Biographies Index

BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS

BIOGRAPHIES

SMILEY, THOMAS

Thomas Smiley, a prominent pioneer and well known merchant of Rock. Creek township, is one of the founders of Smileyberg, where his store is located. This town was established by Thomas Smiley and Barney Berg, and thus the name Smileyberg. In 1904 Barney Berg bought eighty acres of land on the northeast corner of section 21, and here established a blacksmith shop. In 1908 Thomas Smiley came from Augusta and erected a small store building, 16x20 feet, on this corner, and put in a small stock of groceries and dry goods. The following fall he built an addition to his store and also increased his stock of goods. Mr. Smiley started in business here with the policy of reasonable prices and fair dealing, and the rapidity of the growth of the business was beyond his greatest expectations. The volume of business done at this store compares favorably with the business of the leading stores of Douglass or Augusta.

Thomas Smiley was born in Canada on the banks of the St. Lawrence river, seven miles from the New York State line, in 1867. He is a son of James and Martha (Paul) Smiley, both natives of Glasgow, Scotland. James Smiley and family went to Canada in 1828 and located in the vicinity of Montreal. They were the parents of six children, of whom Thomas, the subject of this sketch, is the youngest. In 1866 Mr. Smiley left Canada and migrated to Indiana, where he and his brother were engaged as contractors, furnishing wood to the railroads for locomotive fuel, and also ties. They were principally engaged in supplying the Wabash railroad with these materials. They were very successful in their undertakings, and were of the progressive type of business men. They built a saw mill near Logansport, Ind., which they later sold and removed to Kokomo, Ind., where Mr. Smiley had charge of a lumber yard for several years.

Mr. Smiley was married to Miss Martha Church, a native of North Carolina, and to this union three children were born, all of whom died in infancy. From Kokomo, Ind., Mr. Smiley and his wife came to Kansas, first locating at White Cloud. After remaining there about three years they came to Augusta, and later followed farming on the present site of Rose Hill for about four years. This was about the time of the Wichita boom. Mr. Smiley became interested heavily in Wichita real estate, and when the collapse came in real estate he collapsed also, financially, and lost considerable money. He then went to Augusta and entered the employ of Sisco Brothers and sold merchandise for them throughout the country. He drove a* wagon and covered a broad scope of territory; he made money for his employers and friends for himself. He formed a wide acquaintance and built up a reputation for honesty and integrity, which was an important asset when he started in business for himself, and many of his customers today are people who traded with him twenty-two years ago when he drove for Sisco Brothers. Mrs. Smiley died in 1893, and Mr. Smiley has never remarried. He is a substantial citizen and is a Republican. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 856-857)

WELCH, D. H.

In February, 1912, D. H. Welch became a partner of Thomas Smiley in the mercantile business at Smileyberg. Mr. Welch was born in Buchanan county, Missouri, in November, 1855, He came to Butler county, where he was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising for a number of years. His first mercantile venture was at Udal, Cowley county. When Mr. Welch entered into partnership with Mr. Smiley, he bought one-half interest in the business, and they are now equal partners. The business is constantly growing, and both Mr. Welch and Mr. Smiley are thorough going business men, whose rank and fair methods of dealing have won the confidence of a large and constantly increasing patronage.

Mr. Welch was married to Miss Mary McWilliams, a native of Missouri. She died in 1896, leaving no children. Mr. Welch is a wide awake business man and takes a keen interest in local affairs. He is a Democrat. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 857-858)

ADAMS, SAMUEL W.

Samuel W. Adams, now deceased, was a Butler county pioneer and a Civil war veteran, who took a prominent part in the development of Rock Creek township. Mr. Adams was born in Boone county, Kentucky, August i6f 1847. He was a son of Samuel W. and Jane (McGinnis) Adams, natives of Kentucky. Samuel Adams, the subject of this sketch, grew to manhood and was educated in his native State, and on September 9, 1869, he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine E. Snodgrass, a native of Pendleton county, Kentucky, born November 1, 1850. Her parents were Joseph and Sarah Ann (Wallace) Snodgrass, natives of Kentucky, the former of Scotch and German extraction, and the latter cf Scotch descent. To Mr. and Mrs. Adams were born the following Children: Stella, David E., deceased, and Frank and Dessie. The three surviving children live with their mother in Rock Creek township.

In March, 1870, the spring following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Adams drove from their home in Kentucky to Cincinnati, Ohio, where they shipped their goods to Kansas and came to this State by rail. They first settled in Johnson county, where they leased some Shawnee In-dian land on the Shawnee reservation in Johnson county. They remained there until April, 1871, when they loaded their personal possessions in a prairie schooner and started in a southwesterly direction, with a view of locating in Cowley county. When they reached Rock Creek township, Butler county, their journey had been so much interrupted up to this time by swollen streams that they decided to cast their lot with Butler county, and Mr. Adams pre-empted the southeast quarter of section 17. Later his father and two of his brothers settled in Butler county, and two brothers of Mrs. Adams also came here. The first home of the Adams family on the plains of Butler county was a i6xi6-foot, one-room structure, built of native lumber, which later, however, was succeeded by a more comfortable and commodious farm residence. When Mr. Adams came to Butler county he had no horses, but broke the prairie with oxen, and he managed to get along in this way for a number of years. His start in Butler county was not unlike that of the average pioneer, but industry and capable management, with good business judgment, brought more than ordinary success to him, and at the time of his death he was one of the prominent and influential men of Butler county.

When the Civil war broke out Mr. Adams was still a boy in his teens/and notwithstanding that he was only fifteen years old, he enlisted August 6, 1862, in Company G, Seventh Kentucky cavalry. After having served three years, he was discharged July 10, 1865, with an honorable military record to his credit. He participated in many important and hard-fought battles, and at one time was taken prisoner and was confined in the Confederate military prisons for a number of months.
Mr. Adams was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and also supported the policies and the principles of the Democratic party. He took an active part in the local organization of his party, and served two terms as trustee of Rock Creek township. He died October 11, 1902, and Mrs. Adams now resides on the home place. She is a typical representative of that noble band of pioneer women who did their part nobly and well in conquering the prairie and making an empire out of the desert. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 858-859)

BALLY, HENRY

Henry Bally, a prominent farmer and stockman of Rock Creek township, has been a resident of Butler county for thirty-eight years. He was born in Ashland county, Ohio, May 19, T845, and is a son of Yost and Elizabeth (Bare) Bally, natives of Germany. The parents were married in their native land and immigrated to America some time between 1820 and 1825, settling in Pennsylvania. At an early day they moved to northern Indiana, and from there to Ashland county, Ohio. In 1847, when Henry was about two years of age, the family migrated to Illinois and settled in Woodford county, about twenty miles from Peoria. At that time Peoria was a small village of less than one hundred inhabitants and had only one grocery store. The parents spent the remainder of their days in Woodford county, the father dying in February, 1878, and his wife departed this life in 1882. They were the parents of thirteen children, of whom Henry was the ninth in order of birth.

Henry Bally grew to manhood on the home farm in Illinois and received his education in the public schools, such as were provided in those pioneer days. When the Bally family located in Woodford county, the father bought land for $340 per acre, and the same land today is worth $340 per acre.

In 1869 Henry Bally married Miss Martha A. Bunch, a daughter of Joseph and Phylenia (Moorehouse) Bunch, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Massachusetts. Mr. Bunch was a Republican and a strong Union man during the Civil war, and one of his sons served in the Union army during that conflict. After his marriage Mr. Bally engaged in farming in Illinois, and met with a reasonable degree of success until the panic of 1873, when he lost all. He then decided to go farther west where opportunities were greater, and in 1878 came to Kansas and located in Rock Creek township, Butler county. His capital was limited and he began operations in a small way. He increased his holdings from time to time until he has become one of the substantial and well-to-do farmers and stockmen of Rock Creek township, and today is a leader in his community.

To Mr. and Mrs. Bally have been born three children, as follows: Bertha, married L. M. Base, of Rock Creek township; Harry, died at the age of four years, and Nora, married Arthur J. Watkins, of Rock Creek township. Mr. Bally is a Republican and takes a keen interest in political affairs, but has never aspired to hold political office. Mr. and Mrs. Bally are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and prominent in the community in which they reside. They belong to that type of pioneers who, by self-sacrifice, have made Butler county what it is today.(History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 859-860)

STURYDVIN, MARY MRS.

Mrs. Mary Sturdyvin, a Kansas pioneer woman and one of the early hotel keepers of Whitewater, Kans., was born on a farm near Pittsfield, Pike county, Illinois, July 25, 1866. Her parents were William and Maggie (Chambers) Strawmatt. Her mother was a native of Indiana, and a member of a pioneer family of that State. She was a daughter of John and Margaret (Adams) Chambers, the former of English and the latter of German descent. They probably came from Pennsylvania to Indiana. William Strawmatt, the father of Mrs. Sturdyvin, was born in Pike county, Illinois, August 4, 1827. His father was a boatman on the Mississippi river, and was drowned when William was about five years old.

William Strawmatt grew to manhood on the Illinois prairies, and was married on January 8, 1859. He enlisted in August, 1862, in answer to President Lincoln's call for volunteers, and became a member of Company G, Ninety-ninth regiment, Illinois infantry, and served for three years, during which time he saw much hard service.. He participated in the battles of Second Bull Run, Shiloh, The Wilderness, siege of Vicksburg, Fort Donelson and many others. He was captured and confined in Libby prison for a time, but escaped a few weeks later, only to be recaptured and sent to Andersonville prison. He was wounded twice at the second battle of Bull Run, and the close of the war he was mustered out of service and honorably discharged and returned to his home in Illinois.

In 1870 Mr. Strawmatt and his family left Illinois and drove to Holt county, Missouri, where he bought a farm and remained there for eight years. In 1878 he migrated to western Kansas with his family, and homesteaded a claim in Rush county; Three years later he sold his claim there and came to Butler county, settling in Murdock township, and was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising here until April 19, 1893, when his wife died and he disposed of his farming interests and spent the balance of his days in retirement with his children. He died at the home of Mrs. Sturdyvin on March 19, 1907.

Mrs. Sturdyvin was about twelve years of age when the family came to Kansas, and saw much of the pioneer life of the western part of the State. She remembers having seen buffalo on the plains, and Indians were no uncommon sight during her first few years in this State. She was married on September 25, 1881, to George H. Roach, whom she met at a ball at La Crosse, Kans. George H. Roach was born in Washington county, Illinois, May 14, 1858, a son of William and Mary (Cochran) Roach, natives of Ohio, both of whom died when George H. was a small child. He was reared by his grandparents, and when a young man went to western Kansas and was engaged in the cattle business, where he met his future wife. He homesteaded a quarter section south of Brainerd, and here Mr. and Mrs. Roach lived for over two years. Their oldest child, George W. Roach, was born January 29, 1884. He now resides at Hutchinson. Another son, Glenn H. Roach, was born at Edgecomb, May 1, 1886, and lives in San Francisco, Cal. After residing on their claim, near Brainerd, they moved to Edgecomb and conducted a general store, blacksmith shop, feed stable and kept the postoffice. Four years later they removed to the new town of Brainerd, where they remained until 1890, engaged in the mercantile business. They then moved their stock of goods to Whitewater, which was then a new village. Here George H. Roach died on December 8, 1900, and Mrs. Roach continued the business for two years, and for six years prior to this time had also conducted a hotel at Whitewater. In 1902 she removed to El Dorado and the following year returned to Whitewater and engaged in the hotel business again, which she conducted about six months.

On September 11, 1903, Mrs. Roach was married to Edward F. Sturdyvin. They spent the winter of 1903 and 1904 in St. Louis, Mo., and from there went to Madisonville, Ky., where Mr. Sturdyvin was superintendent of a mine for a time, when they returned to Whitewater. After remaining there for some months they went to Oklahoma, where Mr. Sturdyvin bought a farm in the foothills of the Ozarks, and after remaining there about a year they returned to Whitewater and engaged in the hotel business. This was in May, 1911, and Mr. Sturdyvin died on September 1, 1912. Mrs. Sturdyvin conducted the hotel until April, 1914, when she sold it. Mrs. Sturdyvin is an extensive land owner and has accumulated most of her property by her own efforts. She is a capable business woman, and has been very successful. She owns a half section of land in Oklahoma, which is rich in coal and oil deposits, as well as timber. She also owns a quarter section in Scott county, Kansas, and is a stockholder in the Anticline Oil Company of Oklahoma City, and she also owns a cozy home in Whitewater.

Mrs. Sturdyvin is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps, No. 178, Whitewater, Kans., and has held all the offices in that lodge. She is also a member of the Daughters of the Revolution, and has been vice grand, noble grand, chaplain, secretary and district deputy, and has been a delegate to the grand lodge several times. She is also a member of the Whitewater Commercial Club, and takes a keen interest in local affairs.(History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 860-861)

ALLEN, F. S.

F. S. Allen, owner and proprietor of the Boyden Abstract Company of El Dorado, Kans., has been identified with the abstract business practically all of his life, and the Boyden Abstract Company is one of the best known institutions of its kind in southern Kansas, and its history, and that of its predecessors, is the history of the abstract business in Butler county.

The first abstract business in El Dorado was started in 1868 by T. W. Cameron. David Boyden bought Cameron out in 1879, and Boyden conducted the business about twenty years. Some time in the seventies David Bronson wrote a set of books and also S. L. Shattell, and after some changes the business was consolidated. This consolidation was brought about by the purchase of all interests concerned by R. IT. Hazlett. W. B. Crough and F. S. Allen. Later the Butler County Abstract Company made a set of books, which Hazlett, Crouch and Allen bought. This was in 1895, and in 1899 Mr. Allen became the sole owner of the institution.

Mr. Allen began in the abstract business in 1882. The Boyden abstract business has gradually developed until it has become one of the important institutions of El Dorado. During the recent industrial development in the oil and gas business, the abstract business has increased beyond any reasonable expectation. During the first six months of 1916 Mr. Allen gave employment to eighteen clerks in his office, and during normal conditions he employed eight assistants. He owns his own building at No. 125 West Central avenue, and the abstract business occupies the first floor with a floor space of 1,320 feet.

Mr. Allen was born near Boston, Mass., a son of Louis E. and Susan (Boyden) Allen, natives of Massachusetts. The father was a seafaring man and was lost at sea when F. S. was a child, and the mother now resides in El Dorado. Mr. Allen came to Kansas in 1882, and since that time has been located in El Dorado, and is one of the substantial business men of Butler county. He was elected registrar of deeds of Butler county in 1897, and at the expiration of his first term he was re-elected to that office, and served five years in all, serving one additional year, on account of a change in the law. Politically, Mr. Allen has always been identified with the Democratic party. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 861-862)

OVERSTREET, THOMAS H.

Thomas H. Overstreet, a Butler county pioneer and Civil war veteran, who has made his home in Little Walnut township for the past forty-four years, is a native of Kentucky. He was born in Mercer county and is a son of Harding Overstreet. The father was a stone mason and farmer. Mr. Overstreet located on government land in Little Walnut township in 1872, and since that time has been engaged in farming and stock raising. He is one of the men whose industry and foresight have made Butler county one of the leading counties in the great State of Kansas.

Mr. Overstreet was married in October, 1865, to Miss Sarah Jane Beasley, and the following children have been born to this union: Mrs. Ida Sinkhorn, Wichita, Kans.; Mrs. Delitha Dawson, Wichita, Kans.; William, Wichita, Kans.; Hardy, Elgin, Kans.; Mrs. Gertrude Tabing, Leon, Kans.

When Thomas Overstreet came to Butler county the country was in a new and undeveloped state. Conveniences and accommodations were few, and, like the other early day pioneers, he made the best of the situation, with a view of building a home for himself and his family. He endured the many hardships incident to pioneer life and enjoyed few luxuries, but he lived to be rewarded and was not disappointed. He reared his family in a way that they are a credit to their parents and to the community-the highest type of American citizenship. They are all prosperous and well-to-do, and in view of all this, Mr. Overstreet and his wife may well spend the remainder of their days in the consciousness of the fact that they have lived successful lives and contributed their part towards a better and higher civilization. This noble band of pioneers who reclaimed the great American desert are rapidly passing away, and it is but fitting that a work of this character should chronicle something of the lives and deeds of those who did their part nobly and well. It may be said of Thomas Overstreet that as a soldier and a pioneer he fought a good fight. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 862-863)

STEWART, AMOS

Amos Stewart, a prominent farmer and stockman of Rock Creek township, is a Civil war veteran and Butler county pioneer. Mr. Stewart was born near Greencastle, Ind., February 10, 1840, and is a son of James and Dicy (Wright) Stewart, the father a native of Kentucky, and the mother of North Carolina, both of whom migrated to Indiana with their respective parents when children. The Stewart family remained in Indiana until 1849, when they migrated to Washington county, Iowa. The father conducted a farm there and also operated a sawmill. In 1857 the family moved to Appanoose county, Iowa, remaining there until 1882, when they removed to Kansas.

On August 12, 1861, Amos Stewart enlisted in answer to the President's call for volunteers to defend the Union. The Iowa quota was filled by the time he was recruited and he was mustered into the United States service as a member of Company D, Fifth Kansas regiment, and was later transferred to Company B, of the same regiment. This regiment saw service along the troublesome border in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas, and were principally engaged in fighting guerillas. Mr. Stewart's term of enlistment expired in February, 1864, after he had served three years, and he immediately re-enlistd in the same company for a period of four years. He served until after the close of the war, receiving his honorable discharge on August 21, 1865, after serving four years and nine days. He saw much hard service of a dangerous and disagreeable character known as "guerilla warfare," where military rules and usages were disregarded and frequently no quarter was shown. To be captured invariably meant death.

At the close of the war Mr. Stewart returned to Appanoose county, Iowa, and in October, 1866, he was married to Miss Mary Linton, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of L. L. and Rachel (Moore) Linton, natives of Ohio. Mr. Stewart and his wife began life on a farm in Iowa, where they remained until July, 1870, when they came to Kansas and settled in Butler county, which has since been their home. To Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have been born the following children: Alice R. married A. G. Huffman, Lamar, Neb.; J. P., resides on the home place; Louis R., farmer, Rock Creek township; Rachel N., died at the age of one year, and one child, born in Iowa, died in infancy. Mrs. Stewart departed this life on July 4, 1909.

Mr. Stewart is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and is a member of the Church of Christ, Little Walnut Chapel. He has been a life-long Republican and is a firm believer in the policies and principles of that party. Since coming to Butler county, Mr. Stewart has accumulated a competency, and is one of the well-to-do farmers of Rock Creek township, being the owner of one of the fine farms in Butler county. Mr. Stewart has always done his duty conscientiously and well, whether on the field of battle or in the quiet walks of every day life.(History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 863-864)

PLUMMER, JAMES ISAAC

James Isaac Plummer, a prominent farmer of Rock Creek township, is a Kansas pioneer. Mr. Plummer was born near Greencastle, Putnam county, Indiana, February 12, 1848, and is a son of John Wilson and Nettie (Stewart) Plummer, the former a native of North Carolina, and the latter of Putnam county, Indiana. In 1860 the Plummer family left their Indiana home and started West, with Kansas as their destination, and finally located in Pottawatomie county, where the father bought 120 acres of land. They drove the entire distance from Indiana to their new home in Kansas, and brought with them about thirty head of cattle. At first they were much pleased with their new home in Kansas, but later in the season of that year an unusual drought developed, no rain of any amount falling between April and the following winter.

In 1870 the Plummer family came to Butler county and settled in Rock Creek township, filing on the northeast quarter of section 5, on what was known as the Indian trust lands. The father also filed on a claim three miles southwest a few months later. Mr. Plummer's first home in Butler county was a stone structure built without mortar, which was succeeded about five years later by a more pretentious residence, which is a very substantial stone building, and which is still the family home.
Mr. Plummer was united in marriage in 1869 with Miss Bertha A. Fuller, a native of Iowa, and to this union was born one child, who died in infancy. Mrs. Plummer died in 1871, and ten years later Mr. Plummer was married to Emma F. Dugan, a native of Missouri, and one child was born to this union, Hugh L., who resides on the home place with his parents.

Mr. Plummer is one of the substantial men of Butler county, and has been identified with the development of this county almost since its beginning. He is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security, and for a number of years was actively identified with the-Grange Lodge. He and his wife are members of the Christian church, and Mrs. Plummer is a profound student of the Bible. Politically, Mr. Plummer is a Republican, although inclined to be independent and liberal in matters of politics.(History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Page 864)

PRICE, C. M.

C. M. Price, a prominent and influential citizen of Butlgr county, is an early pioneer well worthy of mention in a work of this character. Mr. Price is a native of Kentucky, born in Logan county on October 12, 1849, and is a son of T. J. and Sarah (McCarley) Price, natives of Kentucky and of Scotch-Irish ancestry.
C. M. Price grew to manhood in Kentucky and drove through from Logan county, Kentucky, to Butler county, Kansas, with a team and wagon. He pre-empted the northeast quarter of section 21, Clay township, or what was later called Clay township, upon the organization of that township. Mr. Price has successfully followed farming and stock raising, and has added to his original farm until he now owns 520 acres of rich, alluvial soil on the Rock creek bottoms.

Mr. Price was married on August 25, 1874, to Miss Melcena Blancett, a native of Clinton county, Ohio, born January 27, 1857. She is a daughter of Joseph and Isabell (Barker) Blancett. The mother was a native of New Orleans, La., and daughter of Samuel Barker, a native of Connecticut, and of English descent. Joseph Blancett was born and reared in Ohio, a son of Joseph and Hannah (Beadle) Blancett, the father being one of the very early settlers of Ohio, locating in that section when it was still a part of the Northwest Territory. The Blancett family are of French origin. Mrs. Price was the only child born to her parents. Her family migrated from Ohio to Adair county, Missouri in 1870, and two years later came to Butler county, Kansas and pre-empted a claim in the northern part of Clay township.

To Mr. and Mrs. Price have been born the following children: Opal married Charles M. Frakes, Clay township; Ernest, an extensive cattleman, Clay township; Clifford, also a cattleman, in Clay township; Roy P., Clay township; Marjorie, married George Hall, Clay township; Ruby, married W. E. Jenkins, Douglass, Kans.; Nina, married George Gibson, Clay township; Emmett, Clay township; Audrey, resides at home; Belle, married Joseph Markley, Atlanta, Kans.; Percy, resides at home; Iris, died at the age of one year, and Romney, died at the age of six years.

Mr. Price has been identified with Clay township and Butler county almost since their beginning, and has always taken a praiseworthy interest in local affairs, and in the welfare of his county and State. He attended the first election ever held in Clay township, and has the distinction of having cast the first Democratic vote in that township. He is recognized as one of the successful citizens of Butler county.(History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Page 865)

FOX, GEORGE R.

George R. Fox, now deceased, was a Civil war veteran and an early settler in Butler county, who by his industry and integrity attained a prominent position among the representative men of this county. He was born in Geauga county, Ohio, March 28, 1844, and died on July 26, 1911. He was a son of John Wilkins Fox, a native of Ipswitch, Mass. The Fox family is of English descent and was founded in New England many years prior to the Revolutionary war. Captain Fox; the great grandfather of George R. Fox, was a distinguished soldier in the American army during the Revolutionary war.

George R. Fox no doubt inherited his military inclination from some of his illustrious ancestors. At the age of nineteen years he enlisted in the Twelfth Ohio cavalry, one of the famous regiments of the Union army. Owing to the fact that he was under age when he enlisted his father came after him with the purpose of taking him home, but the young soldier informed his father that if he refused to give his consent to his enlistment this time he would run away from borne again and enlist at some other place. The father saw that opposition would be of no avail and offered no further objection.

Young Fox served throughout the war and made a good military record. At the close of the war he returned to his Ohio home and shortly afterward went to the oil fields of Pennsylvania, and in 1869 came to Butler county, Kansas, and pre-empted the northwest quarter of section 4, Douglass township. This is some of the best bottom land along the river. Later he bought another quarter section adjoining his original homestead. This half section is now owned by his widow, with the exception of seventy acres, which Mr. Fox sold for the reason that it was on the opposite side of the river from the main body of his land, which made it inconvenient to operate. Mr. Fox followed farming and stock raising here throughout his life time, and was one of Butler county's substantial citizens.

October 21, 1872, George R. Fox and Miss Agnes Livington were united in marriage. Her parents were John and Lydia (Johnston) Livingston, and she was the only child, and was born on May 5, 1853, in Illinois. John Livingston was a native of Knox county, Illinois, and of English descent, his wife, Lydia Johnston, being a native of Montreal, Canada, and of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The Johnston family came from Canada at a very early date, and for a time lived at Navoo, Ill., and from there removed to Knox county, Illinois, when Mrs. Fox's mother was nine years old: Mrs. Fox's father died when she was three years old, after which her mother married C. A. Stine, a Methodist Episcopal minister. Shortly after their marriage they removed to Mankato, Minn. The family resided in the vicinity of a great deal of Indian trouble after settling in Minnesota. Their home was only four miles from where the New Elm massacre took place, and Mr. Stine was wounded there. He was a Civil war veteran and during the Civil war raised a company of volunteers. The Stine family endured a great many hardships and were exposed to great dangers during the Indian uprising in tlie Northwest at that time.

In the fall of 1870 Mrs. Fox, then a girl, came to Butler county with her mother and step-father. They pre-empted the northwest quarter of section 16. The mother died in 1828, and Mr. Stine died a few years later in California.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Fox began life on the farm which he had pre-empted, and which was their home for a number of years. To Mr, and Mrs. Fox were born the following children: Mrs. Emma M. Sheets, Blackwell, Okla.; John W.; Neoka, resides at home with her mother; Ober, resides in Oklahoma; James E., at home; Roena, married Guy Elliott, Rhodes, Iowa, and Frank, resides at home.

George R. Fox was an active and prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was a splendid type of American citizen, whose death was not only a great loss to his immediate family and friends, but to the community in general.

Mrs. Fox is one of the interesting pioneer women of Butler county. She taught the first school in Douglass in 1871. The term was for a period of six months. She relates many amusing instances in connection with her pioneer school on the plains. She had thirty-eight pupils, and of their thirty-eight books only three were alike. One man sent six children to school with only one book, the Bible, and requested that his children's education be confined to that text. Even with all these drawbacks, Mrs. Fox said that her pupils made good progress, and no doubt the pioneer schools of that time prepared the boys and girls for just as useful lives as the more artificial and highly organized educational institution of a later day. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 865-867)

FOX, JOHN W.

John W. Fox, a prominent farmer and stockman of Rock Creek township, is a native son of Butler county, born May 21, 1877. He is a son of George R. and Agnes (Livingston) Fox. The mother was a native of Illinois and a daughter of John Livingston. George R. Fox, the father, was a native of Ohio, and was a son of John W. Fox, who came from England. John W. Fox was a prosperous farmer in Ohio and frequently visited in Kansas after his son came here, and in the early days the old gentleman took great delight in buffalo hunting. He has killed buffalo on the plains west of Butler county.

George R. Fox, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a veteran of the Civil war, having served in the Twelfth Ohio cavalry, serving until the close of the war; In 1868 he came West and located in Butler county, filing on a claim two and one-half miles north of the present site of Douglass. He became a prosperous and extensive cattle man, and at the time of his death owned between 700 and 800 acres of land. He died in 1911, well known and highly respected. He was a Republican and was active in the interest and welfare of his party, and frequently held local offices of trust and responsibility, having served as clerk in Douglass township, and for a number of years was a member of the school board.

John W. Fox was one of a family of seven children. He was reared in Butler county and educated in the public schools. He graduated from the Walnut City District School and later was graduated from the Douglass High School. Soon after leaving school he engaged in the cattle business for himself and bought a farm. He has added to his original holdings from time to time until he is now one of the large land owners of his neighborhood. He is considered one of the successful
cattlemen of southern Butler county. He specializes in Aberdeen Angus cattle.

On December 8, 1904, Mr. Fox was united in marriage with Miss Robbie Parsons, a native of Tennessee, who came to Butler county, Kansas, with her mother after her father's death. To Mr. and Mrs. Fox has been born one child, Edith, born in 1907, and died in 1911. Mr. Fox is a Republican and a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 867-868)

HEIN, C. W.

C. W. Hein, a successful stockman of Rock Creek township, came to Butler county from Germany in 1892. When he came here his father-in-law, Nicholas Kuns, was engaged in the restaurant business at Douglass. Mr. Hein had no knowledge of the English language when he came here, but he had learned the butcher trade in his native land, and entered the employ of C. P. Gyot, a Frenchman, who conducted a butcher shop in Douglass. After the first week, Mr. Hein had learned enough of English so that he could understand the customers to the extent of making sales in a very satisfactory manner, and made very rapid progress in the mastery of English. He entered the employ of Alfred Edleman, who conducted another shop in Douglass, and worked for him two years.

When he came here Mr. Hein had about $300, to which he added his savings, and later purchased a farm in Rock Creek township, paying $1,000 down and he had enough capital left to buy a team, implements, etc. His farm was located on the northwest quarter of section 28, Rock Creek township. It was practically Unimproved. A dilapidated claim shack stood on the place, but there was not a rod of fence, a well, nor any other improvements. He proceeded to improve the place, and soon made a comfortable home for himself, and family. He has prospered, becoming one of the substantial and well-to-do farmers and stockmen, not only of Rock Creek township, but of Butler county. He worked hard to get a start, and has succeded even beyond his expectations. He is a capable business man, and his investments have uniformly proven profitable.

Mr. Hein was born in Germany on October 12, 1855. His parents, Ernst and Louise Hein, were both natives of Germany. The father was engaged in the milling business in the town of Stalupenen, in the eastern part of the German Empire. C W. Hein received his education in the schools of his native land, and when a youth learned the butcher trade. He was united in marriage to Miss K. P. Kuns, a native of Germany, and a daughter of Nicholas Kuns. To Mr. and Mrs. Hein have been born ten children, seven of whom were born in Germany, and the others in Butler county, Kansas. They are as follows: Mrs. Henry Sherman, who resides near Udell, Kans.; W. F., Rock Creek township; Charles, Douglass township; Louise, married William Diller, and resides near Mulvane, Kans.; Frank, Douglass, Kans.; Oscar and Mary, live at home with their parents. All of the Hein children are prosperous and substantial citizens. Mr. Hein is a Republican and takes a commendable interest in local affairs. He has been a member of the school board for a number of years, and takes a keen interest in educational matters, and is an advocate of good schools. For twelve years Mr. Hein has been road super-visor. He is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security, and is a public-spirited citizen. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 868-869)

GIBSON, G. W.

G. W. Gibson, a successful farmer and stockman of Rock Creek township, is a Butler county pioneer and Civil war veteran. Mr. Gibson was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, September 5, 1844. His parents were George G. and Nancy B. (Anderson) Gibson, also natives of Pennsylvania.

G. W. Gibson was educated in the public schools of Pennsylvania and grew to manhood in that State, and when the Civil war broke out he was a boy under seventeen years of age, but on September 4, 1861, he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Third regiment, Penn-sylvania infantry. He participated with his regiment in the battles of Chickahominy, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, and many other important engagements. At the battle of Plymouth, Mr. Gibson was taken prisoner, wih April, 1864, and was confined in the Andersonville and Florence prisons from May 1 to December 10. He was mustered out of service June 17, 1865.

After receiving his discharge from the army Mr. Gibson returned to his Pennsylvania home and took a commercial course, and for three years was in the Pennsylvania oil field. In 1*871 he came to Butler county, Kansas, and located in Rock Creek township on the southwest quarter of section 23. He is one of the prosperous farmers and stockmen of Butler county, and now own 640 acres of land.

Mr. Gibson was married March 9, 1873, to Margaret A. Beckner, a native of DeKalb county, Missouri. To Mr. and Mrs. Gibson have been born eleven children, nine of whom are living, as follows: Mary, married H. S. Smith, a farmer of Rock Creek township; William Howard, lives in Colorado; Samuel A., Rock Creek township; Ina, married Fred Williams and resides near Cheney, Kans.; Ada, married F. H. Paisley, of Douglass township; George G., Clay township; Charles G., Douglass, Kans.; Clara, married Byron Ray, Clay township, and Harold A., resides at home.

Mr. Gibson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and the Grand Army of the Republic. He is a stanch Republican and has steadfastly supported the principles of that party throughout life, but has never aspired to hold political office.

When Mr. Gibson came to Butler county much of the primitive conditions on the plains prevailed. Game was plentiful and he frequently hunted deer and antelope with success. He has seen much of the development of Butler county and southern Kansas, and posseses an interesting store of early day reminiscences. Mr. Gibson is one of the substantial men of Butler county who has made good. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Page 869)