Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 937 - 938

DR. W. H. H. OATLEY, who is the favorite physician and surgeon of Delano, and whose portrait is presented on an accompanying page, aside from his professional duties, has since 1882 turned his attention to farming and stock-raising, operating mostly in thoroughbred, registered Short-horn cattle and full-blooded Poland-China swine. He has been uniformly successful through life, and giving to whatever he has attempted his best efforts, advanced from a modest beginning to a good position, socially and financially, among his fellowmen. His early advantages until able to do for himself were extremely limited, but being naturally fond of books he made the most of his opportunities, and acquired his knowledge in a manner which enabled him to retain what he learned.

             The Oatley family is of Scotch ancestry, but on the side of the mother of our subject the latter is of German descent. He was born in Janesville, Muskingum Co., Ohio, Jan. 16, 1838, and is the son of James and Elizabeth (Lenhart) Oatley, who removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio during its pioneer days. After going through the common school he entered the High School at Janesville, and subsequently spent two years in the school at Delaware, Ohio, paying his way by teaching during vacations. He also taught considerably after leaving college and while reading medicine. His first studies in connection with his profession were pursued under the instruction of O. C. Farquar, Prof. Hamilton, now at the head of the Surgical Department in Sterling College, and Prof. Rearing, who is now connected with the Medical College at Cincinnati, Ohio. From the latter institution Dr. Oatley was graduated in 1861.

             Our subject commenced practice in Muskingum County, Ohio, and Nov. 8, 1864, was united in marriage with Miss Jennie Garner, who was born in Zanesville, Ohio, Feb. 27, 1837. He came with his wife to Kansas in 1869, locating on the present site of Wichita, and put up the first frame dwelling erected there, having pre-empted a quarter-section of land in 1870. This he continued to occupy until 1882, and from it built up one of the finest homesteads in the suburbs.

             Dr. Oatley presided as master over the first school taught in the embryo village of Wichita, and at that time might have pre-empted almost any amount of land upon the present site of the city. The soil here, however, was inferior to that of the land surrounding it, and he did not desire it. The Occidental Hotel occupies the site of his first dwelling. He has lived to see a broad and uncultivated tract of land transformed into beautiful homes, and a flourishing city grow up in less than a quarter of a century. He continued in the vicinity of Wichita for a period of eleven years, and in April, 1880, sold his first property and removed to his present farm. This latter is operated mostly by employes, while the Doctor has the general supervision. The people have not been willing that he should abandon his profession, and the writer has heard many of them express themselves to the effect that Dr. Oatley is the most successful practitioner in this part of the State.

             Mrs. Jennie (Garner) Oatley departed this life at her home in Delano Township on the 31st of August, 1884, leaving no children. The Doctor contracted a second marriage, on the 26th of October, 1885, with Mrs. Alcinda (Rusk) Wright, daughter of Manley W. and Rose Ella (Gibson) Rusk. Mrs. Oatley was born in Loudoun County, Va., March 11, 1833. Her parents were also natives of the Old Dominion, and her mother, a distant connection of Gen. Gibson, was reared in the Quaker faith. The father died in early life, and the mother was subsequently married to A. M. Hollingsworth, on the 17th of January, 1858. Of this marriage there are four children. The eldest, Franklin S., born Nov. 2, 1858, is married and lives in Sacramento, Cal.; he is the father of one child. Lewis M., born April 23, 1860, is a farmer of Knox County, Ohio, married, and the father of one child; Charles H. C. was born Jan. 25, 1862, is unmarried, and lives in Sacramento, Cal.; Carrie was born Feb. 23, 1864, and is the wife of Martin Miller, of Zanesville, Ohio, and the mother of three children.

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