Hancock County IL

Biographical Sketch of Edmond H. Madison

Edmond H. Madison, of Wichita, who died while serving his third term in Congress, was of the younger generation of the energetic and able members of the bench and bar in Kansas. He was born at Plymouth, Hancock County, Illinois, December 18, 1865, educated in the common schools and at the age of eighteen years began teaching. In 1885 he went to Wichita, Kansas, where he studied law in the office of G. W. C. Jones; and in 1888 was admitted to the bar. The same year he was elected county attorney of Ford County, which office he held for … Read more

Biography of Fred Leslie Ervay

Fred Leslie Ervay, M. D. The medical fraternity of Wilson County had as one of its highly skilled and thoroughly trained members Dr. Fred Leslie Ervay, who had been engaged in a general practice at Fredonia since 1908. While Doctor Ervay had not carried on his profession as long as some of his fellow practitioners, he had risen to a prominent place in his calling, and the confidence in which he is held is evidenced by the size and importance of his clientele. He was born at Elk Point, South Dakota, June 14, 1880, and is a son of H. … Read more

Biography of Charles C. Rich

Pioneer of Utah, California and Idaho, Charles C. Rich figured prominently in the early development of these states, and took an active part in furthering the welfare and promoting the progress of the commonwealths. He was also a most able exponent of the faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and with a colony of believers he founded the beautiful and thriving little city of Paris, the County of Bear Lake, Idaho, and the Mormon colonies of southeastern Idaho. A native of Kentucky, Mr. Rich was born in Campbell County, in 1809, and was of English … Read more

Biography of John Davis

John Davis, of Jonesburg, familiarly known as “Uncle John,” is the oldest son of the late Thomas Davis, of Shenandoah Co., Va. John was born October 30, 1791, in Shenandoah County, and is now nearly 85 years of age. When he was about sixteen his parents removed to Bourbon Co., Ky., and when the war of 1812 began, he enlisted in the army and served under Generals Winchester and Payne. He was stationed at Forts Wayne and Laramie, in Ohio, for some time. In 1820 he came to Missouri, and stopped a short time in St. Louis, which then had … Read more

Davis, Minnie – Obituary

North Powder, Union County, Oregon Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 2 p.m. at The North Powder Community Church for Minnie Hester Davis, 91, longtime North Powder resident. She died early Monday morning at St. Elizabeth Hospital after a brief illness. Mrs. Davis, a native of Tioga, Ill., was the daughter of Gus and Lucy Ensminger Roth. She married John William Davis in Baker on Sept. 2, 1903. They purchased land in the North Powder Valley to farm and built their home. She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Lula Cantrell of Portland; three sisters, Mrs. Jessie Hannahs of … Read more

Biography of George W. Buck

GEORGE W. BUCK. – The subject of this article is at the head of one of the largest industrial institutions of the county of Union, being proprietor and manager of the large sawmilling and lumbering establishment, where he has been enabled to turn out from three to four million feet of fine lumber annually, and in this capacity he has displayed an excellent ability and enterprise which have commended him to the esteem and confidence of the entire community, while he has also manifested a stanch character and maintained an untarnished reputation. George W. was born on March 22, 1848, … Read more

Biography of Albert Irven Decker

Albert Irven Decker. In the demands which it makes upon its devotees, educational work is exceedingly exacting. The duty of the educator, ostensibly, is to instill a practical, working knowledge into each of his pupils, but his correlative, although less direct, function of instilling character and worthy precepts through his personal influence is equally important. The duty first named calls for an individual of knowledge and specialized training, while the second demands a conscientious and capable person whose life and mode of living provide a fit criterion and example for the minds of youth. When a man is found in … Read more

Biography of Danford Atwood

Danford Atwood was born in Connecticut in 1823. His parents were Mormons and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, at an early day, and from thence to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where in 1850 Mr. Atwood married Miss Jane Garner, of Hancock County, Illinois. She was the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Hedrick) Garner, natives respectively of North Carolina and Indiana. They had six children. Mrs. Garner died in Illinois at the age of thirty-two, and Mr. Garner married Lydia Hill. In 1836 he went to Council Bluffs, where he remained nearly two years, and then came to California, in 1852, by ox … Read more

Biography of Charles Reynolds Love

Charles Reynolds Love. A former Topeka citizen well remembered for his activity in business and his benevolence and splendid character was the late Charles Reynolds Love. Mr. Love came to Kansas a great many years ago, and spent many years in Topeka, where he died April 15, 1910. He was of an old and prominent Pennsylvania family and was born at Newcastle in that state August 23, 1848. His parents were John Brown and Maria (Chenoweth) Love, both natives of Pennsylvania. Maria Chenoweth was the daughter of Arthur and Maria (Reynolds) Chenoweth, both of whom were natives of Virginia. This … Read more

Burnap, William David – Obituary

La Grande,Union County, Oregon William David Burnap was born in Bedford township, Meigs County, Ohio, May 10, 1842, and died at his home near LaGrande, Oregon, December 22, 1911. He was married to Mary Melvina Hoit, of West Point, Illinois, March 3, 1867, by the late Rev. William B. Finlay, of St. Albens township, Hancock County. The following children and his aged companion survie him; Rrs. Ruthanar Maud Cole of flora, Or., Marius Melvin Burnap, La Grande, Or, Albert Vinton Burnap, Walla Walla, WA, W. Eugene Burnap, Asel Hoyt Burnap of Touchet, WA, and Mrs. Ocie Vaun Frakes of Starbuck, … Read more

Biography of Joseph Thorn

Joseph Thorn, deceased, was a pioneer of 1854. He was born in New York State, December 22, 1811. His parents were Richard and Mary Ann (Armstrong) Thorn, the former a native of New York, the latter of England. Mr. Thorn was a blacksmith by trade. He was married at Niles, New York, June 19, 1836, to Lorana Camp, daughter of Jonah and Barbara (Keith) Camp, from near New Haven, Connecticut. About seven years after his marriage he moved with his wife and four children to Hancock County, Illinois, where he lived five years. He then moved to Council Bluffs and … Read more

Biography of Winslow P. Powers

Deceased. – While it is the province of our volume to give mention of the leading citizens of Wallowa county, it also comes within the purview of the work to grant to such as the noble and esteemed citizen, whose name appears above, a memoir, and it is with especial delight that we are privileged to do so at this time, since he was one of the builders of the county, and one who held in becoming manner the position of leader for many years, being eminently fitted for that capacity, both by marked capabilities, great energy and force of … Read more

Biography of Joseph Camp Thorn

Joseph Camp Thorn, residing four miles east of San Bernardino on the Base Line, is one of the pioneers of this county. He was born in New York, January 2, 1839, the son of Joseph and Lorana (Camp) Thorn. When the subject of this sketch was three years of age his father moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. The next year he removed to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and the following year he moved to Salt Lake. Our subject was then eight years old and he drove an ox team all the way from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake. Mr. Thorn lived at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Abner McCrary

Abner McCrary is a native of Union County, Illinois, born in 1835. His parents, John and Mary (Kellar) McCrary, natives of North Carolina and South Carolina respectively, moved to Hancock County in 1844. Next they moved to Wash vine, Iowa, and in 1846 to Council Bluffs, where they remained five years. In 1851 he moved to Utah, where he remained two years, and June 5, 1854, came to California, and bought forty acres of land three miles northeast of San Bernardino, where he now lives. Mr. McCrary has dealt some in buying and selling land, and has today a fine … Read more

Biography of John T. Denton, Hon.

Hon. John T. Denton. While John T. Denton had been a staid and substantial banker, business man and public spirited citizen of Grenola and Elk County for over thirty years, he had covered a great deal of territory in the course of his earlier experiences, and he came through difficulties and hardships on the road to success. He was left an orphan boy in Kentucky, was reared in the home of relatives, started out to make his own way in the world when sixteen, and had always considered it fortunate that he came to Kansas in the early days of … Read more

Biography of F. Garner

F. Garner, residing on Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, was born near Quincy, Illinois, March 5, 1835. His parents were George and Elizabeth Garner. His father moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, at an early day, and remained there one year when he crossed the plains to Utah, where he spent one winter. Frank was fifteen years of age when they left the Missouri river, and he drove an ox team all the way to California. While crossing the Missouri river on a ferry-boat, the team which he afterward drove became frightened and jumped off the boat into the water, and swam … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Baker

THOMAS BAKER. – Mr. Baker was born in Bullitt county, Kentucky, in 1832, being the son of George C. and Elizabeth Miller Baker. When he was eighteen months old his parents moved to Hancock county, Illinois. He remained in that country until the spring of 1852, being employed on his father’s farm. In the spring of this year, he started with his older brother across the plains to California, and arrived in the Golden State in August, 1852. For ten years he was actively engaged in mining, and was among the number who made the stampede to the Florence mines … Read more

Biography of S. S. White

S.S. WHITE. – The pioneer experiences of Judge White are of an exceptionally interesting character. This well-known and highly valued citizen of Portland was born in Franklin county, Indiana, December 14, 1811. His father was much of a frontiersman, and, after a removal to Ohio in 1815, went three years later to Sangamon county, Illinois, settling on Sugar creek, twenty miles south of Springfield. This was then a remote and unoccupied region, Mr. White’s family and those of a Mr. Ellis and Mr. Vancil being the only families within the limits of the present Sangamon and Morgan counties, and sixty … Read more

Biography of Mary Pierce Van Zile

Mary Pierce Van Zile. A very important member of the faculty of the Kansas State Agricultural College is Mrs. Mary Pierce Van Zile, dean of women and dean of the division of home economics. Her name is a household word in many widely separated homes, for each year Mrs. Van Zile has under her immediate care and instruction from 800 to 900 girls. They come from many environments and are mostly in the most receptive period of their lives, and the influence exerted by Dean Van Zile largely moulds their future. Mary Pierce Van Zile was born on her father’s … Read more

Stillwell, Ira – Obituary

Ira Stillwell Dies In General Hospital Ira Stillwell died Thursday afternoon at 12:30 at the Ellensburg hospital, following an illness of several week’s duration. In an attempt to save his life a blood transfusion was made Tuesday but he failed to rally. Mr. Stillwell was born may 17, 1887 in Bowen, Illinois, and came to Ellensburg in January, 1903. He became an employe of the Northern Pacific railroad, April 23, 1908 and worked as a wiper until August 3, 1908, when he was promoted to fireman. He became a locomotive engineer March 18, 1918 and had been employed as a … Read more