He then drifted into various places, and finally went to Chicago, Illinois, where he engaged as a book-keeper on South Water Street, where he worked before he came to Kansas. He married, in 1869, Miss Helen Dammers, of Chicago, Illinois and the couple had four children -- William E., Leroy E., Lavina C. and Ida. He served as County Commissioner, Clerk of District Court, and several township offices, and helped to organize Rush County.

Frank E. Garner - A stock-raiser in Brookdale, he settled there in March, 1872, where he eventually owned 400 acres of fine grazing land, fifty of which were cultivated. He kept an average of 225 head of cattle. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut on October 7, 1843 and moved with his family to Kane County, Illinois in 1850. He was raised on a farm and continued to follow agricultural pursuits before enlisting in Company K, Fifty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry in August, 1861. He was seriously injured in combat, but survived and was mustered out on July 5, 1865. In 1877, he married  Laura L. Graves, of Burlington, Illinois and the couple would have three children -- Medea E., Myrtle B. and May L. He served as County Clerk Clerk of Court in Rush County

H.L. Guldin - The proprietor Pennsylvania House, a large hotel in Rush Center, Guldin originally came from Pennsylvania, where he was born in Montgomery County, in 1820. There he was raised and when he grew up traveled extensively over the United States before settling down in Philadelphia,  and later in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he operated a wholesale grocery for four years. He then kept operated a hotel at Beer Gap, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania for four years before turning to farming in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. In 1852 he married to Sarah Mengel, of Berks County, Pennsylvania and the couple had six children - Elvina S., George B., James L., Susan C., Alice L. and Penrose W. By 1877 he and his family were living in Rush Center, where he erected the Pennsylvania House, an impressive two-story hotel and restaurant. The hotel initially contained 36 rooms, a large windmill for fresh water, two fireplaces, and a wide “covered entry porch.” In 1887, ten rooms were added and it became a passenger depot for the "city bus line."

John Hargrave - A farmer and stock-raiser, Hargrave was born in Inverness, Canada East on January 23, 1847. In June, 1854, he moved with his family to Ripon, Wisconsin and was educated in the public schools before attending Brockway College in Ripon. He then taught school in Fond du Lac and Green Lake Counties in Wisconsin prior to coming to Kansas in July 1874. He first settled in Pioneer Township in Rush County, where he taught (free of charge) at the first school in the  county. On January 14, 1875, he was elected County Superintendent of Schools, a position he held for a year before resigning to extensively engage in the cattle business. He also served a a  member of the Kansas House of Representatives. He married at La Crosse, Kansas on October 16, 1881 to C. Retta Smith, a native of Ohio and the couple had one child -- David Waldro.

<< Previous 1 2 3 Next >>

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Custom Greeting Cards - Combining our great vintage photographs with words, wisdom and proverbs of the Old West, these photo cards are unique to the Rocky Mountain General Store.