1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

William Leonard Eddy is the proprietor of the Crystal Jar Dairy and Maplewood stock farm on section 15, Crawford township, Crawford county, and his business has become an important and profitable one, owing to capable management and untiring industry on the part of the owner. Mr. Eddy is a native son of New England, his birth having occurred in Leicester, Massachusetts, on the 1st of June, 1845. His parents were Leonard and Isabella (Newton) Eddy, also natives of Massachusetts. During his active business career the father followed the occupation of farming, but during the later years of his life lived retired, enjoying a richly merited rest. He died in 1893 at the age of eighty-four years, and his wife passed away in 1886 at the age of fifty-seven years.

William Leonard Eddy, having mastered the branches of learning taught in the common schools, continued his education in Worcester Academy at Worcester, Massachusetts. He was but eighteen years of age when in response to his country's call for troops he enlisted in February, 1864, as a member of Company K, Twenty-fifth Massachusetts Infantry. He was twice wounded during his service and was often in the thickest of the fight. He participated in the battles of Cold Harbor, Petersburg and ten other engagements, and never faltered in his performance of duty, faithfully following the old flag into the thickest of an engagement, upon the long marches or to the lonely picket line. He received an honorable discharge at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September, 1865, and returned home with a creditable military record. On account of the injuries which he had sustained in battle, however, he was unable to enter into active business for some time thereafter. The year 1867 witnessed his arrival in Crawford county, Kansas, and he became a factor in the development of the great and growing west as a merchant in Crawfordsville, entering into partnership relations with Colonel Percy Daniels. After a short time, however, he withdrew from the store and turned his attention to farming and stock-raising. Since 1888 he has given his entire time to the dairy business, and the Crystal Jar Dairy has become famed throughout this part of the state. He has a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres pleasantly located a mile and a half west of Girard. The place is well equipped with modern improvements and accessories. He has a fine residence, and there is also a most commodious and substantial cattle barn, forty by sixty feet, which was completed in the year 1903, and affords abundant shelter to the large herd of cows which he keeps upon his place for dairy purposes. Neatness and thrift characterize the farm, and the products of the dairy being of an excellent quality find a ready sale on the market. His patronage is now extensive and returns to him a good annual income.

On the 27th of November, 1873, occurred the marriage of Mr. Eddy and Miss Ella M. Bayless, a daughter of Jonathan and Eugene (Briggs) Bayless, natives of New York and Michigan, respectively. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Eddy has been blessed with four children: Frank B., at home; Leonard J., who is now in Kansas City, Missouri; and Lucy Isabella and Henry Newton, who are still with their parents. Mr. Eddy and his family are members of the Methodist church at Girard and are well known people of the community, the hospitality of the best homes of the neighborhood being extended cordially to them. Mr. Eddy belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen at Girard and he maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in General Bailey Post No. 49, G. A. R. In politics his allegiance is given to the Republican party, and he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day, but while he always votes in support of the measures which he believes will contribute most to the general progress of town, county or state he has never sought or desired office for himself, preferring to give his attention to his business interests, in which he is meeting with very desirable success.