorgeous artificial deception of a later day and age.

Mr. Parker is a republican, not of the hyphenated variety, and Mrs. Parker holds the same political views as her husband, thus insuring the immunity of this family circle against any political rows. The Parkers are well known throughout eastern Butler county, and are highly respected and have many friends. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 608-609)

SMITH, ALBERT E.

Albert E. Smith, prominent farmer and stockman of Plum Grove township, is almost a native son of Butler county. He was born in Michigan on September 8, 1870, and was only two months old when his parents came to Kansas and located in Butler county. There were three other children in the Smith family who were born after their parents located in Butler county: Harvey, now living in Wichita, and Herbert, who died at the age of fourteen years, and Laura, who married Mark Wilson, Dirks, Ark. She was a Butler county teacher for a number of years before her marriage.

I. Y. Smith, the father, like most of the other pioneers of the West, had very little capital when he came to Butler county. He homesteaded and in the spring of 1871, the next year after locating here, he built a small one-room house, 12x18 feet, which is still standing.

The father's health was poor for a number of years and he died in June, 1880, and the mother, with the aid of the children, conducted the farm and thus responsibility fell to the lot of Albert E. Smith at a very tender age. His boyhood days were crowded with work and responsibility, and when he was eleven years old he raised his first crop of corn. This was in 1881, the year after his father's death. From that time on he continued to operate the home farm and in 1890 the family bought a half section of land, being the north part of section 25, Plum Grove township. This is one of the finest locations in Butler county, and is a fine productive and well kept farm. Albert bought the interests of the other heirs and is now the sole owner of this place. He is an extensive stock breeder, making a specialty of Herefords and has an excellent herd of pure bred Hereford cattle, having thirty-four head of registered cattle on hand at this writing. He also raises and feeds a great many beef cattle, feeding and shipping approximately two carloads annually. His herd of Herefords comes from the best strain of Herefords in the State of Kansas, sired by "Old Anxiety." Mr. Smith bought his original Herefords from Robert H. Hazlett, of El Dorado.

Mr. Smith was married to Miss Leona Scott, a daughter of John and Mary (Trimdle) Scott, natives of Ohio and early settlers in Cowley county, Kansas, settling there about 1876. The father was a successful farmer and stock raiser there and died in 1896, and the mother now lives in Arkansas City, Kans. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born the following children: Wayne, Helen, Hazel and Hayward. Helen is a graduate of the Arkansas City High School. Mr. Smith is a Democrat and one of Butler county's most progressive citizens.

I. Y. Smith, the father of Albert E., was a Civil war veteran. He was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, and was reared and educated in his native State. When the Civil war broke out he enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment and served three years. He took part in some of the most important battles of that great conflict. He was wounded on the head at the battle of Malvern Hill and at the battle of Gettysburg was wounded in both legs. His last wounds being very severe, he was afterwards discharged for disability as a result of these wounds. He then returned to his Pennsylvania home and shortly afterwards went to Michigan, where he was engaged in the lumber business, where he and his wife resided for two years before coming to Kansas. His wife bore the maiden name of Serepta Ellenberger, and was also a native of Pennsylvania. She now resides at 329 Sherman avenue, Wichita, Kans. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 609-610)

HOPKINS, JOHN A.

John A. Hopkins, a former sheriff of Butler county and a prominent farmer and stockman of Plum Grove township, is one of the survivors of the old time cattle men of the plains who were engaged in that business here during the days of open range. Mr. Hopkins was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 28, 1850. His father, Robert Hopkins, was a native of Maryland, born in 1832, and was a descendent of Colonial ancestors. When six years old, he came with his parents from the Maryland home to Cincinnati, Ohio, and here the family lived for many years. He was station agent for a number .of years for the Miami Valley railroad, and also operated considerable farm lands on the Miami bottoms while he was in the employ of the railroad company. In 1865 Robert Hopkins migrated to Illinois with his family and settled in Moultrie county, where he followed farming until 1871, when he came to Butler county with his family and settled in Clifford township, where he spent the remainder of his life.

John A. Hopkins received his education in the public schools of Cincinnati, and was about fifteen years of age when the family removed to Illinois. He was engaged in farming there until 1873, when he came to Kansas, but the following spring, returned to Illinois, where he was engaged in the grain business until 1875, when he came to Butler county where he has since made his home. When he came here, he had about a thousand dollars in cash, his capital having been considerably reduced on account of helping his father through the bad years of the early seventies in this county. Upon returning to Butler county, he bought a homestead right on the northwest quarter of section 12, and built a two room house 14x24 feet, and proceeded to make other improvements preparatory to engaging in the cattle business. In 1877 he began to invest in the cattle industry quite extensively. There was any amount of free open range at that time, and he soon had a herd of between four and five hundred head of cattle which he grazed over a radius of ten miles. He was the only cattle man in this immediate vicinity, and his brand, "J H" was known over a broad scope of country. His corral occupied about a half a section of land, and in those days, the building of a corral was a serious problem to the cattle man, as building material was scarce and barb-wire which had just been introduced, cost about twelve cents per pound.

Mr. Hopkins has continued in the cattle business up to the present time, and as free range disappeared, he conformed to the new conditions, and kept right on. In 898, he handled 2,000 head of steers, and while he was successful with this large herd, he found many obstacles in the way of profitably handling so many cattle. The problem of water supply alone was a serious one, and in recent years, he seldom has more than 600 head of cattle on hand. lie feeds a great many cattle which he buys on the Wichita market, and usually markets his cattle in Kansas City or St. Louis. For years he was an extensive buyer and shipper of cattle, hogs and sheep in addition to his feeding and farming operations. He bought Texas cattle, "On the Trail" at Wichita, buying his first bunch there as early as 1873. He next bought a bunch of cattle at Ft. Scott, Kans., and drove them across the country to his Butler county range. He now owns 800 acres of land in Plum Grove and Clifford townships, and also land in Oklahoma. He still owns his father's old homestead in Clifford township. His is one of the best farms in Butler county. He has 700 acres under cultivation, and uses both horses and gasoline tractor motor power in his farming opera-tions. For years, he supplied the Kansas City stock yards with 3,000 tons of hay annually. His place is well equipped with all modern farm conveniences, including two silos with a capacity of 250 tons each, constructed of concrete, and they are probably the best silos in the State.

Mr. Hopkins was married in Decatur, Ill., in 1875, to Miss Emma Alice Roberts, a native of Muskingum county, Ohio, and a daughter of Charles and Catherine Roberts, natives of Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins have been born the following children: Gertrude, married William Cundell, a Butler county farmer, and John A., on the home farm.

Mr. Hopkins has been a life-long Republican and has taken an active part in the local councils of his party. He was elected sheriff of Butler county in 1894, serving a term of two years, and on two other occasions, he received the nomination of his party for the office of sheriff, but there happened to be unusual conditions prevailing, such as a wave of populism, etc., and Mr. Hopkins, although popular and favorably known, was a creature of circumstances, and defeated by small margins. He is one of the best known men in Butler county, and has many friends. He has seen Butler county developed from an un-peopled plain to become one of the great counties of the State, and has contributed his part to placing this county in the front rank of the agricultural and live stock producing counties of the country. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 610-611)

ELDER, D. M.

D. M. Elder, a prominent citizen of El Dorado and Civil war veteran, who settled in Butler county at an early date, is a native of Indiana. He was born in Green county, that State, May 9, 1844, and is a son of James and Elizabeth (McCurdy) Elder, natives of Ohio. Elizabeth McCurdy belonged to a prominent Ohio family, and was a daughter of Daniel McCurdy who was of Scotch-Irish descent. James Elder, the father of D. M., was born near Coshocton, Ohio, when that place was a mere Indian village. He was a son of John Elder, a native of County Antrim, Ireland, who settled in Ohio prior to the War of 1812, and during that war hauled supplies for the United States army to Upper San-dusky. In 1854, James Elder migrated from Indiana to Monroe county, Iowa, driving across the plains with horse teams and oxen and a prairie. schooner. He took up government land in Iowa, and later became an extensive land owner and a very wealthy man for those times. He spent the remainder of his life in Iowa.

D. M. Elder was about ten years old when he went to Iowa with his parents and was one of a family of fifteen children. He grew to manhood in Iowa and during the Civil war enlisted in Company H, first Iowa cavalry in August, 1862. This regiment operated chiefly in Missouri and Arkansas, and fought guerillas and bushwhackers, frequently coming in contact with the notorious Bill Anderson, James and Younger brothers, and William QuantrilPs gang. The style of fighting in that section was not governed by any humane military code, and frequently no quarter was shown. Later they participated in the Red River expedition and afterwards were transferred to the command of General Thomas and were given about the same kind of service in Mississippi and Tennessee as they had in Missouri-fighting bushwhackers. After the close of the Civil war, Mr. Elder went with his regiment to Mexico on account of the impending trouble with France in that country. He served under Generals Sheridan and Custer there and after that affair had been disposed of, he was discharged at Davenport, Iowa, having been mustered out of service at Austin, Tex.

After receiving his discharge, Mr. Elder returned to his Iowa home and attended a private school for a time, and later attended an academy at West Bedford, Ohio. He then entered Monmouth College, at Monmouth, Ill., where he took a two-year course and after taking a special course in science, he came to Kansas in 1870, and filed on a quarter section of land in Clifford township, Butler county. He bought and sold land extensively, after coming here, and at times owned over 3,000 acres of Butler county land. He was active in the early affairs of the county and interested in a number of industries. He operated a sawmill for a time and also manufactured extra good sorghum, and at the same time was interested in farming and the cattle business. He operated a stone quarry east of El Dorado, and this industry, alone, gave employment to from 50 to 100 men. In addition to his vast and varied private enterprises, Mr. Elder has taken an active interest in public affairs. In 1888, he was elected to the Kansas legislature and was instrumental in getting many important bills through that body; among the more important ones might be mentioned the bill reducing the salaries of county officials; a bill providing for oil inspection, a bill establishing a home for army nurses and soldiers' widows, and above all, while a member of the legislature, he built up a reputation for honest legislation and clean politics. He served on a number of the important committees, and could always be relied upon to champion the cause of the people.

Mr. Elder was first married in 1874 to Miss Frances Josephine Wallace, a native of Indiana and a daughter of Thomas Wallace, a former merchant of Lawrenceburg, Ind. Two children were born to this marriage: Edith, married Bert Gorman and they now reside in California; and Alice, deceased. The wife and mother died in 1882, and in 1889 Mr. Elder married Sadie Josephine McFarland, a daughter of Andy McFarland, a Butler county pioneer. The following children have been born to this union; Ralph, a government forester in Oregon; Don, El Dorado, Kans.; Fay, a teacher at Mound Ridge, Kans.; Herbert M., a graduate of the El Dorado High School, El Dorado; and Atta Ray, a teacher in Hodgeman and Butler counties, Kansas.

Mr. Elder is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security, the Grand Army' of the Republic and the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a Republican, and since coming to Butler county has been prominent in the local councils of his party and has assisted with his influence, many successful candidates to county office. Mr. Elder has seen many changes in the settlement and development of southern Kansas since coming to Butler county. In 1870, he picketed a wild pony on what was then unbroken prairie, but that spot is now on one of the principal business streets of Wichita. He has always taken a keen interest and an active part in the welfare of his county and State, and supported every movement, the object of which has been for the upbuilding or betterment of the community.(History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 612-613)

HARRISON, J.D .

J. D. Harrison, one of the leading farmers and stockmen of Butler county, is a native of Illinois. He was born in Shelby county in 1864, a son of Joseph and Isabelle (Banting) Harrison, natives of England, where they were married. The father was engaged in the sheep industry before coming to America in i860. After coming to this country, he settled in Illinois, where he was also engaged in sheep raising about four years, when he removed to Missouri, where he remained until 1882.
J. D. Harrison was reared on his father's farm, and in early life, went to work by the month for stockmen, and in that way gained a thorough knowledge of the stock business. He came to Butler county in 1891, and bought a quarter section of land in Plum Grove township. Here he engaged in the stock business and later bought another quarter section, and has added to his original holdings until he now owns 640 acres, and is one of the successful and substantial stockmen of Butler county. Every dollar that he is worth, he has made himself. Beginning as a farm hand in Greenwood county, he has become one of the prosperous men of affluence, and holds a prominent position in the business and financial world of Butler county today.

Mr. Harrison was married in 1889 to Miss Anna Lercher, a daughter of C. F. and Tirzah (Pennywitt) Lercher, the former a native of Germany, and the latter of Ohio. They were married in 1870, and the following year, came to Kansas and settled in Butler county, where the father filed on a quarter section of government land. Mr. Lercher was a veteran of the Civil war, having answered President Lincoln's first call for volunteers. He died at Topeka, Kans., in 1910, where his home had been for several years, and his wife died in that city in 1907. They were the parents of six children, of whom Mrs. Harrison is the eldest. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison have no children. Mr. Harrison is a Democrat, and his wife is a member of the Lutheran Church at Peabody, Kans.

In addition to his broad acres of fertile Kansas soil, Mr. Harrison has various other interests. He has invested in Pot win property to some extent, and was one of the organizers of the Potwin State Bank. Altogether, he is one of the live, progressive, business men of Butler county, who are doing things worthwhile. Pages 613-614)

WYANT, ORA

Ora Wyant, of El Dorado, is the most extensive manufacturer of harness and retail dealer of harness, harness sundrys, blankets, robes, etc., in Butler county. Mr. Wyant is a native of Hamilton countv, Indiana, born March 22, 1868, and is a son of Isaac and Margaret (Wertz) Wyant, the former a native of Hamilton county, Indiana, and the latter of Pennsylvania. In 1870 when Ora Wyant was about two years of age, the family came to Kansas, locating in Jefferson county where the father was engaged in farming one year, when they came to Greenwood county, and took a homestead near Seven where he engaged in farming and stock raising and became one of the propserous and influential men of Greenwood county. He died August 1, 1913, and the mother now resides at Severy, aged seventy years. When the Wyant family located in Greenwood county, the locality in which they settled was a broad expanse of unbroken prairie sparsely settled and for the first year or so there was no school in that locality.

Ora Wyant is one of a family of seven children, in the order of birth as follows: Ora, subject of this sketch; Amanda, married S. M. Dougherty, Canton, Okla.; Mattie, married Al. Dunn, and they reside in Idaho; Charles, Jackson, Mich.; Maggie, married C. W. Latta, Klamouth Falls, Ore.; Pearl, married Dr. Evans, Butler, Okla.; and Ella, married F. M. Dailey, El Dorado. Mr. Wyant spent his boyhood days on the Greenwood county farm and received his education in the public schools. He served his apprenticeship at harness making at Severy, Kans. He was a natural mechanic and from early boyhood was inclined toward the harness maker's trade, and worked at it a great deal of his own accord on the farm before he went to learn the trade and was a good average workman in that line when he began his ap-prenticeship. After working in Severy for two years, he came to El Dorado in 1901 and entered the employ of B. Gibson, now deceased, as a journeyman harness maker. At that time Mr. Gibson conducted the business on North Main street in the store now occupied by Mr. Wyant.

In 1906 Mr. Wyant and A. L. Layton bought the business from Mr. Gibson and conducted it in partnership at the old stand for five years, when Mr. Wyant bought his partner's interest and since that time has successfully conducted the business alone and has built up a large trade and has many satisfied customers in El Dorado and vicinity. He was united in marriage October 14, 1908, to Miss Harriet Younkman, a daughter of G. N. Younkman, El Dorado, and they have one child: Margaret Louise. Mr. Wyant is a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Knights of Pythias, the Kansas Fraternal Citizens, the Modern Woodmen of America and he and Mrs. Wyant are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Pages 614-615)

BALDWIN, JACKSON

Jackson Baldwin, a prominent farmer and stockman of Plum Grove township, was born in Hancock county, Indiana, February 25, 1853, and is a son of Thomas and Nancy (Dillard) Baldwin. The mother was a native of Indiana, her parents being pioneers of that State. Thomas Baldwin was a native of North Carolina, born in 1819. His parents were North Carolinians, His father was killed, while serving as constable of his native county. He was called to the door of his house one night, and when he opened the door, was shot. In 1829, his widow, with her family, removed to Indiana, and settled in Hancock county, which was then a wilderness. Here Thomas Baldwin. the father of Jackson, grew to manhood, and was married. In 1854, he migrated to Monroe county, Iowa, with his family. Although there was plenty of government land open to settlement in Iowa at that lime, he bought 280 acres about five miles from Albia, in Monroe county. Here he engaged in farming and prospered, and he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives there. He died in 1901, and his wife died in 1910. They were the parents of ten children, four of whom were born in Indiana, and the others in Iowa.

The Baldwin family came originally from England, but for a number of generations, had lived in Ireland, from whence five brothers immigrated to America in Colonial times, three of whom settled in New York, and two went to North Carolina, and Jackson Baldwin, the subject of this sketch, is a descendant of one of the brothers, who settled in North Carolina.

Jackson Baldwin was scarcely two years old when the family settled in Iowa. He grew to manhood on his father's farm there, and was educated in the public schools. He was united in marriage, February 24, 1876, with Miss Mary Alice Elswick, a native of Monroe county, Iowa, and a daughter of William and Susanna (Scott) Elswick. The father was a native of Tennessee, and the mother of Kentucky. The Elswick family were early settlers in Indiana, and went from that State to Iowa in 1851. The Elswicks are of German origin, and the Scott family came from Scotland. To Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin have been born two children, as follows: C. W., farmer, Plum Grove township, was born March 4, 1877; and Jennie M., born August 15, 1879, married James Snavely, farmer, Butler county, and one child died in infancy.

Mr. Baldwin followed farming in Iowa until 1884, when he came to Kansas with his family, and located in Sedgwick county, where- he spent the first winter. In the spring he bought 160 acres of land in Plum Grove township, which has since been the family home. When he bought this place there were very few improvements on it; the residence was a two room stone house with a clapboard roof, which freely admitted the snow and wintry winds. This served as the family residence for four years, when a commodious and comfortable home was erected, and Mr. Baldwin has made other improvements of a substantial nature until he has one of the best improved places in Plum Grove township, the appearance of which evinces the thrift and prosperity of. its owner. Mr. Baldwin is a Republican, and has steadfastly supported the policies and principles of that party. Mrs. Baldwin is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Potwin. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 615-616)

WAGONER, A. D.

A. D. Wagoner, of El Dorado township, is not only a prominent farmer and stockman of Butler county, but he is a dominant factor in the affairs of the county. Mr. Wagoner came to Kansas with his parents when he was a child. The Wagoner family settled in Jefferson county upon coming to this State, and some years later A. D. Wagoner and his two brothers settled at Harveyville, where they engaged in the cattle business on an extensive scale. Their place was known as "Wagoner Brothers' Stock Farm," and for a number of years this was one of the leading stock concerns of the State. They handled as many cattle as any other firm in Kansas, doing an enormous business in that line.

In 1904, A. D. Wagoner, with his wife and two young daughters, came to Butler county and located on a farm a short distance south of El Dorado, in El Dorado township. This is one of the fine productive bottom land farms of Butler county. During his first few years in Butler county, Mr. Wagoner fed cattle, and while he made money in that department of animal husbandry, he has found raising and feeding hogs a more profitable business, and during the past few years he has applied his efforts to this line of endeavor with very satisfactory results from a financial standpoint. Mr. Wagoner's broad acres of fertile land are largely devoted to alfalfa and corn in connection with hog raising, and while the average farmer suffers more or less loss from dry and uncertain seasons, Mr. Wagoner is sure of a profit from some one of his three specialties, and at least comes out even in the others. He conducts his farming operations on a safe business and scientific basis, and the student of modern agricultural methods can derive the basis of a real successful plan of conducting a farm in a profitable and practical way by following Mr. Wagoner's method.

Mr. Wagoner has seen many changes since coming to Butler county. He is a close observer and is a constant student of events. He says he remembers when thirty-five cents per bushel was considered a good price for corn, as compared with the present average price of eighty cents, and it was only a short time ago that hogs brought only from five to six cents per pound, as compared to the present average of nearly twice that much. Many other market conditions are now in proportion, and he believes that an industrious farmer has no just cause for complaint under present conditions.

Within a few rods of Mr. Wagoner's place is the station, Vanora, with switch and loading facilities on the line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad, and this market facility is of inestimable value to his place as well as to the other farmers and stockmen of that immediate locality. Such close proximity of a station reduces the expense of marketing, or hauling to market, which is of great importance to the producer.

Mr. Wagoner is a strong advocate of good roads, and points to the telephone as another medium which is of great importance to the farmer and which has put a new phase on rural life; but, he says, that the telephone service, like the roads, can be improved. He has great faith in the future oil and gas development in Butler county, and is gratified to see the countless number of wells yielding the rich underground treasure. Yet, he says, "Let us not lose sight of the fact that it is the farmers and stockmen who are entitled to the credit for the great 'State of Butler' being here.

Mr. Wagoner owns one of the best farms in Butler county and is one of its most prosperous farmers and stockmen. Pages 616-617)

SHEPPARD, JOHN

John Sheppard, now deceased, was an early settler of Fairmont township, Butler county, and bore the unusual distinction of having been a pioneer in four States. He was born in Maryland January 27, 1809, a son of Peter and Mary Sheppard, natives of Maryland. In 1818, when John Sheppard was nine years old, the family removed from their Maryland home to Muskingum county, Ohio, settling near Taylorsville. They were among the very first settlers of that section and here the father cleared land and built a cabin in the heart of the wilderness. Later he became a well to do farmer; and he and his wife died in Muskingum county.
John Sheppard grew to manhood in Muskingum county, and in 1853 removed with his wife and children to McLean county, Illinois, where he followed farming until 1857, when he loaded his family and personal effects into wagons and started west again, this time with Benton county, Missouri as his destination. He was disappointed in his Missouri venture, as that section of the State looked poor and unfavorable. However, he remained there until 1860, when he returned to McLean county, Illinois, considerably worse off financially than when he left there. About the time he returned to Illinois the Civil war broke out. He was loyal to the cause of the Union throughout that conflict, but he was past the age limit for military service. His eldest son, O. S., however, enlisted at President Lincoln's second call for volunteers, and became a member of Company C, Ninety-fourth regiment Illinois infantry. He served under General Grant and also under Sherman, participating in thirteen important battles. He was with Sherman on his memorable march to Atlanta and from Atlanta to the sea, serving three years and six months.

John Sheppard remained in McLean county, Illinois, until 1875. He met with success in his undertakings and prospered; and although then a man past sixty-five years of age, he was still possessed with a pioneer spirit, and in 1875 turned his face to the west again and came to Butler county, Kansas. Reaching here November 11, of that year, he bought a homestead relinquishment in Fairmount township from a man named Mansfield, and engaged in farming and stock raising and proved up on his claim and remained here until his death July 7, 1880. He was a man of strong personality and an interesting and entertaining conversationalist. He was an extensive reader, and well posted on general lines of information. He was a stanch Republican and a great admirer of President Lincoln. He was one of the widely known men of Butler county, during his time here, and commanded the profound respect of all who knew him. His wife died in Illinois in 1868. They were the parents of the following children: Obadiah, born August 5, 1832, served in the Civil war as above stated and died in Chautauqua county, June 26, 1910, having settled there in 1870; Mary, born September 28, 1833, died in September, 1880; Rebecca, born February 19, 1835, died in June, 1915; Peter H., born October 26, 1836, died in 1878; Maria M., born in 1838, married Adam Lambert, Miami county, Kansas; Amy L., born September 23, 1840, and died August 22, 1907; Hannah E., born January 30, 1844, married John Starkey of Osage county, Kansas, and died in 1912; Margaret A., born September 28, 1846, is now deceased; John W., born November 7, 1848; Sophia, born December 27, 1850, now the widow of Thomas Barrett; David, born November 17, 1853, lives at Alien, Okla.; Charles E., born January 27, 1857; Ida L., born June 19, 1861. John W. and Ida L. are unmarried and reside on the old home place, which is one of the best farms in Fairmount township.

Mr. Sheppard is one of the progressive farmers and stockmen of that section. He relates many interesting events of early conditions in Fairmount township when he came here. He has a distinct recollection of a number of thrilling incidents of pioneer life, in the days when blizzards, prairie fires and grasshoppers varied the monotony of dull life on the plains, and developed the resourcefulness of the early pioneers in coping with the ever changing conditions. He is one of the substantial citizens of Fairmount township, and well and favorably known throughout that section of the county. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 617-619)

FERRIER, THOMAS L.

Closely interwoven, is the romantic and thrilling story of the great West and the lives of its pioneers. To the intrepid spirit of these men and women who came to conquer, and to whose determination, failure was an unknown quantity, we owe our present advancement. The word, fear, was not of their vocabulary. And, in the winning of the West, the race was to the strong, and life in those days was the survival of the fittest.
In the varied career of Thomas L. Ferrier, we can read the development and growth of a State; for as the individual develops, so does the country which he inhabits. Before he was of age, Thomas L. Ferrier saw life in many of its phases, and in his early life saw much of the glamor and romance of the old West. He was born near Rowling Green, Kentucky, May 30, 1845. While yet a child, with his parents, Thomas H. and Catherine (Lewis) Ferrier, he moved to Audrain county, Mo., where he lived until he was sixteen years old. At that time, 1863, he joined a party of freighters who were crossing the plains from Westport to Salt Lake City. Arriving there, he found employment as a cook on a steamer plying on Great Salt Lake. To the adventurous spirit of the boy, this employment soon grew monotonous, and he turned to the mines at Silver City, Idaho, to seek his fortune, and to satisfy that irresistable desire for adventure. After a considerable time in the mines, he made a trip into Oregon, and finally drifted back to Salt Lake City. The adventurous and dangerous life of the West appealed strongly to one of his nature, and his next employment was that of a stage driver, between Salt Lake City and the Black Hills. In this employment, he spent several months, and again became a miner.

While engaged in this occupation at Silver City, he received a letter, telling of the fatal illness of his mother, at her home in Missouri, and he prepared to go to her side. After reaching Salt Lake City, he took the stage to Omaha. For some reason, no ferryman could be found to pilot him across the river at Omaha. It was the month of March, and the turbulent Missouri was full of floating ice; the prospect of swimming the muddy, rapid stream was anything but alluring, but Tom Ferrier had inherited from his French ancestors not only a love for adventure, but a will that was unconquerable, and a delay of any kind, and from any cause, was not included in his plans for the trip to the bedside of his mother. He swam the river and proceeded on his journey. After no further adventures, he arrived at the home of his parents, where he remained for some months.

But the "spirit of the West," and the "call of the wild" had taken firm hold in his nature, and the spring of 1865 found him with the outfit of a hunter and plainsman, traveling again towards the setting sun. Journeying southwest from Westport, he became more and more impressed by the charm of the country, over which he rode day after day, with its limitless undulating expanse of tall, blue stem, as far as the eye could reach, unbroken except by narrow belts of small timbers along the streams. He was imbued with the spirit of the prairie and the desire to possess some of his land as his own, became so strong that when he reached the region of the Whitewater in what later became Clifford township, he decided to stake his claim and build a home. Here in this great open space and great distances, near the banks of the Whitewater, he built his lonely cabin. The spirit of the pioneer, the call of the wild, was a dominant feature of the Ferrier bold, and the great, unfenced country that was before him, appealed strongly to his imagination, no doubt, but he could see the wonderful future of this, as yet, almost un-peopled land. The rank growth of prairie grass, ten feet high in the draws, indicated the richness of the soil and his dream of a home and of many broad acres with himself as the owner, was not without foundation.

It is truly said, that men who attain much are dreamers, so to speak, as the attainment of their desire first takes place in the mind of the dreamer. His dream of a home and a large acreage of this fertile region became a reality. Many years before his death, Mr. Ferrier was the owner of 1,400 acres of this well fenced and well improved land- of fertile fields of corn and alfalfa. From 1865 to 1868, settlers were few, in fact, until 1868, his only neighbor was John Adams, whose cabin was five miles down the Whitewater. During those years, nature, in her wildest form, offered the only means of a livelihood, and to these few first settlers, the gun and the trap were the main dependence. One winter Mr. Ferrier shot, and trapped over 600 dozen prairie chickens, which he shipped to Westport. From 1869 to 1872, settlers came rapidly. In 1871, Mr. Ferrier was married to Mrs. Jennie B. Borbridge. She was born in Indiana, her parents, Benjamin and Jennie Ferguson, came to Butler county in 1870. They settled on a farm in Clifford township, coming from Carroll county, Indiana, of English extraction. Mr. and Mrs. Ferrier shared, alike, the life of the early settlers, and were happy and contented with their lot. They were the parents of three children, the youngest of whom was two years old, at the time of the mother's death, November 29, 1884.

Taking up the cares of business and looking after his orphaned children, to whom he was now both father and mother, Mr. Ferrier, as was his nature, put his best effort into the task before him. And in the decade following his wife's death, he added considerable to the building of the fortune for which the foundation was laid, and the little log cabin was erected on his lonely claim in 1865. In 1895 he was married to Katie Block, the second child of David and Katherine Block. She was born in Russia in 1874. Her parents, both natives of Germany, immigrated to Russia and shortly after the birth of Katherine, came to America. They settled in Florence, Kans., in 1874, and after four or five years' residence there, and at Hillsboro, they settled in Butler county. Mr. Block died in June, 1912. The mother's death occurred in the same month, two years later, (1914.)

By his first marriage, Mr. Ferrier was the father of three children, two of whom are living: Lewis W. Ferrier, who lives in Searchlight, Nev., where he is superintendent of the Red Wing Mining and Milling Company of Nevada; Mary J. (Ferrier) Liggett, the deceased wife of J. M. Liggett, and Wm. J. Ferrier, a successful farmer and business man of Clifford township, whose home is not far from where his father settled a half century ago with a pony, a shot gun and $26 in cash. By his second marriage, Mr. Ferrier was the father of nine children: Nellie E.; Harold H.; Leonard L.; Ida M.; Fred T.; Iva L.; Edna R.; Emma K., and Theodore L.

Thomas L. Ferrier died December 19, 1914. Thus briefly sketched is the life and career of a remarkable man. He was of the type who have truly been called empire builders. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 619-621)

LATHROP, HOWARD

Howard Lathrop, a prominent farmer and stockman and an early settler in Clifford township, is a native of New York. He was born in Genesee county, July 27, 1843, andis a son of John and Elizabeth (Her-rick) Lathrop. Elizabeth Herrick was a native of Newberryport, Mass., and was of German descent. John Lathrop was born in Rutland county, Vermont, in the town of Pittsford and was a son of Adgate and Martha (Clifford) Lathrop and was born May 11, 1794, and died February 22, 1887. The Lathrop family is of English descent and were among the very earliest settlers in New England. A representative of this family came to this country with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620. John Lathrop came from Pittsford, Vt., to Genesee county, New York, in 1812. That section of New York State was heavily timbered and at that time a dense wilderness, but that country has long since been far famed for its beauty of scenery and fertility of soil. He made the trip from Vermont with an ox team and cart, and was twenty-one days enroute. He cleared and improved the farm and reared his family there and spent the remainder of his life. He was a man held in high esteem by all who knew him and was one of the substantial citizens of his time. In early life he was a Whig but later became a Democrat. He held numerous offices of trust and responsibility and was prominent in the political affairs in Genesee county.

He was married to Elizabeth Herrick in 1840. She was born in Newberryport, Mass., August 4, 1810, and died in 1905. They were the parents of six children of whom Howard, the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth.

Howard Lathrop grew to manhood on the home farm in Genesee county, and received his education in the district schools. The school year consisted of four months, and his educational career, insofar as schools were concerned, ended when he was fifteen years old. He earned his first money by working for his father on the home farm at $200 a year, and this arrangement continued for five years. He bought a farm in Genesee county about 1865, which he later sold at considerable loss on account of the instability of the currency at that time, due to the high price of gold. However, he saved $1,200 out of the transaction and in 1872 came to Butler county, Kansas. He bought 440 acres of school land in Clifford township from Daniel Elder, and still owns that property. He paid $5.00 per acre for his first land, going into debt for the entire purchase price. Later he bought additional land, and now owns 1,700 acres of land in Clifford township. He has been engaged in general farming and stock raising and is one of the successful men of Butler county. Besides his farming operations he is interested in other local enterprises. He was a stockholder in the Butler County Telephone Company and is president of the Peabody State Bank. He was one of the organizers of that institution, in 1899, and has been a member of the board of directors since that time, and was vice president for a time.

Mr. Lathrop was married March 22, 1870, to Miss Jennie Young, a native of New York, and a daughter of Rev. William and Hester (Knapp) Young, natives of New York. The father was a minister in the Christian church. To Mr. and Mrs. Lathrop have been born the following children: Frank, Ida, Charles, Clifford, William Y., all of whom reside in Butler county, except Charles H., who lives just across the line in Marion county, at Burns.

Mr. Lathrop is a Republican and has taken an active part in political affairs, although the extent of his interest in office holding, so far, has been to help the other fellow. He is one of Butler county's substantial citizens and is widely and favorably known. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 621-622)

TURNER, HARRY

Harry Turner, a leading farmer of Fairmount township, is a native of England. He was born at Norfolk, January 29, 1851, and is a son of Robert and Mary (Davis) Turner, natives of England. His father was an Episcopalian minister and the parents died when Harry was about fifteen years old. The family consisted of Harry and a younger sister. Harry was educated in a private boarding school in Ramsgate, Kent, on the English Channel, where he received a very thorough course of instruction. In 1856, shortly after the death of his parents, when he was about fifteen years of age, he immigrated to America. After remaining a short time in New York, he went to Chicago, and then to Hobart, Ind., and shortly afterwards to Minnesota. He was in Minnesota about a year, and during that time became acquainted with some men from Kansas and when they returned to this State, he accompanied them to Miami county. When he came to this State he did not have a dollar. After working for a time in Miami and Osage counties, he came to Butler county in 1881. This appeared to be quite a new country then, compared with the present day conditions. He says, that in going from El Dorado to Fairmount township there were only two miles of road on the section line. All the rest of the way the trail ran diagonally across the section lines.

When Mr. Turner came to Butler county, he leased land for a number of years, and engaged quite extensively in cattle and hog raising. In 1900, he bought a farm on section 20 known as the old Clark place, which was homesteaded by James Clark about 1874, and the old stone barn which Mr. Clark built is still standing and is one of the old historic buildings of that section.

Mr. Turner was married in 1879 in Osage county, Kansas, to Miss Mary Dooty, a native of DeKalb county, Missouri, born in i860. She is a daughter of J. B. and Serena (Harper) Dooty, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of North Carolina. The Dooty family came from Missouri to Kansas and settled at Lawrence shortly after Quantrill raided that town. After spending four years in Douglass county, in the vicinity of Lawrence, they removed to Osage county in December, 1868, and from Osage went to Miami county and in 1880 came to Butler county. The father, Rev. J. B. Dooty, was a Methodist minister. lie died April 11, 1889. lie was recognized as an able preacher and a gentleman of noble Christian character. His widow now resides in Osage county with her son. There were six children in the Dooty family, of whom Mrs. Turner is the second in order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Turner have no children.

Mr. and Mrs. Turner are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Turner is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having been identified with Whitewater Lodge No. 268 for twenty-five years. He is a Progressive Republican, and for years has been active in the ranks of the Republican party, having served as chairman of the township committee for twenty years. lie has served on the local school board for a number of years, and has also been clerk and treasurer of Fairmount township a number of terms. He has always been a close student of the best literature as well as of men and affairs and there are very few standard English or American authors whose worlds he has not read. His favorite author is Dickens, although he greatly admires Wilkie Collins' writings. Mr. Turner has an extensive acquaintance throughout Butler county, and is one of the substantial citizens of Fairmount township who has met with well merited success. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 622-623)

BRUMBACK, OLIVER P.

Oliver P. Brumback, a Butler county pioneer and Civil war veteran, comes from an old and distinguished American family whose members participated in the Revolutionary war, under Washington. Mr. Brumback was a native of Kentucky. He was born August 17, 1830, a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Estes) Brumback. The father was a native of Virginia and a son of Peter Brumback. Peter Brumback, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 1750, and lived to be ninety-six years old, dying April 6, 1846. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary war, serving in the Continental army throughout that long and tedious struggle of seven years, for a new Nation. He was twice wounded by British bullets, receiving one wound at the Battle of Camden. Oliver P. Brumback often discussed incidents of the Revolutionary war with his grandfather, he being sixteen years of age when the latter died.

In 1854, Mr, Brumback went from Kentucky to Schuyler county, Illinois where he was married to Miss Susan E. Allphin, a native of Schuyler county. She is a daughter of Reuben and Susan (Brumback) Allphin. Reuben Allphin was born in Boone county, Kentucky, and was a soldier in the Mexican war, in which his son William also served. The Allphin family are of French origin. Reuben Allphin was a son of Zebulon who was a native of Orange county, Virginia, where He lived at the time of the Revolutionary war but was too young to enter the service. His father was a native of France and a member of the old Bourbon aristocracy.
To Oliver P. Brumback and wife have been born the following children: Austin M., born in 1857; Mrs. Clara (Perry) Gaylord, born in 1859, and died in Texas; Virgil and Viola, twins, born in 1861; Grace, born in 1864, married George L. Haskin; Everett, born in 1866; Charles E., born in 1868; Edgar, born in 1870, served as county attorney of Butler county, being the youngest man ever elected to that office, and is now deceased; Harry W., born in 1873, deceased; George W., born in 1875, deceased; William, born in 1877.

During the Civil war, Mr. Brumback raised a company in Schuyler county, Illinois, which was mustered into service as Company F, One hundred and Nineteenth regiment Illinois infantry, and he was elected first lieutenant of the company at its organization. This company received its baptism of fire at the battle of Shiloh, and Mr. Brumback was in the thick of the fray. They then went to Jackson, Tenn., under Grant and after campaigning in the West for some time, Lieutenant Brum-back's health failed, and in 1863 he resigned his commission. He also had a brother Benjamin who served in the Union army throughout the Civil war.
After resigning from the army Mr. Brumback returned to Schuyler county, Illinois, and was engaged in the general mercantile business at Huntsville, Ill., until 1870. In April of that year, he came to Butler county, Kansas, driving across the plains from Illinois, the trip requiring four weeks. After reaching here, he camped with his family on the banks of the Whitewater and filed on the northeast quarter of section 26, Milton township. He soon began to make improvements on his place and engaged in farming and stock raising and for forty-six years his home had been on this place in Milton township. His was a successful career. He never shirked a responsibility, or duty, whether it was that of father, husband, citizen or soldier. He was of the type of men of whom not only his family, but his neighbors and fellow citizens were justly proud. Mr. Brumback passed,away February 8, 1916. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 623-624)

CHANCE, N. R.

N. R. Chance, a Civil war veteran and Butler county pioneer, who has spent forty years of his life in this county, is a native of Indiana. He was born in 1844, and is a son of William Chance, a native of North Carolina. N. R. Chance was one of a family of four children, two of whom are now living: William lives near Leavenworth, Kans., and N. R., the subject of the sketch. N. R. Chance went to Iowa with his parents when a boy. He received his education in the common schools and followed farming in Lucas county, Iowa, until 1874, with the exception of a period during the Civil war, when he served as a member of the Forty-sixth Iowa infantry, enlisting in 1864, at the age of twenty years.

At the close of the war he was mustered out of service at Davenport, Iowa, and returned to the farm in Lucas county. In 1874 he came to Kansas, locating in Butler county, seven miles southwest of Augusta, in Bruno township. It will be remembered by those familiar with the early history and discouraging days of Kansas that this was the year of the grasshopper visitation. Many settlers were discouraged and left the State following the visitation of the grasshoppers, but Mr. Chance was not the kind of a pioneer to be driven from the plains of Kansas by any ordinary type of grasshoppers. He says that even with his forty years of life in Kansas that he likes the State a little better each year than he did the preceding one. He belongs to that school of sturdy pioneers who not only made Butler county what it is, but were the builders of the great State of Kansas, and have just cause to be proud of their achievements.

When Mr. Chance settled in Bruno township he bought his claim from Daniel Golden, for which he paid $1,000. The place was slightly improved, having a small four-room house with about twenty acres of prairie broken and some hedge. Here Mr. Chance was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising until 1899, when he removed to Augusta, where he built a comfortable and commodious residence, where he now lives. He has added to his original purchase of land, and now owns 640 acres of valuable farm land, 400 acres of which is located in Pleasant township and the rest in Bruno.

Mr. Chance was married in 1865 in Iowa to Miss Mary E. McKnight, a native of Ohio. Two children were born to this union, as follows: Mack T., a traveling salesman for the Potts Drug Company, who resides at Wichita, and Charlie C, a farmer and dairyman in Sedgwick county. Mr. and Mrs. Chance celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary December 24, 1915, in Augusta. Both their children were present and also their eight grandchildren. Mr. Chance is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security and the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is one of the substantial citizens of the county. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 624-625)

SNORF, PARK M.

Park M. Snorf, a prominent farmer of Milton township, belongs to one of the very earliest, pioneer families of Butler county. He was born near Niles, Mich., July 6, 1855, a son of Milton C, and Mary Elizabeth (Patterson) Snorf. His mother was a native of Darke county, Ohio, and a daughter of John Patterson, who was a native of Ireland and an early settler in Ohio. Milton C. Snorf was born in Darke county, Ohio, in 1830, and after reaching manhood, went to Yigo county, Indiana, where he worked on a farm and at the carpenter trade.

When the Civil war broke out, he responded to the president's second call for troops, enlisting as a private, and was later promoted to corporal. He participated in a number of important engagements, among which was the siege of Vicksburg, and he was with Sherman on his march to Atlanta, participating in the battle of Atlanta and the march to the sea. He was in the grand review at Washington at the close of the war, after which he was discharged, having served about four years. He then returned to his wife and three children, who were at the home of her parents in Darke county, Ohio.

Shortly after the war, Mr. Snorf returned to Vigo county, Indiana, with his family, where he fitted up an emigrant wagon, and in the spring of 1867, started for Kansas, and they were on the road the greater part of that summer. They first located near Lawrence, and the following April, hit the trail again, this time with Butler county as their destination, and on April 9, 1868, they reached the northwestern part of this county. Here they filed on a claim in section 36 of the congressional township, which was later named Milton township, in his honor.

The Snorf family were the first white settlers in Milton township. The father built a one room cabin, 16x20 feet on his claim, about sixty rods west of the Whitewater river. He followed farming eight or ten years here, when he removed to Plum Grove, and clerked in a general store for Stark Spencer. In 1881, Mr. Snorf, with his family, went to Oregon, but the following year, returned to Butler county, engaging in the mercantile business in Plum Grove until the new town of Brainerd was started, when he engaged in business there. About three years later he became possessed by the spirit of adventure again, and he and his youngest son started across the plains in a prairie schooner, going to San Louis Valley, New Mexico. He took up a claim there, and after remaining about two years, returned to Butler county, and engaged in the grocery business at Whitewater, continuing in that business until his death, June 10, 1904. His wife preceded him in death a number of years, having passed away November 15, 1880. They were the parents of seven children, two of whom are now living, Park M., the subject of this sketch, being the second in order of birth.

Park M. Snorf was about thirteen years of age when the family first came to Butler county, and while yet practically a young man, he has seen Butler county developed from the wild, unbroken primitive state to its present condition. He has seen much of frontier life, not only in Butler county, but also farther west. He made the trip to Oregon with the family, and passed through a wild and uninhabited country. He spent considerable time in Cripple Creek, Colo., during the balmy days there, when the gold excitement ran high. He has had considerable experience as a hunter, and recalls having killed a buffalo just a few miles west of Newton. From 1872 to 1874, he was employed as a cowboy on a Texas cattle ranch and also herded cattle in Butler and adjoining counties. On one of his drives, he saw a great herd of buffalo, consisting of countless thousands of these animals, in fact, buffalo could be seen as far as the vision could reach. He has frequently killed buffalo," and has had lively encounters with these animals after they had been wounded.

Mr. Snorf was married March 1, 1874, to Miss Clementine Brenner. She was born in Illinois, December 1, 1853, and is a daughter of Martin and Mary A. (Shaibles) Brenner. The mother was a native of Ohio, and the father of Pennsylvania. After their marriage in Ohio, they removed to Illinois, and, during the Civil war, came to Kansas, locating at Leavenworth.. Here the father engaged in freighting between Leavenworth and Ft. Scott, Ft. Gibson, Lawrence, and other points. While on a trip to Lawrence, he was informed that Quantrill was burning the town and murdering the inhabitants, but he continued his trip, and when he reached there, he found the place in ashes, and many of the inhabitants had been killed. One of the men who escaped, rode back to Ft. Leavenworth with him, and gave him a saddle which he kept for a number of years. Shortly after the close of the war, and upon the advent of the railroads, he abandoned the freighting business, and for a few years, was a guard in the State penitentiary at Lansing. In 1872, he came to Butler county with his family where he homesteaded and spent the remainder of his life. He died in 1914, his wife preceding him in death a number of years, she having died at Leavenworth during the Civil war.

To Mr. and Mrs. Snorf have been born the following children: Mary E., born March 18, 1875, and died July 3, 1875; Ida F., married James H. Adams, El Dorado, Kans.; Minnie Esther, married William Starkey, Findley, Kans.; M. C, resides in Butler county; Effie, married Andrew O. Clawson, resides in Butler county, and Frank M., resides at home.

P. M. Snorf is a Republican, as was his father, and he and his wife are members of the Baptist church. Mr. Snorf is one of the successful farmers and stockmen of Milton township, and the Snorf family history forms a conspicuous part of the story of Milton township and Butler county.(History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 625-627)