Dickinson County KS

Dickinson County, Kansas, established in 1857, lies in the central part of the state, playing a significant role in the westward expansion and development of the American frontier. The county’s early economy was driven by agriculture, cattle trade, and the influence of the railroads, notably the Kansas Pacific Railway, which facilitated the movement of goods and people, contributing to the growth of towns like Abilene, its county seat. Abilene’s prominence as a cattle town in the late 1860s and early 1870s, serving as the terminus for the Chisholm Trail, marks a significant chapter in the county’s history, reflecting the dynamic economic activities that shaped the region. For genealogists, Dickinson County offers a wealth of historical records that provide insights into the lives of early settlers, including land deeds, agricultural records, census data, and vital records from the mid-19th century onwards. These documents are invaluable for tracing lineage, understanding family histories, and reconstructing the social fabric of the time. The county was also influenced by its Native American heritage, with the region historically inhabited by various tribes, which adds another layer of depth to genealogical research. The county’s archives, historical societies, and libraries are key resources for accessing these records, offering a comprehensive view of the people who lived, worked, and shaped the history of Dickinson County, Kansas.

Biography of William A. Hopkins

William A. Hopkins, now living retired at Solomon, had turned the seventy-fifth milepost on life’s journey. His years have accounted for something not only to himself but to his country and his community. He was a gallant and loyal soldier of the Union during more than three years of the Civil war. After his part in that struggle he came to Kansas and had been a resident of Dickinson County for practically half a century. The Solomon community esteems him not only as one of its oldest but one of its most highly respected citizens. An Indiana man by birth, … Read more

Biography of John B. Favor

John B. Favor, present sheriff of Sumner County, has been a resident of Western Kansas for over forty-five years, and though he was a small boy when the family moved here he knows both by recollection and personal experience all the vicissitudes and trials that beset the early pioneers. This story of a pioneer Kansas family begins with the removal of Gaines and Susan (Lavender) Favor from their native state of Tennessee to a farm near Cairo, Illinois, in 1855. On that farm in the southern part of Illinois was born on January 22, 1860, John B. Favor, first mentioned … Read more

Biography of Henry Van Deman Faris

Henry Van Deman Faris, of Kanopolis, is a Kansas around whom center many associations of territorial and pioneer times. He is by five years the oldest living pioneer in Kansas west of Salina. He had been continuously identfied with Ellsworth County more than half a century. Mr. Faris comes of that adventuresome pioneer stock that in successive waves had peopled and developed American soil. His grandfather, John Faris, was born in Ireland of Scotch descent. On coming to this country he partieipated as a soldier in the struggle for independence, and afterwards became a farmer in Virginia. He located on … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles Moreau Harger

Charles Moreau Harger, Kansas editor and old time resident of the state, is known to thousands of people outside Kansas through his writings in magazines and through his active participation in several movements recognized as of national scope. He was born in Phelps, New York, in 1863, came west to Dickinson County in 1879 with his parents, and had resided in Abilene since that date. He was educated in a classical school. For several years he was a farmer and rancher, then teacher, being principal of the Hope City schools in 1887-88. He then became a reporter on the Abilene … Read more

Biography of Christian Hoffman

Christian Hoffman. While Kansas had produced many notable business men, the success of none of them had more perfectly represented the outflowing of integrity of character and a tireless energy and good judgment than that achieved by Christian Hoffman, founder of the City of Enterprise in Dickinson County and the founder and upbuilder of a milling and elevator industry which, until it was merged with other similar enterprises, was one of the largest in the entire State of Kansas. He was a territorial pioneer of Kansas, having arrived at Leavenworth in 1857. During his early years in Kansas he was … Read more

Norwood, Dorothy Mosley Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Dorothy Norwood, 78, of Baker City, died March 15, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Her memorial service will be held later at Palm Mortuary in North Las Vegas, Nev. Local arrangements are under the direction of Coles Funeral Home. Mrs. Norwood was born March 30, 1923, at Herington, Kan., to Wilhelmina and Clayton Mosley, who preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Fred Norwood, of Baker City; a daughter, Mozella Seltzer and her husband, Edward, and a son, Fred Norwood, Jr. and his wife Wanda, all of Las Vegas, Nev.; … Read more

Biography of Richard Waring

Richard Waring, during his long and active career at Abilene, won the respect and esteem of every citizen. He was a man whose character inspired confidence. He was the trusted adviser of many. Successful in his own affairs, strong in self reliance, he stood as a commanding figure in that community until the close of his life, and his memory will always be revered by the hundreds who knew him as a friend and associate. His life was the expression of a strong and self reliant nature. Born at Belfast, Ireland, July 4, 1850, coming alone to America in 1868, … Read more

Biography of Edwin Grant Betz

Edwin Grant Betz. The Arkansas City Business College is an institution in which the people of that community take special pride. Technical training for business is now a recognized necessity, and among the schools of Kansas that supply such technical training the Arkansas City Business College had in many respects a record of unexcelled competence and thoroughness. The proprietor of this school is Edwin Grant Betz, who had had a varied business experience but had given his chief time through his active life to commercial education. He comes of an old Dickinson County family, while Mrs. Betz, his wife, is … Read more

Biography of William Wesley Robb

William Wesley Robb, who is superintendent of the electric light plant at Chanute, began his career as a locomotive fireman and had filled many positions of responsibility, chiefly as a manager of machinery and plants, and much of his service had been rendered in the State of Kansas. He is of Scotch ancestry. His great-grandfather came from Scotland and was an early settler in Ohio. His grandfather, James Warren Robb, was born in the State of Illinois, in 1824, and died in Mercer County in that state in 1902. By profession he was an attorney, but many years ago he … Read more

Biography of Jacob E. Brewer

Jacob E. Brewer. The author of the two cent railroad fare law in Kansas is Jacob E. Brewer of Abilene. Mr. Brewer proposed, introduced and successfully advocated that law during his membership in the State Senate from 1905 to 1909, representing the district of Clay and Dickinson counties. Mr. Brewer is an old and well known merchant of Abilene. He had the chief department store there and is also a wholesale commission merchant. It is said that 200 carloads of eggs are gathered and shipped to market through his plant every year. Permanence and solidity is a part of Mr. … Read more

Biography of William C. Roughton

William C. Roughton, editor and proprietor of the Manchester Motor in Dickinson County, with his wife as local editor, had been identified either with the printing trade or with newspaper work since early boyhood. His father was at one time proprietor of the Jetmore Republican. The Roughton family is one of the earliest names that occur in the history of Hodgeman County. At Jetmore in that county William C. Roughton was born September 21, 1882. He is a son of Columbus E. and Amanda (Wilson) Roughton. Columbus E. Roughton, who was born in Yadkin County, North Carolina, in 1843, a … Read more

Biography of John Franklin Haskell

John Franklin Haskell is the Topeka and Kansas representative of the greatest creamery organization in America. He is general manager and vice president of the Beatrice Creamery Company, consolidated, with headquarters in Topeka. Both he and his brother George Everett have long been prominently identified with this business. His brother George E., who is president of the Beatrice Creamery Company, lives in Chicago. George was the founder of the industry at Beatrice, Nebraska, about 1890. He pushed the enterprise with so much success that it soon outgrew the limits of its home city, but the company still bears the name … Read more

Biography of William Thomas Davidson

William Thomas Davidson, an old soldier, a pioneer in Western Kansas, and an expert abstractor at Abilene, was born in a log house on a farm in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, July 26, 1842. Several years ago he celebrated the birthday which made him three score and ten years of age. His had been a long and active lifetime, and his experiences for more than forty-six years identify him with Abilene. On January 1, 1860, Mr. Davidson started to keep a diary, and it illustrates the persistence of his character that he had never missed a day in itemizing some fact … Read more

Biography of Joseph Ralph Burton, Hon.

Among the men who have come out of the Hoosier State to aid Kansas in its. real growth and development, there had been no finer man nor better citizen than Hom. Joseph Ralph Burton. Youthful in years as he was in experience when he came to Kansas in 1878, he plunged at once into the heart of affairs and gained ready recognition from the people. Senator Burton had at that time the ability to impress others with his reliability; he gained public confidence; he possessed the power of making people know that his talents were not merely skin deep but … Read more

Biography of George W. Hurd

George W. Hurd. In 1869, a few years after the close of the war in which he had fought for the Union with an Illinois regiment, George W. Hurd pioneered into Dickinson County, Kansas, and established himself on a homestead. However, during his long residence in the county and at the City of Abilene, he had been best known and distinguished as a lawyer. He was one of the pioneer members of the bar, and had long held a place of leadership in the profession and in public affairs. Born at Lafayette, Illinois, June 20, 1846, he had recently passed … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Joseph A. Muir

One of the farms that gives a character of progressiveness to Saline County is owned and occupied by Joseph A. Muir, one of the younger representatives of the agricultural industry in this state. This farm is near Mentor in Walnut Township. It is a farm that Mr. Muir had known all his life and he was born there. He had 200 acres of land, and well adapted for the raising of alfalfa, which is one of his principal crops. In every point it is modern in equipment and facilities. He had substantial buildings, including barns and silos for the care … Read more

Biography of Edward Everett Hazlett, M.D.

Edward Everett Hazlett, M. D. From 1880 until his death on June 17, 1915, Doctor Hazlett practiced medicine and surgery at Abilene, Kansas. That was a period of thirty-five years. He was one of the pioneers in his profession at Abilene, and began practice there when the city to some extent still retained the prestige and the somewhat unenviable prominence it derived as a center of the great cattle industry. Without disparaging the merits and attainments of his contemporaries, it can be stated that Doctor Hazlett was always the leader of his profession in that city, not only in point … Read more

Biography of John August Lindahl

John August Lindahl. One of the families that came as pioneers to Dickinson County in 1870 were the Lindahls. The head of the family, the late August Swenson Lindahl, was a very poor man, having barely enough to bring his family across the ocean and reach this situation almost on the frontier of civilization in Kansas. Like other early settlers he took up a tract of Government land, locating in Center Township, and 2½ miles northeast of the present Town of Enterprise in Dickinson County. There he began the hard work to which he had become accustomed in his native … Read more

Biography of Thomas M. Jones

Thomas M. Jones. From 1903 to 1917 Thomas M. Jones was assistant postmaster of Abilene, and in that time really handled the important responsibilities and executive details of the city postal system. He received his appointment under the late Richard Waring, and steadily continued in the office under subsequent administrations. Mr. Jones is an expert accountant, and that ability gave his service a great value in the postoffice, and during his long residence at Abilene he had been given many important commissions in auditing and in straightening up the books of commercial concerns. He is now cashier of the United … Read more

Throe, H. P. Mrs. – Obituary

Mrs. H.P. Throe (Cala L. Fovargue) Mrs. H.P. Throe, a pioneer of Union and Wallowa counties, died after an operation performed at the Enterprise Hospital. Cala L. Fovargue was born May 2nd, 1854, in Elkriver township, Clinton county Iowa. She was married to Hans P. Throe January 14th 1872. In November of 1877 they moved to Abilene, Kansas. After residing there for three years they moved to Oregon, making the journey by wagon. Three months after starting, they reached the Grande Ronde valley. In 1887, they moved to Joseph where they have resided ever since. Mrs. Throe was the mother … Read more