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Mrs. Wright, Jesse's mother remained on her land until she proved up on it which was in 1886.
She then moved up to Joshua's farm near Norton and kept house for him. On the night of August 15, 1888, while she was staying alone a cyclone carried the house away and completely destroyed it. At daylight the next morning she found herself lying on the bed some distance from where the house stood, on the open prairie. She was considerably bruised but receives no serious injuries As to how she got on to the bed has always been a mystery to her as she was sitting on a chair at the time the house blew away and has no recollection of what occurred (sic) from the time the house moved off the foundation until daylight which was several hours. William J. Simmons was born in Macomb, Illinois, February 24, 1852; come to Kansas in the spring of 1872 and started overland for Norton county with his brother J. H. Simmons and W. E. Case but was taken sick with typhoid fever at Hanover in Washington county, and had to return. He went back to Illinois and was married at Macomb, Illinois to Mary J. Huff September 10, 1876, come to Norton county with his family in September 1887. He is now employed as salesman in Wright Bros general store. Mr. and Mrs. Simmons have had two children, Lester B. born July 8, 1881, died at Norton May 24, 1891. When three years of age he fell from a porch and injured his spine which made him a permanent cripple never being able to walk afterward. Oliver Wilkes was born March 4. 1886. In 1872 George W. Waters, Henry Knapp, Charles Hanson and George Free came to this county and settled on Long Branch and Sappa creeks in the north-west corner of the county. Henry Knapp had but one arm: he remained in this county for several years: since leaving here he has married. He lives at Erie in Wilson county on a farm at this time. His brother, Andy Knapp came here at the same time and settled near Calvert on land now owned by Wallace Harmonson. He now lives on a farm in Washington county. George Waters was considered one of our most reliable farmers. He abandoned his wife some years ago, taking with him a Mrs. Vallew and left the country. He is now at Hennesey, Oklahoma. Mrs. Waters still lives on the old farm on the Sappa. Charles Hansen and Free took claims on Long Branch, but left in 1874; their whereabouts are unknown. John Smith came here from Fremont county, June 1873; He located on the land now owned by John Toll. He returned to Iowa with his family and never came back. Christopher Bender came here in 1873 and settled on the land now owned by Joseph Wray. He was the first postmaster at Long Branch. In 1875 he and his wife parted; he went to Cheyenne, |
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