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Chase County Kansas Historical Sketches
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Name THE BANKS FAMILY
THOMAS J. BANKS, 1838-1918 AND FRANK BANKS
Information by NETTIE BANKS BOCOOK and LILY BANKS O'CONNOR
THOMAS J. BANKS
Thomas J. Banks was born February 11, 1838, at Morefield, Jefferson County, Indiana. He was one of a family of eight children. His father died when Thomas was five years old.
Mr. Banks was married to a Miss Emanuel in 1858 at Vevay, Indiana. On August 2, 1862, Mr. Banks volunteered for enlistment in the Union Army and was assigned to duty under Captain F. S. Courvoisant in Company D, 93d Regiment, Indiana Infantry. Thos. Banks was in some of the hottest engagements of the Civil War. He participated in the Siege of Vicksburg, the battles of Willow Springs, Grand Gulf, Champion Hills, Jackson and Black River. He was honorably discharged September 13, 1863, at Oak Ridge, Mississippi, on account of sickness.
Mr. Banks' first wife died in Indiana. Their children were: Louvena who married Barney Lanham (Lannum).
Simeon, married Carrie Bray.
Thomas, married Rena Reed.
Mary, married William Walden.
Amelia, married G. W. Stout.
Mr. Banks was married to Rachel Bray, September 8, 1869, and soon thereafter brought his wife and five children to Chase County, where his sister, Mrs. Jerry Landsbury, was already living. He did not buy land at once but rented. He lived for several years at the present site of the Booster Station, on South Fork, just below the mouth of Thurman Creek. Here two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Banks.
In 1878, Mr. Banks bought the northwest quarter of Sec. 32, Twp. 22, R. 8, from John P. Palmer, the original patentee. In 1884 he purchased the northeast quarter of the same section from J. W. McWilliams. He also acquired an adjoining 80 acres (40 acres in Sec. 29 and 40 acres in Sec. 28).
Mr. Banks was quite a horticulturist as well as farmer and stockman. He set out and raised a large orchard, and for a number of years Mr. Banks' land was known as the "Red Apple Farm."
In addition to the children already mentioned ten more were born to Thomas and Rachel Banks in this home, and raised to honorable manhood, womanhood and citizenship. And that certainly gives hallowed memories to a home!
The full list of this family is:
Rebecca, died in infancy;
George, married Minnie Spence;
Josie, married Robert Hix;
Kit Carson, died in youth;
John, married Maud Bocook;
Nettle, married Everett Bocook;
Cornelius, married Luda Clemmons;
Sidney, still single;
Amanda, married Clyde Calvert;
Lily, married Jack O'Connor;
Nelle, married Roy Bentley;
Robert, married Marie Osborn.
Mr. Banks finally sold the home and bought a farm just east of the Vernon school house. After a year he traded that for a Kingman County farm. He sold that and bought a house in Matfield Green. Then in 1913 he bought the Mary K. Landsbury farm and was happy again in his old neighborhod, until the death of his wife, Rachel, October 27, 1917. Mr. Banks died within the year on September 12, 1918, aged eighty years.
Rachel Bray Banks was born December 5, 1846, in Switzerland County, Indiana. The earthly remains of both she and her husband lie in the Matfield Green Cemetery.
Written by Clara Brandley Hildebrand from information furnished by Nettie Banks Bocook and Lily Banks O'Connor.
FRANK BANKS
Frank Banks was a brother of Thomas J. Banks and doubtless came to Chase County from the same place Jefferson County, Indiana. He lived a few years on the Henry Brandley farm and for a much longer time on the David W. Mercer farm just south of Matfield Green. To be specific-in a house on Mercer Creek just southwest of the cemetery.
Frank Banks' first wife was Sophia Bray and the Brays came from Switzerland County, Indiana. I do not know when he came to Chase County but his family was fairly well grown, and a daughter Millie was a pupil of Elizabeth Romigh as early (or earlier than) as 1869. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Banks were:
Phoeba, married J. Hulse;
Delia, married D. Golay;
Eugene Banks;
Josie, married Z. Taylor Hicks (in March 1873);
Aggie, married Ira Earle;
Millie, married Benjamin Bailey in July 1876;
Louisa, married T. Bailey.
Many years later Mr. Banks married a second wife, Anna Nolan. The children of this union were: Rachel, Amos, Nora, Stella and Amanda.
Wrltten by CLARA BRANDLEY HILDEBRAND
by Lorna Marvin
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