CHASE COUNTY, Part 7

COTTONWOOD TOWNSHIP.

FRANCIS BERNARD, farmer and stock-raiser, Section 33, Township 20, Range 6, P. O. Cedar Point, was born at Dijon, France, April 19, 1822. He came to the United States in 1854, locating first in New York City. The following year he removed to Illinois, and in 1856 he began farming in Kankakee County. In August, 1857, he came to Kansas, locating on the Cottonwood River, in Cottonwood Township, where he pre-empted 160 acres. This he at once began to improve, and has ever since cultivated. He has since made additional purchases of land, and now has in his farm 440 acres, upon which he has made valuable improvements, including three frame dwelling houses, (two being used by renters) good barn, corn cribs, wheat granary and an orchard of about two acres. He has about 300 acres under cultivation, and 100 acres of timber land. His principal crop is wheat. He is also quite extensively engaged in raising cattle and horses. Mr. Bernard is one of the earliest settlers in Chase County. He came with the intention of starting a French settlement, and brought with him a stock of goods to establish a store; he concluded, however, to go to farming instead. He married Miss Hermance Cenver, of Dijon, France, May 11, 1852. He has no children by this marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Bernard are members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Bernard is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chase County National Bank.

JACOB R. BLACKSHERE, stock-breeder and dealer, Section 7, Township 20, Range 7, P. O. Elmdale, was born in Marion County, W. Va., September 3, 1834. He received a common school education in his native county, and before attaining his majority engaged in the dry goods business. In 1857 he started in business for himself at Mannington, Marion County, continuing in this business until 1860, when he came to Kansas and located in Chase County, entered and purchased 960 acres of land in Cottonwood Township, which he somewhat improved; he also, the same year, put some cattle on the range. In the spring of 1861 he returned to Virginia and engaged in the dry goods business at his former location. In the fall of 1867 he disposed of his business there and returned to his farm in Chase County. He has since purchased 1,000 acres adjoining his original purchase, so that now he has a farm of over 2,000 acres upon which he has placed valuable improvements, including a commodious stone dwelling-house, barn, cattle sheds and a good orchard. Mr. Blackshere is extensively engaged in stock-breeding, feeding and dealing. He has in his herd a number of Galloway cattle, being the first to bring that breed of stock to Chase County. He also has a number of thoroughbred Durham cattle, and most of his stock, about 400 in number, is bred to a high grade. Mr. Blackshere is a Director of the Chase County National Bank. He is a member of the Zeradatha Lodge, No. 8, A., F. & A. M. He married Miss Melissa A. Marton, of Marion County, W. Va., July 22, 1857, by whom he has six children - Carl E., Cora B., Earl M., Frank R., Jesse R. and Harold M., all living.

JOSEPH L. CRAWFORD, farmer, Section 23, Township 20, Range 6, P. O. Crawfordville (sic), was born in Huron County, Ohio, May 3, 1826. He was brought up on a farm until he was fourteen years of age. He then went to Plymouth, Ohio, and learned the trade of a wagon-maker, which he followed for six years. In 1846 he removed to Evansport and engaged in business as a wagon-maker, continuing about three years, and then removed to Lee County, Ill., and remained there engaged in farming until the fall of 1859, when he came to Kansas, located in Morris County and took a claim of 160 acres of land belonging to the diminished reserve of the Kaws. He remained upon this land about two years, raising one good crop. In the spring of 1862 he was compelled to relinquish his claim. He then came to Chase County and pre-empted 160 acres of land situated upon the Cottonwood River, in Cottonwood Township. He build a log cabin and began at once to improve his land, part of which he still owns. Since then he has entered 160 acres under the homestead act, and bought 160 acres, but has sold part of his land. In 1882 he laid out the village of Crawfordsville, situated on the line of the A., T. & S. F. R. R., which has a station at this point called Crawford. The village has as an impetus to its growth begun the development of one of the finest stone quarries in the county, the stone being a fine magnesian limestone, and the ledges of an unusual thickness. Mr. Crawford rents most of his farm, containing 160 acres, and devotes the most of his attention to milling and mechanical pursuits. He operated the first threshing machine, the first saw-mill and the first gristmill in Marion County. He has at present two steam saw-mills, one located at Crawfordsville and the other on Cottonwood River, below Cottonwood Falls. Mr. Crawford has held the office of Justice of the Peace two years in Cottonwood Township. He has been married twice, first to Miss Annie Columbia, of Fort Wayne, Ind., March 13, 1847; she died May 29, 1871, leaving eight children, all now living. He married Miss Mary E. Watson, of Diamond Creek Township, December 29, 1871, by whom he has three children, all living.

CAPT. O. H. DRINKWATER, senior partner of the firm of Drinkwater & Shriver, millers, Cedar Point, one of the early settlers of Chase County and one of the leading citizens of Cedar Point and Cottonwood Township, came to Kansas in April, 1855, from Pennsylvania. He located near Topeka and took an active part in the border war. Was an ardent Free-State man and a follower of old John Brown and Jim Lane. was present at the organization of the Free-State party at the Big Springs Convention in 1855, and a member of the Free-State Legislature at its last session at Topeka in 1857. Located in the Cottonwood Valley at what is now Cedar Point in Chase County in 1857 and became an active politician in State and local politics. Was commissioned Captain in January, 1863, and served in that capacity in Missouri, Arkansas and the Indian Territory until July, 1863. While in charge of a large fatigue force engaged in constructing fortifications at Fort Gibson, he received a sunstroke which very nearly cost him his life and entirely incapacitated him from further service during the war, and from the effects of which he has never fully recovered. Capt. Drinkwater is forty-eight years of age, September 1, 1883, and twenty-nine years of his life has been spent in Kansas, in which he never lost faith from the beginning. He is now engaged in milling and farming. The mill is the largest and finest in Chase County or in this part of the State and manufactures flour of a very fine quality which is shipped East and West to points at considerable distance. Capt. Drinkwaters farm adjoins the town site of Cedar Point and contains about 500 acres, upon which he has placed valuable improvements including a commodious dwelling, good barn, cattle sheds and other farm buildings, also a fine orchard. Captain Drinkwater has been quite active in politics and has always held a leading position in the community in which he resides. He has been Representative in the Legislature, County Commissioner of Chase County and has held other local offices. Delos F. Drinkwater, who was Secretary of the United Press Association of Washington, D. C., now deceased, was his brother, and they came to Kansas together when mere boys. He cast his first vote for President for Abraham Lincoln, and continued to vote and work with the Republican party until the organization of the Greenback party of which he is now a member.

JAMES M. FRENCH, stock-farmer, Range 21, Township 5, P. O. Cedar Point, was born in Jackson County, Ohio, March 23, 1850. He was brought up in his native county, and when nineteen years old commenced clerking in a general store in Jackson. In 1871 he engaged as a commercial traveler for a wholesale clothing establishment located in Ohio. This business he followed one year. In 1872 he began business for himself at Jackson and operated a general store until the spring of 1878, when he sold out and came to Kansas. Located at Cedar Point and in August established a general store which he continued to operate until the spring of 1883. In 1882 he engaged in the live-stock business in connection with his mercantile business. He has a farm of 133 acres, 20 acres of which is under cultivation, the remainder being used for hay and grazing purposes. He has a herd numbering about 235 head including two thoroughbred males of the short-horn breed and most of his herd are of high grade cattle. He also raises hogs and horses. Mr. French has a fine frame residence, good barn and stone buildings upon his farm. Also owns a store building and some other town property at Cedar Point. He has a good orchard of about two acres containing an extensive variety of both small and large fruit. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Miss Elizabeth O. Mitchell, daughter of Dr. D. H. Mitchell, of Jackson, Ohio, February 17, 1872, by which marriage he has had four children, of whom John David and James Harry are now living.

WILLIAM J. KELLER, farmer and stock-raiser, Section 5, Range 20, Township 7, P. O. Elmdale, was born in Coles County, Ill., January 26, 1836. He was brought up on a farm and resided in Illinois until he came to Kansas in May, 1854. He located near Leavenworth and took a claim of 160 acres, which he held about a month; then he was driven off by Missourians. He went from there to Grasshopper Falls and took another claim of 160 acres, which he sold in 1857. He was a firm adherent of martyred John Brown and took part in the famous Black Jack fight. He was also a soldier under that redoubtable knight, Jim Lane, being in Captain Harveys company. He was at Grasshopper Falls at the time it was burned by the Kickapoo Rangers. He was then under command of Captain Clark. Finding it pretty hot in that part of the country, and remembering the old maxim that,

 'He who fights and runs away,
 May live to fight another day,'

DR. J. MARTIN, physician and surgeon, was born in Yorkshire, England, March 11, 1831. Received his academic education at Low Row Academy, graduating in 1869. Came to the United States the following year. Read medicine at La Salle, Ill., and Davenport, Iowa, graduating from the medical department of the Iowa State University, March 1, 1876. His preceptor at Davenport was Dr. Peck, Professor of Surgery in the university. Was House Surgeon of Scott County Hospital in 1875. Practiced in Davenport, Iowa, until 1876 and on account of failing health removed to Dallas, Texas, where he practiced three years. In the summer of 1879, came to Florence, Kan., where he remained until the summer of 1883, when he removed to Cedar Point, Chase County. Was married in 1876 at Iowa City, Iowa, to Miss S. M. Fitch, of Vermont, and graduate of the class of 1875, Iowa State University. Dr. Martin is Local Surgeon for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, and a member of Kansas State Medical Society. Is a member of A., F. & A. M., K. of H., Florence.

EPHRIAM W. PINKSTON, farmer and stock-raiser, Section 31, Range 20, Township 6, P. O. Cedar Point, was born in Sullivan County, Ind., March 1, 1830. He was brought up on a farm and resided in his native county until he attained his majority. His educational advantages were very limited. He then went to Illinois, and there acquired an academic education. He then entered mercantile life in Illinois, which he continued until the spring of 1857, when he came to Kansas in April of that year. He located a claim, August 12, on the Cottonwood River in Cottonwood Township - then Wise County now Chase - and left I in charge of friends while he returned to Indianola and closed out his mercantile business in which he had been engaged since April. In April, 1858, he settled on his claim, built a log cabin and began to make improvements. He has added to his farm by subsequent purchases so that it contains 545 acres. He also owns 160 acres situated on the Cottonwood River one mile east of the home farm. He has placed valuable improvements upon his farm including a substantial stone dwelling, a good barn, granary and other farm buildings and an orchard of about three acres. He has about 300 acres under cultivation and 100 acres of timber land. His principal crops are corn, wheat and rye. He keeps a herd of about 250 head of cattle, including some thoroughbred and high grad short-horn stock. Mr. Pinkston has been a member of the Board of County Commissioners of Chase County for eight years. Has held the office of Treasurer of Cottonwood Township one term, and has held other local offices. One of the earliest settlers of Chase County, he has ever since remained upon his original location, and although he came here with limited means and has met with several reverses and lost considerable by fire upon two occasions, he has by the exercise of industry, frugality and good business principles placed himself upon a level with the most prominent farmers in Chase County. He has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Clara J. Young, of Cottonwood Township, whom he married May 12, 1867. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, December 24, 1848; came to Kansas in May, 1866; died January 10, 1875. They had four children, of whom Hattie M. and Florence L. are now living. He married Mrs. Sarah A. L. Mack of Lawrence, December 12, 1876. Mrs. E. W. Pinkston was Sarah A. Lyon, youngest daughter of William and Elizabeth Lyon; was born May 2, 1837, in Richland County, Ohio; received a good school education, and in 1854, came West with her parents, two sisters and one brother. After a sojourn of four weeks in Independence, Mo., the family moved into Kansas. On the last Sunday in July, 1854, they stopped to rest on the very ground where now stands the State University. From that elevated position no sign of human habitation could be seen except down near the river a few logs were laid up. The family decided that it must be a deserted Indian lodge; it proved to be the foundation of a house on a claim taken by a Missourian who had returned to his home in Missouri. Two weeks later the first company came from New England, bought out the Missouri settler and located the city of Lawrence. Three miles farther west, on the old California road, the father located a claim and commence improving it. Many a weary, hungry claim hunter found rest and comfort in the hospitable home. Sarah, then seventeen years old, walked the three miles to the city of tents to attend divine services; heard Rev. S. Y. Lum preach the first sermon ever preached in the city of Lawrence. She was the first young lady in Lawrence. Was married November 23, 1857, to John W. Mack, who was born in Milton, Mass., February 10, 1835. They lived thirteen happy years together; no children; he died October 9,. 1870. He came here a young man of nineteen years with no fortune but a strong, robust constitution and a willing heart and hand to take hold of any work by which he could make an honest living. He will be remembered by many old settlers as the cheery, hospitable landlord of the Cincinnati House of Lawrence. He was Orderly Sergeant in Company A, a volunteer company of Border Ruffian times. He was in the employ of the Kansas Pacific Railroad Company and United States Express Company several years prior to his death. He was express messenger on the L., L. & G. R. R., when he was taken sick from exposure and overwork and laid down the burden of life with many friends around him. His widow was married December 12, 1876, to Ephraim W. Pinkston, of Cedar Point, Chase County.

PETER P. SHRIVER, of the firm of Drinkwater & Shriver, millers, Cedar Point, was born in Yorktown, Pa., in May 1845. He was brought up on a farm in his native county, where he resided until September, 1864, when he enlisted as a private in Company D, Third Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry; was assigned to the Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac, and participated in the campaign of Petersburg and Richmond and the pursuit and capitulation of Lees army. He was mustered out in May, 1865, at Richmond, Va. He then returned to Pennsylvania and remained until the spring of 1867, when he removed to Elkart County, Ind., where he remained one year and then came to Kansas. He located at Cedar Point in the spring of 1868 and engaged in the milling business with O. H. Drinkwater. They erected a frame mill that year, which they operated until 1876, when they replaced it with a substantial stone mill three stories in height, with a capacity of seventy-five barrels per day, and are doing a general exchange and merchant business.

ALLEN C. STEPHENSON, general merchant, was born in Jackson County, Ohio, May 25, 1849. He was brought up on a farm receiving a common school education, and after attaining his majority, engaged in farming in his native county, continuing until the fall of 1877, when he came to Kansas; located in Cottonwood Township and engaged in farming, in which he continued until the fall of 1882, when he sold his farm and established his present business. He at that time built a commodious storehouse which he has stocked with a general line of dry goods, boots and shoes, groceries, glass and queensware. He has already built up a large trade and is doing a prosperous business. Mr. Stephenson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Miss Ivy D. Wingar of Butler County, Kan., September 16, 1879, by whom he has two children - Mary Ophelia and Nellie W., both living.

HENRY WEAVER, farmer and stock-raiser, Section 36, Range 20, Township 5, P. O. Cedar Point, was born in mercer County, Pa., November 22, 1835. He was brought up on a farm, and before attaining his majority learned the trade of carpenter, which together with farming, he followed until August 3, 1861 when he enlisted as a private in Company F, Fifty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers; was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and participated in the battles of Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Savage Station, Malvern Hill, the second battle of Bull Run and Antietam. He was promoted to Corporal and Sergeant; was discharged for disability in January, 1862. In June, 1863, he re-enlisted as a private in the Tenth Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserves, and participated in the battles of Gettysburg, the Wilderness and the campaign against Petersburg and Richmond. Was taken sick in the fall of 1864 and sent to the hospital at Philadelphia, from which he was discharged in December, 1864. He then returned to Mercer County and there followed his trade until 1870, when he came to Kansas; located in Cottonwood Township in June and engaged in business as a carpenter and builder at Cedar Point, continuing until 1876, when he engaged in farming, in which he has ever since continued. He operates a farm of about 500 acres, of which about 300 acres are under cultivation. His principal crops are corn and wheat. He also raises cattle and hogs. He owns a residence in the village of Cedar Point where he resides. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Miss Lorana A. Keen, of Mercer County, Pa., December 29, 1858, by whom he has two children - Ida Jane and Joseph Edwin, both living.