Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 439 - 440

CALVIN ELSWICK is one of the industrious and thorough farmers and stock-raisers of Salem Township, and one of the representative men of that portion of Sedgwick County. He is the owner of a splendid farm of 240 acres on sections 10 and 11, all of which is highly cultivated. His residence, which is a very handsome and commodious one, his fine barns, and out-buildings, add materially to the appearance of the place, and to its value from a financial point of view. He is a native of Campbell County, Tenn., and first opened his eyes upon the scenes of this life Dec. 28, 1822.

            Andrew Elswick, the father of our subject, was also born in the State of Tennessee, and was of German descent. His wife, Elizabeth (Castle) Elswick, was born in Virginia, and was the mother of thirteen children, of whom the following are living: Jonathan, a resident of Kansas; Oliver, living in Missouri; Elmira, Mrs. John Tate, who makes her home in Iowa; Rachel, Mrs. Patterson McClure, of Kansas; Sarah, who married John W. Evans, living in this county, and Calvin, the subject of our sketch. Jonathan Elswick, an uncle of the latter, served as a soldier in the American army during the war with Great Britain in 1812-15.

            When he was four years of age the subject of this memoir was taken by his parents to Fayette County, Ind., where they made their home for about two years, and then moved to Rush County, in the same State. After a residence which extended over a period of sixteen years, the family removed to Iowa, and settled in Monroe County. The father died while a resident of the Hawkeye State in June, 1876, and the decease of the mother took place subsequently in Missouri, in the year 1878. Calvin was reared to manhood in Indiana, and received but a limited education in the district schools of that State, not having the facilities for acquiring knowledge that is placed at the disposal of the young people of the present day. He was reared to the occupation of a farmer, which vocation he has always followed.

            Mr. Elswick has been twice married, the first time in Indiana, Oct, 19, 1843, when he plighted his troth at the nuptial altar with Miss Parthenia Hicks. She was the mother of eight children, only three of whom are now living, viz: Oliver, Alfred and Edward. Those deceased bore the names of John W., Henry, Francis, Sarah and Mary E. In 1872 Mr. Elswick was unfortunate enough to lose his wife, whose death occurred on August 11. Appreciating the Divine injunction that man was not made to live alone, on the 20th of January, 1876, he again entered into a matrimonial alliance. The bride upon this occasion was Miss Sallie A. Ball, a native of Parke County, Ind., born Sept. 25, 1856, and daughter of William H. Ball and Lydia Ann Adams, his wife, who had formerly been residents of this county. By this marriage there have been three children born unto them, viz: Emily, Ira and Bertha L. William H. and Lydia Ann (Adams) Ball were the parents of nine children, as follows: Sallie A., George, James, Zopher, William, Charles, John, Mary and Rose. George, James, William and Mary are deceased. Mrs. Ball died in May, 1872, and Mr. Ball was again married in 1874, to Mrs. Malissa Rouse, by whom he has six children-Howard, Ella, Henry and Alice, twins, Calvin and Lina. Calvin is deceased.

            In 1877 Mr. Elswick and his family came from Iowa, where he had resided for many years, and settled in Sedgwick County, in Kechi Township, on a farm. He remained in the latter place until the spring of 1887, when he removed to the farm in Salem Township where he is at present living. He is virtually a self-made man in the truest sense of the word, having begun life on a rented farm in Indiana, and by industry, perseverance and diligence in his calling, has by degrees acquired the handsome property which he now owns, besides having given to his sons 160 acres of land. While a resident of Monroe County, Iowa, he served as Trustee of Monroe Township for several years, and for nine years as a member of the School Board, always with credit to himself and his constituents. In politics he is a Democrat.

            A lithographic view is shown of Mr. Elswick's residence.

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