Washington County Biographies

FRED LESTER ARMSTRONG

Fred Lester Armstrong, jeweler and manager of the Greenleaf Telephone Company, was born in Glen Elder, Kansas, October 7, 1881, son of Elwood and Martha Janet (Gransden) Armstrong. The father was born in Morris, Illinois, February 12, 1854. His death occurred at Greenleaf, October 21, 1927. Martha Janet Gransden was born in Northville, Illinois, January 4, 1856, of Welsh parentage.

Fred Lester Armstrong attended Bradley Polytechnic Institute at Peoria, Illinois, from which he was graduated in 1908. Since 1916, Mr. Armstrong has been the owner of a jewelry store at Greenleaf. He is a Republican, and has been president of the city council for 12 years. He is a member of the Elks, the Young Men's Christian Association, the Christian Church, and the local Red Cross of which he has been auditor for the past seven years. He enjoys baseball and football while his hobby is mechanics.

On October 21, 1911 he was married to Lenora May Durham at Kansas City, Missouri. She was born in Greenleaf, September 20, 1884. They have one daughter, Martha Janet, born December 3, 1917. Residence: Greenleaf. (Illustriana Kansas, by Sara Mullin Baldwin & Robert Morton Baldwin, 1933, page 42)

DAVID ELLENWOOD BALLARD

David Ellenwood Ballard, was born in Franklin County, Vermont, March 20, 1837. He is of English descent, his paternal great-great-grandfather coming to this country twenty years before the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, in which five of his ancestors participated. His father, Appleton Ballard, moved to Morrow county, Ohio. His mother's name was Epiphena Ellenwood. Her father was a seafaring man, and was murdered and robbed in the harbor of Halifax after he had disposed of his cargo. In may, 1857 David E. Ballard came to Kansas, locating in Brown County. In 1858 he moved to Washington County and was the first county clerk, having assisted in organizing the county. In 1859 he was elected to the first state legislature and in the senatorial election was an active partisan of James H. Lane. In November 1861, he enlisted in the Second Kansas as a private and in 1862 was made first lieutenant. He was mustered out in February 1865. He was in the battles of Fort Wayne, Fort Smith, Cane Hill, and Prairie Grove. In 1867 he was appointed a commissioner to audit the Price raid claims. For two years ending in 1869, he was an assessor of internal revenue. At Leavenworth, December 25, 1865 he was married to Miss Louise Brown. He served also in the legislature of 1879. He has large farming interests in Washington and Meade Counties. His home is in Washington, Kan. (Transactions of the Kansas State Historical Society 1907-1908, Vol. X, edited by Geo. W. Martin, Secretary, State Printing Office, Topeka, 1908, pages 243-244)

JOHN THOMAS MILLIKEN

John Thomas Milliken was born 5 July 1845, Walker Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, son of Samuel and Catherine (Kephart) Milliken. He died 13 October 1914, Stratton, Hitchcock County, Nebraska, of typhoid fever.

He married 24 March 1867, at the home of her parents, Black Hawk Township, Black Hawk County, Iowa, Ann M. Merwin, who was born 27 October 1847, daughter of Joseph and Jeanette (Beers) Merwin and died 26 August 1929, Stratton, Hitchcock County, Nebraska.

John was about two years old when he moved with his family to Stephenson County, Illinois. There he attended school and grew to manhood. Between February 1661 and February 1864, they moved to Black Hawk County, Iowa. There at Poyner Township, 23 February 1864, he volunteered for service in the Civil War for the term of three years. He mustered in at Fort Dodge, Davenport, Iowa as a private in Company C, 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, receiving bounty pay of $60 and advance monthly pay of $13. He was described as having grey eyes, dark hair, light complexion and a height of five feet five inches. He was discharged on 18 July 1865 at Louisville, Kentucky, the war being over before his enlistment was up. He owed the U.S. $5.90 for clothing account and $6.00 for arms and equipment., He received $120, the remaining amount of his bounty. It is a tradition that he took part in the Grand Parade in Washington, D.C. after the war. He had a three section, leather bound, telescope which he carried in the war and that was later in the possession of his grandson, Merwin Milliken. Merwin then gave it to his son, Merwin Jr.

After their marriage in 1867, John and Ann rented the farm of her father in Black Hawk Township, Black Hawk County, Iowa, and remained there until 1879 when Joseph Merwin sold the farm. They made their home in Lester Township until 1882 when they moved to Lincoln County, South Dakota with his parents, brothers and three sisters. Family tradition tells ,of the "boys" herding cattle all the way to the James River. John's sons would have been aged 9 to13 when they moved to South Dakota. John, not finding land in South Dakota that suited him, then moved to Dundy County, Nebraska where on 8 June 1888 he made a homestead entry on SE 1/4 of Section one, township three north, range thirty-six, west in Dundy County, Nebraska.

These people were truly pioneers. The land was a plateau deeply gouged with coulees and canyons which were often impassable by team. This divided the area in a way in which neighbors across the coulee were virtual strangers, bonding together according to the lay of the land rather than distance and making a different town their market place. Highland area was settled by the Shillingtons, beforementioned in the family of Mary Jane (Milliken) Ochs, while Ash Grove was settled by Harrison and Milliken families, Stratton was their market town. Harrisons donated land for Ash Grove Cemetery where most of our family is buried.

The first school was in Reichart's two-room "soddy".Light was provided at church or school with families taking turns bringing their own lanterns, kerosene and song books.' Tradition attributes Ann (Merwin) Milliken as the leader of the Sunday School.

People did their laundry on wash boards, burned cow chips, carried water from the well and doctored with home remedies such as skunk oil, goose grease, and burnt sulphur.

This area became part of the United States in a 1854 treaty. Nebraska was a territory which included the present states of Nebraska, North and South Dakota, all of that part of Montana east of the Rocky Mountains, three-fourths of Wyoming and parts of Colorado. By 1885, most of the good land had been taken, making the transition from Indians and buffalo to complete settlement in just 20 years.

The drought in 1890 reduced the settlers population by half. Those who had money left and they who were too poor had to stay. Buffalo had been hunted there for many years and large quantities of bones were strewn over the prairie. After the coming of the railroad, they were marketed for $2 or $3 per ton. Some of the homesteaders turned "bone pickers", exchanging a wagon full of bones for needed groceries. The prairie was swept clean of the bones and many of the homesteaders used this means of hanging on to their claims during the times of grasshoppers and drought. John went to Colorado and dug the new irrigation ditches to help supplement the income.

It is believed that John and Ann lived in a sod house while getting settled. In July 1888, they commenced building a frame house, 12 by 24 feet, 1 1/2 stories high and moved into it on 1 October. They also built a barn 22 by 50 feet, a shed 14 by 35 feet, a granary 10 by 16 feet, corn crib 10 by 16 feet and a wind mill. John cultivated 30 acres the first year and 30 to 80 acres were cultivated each season after that until the entire farm was in production.

It was prairie farming and grazing land. On 28 July 1904, under a revised status, he applied for additional land, the SW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of section six, township three, north, range thirty-five and the N 1/2 of NE I/2 section 12, township three, north, range thirty-six and Lot 7 section 6, township three, north, all in Hitchcock County. On 14 September 1909 when he made final papers he described 20 acres under cultivation in section 1 and the rest all rough, not fit for cultivation.

He grew barley and used the balance for grazing 20 head of cattle and horses which he owned and harvested 6 tons of hay each year. He later purchased lots 5 & 6 in Darnell’s addition in the Village of Stratton, Hitchcock County. On 8 May 1897 he applied for a Civil War pension and he was granted $6.00 per month for being disabled by disease of the heart. On 27 December 1907 he applied for reissue of the pension and was granted $12 per month. After his death, Ann received a widows pension. Both are buried in Ash Grove Cemetery, Dundy County, Nebraska.

Children of John T. and Ann M. (Merwin) Milliken:

Frank T. Milliken born 28 December 1869, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa; died 21 July 1949, Wauneta, Chase County, Nebraska at the home of his cousin Frank Ochs with whom he had made his home since 1932. He had worked as a carpenter. He made a violin on which he entertained in the community. His book of his jigs and reels is in the hands of the compiler. He had retired to the Masonic Home but did not find it to be what he wanted so he moved to the home of his cousin. He was unmarried.

James E. Milliken, born 12 September 1871, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa; died 17 September 1905, Walla Walla, Walla Walla County, Washington of rocky mountain spotted fever. He had gone to Washington to work to earn a grub stake to go to the Klondike gold fields in Alaska when he was stricken with the disease. He is buried in Ash Grove Cemetery, Dundy County, Nebraska. He was unmarried.

Dick Merwin Milliken born 2 February 1873, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa; died 8 November 1930, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas. Married Q. R. Harrison 30 April 1895, Forsyth, Taney County, Missouri, Eugenie Allen born 7 May 1874, Pella, Marion County, Iowa, daughter of Monroe and Amanda (Coit, alias Pritchard) Allen. She died 30 January 1953. Dick and his brothers had gone to Missouri to hunt wild turkey and he met and married Eugenie Allen who was living there with her family at the time.

Dick was nine years old when the famlly moved to South Dakota and 15 when they moved to Nebraska. He was involved in the family farming and he also learned fine woodworking, perhaps from his uncle Frank Milliken. After their marriage, Dick and Eugenie lived in a sod house on a rented farm north of Stratton, Hitchcock County, Nebraska where their first two children were born. About 1900 they moved to Morrowville, Washington County, Kansas and rented a farm. (Submitted by Sherri Gregory)

WICHMAN, ERNEST HERMAN & ALMA GERHARDINE SPREEN WICHMAN

Ernest was born in Oldenburg, Germany March 23, 1878. After coming to America he and his parents settled in the Chepstow community. He was confirmed in 1891 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church and baptized at the Zion Evangelical Church.

The Zion Fancy Creek Methodist Church & Cemetery is located at the intersection of Ober Rd. and Bodieville Rd. in Riley Co. Kansas. Ernest and Alma are buried there.

The St. Peter Ev. Luther Church and Cemetery is located 1 ½ miles West, seven miles South and ¼ mile East of Barnes, Kansas.

Alma Gerhardine Spreen was born in Hammel Warden, Germany February 10, 1883. Ernest met Alma at a dance in Omaha, Nebraska. After their marriage on August 28, 1901 they lived near Wayne, Nebraska. They stayed there for a short time and then moved back to Kansas in the Chepstow area. Ernest bought the Chepstow Store and Post Office January 2, 1904 for $1,000 and ran the store until the Post Office closed, at which time he sold the store and post office for $1,000 on May 1, 1906. Some years later Ernest and Alma moved to the house Diedrich lived in; located eight miles south of Greenleaf, three miles East, and l 1/4 miles South on the West side of the road. (the Ben Diederich house which was moved in 1942 one-fourth mile North on the East side). Chester and Carole were told that dances were held in the barn here where Ernest and Alma lived.

When Ernest and Alma went to the Barnes Carnival they would put hay down in the bottom of their wagon so their children could lay on it. (Some information and dates were taken form the Wichman book of Chester and Carole Wichmman. - Submitted by Verlin Wichman)

SMITH, HENRY DARWIN

Henry Darwin Smith, physician and surgeon since 1897, was born in Granite Falls, Minnesota, on January 7, 1875. His father Nathan Merwin Smith, was born in Concord, Ohio, May 2, 1841. He was a physician, who served as a private in Company E, 105th Ohio Volunteer Infantry throughout the Civil War and was wounded at the battle of Perryville. His death occurred at Washington, Kansas, November 1, 1904. His parents and their three children came to Kansas in 1876 by covered wagon. Ellen Frances Case, his wife, was born in Parma, New York, July 23, 1841 and died at Washington, September 17, 1930.

Henry Darwin smith attended public school in Washington and in 1894 was graduated from Friends Academy at Washington. He received his Medical degree from the medical school of Cotner University at Lincon, Nebraska, and in 1900 took post graduate work at Chicago Clinical School.

On November 11, 1903, Dr. Smith was married to Marjorie Jean Whittet at Washington. Mrs. Smith, who was a teacher in Washington public schools before her marriage, was born at Balboughty, Perth, Scotland, December 5, 1879. There are two children, Frances, born September 6, 1904, who attended Rockford College, 1922-24, and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1926. She took postgraduate work in English from the University of Minnesota in 1928, at the Columbia University School of Business in 1930-31, and she now holds a position in Columbia University Teachers College. She is a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. Marjorie, the second daughter born April 10, 1915, is a senior in Washington High school and a member of a national honor society.

Dr. Smith is a Democrat and has served three terms as mayor of Washington. He served on the state board of health in 1926-27 and has been county health officer since 1931.

During the World War period he was a member of the National Council of Defense and from August 5, 1917 until May 9, 1919 saw active service in the war as major, Medical Department, 139th Infantry, 35th Division. He was a member of the Kansas National Guard for seven years and is past commander of George W. Hood Post No. 91 of the American Legion. He is also medical examiner of the United States Veterans Administration. From 1898 until 1899 he held the rank of captain and assistant surgeon, 20th Kansas United States Volunteer Infantry, serving in the Philippine Insurrection with General Fred Funston.

At the present time Dr. Smith is vice president of the Kansas Guernsey Breeders Association and is the owner of the Ash Creek Hills Farm, where he has a herd of purebred Guernsey cattle. He is president of the Washington County Medical Association, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Red Cross, the Lions Club, Lodge No. 105 of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons at Washington, the Consistory at Kansas City, Kansas, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His religious affiliation is with the First Presbyterian Church. Residence: Washington. (Illustriana Kansas, by Sara Mullin Baldwin & Robert Morton Baldwin, 1933 Page 1079)