Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 456 - 459 

MRS. SARAH ALLISTON, whose handsome and valuable property lies on section 3 on Wichita township, is a lady of remarkably good business capacity, great intelligence and resolution. Since the decease of her lamented husband, Charles C. Alliston, who passed away on the 11th of April, 1877, Mrs. Alliston has managed with unusual good judgment the extensive business interests left to her charge, paid off various debts, carried on the operations of the farm, and now has one of the finest homes within the limits of Wichita Township. The father of Charles C., dropping the "t" from his name, simply wrote it Allison, as do the family in Champaign County, Ill.

      The lady of whom we write was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, March 18, 1841, and is the daughter of Jesse H. and Maria (Thomas) Reeves, natives of Virginia and Maryland. The mother departed this life at her home in DeWitt County, Ill., in 1857. Jesse H. Reeves is still living and a resident of Miami, this State. Since the death of his excellent partner, thirty-one years ago, Mr. Reeves has remained a widower. Both parents united with the Methodist Episcopal Church early in life, in which Mr. Reeves officiated as Steward for several years. He is a farmer by occupation, but is taking life easy in his declining days.

      The children of the parental family of Mrs. Alliston are recorded as follows: The eldest daughter, Harriet, is the wife of Miles Edmiston, and lives in Paola, this State; Sarah of our sketch is the second child ; Caroline is the wife of D. J. Ramey; Marcus married Miss Mary Lukens, lives in Paola, and is the father of three children; Minnie, Mrs. Lyman Harden, lives in Osawatomie, Kan.; Jennie is the widow of Dr. Firebaugh; Alice is unmarried, and makes her home with her father.

      The subject of this history received a practical education, and under the training of an excellent mother became proficient in all household duties. While a resident of her native State and when nearly twenty years of age, she was united in marriage with Charles C. Alliston, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, Oct. 9, 1860. Mr. Alliston was born in Loudoun County, Va., April 5, 1835, and emigrated with his parents to Ohio when but a child. In 1856 he removed to DeWitt County, Ill., and completed his education in the High Schools of Clinton, employing himself on the farm during his vacations. Mr. and Mrs. Alliston were married after a two years' acquaintance, and spent the first nine years of their wedded life in DeWitt County, Ill. Then resolving to cross the Mississippi, Mr. Alliston came to this county and pre-empted a quarter-section of fine land in Wichita Township. Upon this he labored industriously with good success, and being a man of intelligence and enterprise was recognized as a citizen eminently qualified to look after the interests of the people as the incumbent of the various local offices.

      Upon the outbreak of the Rebellion, Mr. Alliston was in the midst of his personal plans and interests in connection with the welfare of his family. After watching the struggle for several months, and seeing no prospect of immediate settlement of the difficulties between the North and South, he finally left his farm in the hands of his wife, in whom he had undaunted confidence, and on the 17th of October, 1861, enlisted in Company C, 5th Illinois Cavalry, marching with his regiment to the scene of conflict. He participated in some of the most important battles of the war, including the first engagement at Champion Hills and the siege of Vicksburg, and met the enemy in various other engagements and skirmishes. As the result of his hardships and exposures he contracted a disease which confined him in the Overton Hospital at Memphis, Tenn., three months, and from which he suffered more or less the remainder of his life. It also was the indirect cause of his death. Mr. Alliston was a strong Republican, politically, and a member in good standing of the Presbyterian Church. He was of that genial and companionable disposition which gained him many friends, and in the spring of 1870 he was personally acquainted with every man in the county. He took a lively interest in the growth of Southern. Kansas, and was largely instrumental in securing the laying of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway tracks to Wichita, which had they passed by it would have made a wide difference in the standing and importance of this city today. For his services he received a corner lot in the city of Wichita.

      Charles C. Alliston was the offspring of an excellent old family, his parents having been Wilfred and Susan (Littleton) Alliston, natives of Virginia, the father born in Fairfax County and the mother near Leesburg in Loudoun County. The paternal grandfather owned a plantation in the Old Dominion, and there spent his entire life. His brother, William H. Allison, a lawyer and farmer of Champaign County, Ill., is one of the best known men of that section, having served as Justice of the Peace and Supervisor, and held various other offices in his adopted county. He too was born in Loudoun County, Va., Feb. 23, 1837. During his boyhood and youth he attended the public schools at Urbana, Ohio, having been two years of age when his parents removed to that State. He was a bright and ambitious youth and developed as a teacher, which occupation he followed three winters. He emigrated to Illinois in 1857, and thereafter followed teaching during the winter and farmed in summer for a period of nearly thirteen years.

      William H. Allison settled in Champaign County, Ill., in 1869, and purchasing a farm in Brown Township, continued a resident there until 1881. He then removed to East Bend Township, where he has 100 acres of valuable land, highly cultivated and improved, and furnished with a substantial set of farm buildings. He was married, Dec. 8, 1861, to Miss Mary E. Karr, a native of DeWitt County, Ill., and the daughter of John Karr, formerly of Ohio. Mr. Karr removed to Illinois during its early settlement in 1840. He subsequently married Miss Mary Morgan, who was born in Ohio, removed thence with her parents to Kentucky, and afterward to Illinois during her girlhood. William H. Allison is a gentleman of more than ordinary ability, possesses a thorough knowledge of common law, and does a large business throughout the country districts.

      To Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Alliston there were born the children whose record is as follows: Susan M. became the wife of Sylvanus Ruckle, and is now the mother of two children—Charles and Lulu; they are farming in Butler County, Kan. Hall, the second child, is unmarried and attending the business college at Wichita; Earl, Kate, Jessie and Wilfred are at home with their mother, the first-mentioned being her chief assistant on the farm, and the other three pursuing their studies in the district school. The homestead comprises sixty acres of land, valued in 1887 at $1,000 per acre. Mrs. Alliston after the death of her husband put up the present fine dwelling, a view of which we give in this work, and has now besides her real estate a snug bank account.

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