Samuel H. Nay

SAMUEL H. NAY, of Larned, is one of the veteran cattlemen of Kansas and the southwest, and his experience covers much of the favorite grazing grounds in this state and in Oklahoma and Texas.

Mr. Nay is a native Kansan, having been born on Big Creek east of Chanute in Neosho County January 21, 1872. His grandfather was a farmer and spent his last years at Mound City, Missouri. The grandfather's children comprised four sons. One of them is Mr. George Nay, who was born in Illinois, but spent most of his young manhood in Missouri. He lived at Mound City during the war, and was never called to military duty. From Missouri he moved to Southeastern Kansas, and developed and improved a farm in Neosho County. He was a man of ordinary education, and came to Kansas with limited means, bringing his wife and two children. He was active as a mixed farmer and stock man in Neosho County until 1886, and then moved to Kiowa, Kansas. He helped promote the Bank of Kiowa as a stockholder and laid out an addition to the town. He also served several terms as county commissioner. He was one of the active men of Kiowa from its founding until 1903, when he took up his residence in California. George Nay married Happy Johnson, whose father went to Missouri from Iowa. Mrs. George Nay died in California, the mother of seven children: Roger L., a real estate man at Muskogee, Oklahoma; Eva, who married Dan W. Stearns and died in California; Pruella, wife of M. S. Justis, of Kiowa, Kansas; Samuel H.; Ida, of Santa Ana, California; Anna, wife of H. C. Bloom, of Hutchinson, Kansas; and Nellie, wife of H. M. Morrill, of Santa Ana, California.

After reaching his majority Samuel H. Nay took up the active cattle business in Woodward County, Oklahoma. From 1893 to 1901 he and his father operated an extensive ranch on the Beaver River west of Fort Supply. It was widely known as the "NA" ranch, and many carloads of steers were sold from that ranch. From Woodward County Mr. Nay and his father transferred their interests to Lipscomb county in the Texas Panhandle. In 1907 their joint interests were closed out and Mr. Samuel Nay then engaged in ranching in Madison County, Arkansas, for five years. From there he came to Pawnee County in 1904, and has since become the owner of several farms near Burdette and has a leased ranch in Hodgeman County. On his ranch he handles some good grades of cattle and is both a grazier and grower.

Mr. Nay has been in close touch with the practical affairs of the business of a rancher's life from early manhood. He was educated in the common schools, and also attended the National Business College at Kansas City, Missouri. While a resident of Woodward County, Oklahoma, he was a member of the board of county commissioners when the first permanent court house and jail were built. In Texas and Arkansas he took only a voter's interest in politics. He had been reared in an atmosphere of republicanism, but his first presidential vote was not cast until 1904, when he supported Mr. Roosevelt. He has never wandered far from the original doctrines of that party, though for a time he was identified with the progressive wing of the party.

In Clarendon, Texas, July 21, 1903, Mr. Nay married Miss Martha Alice Dennis. Her father Croud Dennis, was an old time Texas stock man, had enlisted from Texas in the Confederate army, and he spent his last years at Granbury, Texas, where he died. Croud Dennis married Miss Middleton. Their children were: Sallie, now Mrs. Eugene Thrash; Jennie, wife of R. H. Germany; William B.; James; Henry; Mrs. Nay, who was born in September, 1882, in Texas; and Essie, wife of Will Gassoway. Mr. and Mrs. Nay are the parents of five children: Anna, Dorothy, Marguerite, Eula Joe and Sammy.

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