CLAY COUNTY, Part 5

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES (IAMS - PINKERTON).

REZIN IAMS, loan and real estate agent, was born in Greene County, Pa., January 27, 1850, of a good family. When a child, his parents removed to Noble County, Ohio. When he was less than three years old he lost his father, and at the age of fifteen his mother died, leaving him to make his own way in the world. When he was seventeen years old he went to Bloomington, Ill., and worked for his board while attending school for two years. In 1871 the old home in Ohio was sold, and the property divided among the heirs of his father, consisting of seven children. Each received $1,000 and Mr. Rezin Iams, in company with an older brother, went into Clay County, Kan., and began stock-raising, but in 1872, the fever killed nearly all their cattle, reducing his capital to about $400. Nothing daunted, he took a homestead and broke ninety acres, build with his hands a stone house, planted an orchard and shade trees, making a beautiful home. This place he still owns. In 1879 he moved to Clay Centre, and began business as a loan and real estate agent. He does a large business and is a rising man. He is Treasurer of the Clay Centre Mining, Milling and Prospecting Company, operating in Chaffee County, Col. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and K. of P. Is a keen business man and a fluent talker, and is always to be found abreast of his fellow-men.

F. H. JACKMAN, grocer, was born in Gloucester County, Val, October 13, 1845. In the war between the States, he took a hand on the Southern side. He enlisted in October, 1861, in Company A of the Thirty-fourth Virginia Volunteer Infantry. Fought through the war, and was paroled April 13, 1865. Returned to his home and worked at his trade - harness-maker. In 1872 he came to Kansas and settled at Wakefield, and clerked for W. P. Gates, grocer, for two years. In 1874 he moved to Clay Centre and clerked for C. E. Peters, and afterwards for J. M. Frank. September 17, 1878, he began business on his own account, in company with George A. Robinson, his brother-in-law. He has a fine store on the corner of Fifth and Court streets, Grumme's Block, and does a fine business. He was married January 13, 1875, at Clay Centre, to Miss Elnora J. Robinson. They have one child - Madge L., born July 13, 1879. He is a member of the Masonic order.

R. W. JONES, architect and builder, was born in Utica, N. Y., April 23, 1841. At the age of four years his parents removed to Boston, Mass., where he was educated in the city schools, and learned the trade of a carpenter. April 16, 1861, he enlisted in the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment, and served three months. In 1862 he removed to Waterville, N. Y. where he worked at his trade, and in 1868, to Aurora, Ill. Here he was engaged in shop work until 1870, when he came to Kansas, settling on a farm in Grant Township, Clay County. In 1865 he moved to Clay Centre, where he has since been engaged in his work as architect and contractor. He has built many good houses in the city and county, and is now mainly employed in drafting and superintending a superior class of buildings. He is a member and secretary of Clay Centre Lodge of the I. O. G. T. He was married November 5, 1867, at Utica, N. Y., to Miss Annie H. Davies. They have four children - Charles H., Thomas E., Alice E. and Arthur W.

P. P. KEHOE, dealer in general merchandise, was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, August 29, 1845. At the age of nineteen years he went to Duquoin, Ill., as telegraph operator for the Illinois Central Railroad, and thence to Milwaukee, Wis., in the same service. In the spring of 1870 he came to Manhattan, Kan., and was in the drug trade there for six years. In 1876 he removed to Clay Centre and began business as a general merchant, and has a fine business on the corner of Fifth and Court streets. He is a Mason, and was married October 14, 1873, at Manhattan, Kan., to Miss Emma Peckham. They have one child - William F., born June 9, 1879.

D. A. KENDALL, grain dealer, was born in Sauk County, Wis., April 10, 1847. Was educated at Baraboo Academy. Was raised on a farm, and continued thereon until twenty-one years old. He then moved to Mankato, Minn., and became manager of a lumber business for John Robson, of Winona, with whom he remained five years. Then went into the insurance business at Howard Lake, Wright County, Minn., remaining there a year and a half. In September, 1879, he moved to Clay Centre, Kan., and has been in the grain trade there since, the firm being styled D. A. Kendall & Co. He was married July 6, 1871, at Saint Peters, Minn., to Miss E. M. Taylor. They have two children - John A., born May 30, 1872, and Harry T., born May 26, 1882.

GEORGE LAMKIN, grocer, was born in Noble County, Ind., March 28, 1844. He was raised a farmer. In 1871 he removed to Minnesota, where he lived for a short time, when he came to Kansas, settling on a farm in Clay County. In November, 1881, he sold his farm, moved into the city, and began his present business. He was the first Township Trustee of Oakland Township, and was a Justice of the Peace for four years. Was married March 28, 1865, in Noble County, Ind., to Miss Cynthia Codwell. They have five children - Lois, born March 3, 1866; Mary, born April 5, 1872; Sarah, born October 17, 1874; Arthur, born May 1, 1876; George, born March 9, 1882.

P. S. LOOFBOURROW, Justice of the Peace, was born in Adams County, Ind., March 11, 1838. He was raised a farmer, and educated at Liber College, Jay County, Ind. In 1861 he established the Jay Torchlight, a newspaper, which he continued to publish until April, 1864, when he enlisted in Company E of the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Her served five months and was discharged for disability. He returned to Indiana and again took charge of his paper, which meanwhile, had been published by his wife and her sister, Miss Adams. In November, 1864, he sold the paper and engaged in the boot and shoe trade. This business was discontinued until 1869, when he came to Kansas and taught school in Doniphan County until the spring of 1870, when he came to Clay County, settling on a homestead in Township 8, Range 4, where he lived until 1877, when he sold his farm and removed to Clay Centre. He is engaged in the insurance and collecting business. He was a Justice of the Peace in Grant Township three years. April 14, 1880, he was appointed by the Governor as Justice of the Peace for the city of Clay Centre, and in 1881 was elected to the office, and re-elected in 1883. He is a member of G. A. R. and Good Templars. He was married March 9, 1861, in Jay County, Ind., to Mrs. E. A. Montgomery. They had one daughter, now Mrs. S. S. Simpson. Mrs. Loofbourrow died in 1864, and he was again married December 31, 1865, in the same county, to Miss Sarah M. Arnett. They have one child - Orpha Ann, born April 14, 1872.

O. F. LUTT, miller, was born in Holstein, Prussia, October 19, 1851. He came to America at the age of sixteen years, settling first at Chicago, where he lived three years. In 1869 he came to Kansas and clerked two years at Medina, Jefferson County. In 1871 he moved to Valley Falls, where he worked four years in the grain business. In 1876 he moved to Clay Centre, and began business as a wholesale liquor merchant; also bought and shipped grain. He built the Kansas Pacific mills and elevator in 1878, which he still operates. He was elected to the City Council in 1882. Was married October 9, 1878, at Clay Centre, to Miss Emma Schaubel. They have two children - Nora, born May 11, 1879, and Leo, born February 12, 1881.

WESLEY McLAUGHLIN, county surveyor, was born in Indiana County, Pa., February 2, 1841. He was educated at an academy in Armstrong County, and was engaged on private surveys until the fall of 1861, when he entered the army in Company F of the Seventy-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in which regiment he served through the war. In 1865 he came West, stopping in Missouri until the spring of 1866, when he came to Kansas, settling on a farm in Township 8, Range 2, Clay County, where he lived until 1878, when he moved to Clay Centre, since which time he has been engaged in professional work. In 1879 he was appointed county surveyor to fill a vacancy, and in 1881 was elected to the office for the full term of two years, and he is now in the office. He is a Mason and a member of the G. A. R. He was married March 6, 1865, in Indiana County, Pa., to Miss Maria Rankin. They have four children - Letitia May, Jessie Anna, Ella Mary and Earl Wayne.

GEORGE W. MARTIN, Sheriff, was born in Fulton County, Ind., October 7, 1842. At the age of twelve years he removed with his parents to Appanoose County, Iowa. He enlisted May 11, 1863 in Company E, Seventh Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, and served until May 27, 1866. Returned to Iowa and began farming, and afterward engaged in the grocery trade. He was Deputy Sheriff of Appanoose County for five years. In April, 1878, he came to Clay County, Kan., and worked at the trade of plastering. In 1881 he was elected Sheriff of Clay County. He is a member of the G. A. R., I. O. O. F., and is the First Lieutenant of Company H, Second Regiment Kansas National Guard of Clay Centre - "The Golden Belt Guards." He was married November 8, 1866, at Centerville, Iowa, to Miss Mary J. Morris. They have six children - Jesse C., Amy A., George E., Cara G., Mary S. and Grant G.

B. F. MERTEN, teacher, P. O. Clay Centre, was born in Delaware County, Iowa, April 20, 1847, and educated at Baldwin University, Berea, Ohio. In 1868 he was elected professor of mathematics in the Northwestern German-English Normal School at Galena, Ill. Five years thereafter he became principal of the school and held the office five years. In 1878 he moved to Kansas and was elected Superintendent of Schools and principal of the high-school at Clay Centre. This position he held until the fall of 1882, when he was elected Superintendent of Public Instruction for Clay County. He was married, August 10, 1871, at Galena, Ill., to Miss Virginia J. Miller. They have three children - Eliza, born August 31, 1872; Florence, born May 18, 1875, and Frederic, born December 6, 1876. Mr. Merten is a member of the Masonic order of the K. T. degree.

R. H. MILLEN, dentist, was born in Indiana County, Pa., March 29, 1836. Studied dental surgery and practiced until the war between the States. He enlisted September 2, 1861, in Company K, Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and was discharged October 2,1864. After the war he practiced his professon (sic) in Pennsylvania until 1869, when he removed to Elmwood, Ill. In 1870 he came to Kansas, settling first at Atchison, but in 1871 he moved to Clay Centre and has been in active practice in this city since. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the K. of P. Mr. Millen was married June 16, 18973, at Tecumseh, Neb., to Miss M. M. Alford, of Indiana, Pa. They have one child - Aurora Alford, born May 26, 1882.

J. W. MILLER, Justice of the Peace, was born in New London, Conn., May 16, 1831. His parents were William and Eliza Miller. Mr. Miller, Senior, was a ship-builder, and J. W. was brought up to the same business, showing a genius for the business early in life. At the age of seventeen, he built a miniature schooner, about eight feet long and two feet beam, with fourteen inches depth of hold, making her complete in spars, rigging, sails, anchors, etc. He named her after a wealthy ship-owner and friend, Thomas Fitch, who presented her with a full set of colors. At the age of nineteen, Mr. Miller took charge of his father's works, and made the drafts and models for all the vessels built by him. About this time he was married to Miss Almira Josephine Burrows, of Groton, New London Co., Conn. In 1861 he became superintendent of the works of Mr. Williams at Hunters Point, Long Island. While there he engaged to go to China to build some river steamers for parties in the celestial empire, Messrs. Thomas Hunt & Co. Sailed in the ship N. B. Palmer, and arrived at Hong Kong in February, 1862. He built one steamer at Wampoa, and then, under a new contract, went to Shanghai and there built three river steamers. The climate proving deleterious to his constitution, his health failing, he returned to America, arriving in New York June 6,1864. Returning to Groton, Conn., he went into the business of building on his own account and built several very fast vessels, among them the yacht Calypso, 120 tons burden, and the schooner Thomas Fitch, 140 tons. Then in partnership with Col. Morgan and Capt. Baker he built marine railway, which proved an unsuccessful venture. Mr. Miller then resolved on going to Kansas, and in pursuance thereof he arrived in Clay Centre March 29, 1870. In the same year, jointly with N. H. Starr, they built a shop of cottonwood lumber, Mr. Miller occupying one half as a wagon shop. Since his arrival in Clay county he has been actively engaged in business, a part of his business life appearing in the history of the Times newspaper, is omitted here. In 1871 he was appointed Justice of the Peace, and elected the same year for the full term. He has been re-elected every second year since, and is now in office. In the same year, 1871, he was appointed postmaster at Clay Centre, which position he held until May 4, 1878, when he resigned the same. Was also City Treasurer. On the organization of the city, he was elected Police Judge, and continuously re-elected term after term until 1883, when he declined a further service in that office. He owns much valuable city property, is in easy circumstances, and is a generous public-spirited man. He is a member of the Masonic order, K. of P., K. of H., and I. O. O. F., having attained to all the encampment degrees in the last named order, and to the thirty-second degree in Masonry. Since he sold the Times, he publishes occasionally the Little Hatchet, a newspaper of the politico-humorous character. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have raised four children - the oldest, William B., is in Scattle (sic), Washington Territory; Olin F. is in the Times office in this city; Myra M., ten years of age; John H., seven years of age.

RICHARD MILLER, farmer, P. O. Clay Centre, was born in Jo Daviess County, Ill., March 1, 1843. He was educated at Sinsinowa College, Grant County, Wis. He enlisted August 4, 1862, in Company A, Ninety-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as a private. He served three years and was discharged at the close of the war. He returned to Illinois and was engaged in lumbering on the Mississippi River until November 1, 1870, when he enlisted in the regular army, being assigned to Company G of the Tenth Infantry. He served the full term of enlistment, five years, in Texas, going through all the non-commissioned grades in the regiment. In 1877 he came to Kansas, settling on a farm in Clay Centre Township and County, where he is engaged in farming and stock-raising. He has the largest herd in the county, all graded stock. He belongs to the G. A. R. He was married, at Galena, Ill., to Miss Josephine Reed. They have one child - Walter Whittaker, born November 27, 1882.

D. H. MYERS, banker and stock man, was born in Somerset County, Pa., March 5, 1838. At the age of seventeen he removed to Carroll County, Ill., where he worked on a farm for two years. In 1856 he came to Kansas and went as Government teamster in the expedition of Albert Sidney Johnson against the Mormons. While on the expedition, he enlisted in Company A of the volunteer regiment known as the First United States Volunteers. Was discharged at Salt Lake, and went to California from thence, arriving in the valley in August, 1858. In 1859 he returned via Panama and New York to his Pennsylvania home. In May 1860, he came again to Kansas, and settled at a ranch in Clay County. In 1862 he was the First Lieutenant of the Militia raised to help to repel the army of General Price. In October, 1878, he moved to Clay Centre and began banking with J. P. Campbell. He is the president of the Republican Valley Bank, has been County Commissioner, and the first Justice of the Peace in the county, then a part of Davis county. He handles more live-stock than any other man in Central Kansas. He raises cattle, buys and ships. Mr. Myers was married to Miss Catherine Yankin in his native county on March 23, 186?. Their children are Henry, Catherine, Frank, and Ada.

JOHN L. NOBLE, County Clerk, was born in Medina County, Ohio, May 26, 1836. He was educated at Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio. In 1856 he started for the West; lived for a year in Michigan, thence went to Mendota, Ill., and thence to St. Joseph, Mo. Was engaged in the milling business. In 1861 he moved to Chicago, where he was engaged in milling and the commission business for about four years. In 1864 he went still further west to Montana Territory, where he lived six years. In that Territory he held the office of Probate Judge for Gallatin County, and in 1869 he was a member of the Territorial Council. In 1870 he came to Kansas and began milling in Junction City. In the year of 1875, he removed to Clay Centre and started in same business. He was elected County Clerk in 1879 and re-elected in 1881. Has been Mayor of Junction City, member of the Council and Board of Education of Clay Centre. He is a member of the Masonic order of the R. A. degree, also a member of the I. O. O. F. Mr. Noble was married at Mendota, Ill., November 16, 1859, to Miss Posah Panton. They have two children - Isabella, born October 4, 1861, and Alice, born July 12, 1870.

D. J. OSBORN, farmer, P. O. Clay Centre, was born in Pulaski County, Ky., August 18, 1842. He was educated at an academy in Somerset, Pulaski County, and taught in the schools of his native county for several years. In the fall of 1865 he went to Putnam County, Ind., and taught in the public schools until the spring of 1866, when he came to Kansas, settling on a farm near Clay Centre, Clay County, where he has since resided engaged in farming. He was married November 27, 1875, in Clay County, to Viola Quinn. They have two children - Minnie L., born February 1, 1878; Donnie born September 5, 1880.

J. H. PINKERTON, real estate and insurance agent, was born in DeKalb County, Ala., January 20, 1835. Removed with his parents when a child to Weakley County, Tenn., where he lived until 1858, when he came to Kansas. He drove an ox team from Tennessee to Manhattan, arriving in February, 1859. He settled on a farm in Wabaunsee County, where he lived seventeen years, engaged in farming and stock-raising. He enlisted, September 5, 1862, in Company K, Eleventh Kansas Cavalry, and served three years. In 1866 he was elected Sheriff of Wabaunsee County and re-elected in 1868, serving four years. In 1870 he was elected Representative in the State Legislature and re-elected in 1872. In the session of 1873 the township in which Mr. Pinkerton resided, was attached to Riley County, and in 1874 he was elected from Riley County. In 1875 he came to Clay Centre and engage in the real estate, insurance and loan business. In 1876 he was elected Mayor and re-elected for four successive terms. Has an office at Miltonvale, Cloud County, and publishes, in connection with a partner, the Miltonvale News. He handles as many acres as any man in Central Kansas. He was married at Dresden, Tenn., February 12, 1857, to Miss Nancy J. Freeman. They have four children - Ernest, born December 7, 1857; Laura, March 30, 1860; John Charles, May 26, 1870; Nancy Ella, December 1, 1875.