1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

D. M. Whitehead, prominent and well known in Hepler as a breeder of Short-horn and Polled Durham cattle, has had a most successful career since coming to Kansas over twenty years ago. He began life without money capital, and at the present time has much to show for his forty odd years, both in the way of material circumstances and in the wealth of wholesome esteem which he has gained among his friends and associates in Crawford county. He has one of the model stock farms of the county, complete in all conveniences and accessories, and no finer cattle are raised within the boundaries of the state than are to be found on his farm.

Mr. Whitehead was born in Ripley county, Indiana, August 12, 1860, being a son of John A. and Minerva (Isgrigg) Whitehead. His parents came to Kansas in 1883, and his father died here in 1893, at the age of sixty, but his mother is still living, making her home near Hepler.

Mr. D. M. Whitehead was reared to manhood in Indiana, and there received a public school education, which was further supplemented in the Normal College at Mitchell, Indiana. He entered the occupation of school teaching when nineteen years old, and in the spring of 1884 came out to Kansas and accepted the principalship of the schools at Hepler, holding that position for five years, and was then at Monmouth two years, and at McCune one year. After these eight years of faithful work in Crawford county schools, he began farming as a permanent occupation. He had bought a farm of eighty acres when he first came to the county, and he still owns this as his home place. It is one of the best improved places in the county, and he takes the more pride in it because he has placed all the improvements on it himself. He resides in a nice modern cottage, and has recently completed a fine stock barn, forty by thirty-two feet, which he erected especially for the care of his fine stock. In October, 1901, while drilling for water, he struck a gas vein, and natural gas now supplies his light and fuel. During 1903 he sold six thousand dollars' worth of fat stock, which indicates the extent of his operations in this special line of agricultural activity.

Mr. Whitehead is a member of the A. H. T. A. of Walnut, and he and his wife are members of the Christian church. He is independent in politics, but his beliefs are those of the Democracy. He has served his district as school director. In 1904 he received the nomination as state senator on the Democratic ticket, but in the election was defeated like many other good men who supported their belief and principles. He was married, September 26, 1888, to Miss Julia Anna Curry, of Ohio, and by this marriage there was one child, Julian, born October 13, 1889, and its mother died on the day following its birth. On June 30, 1894, Mr. Whitehead married his present wife, Cora M. Taylor, of Cherokee, Kansas.