1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

Hiram Frost Adsit, who is now filling the position of superintendent of the county farm, of Crawford county, was born in Rensselaer county, New York, on the 9th of September, 1845. He is a son of Benjamin and Deborah (Frost) Adsit, who were also natives of the Empire state. The father was a dealer in horses. On leaving the east he removed to Wisconsin and subsequently settled in Traverse City, Michigan, where he died in the year 1876 at the age of seventy-two years. His wife passed away in Kansas in 1886 at the age of eighty-four years. In their family were twelve children, seven sons and five daughters, of whom Hiram Frost Adsit is the eleventh in order of birth and the only son now living.

The subject of this review was very young when his parents removed to Wisconsin and he pursued his education in the district schools of Walworth county, that state. He entered upon his business career in the capacity of a farm hand and was thus employed until after the inauguration of the Civil war, when, his patriotic spirit being thoroughly aroused, he offered his services in defense of the Union and joined the boys in blue of Company D, Thirty-ninth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. This was in 1863, and, proceeding at once to the front, he participated in the siege of Vicksburg and in the Red River expedition, thus taking part in some of the important movements of the war. He received an honorable discharge in 1864 and afterward went to work in the pineries of Wisconsin, being thus employed through the winter months, while in the summer seasons he ran on the upper Mississippi river in connection with the logging industry. After four years spent in this way he removed to Fulton county, Illinois, where he secured employment as an engineer in a sawmill. The autumn of 1869 witnessed his arrival in Kansas, and he has since been identified with the interests of the Sunflower state. He first located in Fort Scott, but in February, 1870, came to Girard and has since made his home in Crawford county. For eighteen months he was connected with a lumber yard, and then contracted for a tract of railroad land east of Girard, on which he engaged in farming for three years. On the expiration of that period he engaged in buying and shipping grain, which claimed his attention for three years, and in 1878 he was called to public office, being appointed deputy sheriff. He served for a term of two years, and was then reappointed in 1884. In 1895 he was elected sheriff of the county and entered upon the duties of the office in January, 1896. He served for two years as a capable official and retired from the position as he had entered it, with the confidence and good will of the general public. Later his attention was given to the development of his city property, and he thus superintended his invested interests until he was appointed superintendent of the poor farm, of which he took charge on the 1st of February, 1903. He has since occupied the position in a capable manner, the work being carried on in a practical way. At the present writing he is having the house all papered and painted and cleaned throughout and is putting everything in first-class condition.

On the 13th of October, 1886, Mr. Adsit was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Huff, a daughter of Jasper Huff, of Indiana, and to them have been born two children, but Deets, the elder, died at the age of two years; Hitha, the second child, is now six years of age. Both Mr. and Mrs. Adsit hold membership in the Christian Science church. He belongs to the Fraternal Aid, to General Bailey Post No. 149, G. A. R., and to the Improved Order of Red Men, and he was great sachem of Kansas for one year. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, and in all matters of citizenship he is progressive and public-spirited. He has ever discharged his duties with marked ability and fairness, for he is a most loyal, public-spirited citizen. As a business man he has been conspicuous among his associates, not only for his success, but for his probity, fairness and honorable methods. In everything he has been eminently practical, and this has been manifest not only in his business undertakings but also in social and private life.