- 112 - 113 - 114 - 115 - 
- 112 - 113 - 114 - 115 - They and their two small sons moved to Latham, Ks., in 1906 and on into Winfield in 1907.
Fred was alternately a real estate and insurance dealer and a shorthorn cattle breeder throughout his lifetime.
They had four children, Fred Jr., Wooddy, Reeve and Christina.
Nellie passed away in 1939 and in 1948 Fred married Mollie Couchman Sipe. Mollie died in 1961 and Fred passed away in 1966.
Fred, Jr. married Mildred Snyder of rural Winfield and they eventually made their home in San Jose, Calif. They have three children, Dr. Charles and David of California and Coleen Spann of Nevada. Fred passed away in 1988.
Wooddy married Wanda Careleton of Winfield and they still make Winfield their home.
Reeve married Georgia Couchman of Winfield and they have one daughter, Mrs. Marlin (Sharon) Bailey of Richardson, Texas. Georgia passed away in 1976 and Reeve still makes Winfield his home.
Christina married Adron B. Shockey of rural Winfield, They still reside in Winfield. Their three children are Stuart of Hemp-stread, Texas, Loren of ElDorado, Ks. AndMrs, Kerry (Kaellen) Mirt of Houston, Texas.
William and Tena Lynge Abildgaard were both born in Denmark and immigrated to this country in the 1860's. They lived in Illinois before coming to spend the rest of their lives in Winfield.
They had six sons, and one daughter, Ada Buford of Ekois, Fred and Arthur of Winfield, Ira of Oxford, Ks., Mark of Wichita, Ks. and Bill and Wait of California. All are now deceased.
Submitted by Mrs. Adron B. Shockey
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 112.
Joseph's son, Albert Henry, purchased a farm three miles west of Martha Washington School in 1884. He married Minnie Sumpter and they had one son Arthur. When Arthur was about four years old, Minnie died with typhoid fever. Her mother had come to take care of her and also contracted the fever, dying two weeks later.
In 1893, Albert married Grace Palmer, eldest child of Oscar John and Rhoda Palmer who came to Kansas from Wisconsin in 1872 when Grace was nine months old. they settled on a farm southeast of Geuda Springs, where Grace grew up with three brothers and four sisters.
Albert and Grace were active in community affairs. Grace was a teacher at the Ohio School and the Lone Star School. She died in 1929, Albert was in local politics. He served two terms as County clerk and as a Representative to the Kansas Legislature. Throughout his political career he continued to farm his land. He died in 1935. They were the parents of Loyd and Ramona. Arthur, Loyd and Ramona attended the local schools. Arthur left Cowley County as a young man. Loyd married Helen Wahlenmaier in 1919. Ramona married Ernest Gilbert and lived in Chicago for several years hut returned to the old homestead and remained there for several years. Loyd and Helen stayed in Cowley County and continued to farm until his death in 1960. They had four children; Hazel, Loyd Jr., who died in infancy, Robert, who was killed in an accident at age thirteen, and Max. Hazel and Max attended Lone Star School, A.C.H,S. and A.C.J.C. Hazel followed in her grandmother's footsteps and became a teacher. She was married to Lyle Devere Young from Geuda Springs area in 1942 and moved to Kansas City, Missouri then to St. Louis, Missouri and finally to San Diego, California in 1957. Though still residing in San Diego, she calls Cowley County home. She has two daughters and six grandchildren.
Max followed the Abrams' tradition and continued to farm though he also owned and operated a machinery design, engineering, and manufacturing facility northwest of the city. He married Mary Jane Cunningham in 1948. They had four children: Steve, Connie, Wayne and Joe. Max and family lived in the house built by Albert and Grace for twenty-four years, when they moved to the Homestead originally built by Loyd and Helen and where Max was born. Steve, a local veterinarian, married Susan Pond in 1869. They now own and live at the Albert Abrams homestead. They have four children: Tamen, F.M., Keela, and Carson. Connie, Human Resources Specialist for K.G.&E. lives in Wichita. Wayne, owner of a Group Technologies Computor Co., has three children: Chris, Adam, and Kelly. He married Kathleen Bell in 1987. They live in Shawnee, Kansas. Joe, manager of Manufacturing Engineering for Cessna Aircraft, married Diana Johnston in 1979. They live in Wichita.
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 112.
He climbed out of a window of the school house (now a museum) to escape a whipping and next year quit at age fourteen. He got a job hauling bricks from Coffeeyville area - three trips daily with his brother - only ten miles of paved roads. He began pumping out basements, paving streets, hauling dirt, and when the dike was constructed near the Hyatt House, the discovered a tunnel from the barn where the Mills brother could swim a horse to the river and escape. Counterfeiting of nickels and dimes (made out of lead) went on up on the top floor of the Hyatt House. A fellow was caught but before he could be sent to prison he took "medicine" and died.
As a boy, Hap hunted rabbits west of Highland cemetery in the northwest corner of the cemetery, where the old path led down to the gravel bar near the whirlpool below Tunnel Mill Dam. There was an unmarked grave (just inside the fence). It belonged to Twigg, who at first had been denied permission to be buried in a local cemetery.
In 1920, the whirlpool had a strong underground current about 100 yards south of the Walnut River. It ran a mile east to near the old poor farm and then rejoined the river (one-half mile south of Binny & Smith). Rumor has it that in about 1920, a team of horses sank out of sight while attempting to plow in the area where the underground current rejoined the river.
Hap hunted pearls in the muscle/clam shells and occasionally when one was found, Hudson, (the Jeweler) would buy them, drill a hole in them and string them for sale. Once an especially large pearl was set into a ring.
Hap had many employees during his road paving days. He kept whiskey handy but some times a source of supply was a problem. He was trapped in his fast coupe, filled with bootleg whiskey, once in the vicinity east of the Magnolia farm, ten miles north of Silverdale. He said his coupe would do a hundred only he ran out of gas.
Hap's father was a railroad Policeman riding the mail cars.
Hap got the job of paving the Hackney overpass in 1934. When it was finished the Governor arrived and the flour mills furnished ground grain to dance on. He danced until two in the morning and wore out two pair of shoes. On the Hackney overpass job most of the workers ate (it the Hackney cafe. Two known, identified men attempted to rob it and by the time the law arrived it was alleged that both bodies were under six foot of wet cement. The sheriff declined to investigate and next day a reward was paid to a "certain individual". At one time, paving a narrow highway farther south in Oklahoma, Hap had one hundred horses and drivers pouring cement - his best day was three miles. Following World War II, Hap helped Joe Collins get started in the Cadillac business. On the night of the Udall tornado in 1955, Hap was boss of a track gang with one hundred Indians living in bunk cars on a siding at Udall. Many of these one hundred Indians, installing heavier gage rails on the Santa Fe, preferred to work in their bare feet on the new gravel. Hap rode a motor-rail- scooter-car back to Winfield that night and Hap said all one hundred Indians were killed. Within twenty-four hours one hundred Negroes from Wichita arrived to continue the work.
Hap had arthritis real bad and once, thinking to relieve the pain in his ankle, sprayed it with WD-40 (penetrant). Soon, in the rest home, his foot had to be removed due to infection. He currently resides in Heritage House Nursing Home, 2700 E. 12th, Winfield. He appreciates visitors.
Submitted by L L. Leirmann Jr.
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 112.
Andrew married Zilpha Agnes Hunter on January 14, 1902, in Piqua, Ohio. They lived in Wellington, Kansas for five years. They farmed for nine years in the Mt. Carmel Community, southwest of Oxford, Kansas. They moved to Oxford, Kansas in 1917, where they lived the test of their lives.
Andrew was a carpenter, Police Judge, and Justice of the Peace of Oxford. He raised Gladiolus, Iris and Tulips. He loved to decorate the Oxford Methodist Church.
Their children were: Harry Lewis, Margaret Agnes, Ruth Hunter, Mary Elizabeth, Myrtle Elleanor, and Zilpha Alberta.
David McCorkle and Hannah Cory Adams are both buried in Prairie Lawn Cemetery, Wellington, Kansas.
Zilpha died July 13, 1934 at Oxford, Kansas and Andrew died October 25, 1950. Both are buried at the Oxford Cemetery.
I, Zilpha Alberta, married Olin Amos Seal of Arkansas City, Kansas, June 20, 1944 at Maretta, Oklahoma. Olin was born June 9, 1920 in Arkansas City, to Frank and Minnie Seal. Olin attended school in Arkansas City. He graduated from High (continued on page 113)
Submitted by Z. Alberta Parks
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 112.
I was born in Wichita, Kansas. Spent most of early years in Oxford, Kansas. I worked at Montgomery Wards in Arkansas City. In 1967 I worked at Wm. Newton Memorial Hospital in Winfield, Kansas. We had two daughters: Kathy May and Susan Marie. Olin died November 9, 1959.
richard E. "Dick" Parks and I were married January 10, 1975 at Arkansas City, Kansas for twenty-five years. He semi-retired in 1975. Dick sold the store to his daughter and son-in-law, Pat and Larry Zimmerman.
Submitted by Z. Alberta Parks
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 113.
Their children attended Redbud School and Jett served for many years on this school board. During those years, the roads were not graveled, and during the rainy season were almost impassible. Thanks to the trusty Model T Ford car, children Myrl, Mona, Ora and Opal attended and graduated from Mulvane High School. As roads and transportation improved, children Neva, Ethel, and Melba graduated from Winfield High School. Esther, the youngest, graduated from Udall High School.
The family was active in their community and church during these years. Jett helped organize the Mulvane Coop and served on the board of directors several years. His son, Ora, years later was active in the Udall Coop and was one of two board members who worked to re-organize and keep the Coop open. He was treasurer when the Udall Tornado struck and assisted in its rebuilding.
Myrl married Ethel Rennick of Mulvane and they lived in Indiana until he retired. He was a research chemist for DuPont Paint Company. Their daughter lives in California.
Mona married Louis Ratley and they farmed northeast of Udall until his death in 1955. She moved to Mulvane where she continues to live. Daughter Kathlene Shaffer lives on their farm.
Neva married Van Holtby of Winfield. They owned and operated a rural telephone company in northern Kansas and raised two daughters.
Ora bought a farm near the home farm and continues to farm and live there. He married Thelma Pierce, former Cowley County Extension Home Economics Agent and Udall High School teacher.
Opal married and lived in Winfield, Wichita, and Texas until her death. She was a nurse at the Winfield State Training School.
Ethel married Earle June of Udall and they lived in Udall before moving to Wichita where she taught. In 1988 they and their daughter moved to their new home northeast of Udall.
Melba served as an army nurse until she retired to California. She served during World War II before her marriage.
Esther married Jack Grant of Udall. They and their three children live in the Phoenix, Arizona area.
Myrl, Mona, Neva and Ethel taught school and Opal, Melba and Esther graduated from the William Newton School of Nursing.
Jett and Jocie had a public sale and retired when Jett was seventy-three. They moved to Mulvane, to live twenty-one years, and celebrate their sixty-sixth anniversary before Jett died at age ninety-four. Jocie died in 1976 at age ninety-four. They are buried in the Mulvane Cemetery. Children Myri, Neva and Opal are deceased.
Submitted by Thelma Adams
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 113.
Alex married Ella DeWitt of Grenola. They farmed, did custom threshing and reared five children. Their son, DeWitt, took over the management of the farm in 1942, after the death of his father.
DeWitt had graduated from Kansas State University in 1941 with a degree in agricultural economics. This helped him bring many new ideas into the business. He married Dorotha Fulk in 1944. Her family had come to Cowley County from Oklahoma in 1908. DeWitt and Dorotha had three sons Milton, Don and Stan.
Milton is with the FBI in Connecticut. Don has a lawn service in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Stan is operating the family farm at the present time. He married Molly Lockhart in 1974. Members of her family have been residents of Winfield for many years. Both Stan and Molly graduated from Winfield High School and attended Kansas State University. Stan graduated in 1973. They have two children, Alexis and Nicholas. These children are fifth generation Ahlerichs to live on the family farm.
Each family who has lived on this farmstead has built a home- from the first log cabin to a large frame house to a ranch style brick in 1951. Stan and Molly just completed their new home in 1989. Three generations still live near the original homesite.
Each generation who has lived here has been active in church, community, and farm organizations.
Submitted by Dorotha Ahlerich Gilbreath
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 113.
Joan and Jerry have six children: Michael G. (b. 9/l/54 in Dodge City), graduated from KU, married Rebecca Littlest?????? XX/30/55) in 1977 in Kansas City, MO, has one daughter Elizabeth (b. 7/25/86) and lives in St. Paul, MN; Patrick ?????? XX/24/55 in Hays, KS), graduated from KU, and now lives in Lawrence, KS; Kristi Ann (b. 4/3/58 in Lawrence, KS), graduated from Fort Hays State University, married Don Weston of Arkansas City in 1978, divorced in 1989, now lives in Kansas City, KS; Joseph A. (b. 6/25/60 in Winfield, KS), graduated from Fort Hays State University and Indiana University (PhD in political science); married Shelley Warren (b. 6/16/ 67) in Winfield in 1981, has two children, Sarah M. (b. 5/9/ 88) and Samuel D. (b. 2/5/90), and now lives in Redford, VA; SuzAnn (b. 8/20/63 in Winfield), graduated from Fort Hays State University, married Don Rueschhoff (b. 7/30/61) in Winfield in 1988, and is now living in Littleston, CO; and Robb A. (b. 9/29/65 in Winfield), graduated from KU, and is now a graduate student at Indiana Unversity.
Jerry was the third youngest of the eight children of Tenus C. and Mintie M. Aistrup. Tenus was born in Cory, PA and came to Kansas before WW I and worked as a farm laborer until he was drafted into the army in 1917. He married Mintie Hoofer in 1917 prior to being sent to France. Both his parents were born in Denmark and came to this country sometime around 1890. His father worked in a tannery in Cory, PA. The couple had sixteen children, but only eight reached adulthood. Mintie's parents were John U. and Rosa W. Hoofer. J.U. was born in Bethel, MO and came to the La Cross, Kansas area in 1892 with several other brothers. He married Rosa Wilcox of St. Louis in 1892. The couple moved from the LaCross area to a farm near Loretta KS in 1894. Jerry's brothers and sisters are Guy w., Lyle W. (deceased), Betty (Houser), Duane M., Jack D., Rex G., and Merle K.
Joan's parents were Adolph and Margaret Stein of Fowler, KS. Adolph was born in Windhorst, KS, one of twelve children. Both of his parents were born in the United States. His paternal grandparents were born in Germany as was his mother's father but his mother's mother was born in France. Adolph's parents lived in Shattuc, IL before moving to Kansas in the late 1890's. Adolph farmed in Meade County until his retirement in the 1970's. Margaret was also from a family of twelve. Her parents, Frank and Elizabeth Vogel moved to a farm in the Wright, KS area in 1905. Both Frank and Elizabeth were born in the United States but both se~s of parents were born in Germany and moved to the Tipto, MO area shortly before the Civil War. Joan's three brothers are Francis (deceased), Gerald, and Charles.
Submitted by Joan Aistrup
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 113.
Cornelius Akers and Susan Risk were married at Carthage, Indiana, August 22, 1843 and spent the next fifteen years at that place where Father worked at his trade of carpenter and wagon-maker. In 1857 with their five children they settled on a farm near New Castle, Henry County, Indiana where they remained until they came to Kansas in 1870. In the meantime four more children were born.
Our parents were devout Christians, active in the Duck Creek Wesleyan Methodist Church in Indiana. Cornelius participated in the Underground Railroad, carrying escaped slaves from one station to another under hay in his farm wagon before and during the Civil War. In Rock they were members of the Methodist Church.
The country where they settled was known as the Osage Outlet, a strip of land thirty-three miles wide extending westward as a passage for the Osage Indians whose reservation lay south of Kansas and east of the Arkansas River. The Osages used this corridor to their hunting grounds in the western (continued on page 114)
Written by Oliver Morton Akers and Submitted by Barbara Robison
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 113.
Our nearest railroad was at Emporia more than a hundred miles away. The nearest grist mill was at Augusta, twenty miles north where the Whitewater flows into the Walnut. Winfield had one store in a log building where most of the settler bought their flour, beans, and bacon.
Father took a homestead two miles south of Rock. In the spring of 1871 he built a one-room house with a loft above as sleeping quarters for the boys and our star boarders, Hiram Fisk and Enos Buffington.
The two men suffered from malaria and seemed to talk day after day about chilling. Chills and fever were common, and quinine was a cure-all for many ills. About 9:00 a.m. in the morning the chili would begin, and the patient would shiver and shake and pile on more covers until the weight would hold him down so that he could shake no more. Soon the chill would pass and the fever set in, and oh, how one would burn and toss about. They would be so weak they could scarcely mount the ladder which was the only way in and out of our sleeping quarters.
During the summer of 1871 Father erected another house with two rooms below and two above and a real stairway. He also made the furniture-tables, chairs, bedsteads, and cabinets-of walnut which was abundant at that time but is scarce and costly now.
Here we lived for several years enduring the trials and hardships of pioneer life. There were no roads or bridges, just trails across the country with streams which must be forded. The only amusements were literaries, spelling bees, singing schools, dances, and such. In winter the boys made bobsled runners on which they placed a wagon box filled with hay; everyone would pile in, and away they would go. One winter brother Frank made a one-horse sleigh, and he was the Beau Brummel of the neighborhood and had his pick of the girls when anything happened.
We lived on the main road, now Highway 77, and many Indians passed our house, as many as two or three hundred at a time. They were all friendly and harmed no one. Our first post office was Lone Tree, about four miles southwest of Rock, SO-Galled for a tree which stood alone on the prairie a half-mile from the river. It moved to Little Dutch two miles south, but Rock post office was established soon after.
1874 was the "Grasshopper Year." It was also a dry one. That wheat was harvested and threshing was in progress when the hoppers made their appearance. They ate every growing thing in sight, even eating the beets into the ground. It was said that men would take their pitch forks into the house at mealtime for fear the hoppers would eat the handles off! But I cannot vouch for that, These were indeed strenuous times with money very scarce. We did get through the winter without suffering, however.
The next year crops were good and times were getting better. In the early seventies a railroad was built into Wichita, and in 1879 two railroads reached Winfield, one from the east and one from the north. These roads gave the farmer an outlet for his grain and stock, and the prices of the farmers' produce were slowly improving.
In 188O Father sold the farm and bought another two miles west on the west side of the Walnut River, paying $1.25 an acre for it. He built a small house with three good rooms and a lean-to-kitchen. In 1890 he built a better six-room house. Our parents were now fixed to spend their last years in comparative comfort. They had reared a large family, all of whom were now married and doing for themselves. They did not live long to enjoy their new home. Father passed away March 16, 1984; Mother followed him May 13 of the same year. They were laid away in Star Valley Cemetery.
The children of Cornelius and Susan Akers were: Margaret Catherine Akers Rogers Workman; b. Carthage, IN, June 27, 1844, d. Winfield, February 18, 1922; Alice Sarah Akers; b. Carthage, IN, March 11, 1846, died September 7, 1847; Nancy Clementine Akers Brookshire, b. Carthage, IN, November 15, 1847, d. Fairmount, IN, March 13, 1921; Rufus Perry Akers, b. Carthage, IN, September 22, 1849, date of death unknown; Francis Melville Akers, b. Carthage, IN, September 12, 1851, d. Neosho, MO, 1908 - Mary Elizabeth Akers Carttar, b. Carthage, IN, February 20, 1857, d. Winfield, March 13, 1951; Addie Ann Akers Eagin; b. New Castle, IN, September 12, 1858, d. Douglas, KS, January 3, 1880; Ella Florence Akers Eagin, b. New Castle, IN, November 22, 1660, d. Oklahoma City, date unknown; Oliver Morton Akers, b. New Castle, IN, July II, 1864, d. Rock, 1942; Martha Sue Akers Lane, b. New Castle, IN, May 9, 1868, d. Arnett, OK date unknown.
Written by Oliver Morton Akers, Submitted by Barbara Robison
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 114.
"The trip took five or six weeks and was enjoyed by ail, especially the young folks. One day Ellsworth Rogers and I were riding alone in one of the wagons. We were six and nine years old. I was the driver, and he was my pet lamb. Pet lambs are hard butters, and he was no exception. We were having a great time until he butted me out of the wagon. I went down between the horses, and the wagon passed over me. Following closely behind was the family carriage with my parents and sisters. I was unharmed, hut even now I can see the look of astonishment on Father's face as he brought old John to a sudden halt. This put an end to the pet lamb business.
"Arriving in Cowley county we went into winter quarters in a one-room log house four miles southwest of Rock, our thirteen with the owner of the place, J.0. Penber. The floor was the one provided by Mother Nature, the bare earth. We used boxes for seats, tables, and cupboards. Our beds were made by setting posts in the earthen floor and fastening them to the rafters above. Cross pieces were secured as slats on which we placed ticks filled with clean, sweet-smelling prairie hay. The beds had an upper berth.
"We got through the winter which was a mild one in good shape. Wild game-prairie chicken, deer, antelope, and buffalo-was plentiful as were fish in the Walnut River. Henry Rogers and my brothers, Rufus and Frank, went about a day's drive west to hunt buffalo along the Chikaskia River where they were abundant. They returned with a good supply of hind quarters which they hung on the north side of the cabin where it kept for a long time. We cut the meat off in chunks and fried, boiled or barbecued it over an open fire as the fancy of the cook might dictate."
Oliver Morton Akers was born at New Castle, Indiana, July 11, 1864. He lived on a farm there with eight brothers and sisters until his parents, Cornelius and Susan (Risk) Akers decided to make the trek to Kansas in 1870.
Morton was educated in the schools of Cowley County and taught in schools in Cowley and Sumner Counties for thirty years, also farming and carpentering. His salary for teaching varied from $28 per month at the Olive School as a beginner to $80 per month when he later was principal and taught high school subjects in South Haven and Hunnewell. As he taught, he continued to study as well. He held "a good certificate with an average of 97.6, good for life as long as I complied with certain conditions."
Anna Estella Anderson, daughter of John D. and Mary J. (Thompson) Anderson, was born near Belleville, Illinois, December 26, 1866. Morton and Estella married at Winfield March 25, 1886, Judge H.D. Gans officiating. They had five daughters and three sons. Estella died November 15, 1910, and Morton was left with seven children to care for with the help of the older daughters. November 27, 1913 he married Lou Etta Bailey, born February 14, 1866, Zionsville, Indiana. The daughter of John Wesley Lough and widow of Edward Bailey, Etta had three children; Charles W., William B, and Ethel.
During the summers Morton had worked as a carpenter, painter, and paper hanger. He now returned to Rock with his family and took up that work as a regular vocation. His career ended when in the early 1930's he fell from a scaffolding and fractured his leg.
After living in Wichita for a few years, the Akers returned to Rock. The last few years of his life Morton spent researching and writing a history of the Akers family from which was taken the material far this biographical sketch and that of his parents. He enjoyed singing as did all the Akers family, and he had a vast repertoire of folk songs. Some of these songs were passed on to his nephews and sung by the Carttar brothers' quartet. He died in Rock in 1942.
Children of Morton and Estella Akers were: Carl Ludwig Akers b Rock, September 25, 1887, d. Cambridge, KS, March 7, 1912; Blanche Rose Akers Storey b. Tanrtehill, April 24, 1889, d. Lamar, MO, 1982; Hazel Verna Akers Booth b. Win- field, August 27, 1890, d. Wichita, March 5, 1932; Frances Folsom Akers b. Rock, March 26, 1893, d. Cambridge, April 20, 1912; Ruby Claire Akers Kunkel b. Rock, August 7, 1895, d. Winfield, March 23, 1929; Louis McNeil Akers b. Udall, August 13, 1899, d. May 9, 1905, Hunnewell; Lorraine Lenore Akers b. June 22, 1902, Udall, d. Wichita; Forest Wayne Akers b. July 16, 1905, Hunnewell, d. Rockwell City, IA.
By Oliver Morton Akers & Barbara C. Robison
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 114.
Albright family members have promoted development of municipally owned utilities and such cultural benefits as the Chautauqua, Civic Music, Community Theater, Public Library and Arts Council. They have served on the boards of Southwestern, Public Schools, Parks, Planning, Hospital and Library; as Mayors and Presidents of both Chamber of Commerce.
PH. Albright's daughter, Carol, married Grover Collinson of Arkansas City, who, at the death of Mr. Albright in 1922, became senior member of the clan. He died in 1980. The family pioneered in experimental farming at Albright Gardens, in mining, drilling for oil and gas, and in highway and airport development.
Family members born in Winfield were Dr. Penrose Strong, James Henry and Caroline Elizabeth, Children of PH. and Emma Albright; Rear Admiral Penrose Lucas, Dr. James Curtice and Dr. John Grover, sons of P.S. and Mary Lucas Albright; Eleanor, Dr. Philip Hills and Norman Mowry, children of James H. and Louise Mowry Albright; Albright and (continued on page 115)
By Oliver Morton and Barbara C. Robinson
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 114.
Only Norman and MarilynAlbright, their daughter, Julia, with husband, Greg Thompson and their three very young children, my wife Enid, and I live here in 1990. However, Molly, daughter of Eleanor and F.J. Lockhart, though born in Rochester, N.Y., married Stan Ahlerich, of another pioneer Cowley family, is raising her family just nort of town. And Joeffry, Norman's son, is planning a move back from Texas to work in the Albright office.
From P.H. and Emma Albright on down, all teh deceased are buried at Highland Cemetery.
By Oliver Morton and Barbara C. Robinson
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 115.
Other Allard children are David Clay of New Braunfels, Texas, retired oil refinery construction supervisor; Charles Arthur of San Antonio, Texas, retired Air Force officer, Mary Alice (Mrs. Ted) Raynolds of Tucson, Arizona; Elsie Louise who taught at Theaker, Guthrie, and Lincoln Schools before her death in 1968; and my mother, Celeste Genevieve (Sally).
My father was Stephen Spencer (Steve) Wright. Steve's parents, Albert Granfield (Al) and Pearl Blount were married in St. Joseph, Missouri in 1903. Al had served in the Spanish-American War in 1898-99, after which he was a traveling salesman for Wyeth Hardware. In 1921 the Wrights came to Arkansas City where he began business as Al G. Wright Hardware Company, which was later to become Wright-Burton Hardware at 220 South Summit Street. For many years Al was a director in the Western Hardware and Implement Dealers Association and was president in 1934. Al also served as president of both the Arkansas City Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce, and was a 32 degree Mason. Prominent in local and state Democratic circles, he was appointed by Governor Huxman to the office of Chairman of the Kansas Board of Social Welfare. Al died in 1938.
Pearl, an accomplished writer, was a columnist for the Arkansas City Tribune. She also wrote and published poems and short stories. Pearl and Al had two sons: Waymond Blount (Joe), who retired to Casselberry, Florida after a federal government career in Washington, D.C.; and Stephen Spencer (Steve).
After Steve and Sally were married in 1935 they lived at 901 North D in Arkansas City and had three children: Susanne, born in 1938; Stephen Allard, born in 1940; and Charles Spencer (Chuckie) born in 1942. Sieve served in the U. S. Navy from 1942 through 1944. It was during this time that a family double tragedy occurred. On August 1, 1944, Chuckie, aged 28 months, drowned in the A. C. Country Club pool. Less than an hour later as she was telephoning the sad news to her son Steve, who was stationed in California, Pearl suffered a fatal heart attack.
After his discharge, Steve returned to the family hardware business and purchased a home at 224 North Third Street where their family was raised. Steve was active in several local organizations, and served as President of the Arkansas City Junior Chamber of Commerce. Always an avid reader, he loved books and served many years on the Arkansas City Public Library Board. Both Steve and Sally enjoyed golf, and she was Arkansas City Women's Golf Champion in 1952, as well as three-time Arkansas City Country Club Women's Champion. Steve died in 1976; Sally died in 1989. They are buried in Riverview Cemetery.
Steve and Sally's son, Stephen A., graduated from Washburn University and became a career Air Force officer. He married Sharon Raynolds and they had three children: Julie Jill, Spencer David, and Celia Leann.
I graduated from Southwestern College, Winfield, and later received a Master's degree from Wichita State University. I married Tom Stark of Arkansas City in 1957 and we had one son, Trace Thomas.
I have been teaching English at Arkansas City High School since 1963. Trace, who married Libbe Green Dobson in 1988, received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Pittsburg State University and is a teacher in Topeka.
Submitted by Susanne Wright Stark
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 115.
My father, William D. Taylor, was born in 1867. He married Clara Cunningham of Burden, my mother. Her parents came by wagon train in 1877 from Jamestown, Indiana. Clara's dad was Alfred Cunningham. My mother said on a trip, a man said he'd kill the first Indian squaw he saw, he did and the Indians took him and started skinning him alive. The train moved on, they weren't looking for trouble.
My father's brothers were Lewis, Jess and Oral (Ral) Taylor. His sisters were Edwilda Hoel, Amanda Archer and Julia Beech. They are deceased.
My mother's brothers were Harry and Ray Cunningham and sisters were Ida Davis and Bertha Rivers, all deceased.
My great-grandfather, David F. Mead, bought the farm on the north corner, known as Bolack corner, twelve miles east of Winfield. Later Al Foudray and wife, Olive, daughter of Mead's, bought it and sold it to Lou Bolack. My great- grandfather built the rock fence around the barn.
Edwilda Taylor Hoel said she drove a spike where the Missouri-Pacific railway met at Eaton. They had a celebration whenever the railroad was completed, Edwilda was Leonard's mother, who was from Winfield.
I, Mabel Taylor Allred, was born in 1901. My brothers were Harry and James. My sister was Lena Sutton. All are deceased except myself.
Whenever I was small, Lewis Taylor and sons, Ray and Maurice, took care of Hiatt Park, west of Walnut River. It had a merry-go-round and other rides.
Floyd L. Allred was born in 1896. His father was Frank T. Allred who came to Dexter from Garfield, Arkansas in the 1900's. Floyd's brothers are Finice L. and Kenneth L. of Kansas City, Missouri.
Floyd and Mabel Allred lived in Haskins Camp, near Augusta, in 1918. They had a grocery store, garage, sold tires and ran the sub-post office. They had the first chair-driven truck with solid rubber tires. The two trucks ran ice routes. Whenever the oil field business slowed down Floyd moved families out of town. Every other day he would drive to Garden after groceries. The Wichita Eagle newspaper came by train and he would pick it up so people could get it from the grocery store.
In 1928 the Allreds started a business in Winfield. They sold Firestone tires, machinery and gasoline. Floyd also did ditch digging, welding and worked on septic tanks.
Floyd and I had one son, William (Billy) and one grandson, Gary, who took over the business in 1973. Billy is married to Marie Hoyt, who is the daughter of Helen Akers. Their son, Gary and wife Pam have two sons, Aaron and Edward (Teddy). They all live in Winfield.
Submitted by Mabel Allred
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 115.
Written and Submitted by L.L. Liermann
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 115.
- 112 - 113 - 114 - 115 - | State Coordinators Tom & Carolyn Ward, Columbus, KS tcward@columbus-ks.com |