Harvey Markham, of Washington, Kan., known throughout the country as a breeder of fine horses, is a native of Illinois and was born in McDonough county, that State, September 7, 1857. He is a son of Asa B. and Harriet (Fleming) Markham, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania. Harvey Markham was born in a little log cabin, reared on a farm and received his early education in the country schools and later attended Abingdon College at Abingdon, Ill., and also took a course in the county normal school. He then went to work on the farm with his father and remained at home until he was twenty-two years old, when he began life for himself, first working his father's farm, and a year later went to Iowa, where he remained only one year, when, on account of a crop failure, he returned to his Illinois home and worked his father's farm for several years. In February, 1887, he came to Kansas, first locating in Mitchell county, a short distance south of Beloit. He bought a farm here and remained about a year and a half and after two successive crop failures he decided to go to Washington county, and in 1889 settled in Coleman township, Washington county, and began farming on a rented farm. At the expiration of three years he bought a farm one and one-half miles west of Washington, upon which he lived nineteen years. During the time that Mr. Markham was engaged in farming and stockraising here he dealt extensively in cattle, also. He also raised considerable hogs for the market and was a successful general farmer. In 1909 he sold this farm and bought one in Saline county, Kansas. He also bought a place in Academy Hill addition, where he is now extensively engaged in breeding Percheron and coach horses. He also owns a number of pure-bred Mammoth Spanish and Kentucky jacks. He handles a great many imported Percheron and coach horses and has been very successful in this line of business. At one time he was a breeder of pure-bred Duroc Jersey hogs, but has discontinued this business.

Mr. Markham was married, March 31, 1880, to Miss Sarah Lucinda, daughter of Henry and Mary Seybold, of McDonough county, Illinois, where the father was a carpenter and contractor. Mrs. Markham was born in Missouri, but reared and educated in McDonough county, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Markham have two children, Myrtle, married Clarence McArthy, who is an employee of the postoffice at Salina, Kan., and Orlan Edgar, a graduate of the University of Kansas, and now on the editorial staff of the "Pioneer Press," St. Paul, Minn. Mr. Markham is a director of the Farmers State Bank, of Washington, and was one of the organizers of the Mutual Telephone Company, of Washington, Kan. He has served two terms as township trustee and has been a delegate to several State conventions and in 1912 was a member of the Congressional convention held at Manhattan. His fraternal affiliations are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.