Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 842 - 843

HENRY A. ALBEE, a progressive and enterprising farmer of Valley Center Township, residing on section 12, is a native of Kendall County, Ill. The date of his nativity was May 16, 1847, and he is a son of Harrison A. and Eunice (Rosier) Albee, both of whom were natives of the Empire State. His father was born in Clinton County, N. Y., and removed to Aurora, Ill., where he is still living. He was reared a farmer, which business he followed for many years. Having accumulated a good store of this world's goods, he has retired from an active participation in business, and is living at No. 129 South Lincoln avenue, Aurora. A little before the Chicago fire he made an investment in some seventy-five shares of stock in the Aurora Fire Insurance Company, which had been removed from the city of his residence to Chicago. In the fiery calamity that overtook the latter place in 1871, the company was simply annihilated, and Mr. Albee was minus his investment.

                        In politics the elder Mr. Albee is a strict Republican, but no aspirant for political office. He has always taken great interest in all public affairs, and in influence is second to none in the locality where he lives. His wife is a native of Onondaga County, N. Y., and is still spared to her husband and children. She is the mother of six children: Henry A., the subject of this sketch; Frank, who married Miss Orpha Ashley, is now living in Grand Island, Neb., with his third wife; Isabelle, who married James P. Weatherstone, a native of England, and a silversmith, is a resident of LaGrange, Cook Co., Ill.; Ahaz, who is living on a farm in Grand Island, Neb.; Willie, who is a fireman on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and makes his home at Aurora; and Ward, who died at the age of three years.

             The subject of this personal biography remained at home, assisting his father in his agricultural labors and receiving the elements of a good education, until he was some twenty-nine years of age. Six years previous to the last-mentioned time, however, he had purchased a threshing-machine in partnership with John Titsworth, of Aurora, and with him operated it for one season. The next year he bought out the interest of his partner and ran it for the three years succeeding. He next sold the old machine, and, in company with John Simons, purchased a new one, which supplied them with work for two successive seasons, after which they sold out and dissolved the copartnership. The next five years of Henry's life were passed in the peaceful pursuits of a farmer's vocation. He then removed to the city of Aurora, and was employed in soliciting orders for agricultural implements for C. S. Lewis, of that place, for about six months. After about three or four months spent in running a large power-drill in the shop of J. J. Budlong & Co., he took in consideration the advantages of moving to Kansas. After mature deliberation, in February, 1883, he came to this State, and made a settlement in Sedgwick County. The following year he purchased the northeast quarter of section 12, of Francis Loyd, where he at present lives. While a resident of the Prairie State, Mr. Albee was united in marriage with Miss Celia VanFleet, the ceremony taking place Jan. 25, 1877. The bride was a native of Kendall County, Ill., born Nov. 9, 1854, and is a daughter of William K. and Wealthy W. (Thayer) VanFleet. Her parents were natives of New York and Massachusetts respectively. Her father had come West with his parents when he was but six years of age, and was reared and educated in Kendall County, Ill., where they settled among the pioneers of that region.

             In his political views Mr. Albee coincides with the Republican party, but has no aspirations for the onerous duties and vexations of political preferment. As a leading and influential citizen he takes great interest in the success of the tickets placed in the field by that party, and not only votes himself, but strives, to the utmost of his power, to induce others to see the question in the right light. He is highly respected and esteemed by the entire population of the township, and looked up to as a man truly honorable and upright in all things, and one whom they can depend upon as a friend.

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