Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 195 - 196

EDWARD J. HOWE.  In the busy community located in the thriving little village of Viola, we find several energetic and thorough-going business men, who have attained success through their own tact, good judgment and perseverance.  Among this number is the gentleman whose name heads this biographical notice and who, at the present time, is the representative of the hardware trade of this place.  He established this business stand July 23, 1887, and is the first and only merchant in that line in the place.  He was born in Oneida County, N. Y., July 7, 1850, and is a son of Jacob and Margaret (Graves) Howe, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of New York.

      When the subject of our sketch was about two years of age, the family removed to Grundy County, Ill., where they settled on a farm, and where the father continued that vocation until killed by a locomotive as he was crossing the railroad track, in 1880.  Edward was reared a farmer, receiving his education in the common schools of Grundy County, and his training at home upon his father's homestead was such as fitted him for the active life of an agriculturist.  He is the fourth child in a family of nine, of whom seven besides himself are living, as follows: Louisa, wife of W. H. Adams; Della, Mrs. Nathan McIntyre; Libbie, who married William McIntyre; Luella, the wife of  William Clingelpeel; and Frank, Philip, Elmer and Charles.  Henry died when an infant two years of age.

      Mr. Howe resided in Grundy County, Ill., until 1873, when he removed to Dwight, Livingston County, in the same State, where he was engaged in the livery business for about two years.  At the expiration of that period he located at Ransom, LaSalle County, where he opened a meat-market, which occupied his attention until 1882, at which date he came to the great and growing State of Kansas, and settled in Butler county.  After remaining in the latter place for twelve months, he came to Sedgwick County, and purchasing 160 acres of land in Viola Township, entered upon the pursuit of agriculture, which seemed to offer great inducements to him.  In 1887 he traded his farm for his present property, and initiated the business in which he is at present engaged. 

     When our subject had grown to manhood, he began to think of a wife, and wooed and won the affections of Miss Louisa Waite, to whom he was united in marriage on the 9th of March, 1869.  This lady is a daughter of Benjamin and Lydia (Goodspeed) Waite, and was born in Grundy County, Ill., Dec. 18, 1854.  Their family fireside has been crowned by the advent of three children, who bear the names of Adella, Ethel and Milasant.

      Mr. Howe's sterling integrity and general urbanity of manner have won him a large number of friends in this community, and his business energy and earnestness a numerous and increasing patronage.  In his new venture in the mercantile line he is fast achieving a merited success, and can hopefully look forward to an easy competence to cheer his declining days.  In politics he is a stanch and true Republican, believing that in the principles of that party lie the germs of the future greatness of our country.  He has held several local offices but has little aspirations for political preferment, seeking rather the quiet of his own fireside and the management of his private business.

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