From A
Biographical History of Central Kansas, Vol. II, p. 1190
published by The Lewis Publishing Co, Chicago & New York, 1902
ALBERT WYNN
Among the honorable pioneer settlers of Rice county, Kansas, was Albert Wynn, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser, who located in the west at an early day, and bore his part in the arduous work of reclaiming the vast prairies for purposes of civilization. He was of Scotch and English ancestry, his paternal great-grandfather emigrating from Scotland to America during the colonial days and settling in Connecticut. His son, John Wynn, Sr., the grandfather of our subject, was a bound boy during the Revolutionary war, whose master was a Tory. John grew to manhood in Connecticut, and then came to New Jersey, where he married Miss Margaret Dalbier, a native of England. They moved to Pennsylvania, where he worked at his trade of shoe-making and also carried on farming. Both were members of the Primitive Baptist church, and both died in Pennsylvania. They were the parents of seven children, as follows: Byron; Mathias; Samuel; Polly, who married P Wiser; John, Jr, the father of our subject; Sarah, now Mrs Vansant; and Annanias.
John Wynn, Jr, the father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania, in which state he made his home during his entire life. In early life he was employed on public works and later bought a farm, which he cultivated until his death, which occurred in the fall of 1876. He was reared a Baptist, but became a consistent member of the Methodist church. His wife survived him and came to Kansas in 1878 and made her home among her children for a number of years, dying in McPherson county at the home of a son in July, 1891. She and her husband were the parents of nine children, namely: Sarah J, who married J Houpt; Chambers, proprietor of a market; Stephen D, who died in Kansas, leaving seven children; Albert, the subject of this review; Samantha, now Mrs Hendershot; Adam, who died and left six children; Mary, the wife of Levi Kaufman; Jemima, who married J Shupeman, and after his death became the wife of William Brady; and Martha, deceased. The mother of this family was a daughter of John and Margaret (Fisher) Snyder, both natives of Pennsylvania. Mr Snyder was a lumberman and farmer by occupation and was drafted in the war of 1812, but furnished a substitute. He ran a sawmill, bought and shipped lumber down the Susquehanna river to market and was a very extensive dealer. In the early days he freighted from Pittsburg to Philadelphia, owning and running six six-horse teams. He was an enterprising, broad-minded and capable businessman, widely and favorably known all over Pennsylvania, being rated among the solid businessmen of his day. In addition to his other lines of business, he ran distilleries. In the early days he was colonel of the militia, and well known as Colonel Snyder. He served as a justice of the peace of the German district for forty years, and died in Pennsylvania, a consistent member of the Presbyterian church. The marriage of Mr and Mrs Snyder was blessed with seven children, namely: George; Thomas; John; Elizabeth, the mother of our subject; Peter; Sarah; and Adam.
Albert Wynn, whose name introduces this review, was born in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, May 10, 1832. He was reared in his native state, where he acquired a good common-school education, and when nineteen years of age left home and learned the millwright’s trade, which he followed at intervals for sixteen years. In 1852 he married and settled on a farm, later engaged in the lumber business and after a few years returned to the homestead and managed the farm for his father for five years. In 1864 he came to Iowa, rented a farm two years and from there moved to Peoria county, Illinois, where he followed his trade for eight years. In 1873 he went to Kansas, and after prospecting for a short time took a homestead, upon which he moved and there made his home until his death. At the time he located there his was the most northern claim in the settlement, and there was no house between his and Ellsworth. Wild beasts, buffalo, antelope and other game roamed over the prairies; much of the land was yet unbroken and the early settlers had to contend with many hardships and discouragements in establishing their homes in the west. Many became so discouraged with the frequent failure of the crops and the trials which they had to bear that they abandoned their claims and retuned to the more settled east, but our subject and his wife patiently bore all the inconveniences and hardships incident to pioneer life and by unremitting toil, economy and good management at last succeeded in placing the land under a high state of cultivation. He made a study of the soil and when the land was fresh and strong he only sowed a peck of wheat to the acres, while others sowed a bushel and a half, with the result that his fields gave the greater yield. He also raised potatoes, and in spite of the grasshoppers that in 1874 destroyed everything before them he had always had plenty and to spare. As his financial resources increased he added to his land and became the owner of large tracts, some of which he gave to his children, and his homestead consisted of eight hundred and ninety acres, all fine land, all under fence and in a good state of cultivation. The home is a fine two-story frame building of modern style of architecture, commodious and supplied with all the accessories and conveniences so necessary to the comfort of the family. Upon the place are also found commodious barns and outbuildings; a beautiful grove of shade trees; an orchard of over two thousand fruit trees of various kinds; a large amount of small fruit and grapes. Mr Wynn also gave considerable attention to the raising of stock of high-grade, both cattle and horses, and had some fine Percheron stallions.
In Pennsylvania, in 1852, Mr Wynn was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Bacon, who was born in Pennsylvania on the 10th of June, 1832, and is a daughter of Nehemiah and Polly (Wolf) Bacon, both natives of Pennsylvania. Her father was a farmer by occupation, and made his home in Pennsylvania until his death. He was an Episcopalian in religious faith, while his wife was a Lutheran. After her husband’s death she went to Ohio and made her home with a son until her death. They were the parents of the following children: Maria, who married G Fetterman; Isaac; Jerry and Rachel , twins and the latter also married a Fetterman; Charles; Ezekiel; John; Nancy, the wife of our subject; Elizabeth, who married J McKloe; Polly, the wife of I Persing; and Thomas. Unto our subject and his wife were born eight children, namely: William, who makes his home in Peoria, Illinois; Charles D, a farmer of Rice county, Kansas; Mary, the wife of W English; Laura, who married J Elrick; George, a farmer; Nora, who became the wife of N Hysell; Ed, who is engaged in farming; and Dorcas, the wife of E Bethers.
Mr Wynn was an energetic, enterprising and public-spirited man who was deeply interested in everything calculated to promote the progress and upbuilding of the community in which he made his home. He was reared a Democrat, but after coming to Kansas joined the Populist party and at one time was a candidate to represent his county in the state legislature but was not elected owing to a division in the party. Later he joined the Socialist party, with which he afterward affiliated. He was also a leading member of the Farmers’ Alliance. He passed away in death on the 8th of February, 1902, after a life of industry and one rich in those rare possessions which only a high character can give.