The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas

Page 209

back

next

table of contents

 
republican party.  He became an earnest worker in doing what he could in putting down the rebellion, having enlisted and was rejected because of ailments. He enrolled two companies and in 1864 went into the service, serving for about six months when he was discharged.

blue.JPG (34681 bytes) D. A. Blue was born on a farm in Fayette county, Ohio, April 7, 1844 and removed with his parents the same year to Kosciusko county, Indiana, where his father purchased 160 acres of wild heavily timbered land where Mr. Blue grew up and became accustomed to pioneer life.  In early boyhood he learned the use of the chopping ax and squirrel rifle, which he prided himself with.  After the war had broken out he enlisted in the 118 Indiana volunteers and serving his time was discharged March 8, 1864, when he returned to the occupation of farming, and on June 2, was married to Miss Martha H. Beeson, and still following the occupation of farming till 1879 when he and his trusty wife moved to Kansas settling in the north part of the county, on what was known as the Will Jones claim, where they have resided continuously ever since and now own a comfortable home of 320 acres which is being very nicely improved with buildings and as fine a young orchard as there is in the county, and is beginning to supply their table with delicious fruit.

In politics Mr. Blue has always been a republican.  He nearly always represents his township in county conventions and has several times been a delegate to state and district conventions.  He served his township as trustee for several years.

Richard Lackey Hillmon was born in Ohio, October 9, 1828.  He was raised on a farm and attended the common schools.  Moved to Indiana with his parents when a child, and from there to Iowa in 1853 and settled in Tama county.  He was married in 1852 to Elizabeth Etter; eight children were born to them, seven of them are living at this time, and all of them have lived in this county.  Their eldest child, Mary Ann, married Henry Felter, and lives at Washta, Iowa; John F., their eldest son came here with his parents and has resided here continuously ever since.  He married Addie M. Grable, October 31, 1886; they have three children.  Rebecca Hillmon is well-known to the early settlers, she was Dick Hillmon's third child; she was born in 1857, she received a good education and clerked for G. H. Griffin in his store for some years.  In 1878 she was the nominee for register of deeds on the republican ticket.  She married Robert Wilson, of Furnas county, Nebraska in 1879; in 1880,he was accidently drowned in Wallace county, Kansas.  In 1881 she married her husband's brother, John Wilson; they reside at this time in Denver, Colorado.  Alice Hillmon was born in 1859; she married William Page and lives on the Sappa in this county at this time; they have four children, three of

Page 209

back

next

table of contents