CHEROKEE COUNTY, Part 14

OTHER TOWNS.

Messer is a small village, situated nine miles east of Columbus, on the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad.

Stilson is a small town, seven miles north of Columbus, on the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad. The support of the town is mainly that afforded by the operation of the coal mines in the vicinity.

Scammonville is also a mining town, one mile north of Stilson.

Neutral is a post office and station on the K. C., Ft. S. & G. R. R., five miles southeast of Columbus.

Hallowell is a post office and station on the St. L. & S. F. R. R., nine miles west of Columbus.

Pleasant View is a post office in the northeastern part of the county.

Keelville and Melrose are post offices in the southwestern part of the county. Melrose Post Office was established in 1876, and W. H. Brown was the first Postmaster.

Sherman City is a post office in the northwest part of the county. It was established in 1866. A. A. Clarke was commissioned the first Postmaster.

Star Valley is also a post office in the northwestern part of the county.

The Millersburg Post Office was established in 1866, with John Whitcraft Postmaster. It is located eight miles northwest of Columbus. The district schoolhouse was built here in 1866 and was a log building.

Lowell is a small village on the K. C., Ft. S. & G. R. R., four miles east of Baxter Springs. The post office was established in 1866. John Rogers was the first settler, who located here in 1842. A Government Commission selected this place for the location of a fort, but Rogers, who owned the land, asked of them an exorbitant price for it, which they refused to pay, and afterward located at Ft. Scott. S. Holroyd started the first store here in 1866.

Tehama is a post office five miles southeast of Columbus. It was established in 1876. W. Wheeler was the first Postmaster.

Boston Mills is a post office situated on Spring River about two mile north of Empire City. Wirtonia was located eight miles east of Columbus. At one time it contained a blacksmith shop, two stores and a schoolhouse; but when the railroad was built through Columbus in 1870, its people gave up all hope of building up a town there and most of them moved to the latter town.

CHEROKEE TOWNSHIP.

GILBERT ALLEN, Postmaster, farmer, merchant and coal dealer, Stilson, was born January 29, 1817. He was raised on a farm, and at the age of twenty-one, began farming for himself, continuing for ten years. Then he went to Wisconsin, where he was in the stave and logging business for thirty years. In 1876, he came to Stilson, Cherokee County, Kan., and began farming, trading and operating in coal mines, opening the first shaft at Stilson. He has since raised and sold large amounts of stocks (hogs, cattle, and sheep). He owns 840 acres of coal lands. He was married to Miss Mary M. Lougee, of Vermont, and has two children living- Alice and Walter, and two, Hattie and Ettie, (deceased).

JAMES DENNIS, general store, Manager and Superintendent of Bovard & Dixon, Coal Shaft, Stilson; was born in Missouri September 22, 1856. He received a liberal education, and at the age of nineteen, took a school, which he taught four years. In September, 1879, he began clerking for Bovard & Dixon; and has been with that firm ever since. He is an Odd Fellow.

EDWARD C. SCAMMON, farmer, of Town 32, Section 6, P. O. Scammonville, was born in Maine, October 9, 1841. Began farming in Illinois at age of nineteen, and continued here for ten years. He came to Cherokee County, Kan., in June, 1869. He was in coal business five years and then engaged five years in farming. He owns 330 acres of coal land. He has been Township Treasurer two terms and was on School Board several years. He owns mining interest in Short Creek. He was married to Miss Ellen Giffin, of New York State, in March, 1872, and has two children living- Sarah C. and Nellie R., and two, Edward L. and Minnie J., dead.

ROSS TOWNSHIP.

WILLIAM B. CRAIG, farmer, Section 31, P. O. Columbus, was born in Ohio, March 24, 1844. He was raised on a farm, received a liberal education, and at the age of fifteen removed to Iowa, where he remained ten years. He then came to Kansas for a short time and then returned to Illinois and remained six years getting out railroad ties, coming back to Kansas in 1879 for permanent location. He has since been farming and raising stock and grain. He was in the army about three years in the Eleventh Iowa Infantry. He was wounded at Shiloh and was exchanged while at home.

LORENZO EDDY, farmer, Section 20, P. O. Monmouth, Crawford County, was born in Ohio, in 1847. He was educated in the common school and raised to agricultural pursuits. Commenced farming in Ohio at the age of twelve continued until the age of twenty-three. In the mean time was in the army two years. He went to Missouri in 1870, where he remained on a farm one year. He then came to Kansas and located on his present farm of 158 acres, which he improved and has since been engaged in raising grain and stock. He was School Director six years; is a member of the Christian Church and is Elder of the same. He was married to Miss Samantha Larcom, of Ohio, in 1865. They have three children- Ida O., Carrie E. and Martha B. Mrs Eddy is also a member of Christian Church.

A. HILLIARD, farmer, Section 27, P. O. Columbus, was born in Pennsylvania, November 1, 1820. He received a business education and began the boot and shoe business at the age of twenty-two, which he continued eight years. He then went to Ohio and carried on the boot and shoe business for fifteen years. Came to Kansas in 1868, when he settled on a farm of 160 acres, which he has improved, and is now growing grain, stock and fruits. He has running water for stock on his farm and artificial ponds. It is enclosed with three and one-half miles of good hedge fence and 250 rods wire fence. He was married to Miss Lidie Osterstock, of Pennsylvania, in 1844. They have three children living- Benjamin F., Annie M. and Marion. They have lost eight children- Emeline, Edwin, William, Clinton J., James B., Grant, William (II) and Willis.

GEORGE W. HOYT, farmer, Section 32, P. O. Columbus, was born in Ohio, March 22, 1839. Received common school education, and came to Kansas in 1866, locating at Millersburg, where he engaged in mercantile business three years. He came to Columbus in 1869, engaged in same business and continued it through the spring of 1882, and is now running a farm and lumber business. He bought 320 acres of land, improved it, and is now using it as a stock farm, principally cattle and hogs. He has 200 acres under cultivation, owns an interest in 200 acres mineral land near Galena, and a residence and business property in Columbus, of which city he was formerly Mayor. He belongs to A., F. & A. M.

WALTER B. McCORMICK, farmer, P. O. Columbus, Section 29, was born in Kentucky in 1816. He received a practical and medical education and began the practice of medicine in Kentucky at the age of twenty-two years, continuing to practice in that State until 1867, at the same time carrying on a farm. He came to Kansas in 1867, and located on his present farm, which he opened and improved. He has 210 acres and raises stock, grain and all kinds of fruit. He is a member and Ruling Elder in Cumberland Church, and was married in 1842 to Miss Patsey N. Coleman, of Kentucky, who died in 1855, leaving five children- Theodore A., Christian J., Roscoe (deceased), Nancy M. (deceased), and Rebecca Ann. In 1856, he was married to Miss Isabel Holcomb, of Kentucky. They have six children-John S., Walter A., Ester F., Mary E., Lucy Emma (deceased), and Martha J. (deceased).

SAMUEL McKINSEY, farmer, Section 36, P. O. Columbus, was born in Virginia August 18, 1839. He was raised on a farm and received a business education. Joined the army in 1861, and was scout eighteen months; was wounded, and carries a buck shot in his left arm yet. Was mustered out in 1864 and returned to Indiana and worked on the railroad for a few months, and then farmed for three years, being afterwards in a store for three years and on a farm for five years. He came to Kansas in 1879 and bought land in Cherokee County, which he improved and on which he is now raising stock and grain. He has a splendid line of all kinds of fruits set out. Mr. Kinsey's [sic] farm is said to be fine coal land, the vein being four feet four inches thick, underlying about fifty acres. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is also Class-Leader and Steward. He was married to Miss Anna A. Rash, of Indiana, in 1867, and has two children- George R. and Emma K.

S. W. RAMSEY, farmer, P. O. Columbus, was born in Kentucky in 1838. He received a common school education and in 1854 went to Iowa and began farming for himself, remaining until 1869, at which time he went to Arkansas and farmed for three years. He came to Kansas in March, 1872, and located in Columbus, remaining seventeen months, and then bought a claim of 250 acres north of Columbus. He broke thirty acres and sold it, retaining his present farm, on which he built houses and improved a portion of it. He has a fine line of fruit trees. Mr. Ramsey is now devoting his time to raising grain and stock. Has running water and thirty acres of timber on his farm, eighty acres under hedge fence and forty acres under plank and rail fence. He was married to Miss Mary L. Loomis, of Pennsylvania, April 22, 1859. He has eight children living- Hattie R., William E., Mary E., George W., Chloe B., Richard A., James E., Minnie M.; Bird and Rebhardt (deceased).

SHERIDAN TOWNSHIP.

MICHAEL EVANS, farmer, Section 13, Range 32, Township 22, P. O. Star Valley, was born in North Carolina in 1831. He went to Indiana at the age of nineteen and worked at the carpenter's trade fourteen years and was then in Illinois on a farm eight years. He then moved to Nebraska, remained on a farm two years and thence went to Missouri and stayed until 1878, at which time he came to Cherokee County, Kan., and located on his present farm, which he has since been cultivating and improving, giving attention principally to wheat and corn. He is a member and Steward of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Was married to Miss M. E. Rominger, of Indiana, in 1854. Mrs. Evans died in 1864, leaving four children- Phelix N., Anna C., Clara C. and Mary E. He was married to Miss Elizabeth E. Sparker, of Indiana in 1865. They have six children- John W., William G., Willie C., Artie M., Charles F. and Nora A.

J. J. ZIMMERMAN, farmer, Section 20, P. O. Columbus, was born in Illinois in 1830. He lived on a farm in Illinois twenty-five years, coming to Kansas in 1866 and locating in Cherokee County, where he remained until 1880. Now rents out his farm and lives in Columbus. Mr. Zimmerman was in the army three years and belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and the Methodist Episcopal Church.

LOLA TOWNSHIP.

REV. GEORGE BURTON, grocer, Section 16, P. O. Hallowell, was born in Illinois in 1841. He was reared on a farm and received a common-school education, coming to Kansas in 1870. He located in Neosho County and remained five years on a farm, then removed to Norton County, where he lived until 1882, at which time he came to Hallowell and opened his present business. He owns a dwelling house and two acres of land. He was Township Trustee two years. Is an Odd Fellow and a member of the Christain (New-Light) Church. Was married to Miss Elizabeth Harris, of Illinois, in 1860. They have one child living- Ellsworth; John W., Ella J. and Elmer are deceased.

E. W. COOTER, farmer and County Surveyor, Section 35, P. O. Columbus, was born in Tennessee November 21, 1831. He received a business education and began teaching school in Missouri in 1845, remaining in that State until 1861, when he came to Kansas. He was on a farm in Kansas and then returned to Missouri and taught school for one year, being then appointed County Surveyor of Lewis County. He held that office for eight years, then farmed until 1880, and which time he came again to Kansas and bought his present farm of 240 acres, on which he made some improvements and is now running as a grain and stock farm. It is well supplied with all kinds of fruit trees and berries and has a fine stream of running water; 110 acres are under cultivation. Mr. Cooter was elected County Surveyor in 1881 for two years. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church and a Freemason. He was married to Miss Julia Hamilton, of Missouri, September 15, 1857. They have ten children- James T., Ida May, William H. and John H. (twins), DeWitt, Guy, Andrew M. and Mary Nancy (twins), Hugh P. and Julia B. Are all members of the church. James T., William H. and John are now at Wabash College, Indiana.

JESSE FORKNER, general merchant and druggist, Section 16, P. O. Hallowell, was born in Kentucky in 1839. He was raised on a farm and entered the army at the age of twenty-one, being discharged in December, 1862. He next engaged in the Government employ, taking care of the stock twelve months. He returned to Illinois in 1865 and came to Kansas in 1866, where he bought 120 acres of land, which he improved and cultivated. In 1872, he bought eighty acres additional and now raises grain, grass, and fruit. He owns six residence and business houses in Hallowell. He is stock-holder, director and treasurer of the Hallowell Mills and owns forty acres of land in Columbus. He has been Postmaster ten years and was Treasurer of the Township four or five years. He bought and shipped stock seven years and now loans money on real estate, and also has a dry goods, grocery and drug store. He was married to Miss Mattie C. Talbert of Indiana, December 14, 1865. They have three children- Willie T., Henry Allen and Jesse Clayton.

G. W. HENRY, general merchant, P. O. Hallowell, was born in St. Louis, Mo., July 25, 1857. He received a collegiate education, graduating from Jones' College in 1874. He was afterward in banking business in St. Louis eight years, at the end of which time he came to Kansas. He located at Hallowell in 1881, bought a store and opened his present business. He is now building one of the best houses in Hallowell and carries a stock of from $6,000 to $7,000. He owns one store, two dwellings and contemplates building a good hotel. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the Bank Clerks' Association of Missouri. He was married to Miss Lizzie G. Scott, of St. Louis, Mo., October 4, 1882. Mrs Henry is also a graduate of St. Louis High School class of 1880.

J. B. HILL, M. D., Section 16, P. O. Hallowell, was born in Ohio, June 20, 1856. He received a liberal education and attended the State University at Lawrence for two years. He read medicine at Oswego, Kan., and graduated at Keokuk, Iowa, in 1881. He came to Kansas in 1870 and located in Labette County, where he farmed and taught school ten years. He is a Good Templar and a member of the State Grange. He was married to Miss Emma Linton, of Linn County, Kan., in 1881. Mrs Hill was also engaged in teaching school eight years. She attended the State University at Lawrence, Kan., two years.

C. A. McNEILL, farmer, and stock-raiser, Section 21, P. O. Hallowell, was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1822, and was identified with farming there until 1857. He then located in Macoupin County, Ill., and carried on farming until 1869, when he came here, and has very successfully carried on farming and stock-raising since. He married, in Ross County, Ohio in 1850, Miss Nancy Kelly, of his native county. They have a family of four sons living- Edwin, Lewis, Strauder, and Corbin, and have two grand-children- Lewis and Martha. Mr. McNeill carries on 560 acres of land in three different Sections- 21, 22, and 28. They join one another and are all improved. He has a nice orchard, containing 120 apple, 150 peach trees and other fruit in proportion. The family attend Methodist Church.

W. C. PRITCHARD, lumber and grain dealer, Section 16, P. O. Hallowell, was born in Virginia in 1849. He came to Missouri in 1855, and remained until 1867, when he came to Kansas, and located in Labette County, where he remained until 1880. He then located in Hallowell and engaged in lumber business. He owns a residence in town, and is a member of the I. O. O. F. He was married to Miss Ida M. Blanchard, of Kentucky, in 1878, and has one child- Cleo.

NEOSHO TOWNSHIP.

S. J. BARTLETT, general merchandise, Melrose, was born in Fleming County, Ky., in 1833, and was reared to the business of general cooperage, his father having been prominently identified with that industry there. In 1855, he engaged in merchandising in Indiana and located and organized the town of Bartlettsville, Lawrence County, Ind., where was prominently identified with merchandising until 1870, when he located at Keelville, this county, and carried on his industry successfully until 1878, when he located here, where he has been reputably connected with it since. He married Miss Jennie Fowler, of Lawrence County, Ind. They have a family of one son and three daughters-Maud, May, Minnie and Oscar. Mr. Bartlett also carries on and 100 acres of improved land in Neosho Township, well watered and stocked, containing 600 fruit trees, of a nicely assorted variety of apples, peaches, pears, etc.; good dwellings, barns and stables. In public life, Mr. Bartlett has always taken an active part in the locality in which he lived. During the civil war he organized and commanded Company F, Ninety-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, from which he was honorably discharged at the end of the war. He is an active member of the John A. Dix Post, No. 4, Grand Army of the Republic, and has been a member of the A., F. & A. M. society since 1870. He has held the position of Postmaster in his several localities the last twenty-four years, excepting during the war services. Since locating here he has held the incumbency of Claim Agent, and has been Notary Public since 1856. He has worked actively for the development of the social and industrial life of this locality since coming here.

WILLIAM E. BROOKS, farmer and stock-raiser, Section 1, P. 0. Keelville, was born in DeKalb County, Ill., in 1843, and was reared in Black Hawk County, Iowa, to his present industry. In 1861, he enlisted in Company I, Sixteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and remained in active service until the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged and pensioned. During his military service, he passed two months in Andersonville Rebel Prison. In 1869, he located here, and has been very successfully connected with his present industry here since. In 1866, he married Miss Sarah J. Tallmon, who was born in Pennsylvania, and reared in Iowa. They have a family of two sons and one daughter-Joseph H., John C., and Alice J. Mr. Brooks has worked actively in the growth and development of the industrial life of this locality. He is an active member of the I. 0. 0. F. society here, and Grand Army of the Republic. His farm contains 160 acres of improved land, well fenced, watered and stocked; a nice orchard of 2,000 apple trees, of a nicely assorted variety, and 200 peach trees, of a nice assortment, and other fruits; and good dwelling, barn, stable, etc.

DAVID HOFFMAN, farmer and stock-raiser, Section 35, P. O. Melrose, was born in Northumberland County, Penn., in 1825, and was actively identified with his present industry there until 1864, when he located in St. Joe County, Mich., and carried on his business there until 1876, when he located here, and has been successfully connected with his present industry here since. In 1855, he married Miss Martha H. Daugherty, of his native county. They have two sons-John Calvin and Jacob Harvey. His farm contains eighty acres of improved land, well stocked and fenced; an orchard of 220 fruit trees, of a full variety of apples, peaches, pears, etc.; good dwelling, barns and stables. Since locating here, Mr. Hoffman has worked very actively in the growth and development of the industrial life of this locality.

JOHN T. JARRETT, farmer and stock-raiser, Section 2, P. 0. Melrose, was born in Northumberland County, Penn., in 1827, and was identified with hardware merchandising there till 1855, when he located in St. Joe County, Mich, and carried on farming actively till 1873, when he located here, and has been successfully identified with his present industry since. In 1847, he married Miss Sarah Soars, who was born in England in 1827. They have a family of three sons and six daughters-William D., Fannie M. (now Mrs. James Broadley, merchant), Caroline (now Mrs. J. C. Broadley, merchant), Jennie (now Mrs. G. W. Bigham, farmer and stock-raiser), Annie (now Mrs. Frederick Allen, merchant), John, Benjamin, Libbie and May. During the civil war, Mr. Jarrett did active service in Company I, Third Michigan Cavalry, from 1863 to the end of the war; was honorably discharged. Since locating here, he has worked actively in the development of the public, social and industrial life of this locality. His farm contains 168 acres of improved land, well fenced and watered and stocked; a nice orchard of 300 fruit trees, of a nicely assorted variety of the various kinds of fruit raised here; good dwellings, and barns and stable. He has also a valuable farm of 125 acres in Section 25, Neosho Township, well improved, and containing a nice orchard, etc.

CHARLES WATSON, farmer and stock-raiser, Section 1, P. 0. Melrose, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1833, and came to America with his people, in 1834, who settled in White Pigeon, St. Joe Co., Mich. Mr. Watson engaged in the railway industry, in connection with the Lake Shore Railroad, as baggageman, and later as conductor, with which he was connected for several years, retiring from it in 1856, and engaging at his present industry there. In 1875, he located here, and has been actively engaged at his industry here since. In 1853, he married Miss Margaret J. Tomlinson, who was born in Pennsylvania and reared in White Pigeon, Mich. They have a family of five sons and three daughters-Leonard, Clifford C., May, Albert, Judson, Charles, Grace and Pearl. His farm contains 159 1/2 acres of improved land; a nice orchard of 460 fruit trees, of a nicely assorted variety; dwelling, and stables, etc. Since locating here, Mr. Watson has worked actively in the industrial development of the place.

SQUIRE JOHN L. WILSON, farmer and stock-raiser, Sections 12 and 13, P. 0. Keelville, was born in St. Clair County, Ill., in 1828, and was reared to the farming industry. At the age of scarcely eighteen he enlisted in the Second Illinois Regiment, for service in the Mexican war, and remained in active service till its end. He was in the battle of Buena Vista, under command of Gens. Taylor and Wool. After the war, he located in Alameda County, Cal., and was prominently identified with the farming and stock industry there for fifteen years, during which time he represented his district in the State Legislature, and was active in many minor municipal offices. In 1866, he returned to his native county, and carried on his industry upon the old homestead for about eight years, after which he located here, and has been actively engaged at his industry here since. His farm contains 177 acres of improved land, well fenced and watered and stocked; a nice orchard of 1,600 fruit trees, of nicely assorted varieties; good dwellings, barns, stables, etc. Since locating here he has worked actively in the development of the social and industrial life of this locality.