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Ainsworth, Avery R. - (1879 Pioneer) (Civil War Veteran) (Newton City).  Avery R. Ainsworth, who is city marshal of Newton, Kansas, was born in Medina county, Ohio, on April 30, 1847, and he was a son of Richard W. and Harriet M. (Homan) Ainsworth, both of whom were natives of New York.  In 1855 the father of our subject moved to Bloomington, Illinois, where he was engaged in farming until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he established himself as a merchant-clothier in Bloomington and remained there until 1867, when he removed to Pleasant Hill, Missouri, and there became the cashier of a bank.  From there he came to Larned, Kansas, and resided with his daughter, Hattie, but later returned to Pleasant Hill, dying two months later, in 1895, at the age of seventy-eight years.  His widow still survives, at the age of eighty-seven years, residing at St. John, Kansas.  In early life both she and husband had become members of the Episcopal Church.  The three children which comprised the family of these parents are:  Avery R., who is our subject; James A., who lives in Pleasant Hill, Missouri; and Hattie, who is Mrs. Avery H. Ainsworth, of Larned, Kansas.  Mr. Ainsworth, of this sketch, was a student in the Wesleyan University near Bloomington, Illinois, when the call came for troops for the preservation of the Union.  Among those who loyally responded was Avery R. Ainsworth, although he was a member of the sophomore class in his college, with bright prospects before him, and in reality was but a lad of sixteen.  He was accepted as a private in Company C, Fifth Illinois Cavalry, and bore a gallant part in the siege of Vicksburg, the battles of Jackson, Mississippi, Corinth, Natchez, and many minor engagements.  At Jackson he was taken prisoner but managed to escape within two hours, made his way back to his regiment and again joined his comrades in the battle.  The regiment then was sent on a fifteen days detour to Meridian, then returned to Vicksburg, and later marched all over southwestern Arkansas and Mississippi, went up the Red river with General Banks, and in 1865 took its last march up the Red River, through Texas and Louisiana to Springfield, where it was discharged after two years and nine months of faithful service. After his return from the army, Mr. Ainsworth accepted a position as shipping clerk in a wholesale confectionery house in Bloomington, the firm name of which was J. L. Green & Company, and a year later became one of their traveling salesmen, which position he held for five years.  Then he continued in the same position for five years more, in the interests of Aldrich Brothers & Company, at Bloomington, and then spent another five years with Turner Wilson & Company, wholesale cigars.  Then Mr. Ainsworth came to Kansas City and became connected with the firm of Thurber & Company, this house being the largest wholesale grocery house in the United States, and for two years he was their representative.  The next eleven years were spent with the Symms Grocery Company, of Atchison, Kansas, making his headquarters in Newton in 1879.  Later he engaged as traveling salesman for the Wichita Soap Company, and continued in that capacity four years. Since that time Mr. Ainsworth has given his services to the city of Newton, and is now in his seventh year as marshal.  This continued service is testimony as to his efficiency.  It is a matter of congratulation to the quiet and law-abiding citizens of Newton that no city of its size in Kansas is freer from joints and places of resort for evildoers.  This is immediately attributable to the excellent management and vigilance of the marshal.  He has filled other positions of prominence in the city, having served as councilman, and has four terms been a member of the school board.  Mr. Ainsworth was married on September 14, 1870, to Miss Sarah J. Coney, who was born in New York, and who was a daughter of William Coney, being a resident of Bloomington at the time of her marriage.  The ceremony was performed at the home of her sister, Mrs. O. B. Stiles.  One child has been born of this union, - Clayton A., - a pupil in high school, who is looking forward to an education in the Santa Fe railroad shops, being a mechanical genius and anxious to be able to work out his ideas.  Both our subject and wife are members of the Episcopal Church. Marshal Ainsworth has been a life-long Republican and thoroughly believes in the principles of that party.  His leadership is acknowledged and his influence in political matters has been of value to his party.  Fraternally he is prominent in the order of Knights of Pythias, uniting with it in 1870, in Bloomington, where he was a charter member of the lodge.  Since that time he has been a delegate to the grand lodge three times, has been captain of the division in Newton for four years and he is also a charter member of Union Lodge, No. 223, of Newton. (Biographical History of Central Kansas: 1902, pp. 626-627).

Ashbaugh, H.C. (1872 Pioneer) (Civil War Veteran) (Newton City) - located in Newton in July, 1872, and established the Kansan, the sole paper in the county for several years. in March, 1879, he was appointed Postmaster, having previously held various offices in town and city. Mr. Ashbaugh was born in Worthington, Ohio, August 27, 1844, and at the age of four years moved to Iowa with his parents. At the age of eleven he commenced learning the printer's trade at West Union, Iowa, continuing at the case a large share of the time until the spring of 1861. September 23, 1861, he enlisted in Company H, Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry, and served in that regiment until the fall of Vicksburg, when he was transferred to the printing department of the army by Gen. McPherson, where he remained until nearly the close of the war, afterward settling for a time in Mercer co, Ill., where he published a paper called the New Boston Herald. In 1865 he went to St. Louis and worked on the St. Louis Republican until the fall of 1869, thence to Wilton Junction, Iowa, and bought the Wilton Chronicle, which he ran eighteen months; thence to Newton, Iowa, where he purchased a half interest in the Newton Free Press and where he remained six months; and subsequently, the Des Moines Valley Reporter at Bentonport, Iowa; coming from the latter place to Topeka, and thence to Newton, Kan. Mr. Ashbaugh was married at Rock Island, Ill., April 27, 1870 to Emily E. Archer, a native of Whiteside, Ill., and has five children, Frederick, Newton, Hattie May, Minnie, Bertha, Lewis S. and William H. Mr. A. is a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commandery, also G. A. R. His father, Rev. Lewis Sells Ashbaugh, a Methodist preacher, died in Wichita, Kan., June 9, 1881. (C)

Asher, Noah (1872 Pioneer) (Civil War Veteran) (Newton City) - Pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Newton, has been a resident of Kansas since 1872. In the spring of 1873 he took charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Mulberry Grove, remaining one year, the following two years he had charge of the Churches of Mulberry Grove and Girard, residing at Girard; then three years at La Cygne and one year at Hutchison; then presiding elder of what was then the Hutchison district, now Newton, and now serving three years at Newton. Mr. Asher was born in Seneca Township, Guernsey County, Ohio, February 1, 1846. In 1850 he removed with his parents to Porter County, Ind., which remained his home until he enlisted in November, 1863, in Company E. One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He served until April 9, 1866, when he mustered out at Raleigh, N. C., he being in commissary duty after the close of the war. After leaving the army he returned to Indiana, and in May, 1866 moved to Henderson County, Ill., where he remained until 1872, when he came to Kansas. Mr. Asher was educated at Hedding college, at Abingdon, Ill., and entered the ministry in March, 1873, having served a short time as a local preacher prior to that time. He was married near Lomax, Henderson County, Ill., December 27, 1870 to Mary E. Wyatt, a native of that county, and has three children, Walter Simpson, Olive May, and Annie Leefy. Mr. A. is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery. (C)