Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 788 - 791

JOSEPH FUHRMAN, importer of fine Percheron horses, and also largely engaged in the breeding of graded Short-horn cattle, is operating on a fine tract of land on section 21, in Kechi Township, where he took up his residence in the spring of 1875. He has had a thorough experience in farming pursuits, and the land for which he paid $10 per acre has, under his skillful manipulation, attained to the value of fifty times that sum -- $500 per acre.

            Like many of the energetic and industrious men about him, Mr. Fuhrman is a product of the Keystone State, and was born in York County, on the 6th of August, 1843. He was next to the youngest of the nine children born to his parents, W. W. and Barbara (Bolanger) Fuhrman, who were also natives of Pennsylvania, together with the paternal grandparents, Mathias Fuhrman and his wife. The mother's parents William and Barbara Bolanger, were natives of Germany, and the male members of the family for several generations were mostly engaged in agricultural pursuits.

            William W. Fuhrman, the father of our subject, after farming a few years in his native State, removed to Woodford County, Ill., settling, in 1852, among the pioneers of that region. After a residence there of twenty-eight years, he removed, in 1880, across the Mississippi to this State, and located in Cowley County, where his death took place in 1886. The mother died in McLean County, Ill., in 1878. Joseph, of our sketch, following in the footsteps of his father, after a brief period spent in the district school, engaged in farming in Illinois until after the outbreak of the Rebellion. In April, 1862, he enlisted as a Union soldier in Company D, 63d Illinois Infantry, being mustered in at Camp Dubois, and contracting to serve three years. He was actively engaged in the fight with the rebels at Black Water, Miss., Mission Ridge, the siege and capture of Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Atlanta, and from the latter place marched with the troops of Gen. Sherman to the sea. After the close of the war he was mustered out at Goldsboro, N. C. He was present in the grand review at Washington, and was also in that city upon the night of the assassination of President Lincoln, in April, 1865.

            Upon retiring from the service Mr. Fuhrman farmed for a time in Illinois. He was married in McLean County, that State, on the 21st of April, 1864, while on a furlough home, to Miss Charlotte Goodenough, who was born in Marshall County, Ill., Sept. 26, 1839, and is the eldest child of Lewis and Nancy (Patton) Goodenough, natives respectively of Massachusetts and Virginia. The parents of Mrs. Fuhrman are now deceased.

            Our subject and his wife commenced life together on the farm in McLean County, Ill., but Mr. F., in 1874, determined upon a change of location. He accordingly crossed the Father of Waters, and coming to this county purchased eighty acres of railroad land on section 21, in Kechi Township, where he labored that year, and made provision for his family to join him, which they did in the spring of 1875. He made good use of his experience as an agriculturist, and was soon recognized as a valued addition to the community. He assisted in organizing several of the school districts in his township, and has watched the development of the city of Wichita from a town of 2,000 inhabitants to its present flourishing condition with the pride and satisfaction which only an intelligent man can experience. Although not very active in politics he keeps himself well informed upon current events, and uniformly votes the Republican ticket.

            Some idea of the home surroundings of our subject may be formed from the bird's-eye view of the dwelling and buildings adjacent, carefully drawn by our artist on another page.

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