1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

C. F. Calhoun, proprietor of the Hotel McCune and in many ways prominent in the business affairs of McCune, has spent nearly all the years of his life in Kansas, and since identifying himself with the town of McCune has not only added much to his own prosperity but as a public-spirited and energetic citizen has contributed to the general upbuilding and progress of this community.

He was born in Mercer county, Illinois, March 8, 1857, a son of William and Harriet S. (Gardner) Calhoun. The Calhoun family originated in Scotland and Ireland, and his grandfather, James William Calhoun, was born in Ireland, and some time in the latter part of the eighteenth century came to America and settled in Ohio, where his son William was born and was married to Harriet S. Gardner. The latter belonged to the Bishop family, which has an interesting place in American history, as set forth at a picnic celebrating the sixth annual reunion of the Bishop family, held at Woods Island, New York. On that occasion John C. Bishop gave the following facts concerning the family history:

In 1639 a small vessel left England for the new world and in due time made harbor about twenty miles east of New Haven, Connecticut, where they founded the colony of Guilford. John Bishop, our progenitor, was one of the pioneers, and established the family that has since spread from ocean to ocean. He had three children, the eldest of whom retained his father's name, married and had nine children, one of whom was also named John. This John married and reared three children, and one, Reuben, afterward became the father of Joel, who lost his mother at the age of six years, and while yet in his teens entered the Revolutionary war and suffered with others in the struggle by which this nation was conceived and brought forth. He was taken prisoner by the British, and confined in New York till the end of the war. At the age of twenty-five he married and settled in Charleston, Montgomery county, New York, where he lived for twenty-eight years, during which time he cleared two farms, each one in the woods, and built houses and barns thereon. In 1812 he moved his family of thirteen children to Genesee, purchasing fifty acres of land south of North Rose, a part of the land still being owned by one of his granddaughters. He resided there till his seventy-seventh year, when, with his two youngest sans, he made his fourth venture into the wilderness, settling at Havana, Ohio, where he died soon after. Most of the descendants of this worthy pioneer, scattered throughout the north central states, chose the occupation of farmers, and while occupying comfortable places in life only one or two amassed wealth, and several have held high places in public service or been honored in the various professions. Of this family Harriet Gardner was a descendant.

William Calhoun moved to Illinois about 1840, and married Miss Gardner in 1851. He came out to Kansas in 1865 and settled in Crawford county in September, 1866, taking up a farm adjoining the old town of Monmouth, where he lived until his death in 1877, at the age of fifty-six years. His wife lived on the home farm until her death, April 14, 1904, being seventy-three years old. They were the parents of five children: Mary J. and James W., deceased; C. F.; Lucy M. Mattox, in McCune; and C. L., in Pittsburg.

Mr. C. F. Calhoun was reared on the farm, and came to Crawford county with his parents in 1866, so that he has been a resident for nearly forty years. He received such education as the country schools of that day afforded, and he remained at home till his marriage in 1884. He then engaged in the drug and livery business, continuing in the former for eight years. He passed the examinations by the board and received certificates as a licensed pharmacist, being entitled to engage in that profession at the present time should he so desire. But his love for horses, and good ones at that, caused him to engage in the buying and selling of horses, at which pursuit he has made his best success and at which he has continued to the present time. He has bought and sold some fine roadsters during this time and still owns several fine animals. He moved to McCune in 1889, which has been the center of his operations ever since. In 1901 he and Mr. Justice erected the large and finely equipped Hotel McCune and a business block, and they are running the hotel in connection with other enterprises. Mrs. Calhoun also conducts a large millinery store in the town, having for several years given her entire attention to this pursuit. Mr. Calhoun owns the hotel, his residence and other property in the town, and is in prosperous circumstances. He has filled the offices of township clerk and police judge, and has been concerned in many affairs for the city's progress and upbuilding.

Mr. Calhoun was married, March 11, 1884, to Miss Anna Thompson, who was born in Putnamville, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1859. Her father, John C. Thompson, was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, April 26, 1828, and was married to Mary Beck, of Armstrong county, her mother, Margaret Gould, being of the same family as the Goulds of railroad and financial fame. Mr. Thompson moved to Kansas in 1868 and settled near the present site of Pittsburg, where he and his wife still reside. Their seven children are all living, as follows: Jennie S., wife of A. H. Gillam; George B. Thompson, of Missouri; Anna, of McCune; W. B. Thompson, of Longton; James E., of Washington state; Maggie Plass, also of Washington; Charlotta, wife of Dr. O. Aberty, of Dawn, Missouri. Mrs. Calhoun was educated in Kansas, and after finishing the country schools took one year's course at the Mission school at Osage Mission, and also one year in the Fort Scott Normal School. Before her marriage she taught six years in this county, being in the Monmouth city schools four terms. Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun have had two children. Kenneth L., born June 19, 1887, is now in the Cherokee high school; Mary Cleo, born February 3, 1890, died August 12, 1894.