from “The History of Montgomery County,” 1903
JOHN ALEXANDER BURT - One of Fawn Creek township's best citizens
and farmers was born in Allen county, Indiana, on the 25th of October,
1842. His father, Silas Burt, was a native of Ohio, where he came as a
young man and was married to Mary Wycoff, a native of that state. In
1841, they moved to Indiana and settled at Ft. Wayne, where the father
died at the age of thirty-one years. By occupation he was a farmer and
blacksmith.
There were four children in the family of Silas Burt, as
follows: Susan, wife of John McCay of Charles Mix county, South Dakota;
John A.; Rosa, wife of Ingraham Thorn, of Ft. Wayne, Ind., and Silas,
of Harper county, Kansas. Mrs. Burt married a second time, to John
Cartwright, to which union were born five children, three of whom are
living, viz: James, living in Washington; Marion, whose residence is in
Los Angeles, California; Alfred, of Ft. Wayne, Ind. Mrs. Burt died at
the home of her son, John, at the age of eighty-one years.
John Burt was reared on the farm adjoining Ft. Wayne. He never
had the opportunity of acquiring an education, but made the most of the
few opportunities he did have. He became expert in one of the useful
trades, that of a blacksmith, and does his own work in this line to
this day. He entered the army in February of 1865, and did good service
the four months he served. He was a member of Co. "I," 33rd Ind. Vol.
Inf., and was discharged at Louisville, Ky. After the war he rented
land and farmed for some time.
In February, 1865, just before enlisting in the army, he was
married to Charity Cartwright, a native of Piqua, Ohio, and a daughter
of James and Elizabeth Cartwright.
Mr. Burt, having bought one hundred and sixty acres of
uncultivated land in Kansas, moved to this state in 1881. This land had
an incumbrance of five hundred dollars and the only building was a
small log house, which he moved into and occupied for two years.
Influence was brought to bear on him to get him to abandon the land and
not try to pay the debt, but he persevered, and now, as a result of
that perseverance, thrift and economy, he owns four hundred acres of
the best land, lying three and one-half miles southeast of Tyro. The
land is without incumbrance and is well stocked with horses and cattle.
In the place of the log house, stands a modern farmhouse, and not far
away, for the comfort of the stock, is a good barn.
When he arrived in Kansas Mr. Burt's only possessions were a
wagon and team and thirty dollars in money. To attain to the great
prosperity of the present, he started to drilling wells, keeping up
this occupation for several years, and carrying on his farming at the
same time.
There are seven children in the Burt family, viz: John, at
Cedarvale, Kansas; Mary Rayle, deceased; Vilanca, wife of Wilbur Burt,
of Tyro; Viola Norton, of Tyro; Mattie Messersmith, Hettie and Susan at
horne.
Mr. Burt is a member of the Odd Fellows at Tyro, G. A. R., Coffeyville Post, and A.H.T.A., 192.
