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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM,
Jackson, Jefferson and Pottawatomie County
Selected Biographies, 1890
transcribed by Sheryl McClure
JOHN V. ROWLES. Pottawatomie County has been the home of this gentleman from his
seventeenth year, when he accompanied his parents to this State, from Columbiana
County, Ohio, which was the place of nativity of both himself and them. The father,
Eli M. Rowles, is still living in this county, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising.
He is a member of the Baptist Church, and belongs to the Republican party.
He is the son of John Rowles, one of the first settlers in Columbiana County, Ohio.
The mother of our
subject died at an advanced age in the Sunflower State. She was christened Sarah, and
her parents were John and Elizabeth Young, her father a native of Germany, who in his
early life emigrated to America, His occupation was that of a farmer, and he was a soldier during the War of
1812. He died in Ohio at the age of seventy-two years. Our subject is the first born in
a family of live children, his brothers and sisters being named, Florence, Frank E.,
Harry A. and Laura A., and all being still alive.
John V. Rowles was born March 20, 1853, and was educated in Columbiana County, Ohio,
and reared on a farm. After having accompanied his parents to this State he was engaged
in farm pursuits until 1883, when he began a mercantile business in Laclede, which he is
still carrying on and in the conduct of which he exhibits a prudence and wise judgment
which does him credit. His pleasant and affable manners are appreciated by his customers,
who find him strictly honorable and upright in all his dealings.
The most important step in the life of our subject was taken Dec. 2, 1878, when he was
united in marriage with Miss Mary J. Wade. The young and charming bride was born in
Kentucky, Dec. 10, 1860, and is a daughter of James and Americas Wade,who were also
natives of the Blue Grass State. They came to Kansas about the year 1871 and located
in this county, where they still live. Mr. Wade is a minister of the Baptist Church.
To Mr. and Mrs. Rowles four children have been born; Elmer W., Bertha and Leslie are
still living. Clarence E., the second born, died at the age of two years and one day.
Mr. Rowles is a sturdy Republican and exerts all his influence for the party of his
choice. He has been Clerk of Center Township for two terms and proved a trustworthy
and efficient officer.
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FREDERICK HARTWICK is one of the most
successful farmers and live-stock feeders of Pottawatomie County, where
he has lived since the spring of 1857. During his early years he
witnessed, and as his age would permit, participated in, many of the
hardships of those days, and relates incidents of that time with great
interest. As an example he speaks of the time when the family had to
grind corn in a coffee mill to make bread with which to sustain life;
and when after the total failure of crops in 1860, it was necessary to
obtain aid from the National Government, and from sister States, and
the following winter being a severe one, the people had to shovel ronds
through the snow drifts to Atchison, where provisions had been sent for
them. The suffering people endured a great deal that winter, though,
other years gave them also many weeks of hard times as well as
pleasures, and developed in the citizens a true hospitality and good
fellowship, which is nowhere else so strong, true, and tried, as on the
frontier.
The parents of our subject were Michael F. and Anna (Strunske)
Hartwick, who were born and reared in Prussia, about twenty-four German
miles from Berlin. After the birth of four children, our subject,
William, Ferdinand F., and Herman F., the parents determined to make a
home in America, and on April 18, 1856, took passage on a
sailing-vessel at Hamburg, and after a voyage of six weeks, landed in
New York City. They went at once to Monroe, Green Co., Wis., where, in
the fall their oldest child, William, was removed from them by death.
In the spring of 1857, with two cows, two yoke of oxen, and a wagon,
they came overland to this county, camping by the way, and reaching
Lone Tree Township, in July. There the father filed a pre-emption claim
for 160 acres on section 12, where the parents of our subject have ever
since resided. The family was very poor, and it was some time before
the father could save money enough to pay for his claim, but he finally
succeeded in doing so, and in acquiring other property, and is now the
owner of several hundred acres. The subject of this biography grew to
man's estate in Lone Tree Township, and. after becoming of age began
farming for himself, and has since made quite a fortune. He first
purchased 160 acres and has increased it to 400, his home farm in Mill
Creek Township being supplied with a very fine set of farm buildings,
all well built of stone. Mr. Hartwick endeavors to keep abreast of the
best thought of the times in every matter connected with the management
of his land, and so derives a fine in • come from his estate.
The first marriage of our subject took place in this township, the
bride being Miss Sophia Nicholas of Germany, who accompanied her
parents to this county about two years before her marriage, she
being then a young lady. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas are now living in Center
Township, on a farm. Mrs. Hartwick died at her home in this township,
Feb. 6, 1886, being then past thirty-eight years of age. She was the
mother of nine children, two of whom died in infancy. The living are
all now at home. They are named respectively: Anna M. M., Ida T., Lena
F., Herman F., Lizzie M., Edward F., and Robert F.
Mr. Hartwick contracted a second matrimonial alliance, taking
as his wife, Mrs. Sophia Shenke, nee Hinsman, who was born in Prussia,
in the year 1856. Her father died in the Fatherland in 1864, and in
1886 the widowed mother and the daughter came to the United States, and
to Kansas, where not long afterward the marriage of the daughter to Mr.
Hartwick took place. Mrs. Hartwick had two children by her first
husband, William Shenke, who died in Germany. The two daughters, Mary
and Emma M., are still living with their mother.
Mr. Hartwick is a Republican, and has held the minor offices
in his township. He and his wife belong to the Presbyterian Church, as
did also the first Mrs. Hartwick. Mr. Hartwick is well esteemed by his
fellow-citizens for the intelligence and enterprise that he manifests
in his private affairs, and in his duties as a citizen, and for his
good character and kindly nature.
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THOMAS J. MORROW. This gentleman is one of
the prosperous and energetic residents in St. Mary's, Pottawatomie
County, where he has lived since 1885, and formerly carried on a drug
business, which ran from $12,000 to $l 5,000 per year. He was born in
Randolph County, Mo., May 25, 1850, and until about eleven years old,
his home was on a farm. His early schooling was in the district
schools, and he afterward attended the Magee College, at College Mound,
Mo., and still later the State Normal School at Kirksville. He engaged
in business at College Mound until 1875, and six years later removed to
Kansas City, continuing the same pursuits in that city until his
removal to St. Mary's, where he has prospered in his financial affairs,
and has gained many friends by his fine character, mental attainments,
and business honor and ability. He is a member of the Democratic
Central Committee of this county, and of that of the city also.
The marriage of Mr. Morrow was celebrated at the home of the bride's
father, Dr. W. T. Lowrey, at College Mound, Mo., Jan. 25, 1875. The
bride was Miss Willie T. Lowrey, a native of Macon County, where her
parents long resided. Her father was a very prominent man, and widely
known throughout the State, and her brother, Prof. T. J. Lowrey, is
Dean of the engineering faculty of the Missouri State University, at
Columbia, Mo., where he has been about fifteen years. Her grandfather,
Dr. J. J. Lowrey, of Howard County, represented his district in the
State Legislature. Both Mrs. Morrow's parents departed this life in
Missouri.
The subject of our sketch is the oldest of four children born to John
S. and Nelsena S. (Richardson) Morrow, both of whom were born near
Danville, Ky., and made an early settlement in Macon County. There the
mother died in 1871, at the age of forty years, and the father still
lives, having reached his threescore years and ten. Both parents were
lifelong members of the Presbyterian Church. The paternal grandparents
were also natives of the Blue Grass State, and the grandfather, Jesse
Morrow, removed to Missouri when quite old, and there he and his wife
spent their last days. Of their family, several of the children still
live in Missouri. One of them, William Morrow, was the first Sheriff of
Macon County, and served in that capacity many years. Another son,
Jefferson Morrow, has been Treasurer of the same county for eight
years.
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