Leavenworth County KS Genealogy

1859 List of Munsee from Leavenworth County Kansas

This list was adapted for the web from a photocopy of a two-page typed document possessed by the family of Clio Caleb Church. Since it has no official heading or signature, the document appears to be someone’s transcription of an original report to the Office of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior. Likely this is a census of the Munsee who were moving from Leavenworth County to the new reservation in Franklin County, coinciding with the Treaty of 1859. It is not an enrollment list — it includes non-Indian spouses and there are no enrollment or allotment numbers. The document lists the person’s name, sex, and age, grouped by family unit.

Kansas Registrations of Enemy Aliens, 1917 – 1921

The series contains original affidavits of registration that record personal information about each registrant, their photograph affixed to the majority of documents, and the registrants fingerprints. All of these are specific to Kansas, and most have the actual documents attached.

Biographical Sketch of John P. Hatterscheidt

John P. Hatterscheidt, originally from Germany, moved to Kansas in 1857, making significant contributions as an engineer and surveyor. He was a prominent freesoiler leader at the Leavenworth constitutional convention in 1858. Though he returned to Cincinnati in 1859 and is reported to have passed away there, some accounts suggest he later impressed Abraham Lincoln, who appointed him as a consul in Europe before his eventual death abroad.

Biographical Sketch of James F. Legate

James F. Legate, born on November 23, 1829, in Massachusetts, was a prominent figure in Leavenworth for nearly forty years. Initially teaching and engaging in politics in Mississippi, he opposed Jefferson Davis in the state legislature. Legate moved to Kansas in 1854, becoming a staunch supporter of the free-state movement. He played significant roles in Kansas’s early government, including the First House of Representatives and the State Senate, and served as a U.S. mail agent for several western territories, until his death in 1902.

Biography of George H. Keller

George H. Keller, a key founder of Leavenworth, Kansas, was celebrated for his bravery, generosity, and integrity. Born in Kentucky in 1801, he migrated through Indiana and Missouri before helping establish the Town of Petaluma, California. By 1854, he settled in Weston, Kansas, and subsequently founded Leavenworth, where he built the notable Mansion House. An outspoken abolitionist, he served in the first free-state Territorial Legislature and became the first warden of the Kansas State Penitentiary. Keller passed away in 1876, leaving a legacy of patriotism and hospitality.

Biographical Sketch of Owen A. Bassett

Owen A. Bassett was a dynamic figure in the tumultuous era of the Border troubles and the Civil War, as well as the Reconstruction period. Born in Pennsylvania, he relocated with his family to Illinois and then Iowa. Initially aspiring to be a civil engineer, he shifted to law and became active in the free-state movement in Kansas. He served as an engineer during critical battles and later commissioned as lieutenant colonel of the Ninth Kansas. After the war, he was elected district judge and remained influential until his death in 1896.

Biography of Percival G. Lowe

Percival G. Lowe was a significant figure in Leavenworth’s public life, embodying the spirit of a plainsman and dragoon. Born in New York in 1828, his early life included maritime voyages and military service at Fort Leavenworth. After five years in the army, he transitioned to business and public service, including roles in the City Council, as sheriff, and in the State Senate. A life-member of the State Historical Society, he authored *Five Years a Dragoon*, capturing his experiences. He passed away in 1908 and is buried in Leavenworth.

Biography of John Baptist Miege

John Baptist Miege, born in 1815 in France, became the first Catholic bishop of Kansas. After joining the Society of Jesus in 1836, he spent years studying, eventually becoming a priest in 1847. He arrived in St. Marys, Kansas, in 1851, where he established the first Catholic church in the region. Miege later constructed a cathedral in Leavenworth and worked to alleviate its debt through a trip to South America. He retired in 1874, later founding a Jesuit college in Detroit, before passing away in 1884.

Biography of Charles Jeffreys Buckingham

Charles Jeffreys Buckingham, born in Ohio in 1837, moved to Kansas in 1868, where he became a prominent farmer and stockraiser, eventually owning around 1,000 acres. Active in public life, he served as Leavenworth County treasurer. Buckingham married three times, with his second wife, Mahala Hughes Gatch, and his third, Melcena Odell. He retired to Topeka in 1912, leaving behind a legacy of agricultural success and public service, while his family roots trace back to early Southern Ohio pioneers.

Biography of Charles Wolff

Charles Wolff, Sr. was a vital architect of Topeka’s industrial prosperity, dying on December 31, 1913. Born in Bavaria in 1849, he immigrated to America at thirteen. Initially a butcher, he founded the Charles Wolff Packing Company in 1886, transforming a modest meat market into a leading industry that processed thousands of hogs and cattle weekly. Known for his integrity and community spirit, Wolff was deeply involved in civic matters and charitable causes. At sixty-four, his untimely death left a significant void in the city he helped shape.

Biographical Sketch of Gen. James G. Blunt

Gen. James G. Blunt, born in 1826 in Maine, led a diverse life before the Civil War, including time as a sailor and a medical practice in Ohio. A committed free-state supporter in Kansas, he enlisted in the Third Kansas Regiment and rose to lieutenant colonel during significant battles. Promoted to brigadier general in 1862, he commanded the Department of Kansas and earned recognition for his military prowess. After the war, he settled in Leavenworth but struggled with mental health issues before dying in an asylum in 1881.

Biography of Patrick H. Coney

Patrick H. Coney, a notable figure in Kansas, emerged from a distinguished military background as a Civil War veteran. After his service, he became a successful businessman and lawyer, deeply committed to supporting fellow veterans, particularly in securing pensions. Throughout his career, Coney authored numerous publications and founded an influential soldier-focused newspaper in Topeka. He was actively involved in the Grand Army of the Republic and held various positions in community organizations. Known for his philanthropy and historical interests, Coney left an indelible mark on Kansas’s history.

Biography of Ward Burlingame

Ward Burlingame, born in Gloversville, New York, in 1836, was a prominent journalist and civil servant in Kansas. After moving to Leavenworth in 1858, he contributed to several newspapers, including the founding of the Leavenworth Daily Herald. He served as private secretary to notable figures, including Governor Carney and Senator Lane. His later career included editorial work for the Topeka Commonwealth and a lengthy tenure as chief clerk in the postal service’s dead letter division, from which he retired due to health issues in 1907. Burlingame passed away in Topeka in 1908.

Biography of George A. Crawford

George A. Crawford, born on July 27, 1827, in Pennsylvania, was a prominent figure in the development of Fort Scott, Kansas. Educated at Jefferson College, he worked as an editor and engaged in politics, opposing Know-Nothing sentiment. In 1857, he co-founded Fort Scott and served as its president for two decades. Active during the Civil War, he organized military efforts and later became Kansas’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate. He also helped establish the Kansas Historical Society and contributed to community development before his death in Grand Junction, Colorado, in 1891.

Biographical Sketch of Abel C. Wilder

Abel C. Wilder, born on March 18, 1828, in Mendon, Massachusetts, was a key figure in the free-soil movement and the formation of the Republican Party in Kansas Territory. After moving to Kansas in 1857, he became active in land business and opposed the Lecompton constitution. His political engagement included a role in the Osawatomie convention and serving as chairman of the Republican central committee. Appointed by President Lincoln as a brigade commissary, he later served in the Thirty-eighth Congress. After returning to Rochester in 1865, he became the city’s mayor in 1873 before his death in San Francisco on December 22, 1875.

Biographical Sketch of Dr. Joseph P. Root

Dr. Joseph P. Root, born on April 23, 1826, in Greenwich, Massachusetts, was a prominent early physician in Wyandotte, Kansas. A member of the Connecticut-Kansas Colony, he played a crucial role in the free-state movement, organizing forces and securing travel routes for immigrants. He served as the first lieutenant-governor of Kansas and as a surgeon during the Civil War. After a stint as minister to Chile, he returned to Wyandotte, where he remained until his death on July 20, 1885.

Biography of Rev. John G. Pratt

Rev. John G. Pratt, born in 1814 in Massachusetts, became a prominent Protestant missionary in Kansas after graduating from Andover Seminary in 1836. He initially worked with the Shawnee for seven years before relocating near Fort Leavenworth to assist the Green Bay Indians, although the mission never materialized. He later established a boarding school for the Delaware Indians, advocating for their education. Pratt served as a U.S. Indian agent from 1864 to 1867, later transitioning to farming until his death in 1895, while still engaging in occasional preaching.

Biographical Sketch of Gen. John A. Halderman

Gen. John A. Halderman, born in Kentucky, became a prominent figure in Kansas, excelling in law, military, and diplomacy. After moving to Leavenworth in 1854, he held various roles, including private secretary to the first territorial governor and probate judge. He served as a major in the Civil War and later as a major-general in the state militia. Appointed consul to Bangkok and the first U.S. minister to Siam, he received several honors from foreign governments. Halderman returned to Leavenworth in 1885, later lived in Washington, D.C., and died in 1908.

Biographical Sketch of Judge Mark W. Delahay

Judge Mark W. Delahay, a native of Maryland and a leading figure in Kansas’s early history, was a pioneering newspaper editor and Federal judge. After moving to Leavenworth in 1855, he founded the Leavenworth Register and supported the free-state movement. Delahay attended the Topeka convention and played a vital role in the establishment of the Republican Party in Kansas. Appointed as U.S. district judge by President Lincoln, he served until 1873. He passed away in Kansas City on May 8, 1879.

Biography of Daniel W. Wilder

Daniel W. Wilder was a distinguished figure in Kansas, primarily known for his contributions to journalism and literature rather than politics. After graduating from Harvard, he moved to Kansas in 1857, where he became an influential editor for various newspapers, including the anti-slavery Leavenworth Conservative. Wilder played a crucial role in establishing the Republican Party in Kansas and contributed to the Kansas Historical Society. He also held several political offices, including state auditor and insurance superintendent, before founding the Hiawatha World. He authored notable works such as the Annals of Kansas and was involved in compiling Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. Wilder passed away on July 15, 1911.