Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 897 - 898

AMOS A. PACKER, of Wichita, came to Southern Kansas in 1870, and for a time engaged in the harness business. He then established the second livery in the city, in a stable built out of store-boxes and oyster cans. He is now one of the capitalists of Wichita and partially retired from active business, devoting his time to the supervision of his property interests and literary pursuits, having one of the most classical and rare libraries in the city, of which he is a thorough student, and complete master. His unique and tasteful residence is situated at the intersection of Topeka avenue and Lewis street, in one of the most beautiful sections of the city.

            Mr. Packer was born Aug. 30, 1833, near Wheeling, where he spent his boyhood days. His parents, Isaac and Rebecca (Allen) Packer, were natives of Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Virginia, and engaged in the hotel business at Wheeling for many years. The father also dealt in live stock considerably in that State. He died at Zanesville, Ohio, in 1884. The mother passed away in 1852, thirty-two years before the decease of her husband. They were both reared in the Quaker Church, of which they became members by birthright. Their six children were: Angelina A., now Mrs. R. J. Campbell; Esther J., the wife of J. Anderson; Sarah B.; Saretta, now Mrs. F. W. Todd; John, and Amos A., our subject.

            The subject of this sketch left his native State in 1852, and came to Iowa, where he remained one summer. Thence he went east to Illinois, where he remained two years. His next removal was to Missouri, and he made his home at St. Louis, where he employed himself in the book and stationery business. In 1857 he moved to Roanoke; that State, where he studied medicine in the office of Dr. Hayes until the spring of 1860, and during the border difficulties between that State and Kansas. From there he moved in an emigrant wagon to Leavenworth, Kan., and assisted in the establishment of a wagon road from that place to Denver, Col., in which enterprise he was introduced to frontier life in earnest, as the men were continually harassed by the Indians, who assumed a threatening attitude toward the white man's advance. In one conflict with them Mr. Packer's party sustained the loss of some of its members, but succeeded in pushing ahead and completing the road. This route was afterward the great thoroughfare to the Pike's Peak gold fields, then the object of great excitement, and which had been but slightly explored at this time. Our party engaged there in mining, teaming and general camp life.

            Amos Packer was the first man to carry the mail from Denver to Colorado Springs, at the base of Pike's Peak, his route lying through that beautiful section of country which was termed the "Garden of the Gods." He also established the mail route from Denver to Missouri City, Col. He remained in this country until the spring of 1862, when he stampeded on what was known as the Salmon River stampede, and succeeded in getting as far as Old Ft. Hall, on the Skape River, Idaho, where he conducted a trading business between the Mormons and miners. He spent the following winter in Salt Lake Valley, where he became acquainted with the old grandmother Chapman, the wife of Isaac, twin brother of Jacob, grandfather of the Chapman Bros., of Chicago, the publishers of this volume.

            Mr. Packer was in the gulch adjacent to the present site of Virginia City, Mont, where he took up a claim and remained the following summer. Here he became acquainted with Albert A. Stone, John Vincent, who was by profession a ship carpenter, and E. R. Barton, familiarly called "Romeo," who entered into the project of drifting by way of the Lewis Fork and Columbia River to the Pacific, arriving at Colville, W. T., late in the fall of 1863. It was at this point that the ship carpenter was first brought into use, when they built two river crafts, called the White Hall boats, launching them in the Columbia, one below and one above Kettles Falls. On one of these boats our subject, accompanied by a half-breed Indian called Jo, loaded flour and mining supplies and started down the river. He successfully ran all the rapids, including the noted Spokan and Priest, a feat that had never before been accomplished without a portage, and one which our subject considers the most perilous he ever undertook.

            At Celilo the boat was abandoned, and the following winter found our adventurer in Portland, Ore., where he remained until spring. From there he drifted to Boise City, Idaho. In 1864 he returned to Colville, and with the aid of the ship carpenter, assisted in building the first steamer that navigated the Columbia River above Kettles Falls. During these days of adventure Mr. Packer at times would have a full purse, and at other seasons hardly knew where he would get the next meal. He, however, borrowed no trouble and always managed to come out in the end very comfortably.

            Mr. Packer next revisited Virginia City, took in Salt Lake, where he wintered, and about the spring of 1867 purchased a lot of cattle and drove them to the Limhi gold mines, where he remained about four months. Then he visited Medicine Lodge, and taking in Salt Lake City once more, arrived at Cheyenne again in 1867, and for a time thereafter was employed on the Union Pacific Railroad. This contract ending, he embarked in general merchandising at Trinidad, Col., which did not exactly prove a success.

            From here Mr. Packer drifted to Kansas, and arrived at Wichita in the spring of 1870. He settled down to business, and has made this city his continuous residence ever since. On the 26th of February, 1874, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Elizabeth (Williams) Jones, who was born in Crawfordsville, Ind., July 20, 1838. Mrs. Packer is the daughter of John H. and Cassandra (Minor) Williams, who were called from earth when their daughter was a young child. They were natives respectively of England and Pennsylvania. Of the seven children born to them Mrs. Packer is the only survivor. Of her union with our subject there have been born two children - Edna Fay and Robert Ingersoll. Of the union of Mrs. Packer and O. F. Jones there is one child, a daughter, Maud J., born March 13, 1865, at Cleveland, Ohio. She is now the wife of Charles Mosbacher, of Wichita, and they are the parents of one child, a son, Karl J.

            We thus note in the history of Mr. Packer a career of more than ordinary interest, and the portrait of the hero of many adventures, which we herewith present, is also that of one of Wichita's most valued and useful business men.

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