Butler County Genealogy Trails Kansas William Everett Dillenbeck Bio

BUTLER COUNTY'S EIGHTY YEARS BIOS

WILLIAM EVERETT DILLENBECK

William Everett (Billy) Dillenbeck, versatile, philanthropic, a community booster and builder, devoted father and loyal friend, who has contributed substantially to the development of Butler County and El Dorado during his eventful career, was born near Gouveneur, St. Lawrence County, New York, June 8, 1869.

“When “Billy” was thirteen years old, his parents moved from New York to Kansas, settling in Butler County, and Mr. Dillenbeck completed his education in the El Dorado schools. It is typical of his independence of spirit and resourcefulness that he stopped first in the north part of Butler County and there herded cattle for six months before he even saw El Dorado. Then he “came to Town” only because his brother, Fred, had the measles. During that period of six months, working for a small sum monthly, he saved enough money to buy a small farm.

Farming early attracted him and, in partnership with his father, after he engaged in the meat market business for a time in El Dorado, he bought what is now the Faulconer dairy farm, six miles west of El Dorado. He farmed this land for ten years. Always an admirer of blooded stock, Mr. Dillenbeck became interested in harness racing. He bought and shipped horses to New York state and after leaving the farm for sixteen years he raced harness horses throughout the United States and Canada.

Mr. Dillenbeck’s engaging personality, his sense of humor and his delight in merely being alive; his compassion for the unfortunate, his diplomacy and generosity and deep devotion to his family have endeared him to hundreds of friends. There is no finer man in El Dorado than “Billy” Dillenbeck and his is a spirit that, no matter how many years he may live, will never grow old. Nevertheless, his life’s story is a true pioneer saga. In company with Dr. F. C. Armstrong, William Gillespie and his older brother, Dr. Fred E. Dillenbeck, he made the historic run into Oklahoma at the opening of the Strip in 1893. In the midst of the hordes of land hungry, lined up waiting for the signal to start, this quartet of adventurous El Doradoans more than held their own and succeeded in making their entries far ahead of the main body of racers.

In 1916, Mr. Dillenbeck became a partner with Charles McGlade in the contracting business, and fine public structures, both in Butler County and surrounding counties, bear witness to the care they put into the work. Among the buildings the firm erected are: El Dorado’s Masonic Temple and Municipal Auditorium, the Masonic Temple at Eureka and a school house in Pomona and an auditorium in Iola.

Mr. Dillenbeck’s faith in El Dorado’s future has always burned brightly. Before the oil boom he had visions of the town’s ultimate expansion and began erecting buildings on the fourth block on South Main street, which he owned, and also in the third block. Future events more than justified his foresight. A large number of the business buildings he put up on South Main street he later sold, but has retained ownership of seven.

He entered the automobile business in 1922 in partnership with his nephew, R. L. Dillenbeck and continued in it until 1929 when he sold out to George W. Ramsey. At the same time he owned a half interest in the Tire Service Corporation which at that time was known as Dillenbeck-Marshall Service station and was later incorporated under its present name.

About this time Mr. Dillenbeck decided to give up active business. He bought a cabin in Ward, Colorado, 600 acres of winter resort land in Texas and a wheat farm at Dalhart, planning to divide most of his time among them and devote the remainder of his life to recreation.

But in 1930 his son Charles, having graduated from the University of Kansas, the urge to have him associated in business was irresistible. Consequently they entered the creamery business together in the Jersey Pride Creamery. Today it is a model of its kind and in keeping with his life-long interest in the farmers, Mr. Dillenbeck has made it a policy to pay them a higher price for their products than can be obtained elsewhere.

In addition to his many and varied business interests Mr. Dillenbeck has always been keenly civic-minded. He was one of the city commissioners at the time Lake El Dorado was planned and built. He was enlisted in the Hospital Corps of the Kansas National Guard and years ago, in the days of El Dorado’s famous volunteer fire department, he was a member of the Lightnings. He was also a stockholder in the Butler County Fair Association and is one of the leading Masons of the town, being a member of Patmos Blue Lodge No. 97; a Knight Templar; a Shriner; a member of the Consistory, Wichita; a member of the Knights of Pythias; an Elk, and was a charter member of the El Dorado Rotary club. He has been a life long Democrat.

Mr. Dillenbeck married Mary Rosetta Olin at Eudora, Kansas, on November 30, 1899. To them have been born three children: Helen, married to C. Don Hughes and living in Amarillo, Texas; Doris, married to C. C. Shelden Jr. and living in El Dorado, and Charles who, as stated before, is now associated in business with his father.

Mr. Dillenbeck is of Dutch descent. He is the son of Charles B. and Helen (Visscher) Dillenbeck, the former a native of Jefferson County, New York and the latter born in Gouverneur in the same state. Charles B. Dillenbeck was born in 1842 and died at his home in El Dorado, July 8, 1925. He was a Civil War veteran, enlisted at 19, in Company M, Tenth New York, Heavy Artillery, served with the Army of the Potomac and took part in the historic campaigns of General Phil Sheridan in northern Virginia. He followed the business of buying and shipping high grade race horses and dairy farming. Some of his horses became widely known on scores of American tracks.

C. B. Dillenbeck, came to Kansas and Butler County in 1882. His parents were Jacob and Catherine (Ostrander) Dillenbeck, also native of New York.

On the maternal side of Mr. Dillenbeck’s mother was the daughter of William Visscher, native of New York. The father died in El Dorado, his wife, grandmother of Mr. Dillenbeck, having died in New York, in 1863.

Mr. Dillenbeck’s wife, Mary Rosetta (Olin) Dillenbeck, was born in Fairview, Butler County, Kansas, November 17, 1877, the daughter of Nelson and Cornelia (McKelvy) Olin. Her father, son of Arvin and Betsey (Bennett) Olin, was born May 26, 1827 in Perry, Wyoming County, New York. The family moved to Franklin Portage County, Ohio, when he was seven years old. After reaching his majority Nelson Olin purchased a farm of his own. He ws married to Harrier M. Holly in 1848 and after her death in 1866 married Hannah Cornelia McKelvy.

In the fall of 1869 Nelson Olin moved to a farm near Galesburg, Michigan and then on to Douglas County, Kansas, where he purchased a farm and remained until 1876, when he moved to Fairview, Butler County, Kansas, and settled on a farm of 80 acres. Here Mary Rosetta Olin was born.

John Olin, the first of his name and race in America, settled in the vicinity of East Greenwick, Rhode Island about the year 1700. He was a native of Wales. From that time on the Olins have played a prominent part in the settlement of the country. John Olin’s descendants pushed steadily westward until some reached the Pacific while others took up land along the way and thus aided in the settlement and making of a nation.

True to her inheritance Mary Olin Dillenbeck was a fine type of woman. A devoted mother, her children and her children’s interests were all-absoring. Her home, her husband, her family, these made for her the fullest and finest of lives.