Biographies Index

BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS

BIOGRAPHIES

PURCELL, NEWT

Newt Purcell, the popular and efficient sheriff of Butler county, stands for the conscientious performance of his duty at all times. He received much of his education in the hard school of experience, and largely through his own efforts, has made good. He was born in James county, Tennessee, December 25, 1876, and is a son of Samuel G. and Mary (Kimbrough) Purcell, both natives of Tennessee.

The Purcell family left their Tennessee home in 1881, and came to Kansas, locating in Butler county, south of Augusta. They remained there about two years when they returned to Tennessee, and in 1885, again set out for Kansas. The second time they made the trip across the country with a prairie schooner and a team of mules, with western Kansas as their objective point. After failing to find a suitable location in that section of the state, and after traveling many miles with their primitive outfit, many incidences of which are still fresh in Sheriff Purcell's mind, they returned to Butler county, and located near Augusta, again. The first few years in Kansas was a struggle for existence. The second time that they located in Butler county, the mother was sick, and $6 was the limit of the family fund. The father engaged in farming and after persistence and hard work met with a reasonable degree of success.

Newt Purcell was reared on the farm near Augusta, and obtained his education in the district schools. When he was eighteen years of age, he entered the employ of the Santa Fe Railroad 'Company, in a bridge construction gang, and shortly afterwards became a locomotive fireman on that road, between Newton and Dodge City, and served in that capacity for three years. While he was engaged in railroading he had bought land from time to time, near Augusta, which, by the way, is now (1916) valuable oil producing property. In 1904 he resigned his position with the railroad company and engaged in farming and stock raising on his farm, which he followed until 1910, when he was appointed under-sheriff by Sheriff Moss, and served in that capacity until 1914 when he was elected sheriff.

Mr. Purcell was first married March 28, 1895, to Miss Birdie Case of Augusta, who died January 19, 1896, leaving one child: Henry Newton Purcell, who met with an accidental death, August 12, 1901, by falling from a window. On September 16, 1900, Mr. Purcell was united in marriage with Miss Marian La Vanche Forgy, a native of El Dorado, whose parents were early settlers in this county and came from Pennsylvania. To Mr. and Mrs. Purcell have been born two children; Icy Irene and Garland Newton, both of whom are students in the El Dorado schools.

Sheriff Purcell is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and belongs to the Mystic Shrine; he is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America, and Anti-Horse Thief Association. He and his wife are members of the Christian church. He is a Republican, and since he became a voter has taken an active part in local politics. During his six years' experience in the sheriff's office, he has won the reputation of doing his duty faithfully and fearlessly. During the recent rapid industrial development of Butler county, due to the rapid development of the oil and gas fields, much additional work, both of a civil and criminal nature, has devolved upon the sheriff's office, and Sheriff Purcell has been found equal to every emergency. Pages 456-457)

DAVIS, ANTHONY G.

Anthony G. Davis, a Civil war veteran and one of the earliest settlers of Butler county, now living retired at Benton, is a native of Tennessee. He was born May 26, 1838, in McMinn county and is a son of Anthony and Peachy Davis, both natives of Tennessee. The Davis family migrated from Tennessee to Missouri in 1848, settling in Neosho, where the parents spent their lives.

Anthony G. Davis grew to manhood on the Missouri farm, and in 1859 came to Butler county and homesteaded 160 acres in Benton township. Here he built a primitive log hut, broke prairie and began farming in a small way at first, and later became an extensive farmer and stock man. It must be borne in mind that 1859 was a very early date in the settlement of Butler county and this section of Kansas. He who penetrated the wild and unexplored frontier as far west as this at that time was truly a pioneer plainsman. There were scarcely any settlements west of Emporia then, and few inhabitants with the exception of Indians, soldiers and a few Indian traders. The nearest post office was Emporia, and the principal part of the supplies were obtained from that point. Mr. Davis has often made the trip to Emporia with oxen in the early days, camping by the side of the trail at night, whenever darkness closed his day's journey.

The first year in which he was engaged in farming was the dry year of i860, of which we hear so much, and the settlers raised absolutely nothing that year and Mr. Davis split rails the following winter for a mere pittance, in order to buy a little corn to sustain life during the winter. Had it not been for the fact that game of all kinds was plentiful, early settlers like Mr. Davis would have been unable to obtain any meat what ever. After coming here he killed buffalo in Butler county and at one time he and a neighbor named Wilson went a little farther west and killed two wagon loads of buffalo on the ground where the city of Wichita now stands and he has killed hundreds of wild turkeys, prairie chickens, antelope and deer. He had many experiences of a thrilling nature such as the pioneer encounters. He had some experiences with the early day prairie fires which swept the plains periodically, and at one time lost several horses in the devastating flames that swept the prairie.

There was a great variety of entertainment that kept the early settlers of Butler county busy. Perhaps, before they had time to fully remove the ashes and cinders of the prairie fire from their eyes, a blizzard would sweep down from the northwest and Mr. Davis has experienced several of those freaks of the weather, and at one time nearly lost his life in a blizzard. He and his father-in-law and two brothers-in-law became lost in a blizzard and after wandering aimlessly around the prairie for eight or ten miles during the storm, they fortunately ran into some timber and built a great fire and thus escaped freezing to death.

Mr. Davis was an unerring shot with a rifle which stood him in good hand in keeping the family supplied with meat. Any time Mrs. Davis would report "out of meat" Mr. Davis would take his gun and go to his "blind," which he had prepared about 150 yards from the cabin, and at the same time Mrs. Davis would put a kettle of water on the fire place and he always brought back a turkey, and never disappointed Mrs. Davis but once, and that time he came back to get Mrs. Davis to help him drag a large buck deer which he had killed, to the house, instead of a turkey.

March 8, 1862, Mr. Davis enlisted at Ft. Scott, Kans., in the Sixth regiment, Kansas cavalry, and after three years of service he was mustered out at Devall Bluff, Ark. He was united in marriage December 30, 1858, with Miss Amelia Vann, a daughter of William and Susan Vann. The Vann family were pioneers of Kansas, and the father was a native of England. To Mr. and Mrs. Davis five children were born, one of whom, Mrs. Susan L. Hall, of Bentoti, Kans., is living. Mrs. Davis died February 25, 1913, aged seventy years three months and eleven days.

For years Mr. Davis was prominent in the political affairs of Butler county and the State of Kansas, and he is one of the well known men of Butler county, and is frequently referred to as the "grand old man of the sixties." Pages 457-458)

HILL, L. C.

L. C. Hill, a representative merchant of Benton, is one of the progressive and wide-awake business men of Butler county. He was born in in Pennsylvania, August 2, 1869, and is a son of A. S. and Elizabeth Hill, both natives of Pennsylvania. The Hill family consisted of three children, as follows: Mrs. Letta Greenwood, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Bert, Custer City, Okla.; L. C, the subject of this sketch, and Lula and Nona, deceased. The family came to Kansas in 1871, locating one and one-half miles east of 'Towanda, where the father homesteaded a quarter-section of land, where he was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising for fifteen years. He then retired, and for a time lived in Towanda, El Dorado and Cleveland, Okla., and died in 1893. H*s wife died in 1891, while on a visit in Pennsylvania.

Although L. C. Hill was a very young man when the family came to Butler county, he has a very distinct recollection of many events that transpired in the early days. Anything out of the ordinary made a lasting impression on his youthful mind. He was only five years old at the time of the visitation of the grasshoppers, in 1874, yet he remembers very clearly how they came in great clouds and turned daylight into darkness, and devastated everything in the nature of vegetation before them. He has seen prairie chickens by the thousands, and killed a great many of them in the early days, they being a common article of food with the early settlers. He says that while there were many inconveniences in the early days that social conditions were not bad. Neighbors frequently met on various occasions and had good times and enjoyed themselves.

A. S. Hill, the father of L. C, was a stone mason, and after coming to Kansas worked at his trade occasionally. He assisted in building the dam at Towanda, and the Lyttle Mill on the west branch of the Whitewater. He built his own house after settling on his claim, which was a combination stone and log house, and was plastered with mud. It was comfortable but not elegant and made a good substantial home, and much better than the average pioneer of that locality possessed.

L. C. Hill began making his own way in the world at the early age of fifteen, his first work being that of a cow-boy, and he herded cattle on the plains for $3 per month for two years. When eighteen years of age he entered the employ of Sam Fulton and remained with him for eight years. He then entered the employ of Gust Loncer; a general merchant at Towanda, remaining with him as clerk for nine years. In 1905 he formed a partnership with his brother Bert and they engaged in the general mercantile business at Benton, Kans. under the firm name of Hill Brothers. On December 1, 1910 his brother disposed of his interest in the business to Henry Enoch and the firm became Hill & Enoch and about a year later Mr. Hill bought Mr. Enoch's interest and since that time he has conducted the business alone. His business occupies the best store building in Benton which Mr. Hill built in 1913. He carries a complete line of general merchandise and has built up a large business in and around Benton. He has built up a reputation for square dealing and won the confidence of the buying public which is the greatest asset that any commercial institution can have. Mr. Hill has met with well merited success in the mercantile world.

November 1, 1900, Mr. Hill was married to Miss Minne May Doyle, a daughter of John and Eliza Doyle, natives of Missouri and to this marriage three children were born: Marvin, aged 13; Edith, aged 9, and Merton, aged 5. The wife and mother of these children died September 17, 1912. Mr. Hill's second wife, to whom he was married October 1, 1913, bore the maiden name of Miss Glena Opal Mallicoat, and was a successful and popular teacher in the Benton public schools prior to her marriage.

Mr. Hill since reaching maturity has taken a keen interest in local affairs, and while living in Towanda township held the office of township clerk for four years, and has been a member of the city council of Benton for a number of years. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Methodist Episcopal church, having been superintendent of the Sunday school of that denomination for four years.

Notwithstanding the rapid development of his mercantile business at Benton, which would seem to take all the time and attention of any one man, Mr. Hill has taken on additional business responsibility and on March 6, 1914, he opened a branch store at Towanda, where he is doing a very satisfactory business and building up a large commercial institution, W. G. Turner, being his local manager at Towanda while A. C. Wallace assists Mr. Hill in the Benton establishment. Pages 458-460)

FRENCH, HARLEY I.

Harley I. French, the popular county superintendent of public instruction of Butler county, is one of the successful educators of the State. Mr. French was born in Franklin county, Ohio, January 19, 1874, and is a son of George D. and Melissa (Rickets) French, natives of Ohio, the former of Franklin county and the latter of Fairfield.

The French family was founded in America by Captain French, a native of France, who was a sea captain and settled in Virginia at an early date. He was the great-grandfather of Harley I. French and his son, Harley French's grandfather, migrated from Virginia to Ohio and was a pioneer of that State. Melissa Rickets, Mr. French's mother, was a grand daughter of Col. John C. Rickets, who was a colonel in the War of 1812. He was a civil engineer by profession and did considerable work for the Government. He surveyed across the continent. His son, Ira Rickets, the father of Melissa Rickets, was a civil engineer and also a lawyer, being a member of the bar of Fairfield county, Ohio.

Harley I. French was the only child born to his parents. He came to Butler county with his parents in 1891 and the father engaged in farming and stock raising in Hickory township where he died June 21, 1908. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and an exemplary citizen. His widow now resides in El Dorado.

Harley I. French attended the public schools in Madison township, Franklin county, Ohio, and later took a course in Reynoldsburg Union Academy, and was graduated from that institution in the class of 1890. He then entered the Ohio State University at Columbus, Ohio, remaining until his junior year, when he came west with his parents and reached El Dorado July 9, 1891, He attended the Normal Institute here that year and after receiving a teacher's certificate, taught for two years in the southeastern part of the county, at Plainview District No. 144. He then taught two years at District No. 130 and two years at Beaumont. He was then principal of the Latham schools for three years and held a similiar position at Severy for three years. He then served as principal of the Douglass schools for two years, when he accepted the principalship of the Howard schools at Howard, Kans., and after holding this position for six years he resigned to accept the principalship of the Leon schools. From Leon he went to Rosehill as principal of the schools, serving one year. He was then elected superintendent of public instruction. This was in 1912. In 1914 he was re-elected to succeed himself, and at that time received a majority of nearly 4,000 votes, which was the highest majority ever given a candidate in Butler county.

Mr. French is a progressive educator, and his methods and influence are clearly apparent in Butler county by the progress which the schools have made under his administration. He is capable of devising and encouraging methods of maintaining interest in educational work. He possesses the rare capability of keeping both the teachers and pupils interested in their work. He has inaugurated the spelling contests in Butler county and has organized community welfare clubs. He keeps in close touch with the progress of the students of the public schools, and if a student fails, Mr. French investigates the cause and frequently is able to find an effectual remedy, and altogether, is one of the thoroughly capable and conscientious educators of the State.

Mr. French was united in marriage August 24, 1904, with Miss Cora Fuller, a native of Afton, Iowa, and a daughter of Henry Woodruff and Sarah Ann (Grandfield) Fuller, the former a native of Birkshire, Delaware county, Ohio, and the latter a native of Bristol, England. The Fuller family came to Kansas in 1877 and located in Reno county, and in 1879 removed to Greenwood county and now reside at Eureka. Mrs. French was educated in the rural schools of Greenwood county and graduated from the Southern Kansas Academy at Eureka in the class of 1894, and when a girl taught district school in the flint hills of Greenwood county for one term, and the following year entered Kansas University and was graduated in the class of 1899 with a degree of Bachelor of Arts. She then taught in the Eureka schools and after that, taught the sciences in the Parsons High School for three years prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. French have been born three children: Zelia J., Harriet M., and Lephia M.

Mrs. French is a member of the Women's Mutual Benefit Club of El Dorado and the W. C. T. U. and is assistant superintendent of schools of Butler county. Mr. and Mrs. French are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. French is prominent in organized educational work, and has been president of the Southern Kansas Teachers' Association. He is a capable man in the great field of educational work which he has chosen, and it can be truthfully said of him that he gives his work the best that is in him. (History of Butler County, Kansas by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916, Pages 460-461)