Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 708 - 709

JOHN C. MARSHALL, who is carrying on the joint occupations of farming, stock-raising and blacksmithing on section 36, Greeley Township, is an Ohio man by birth, in which State he began life on the 3d of November, 1825. He came to this county in the spring of 1880, and, as his homestead indicates, has made good use of his time and opportunity.

             The parents of our subject, Hugh and Elizabeth (Pitts) Marshall, were natives of Kentucky, where the father labored mostly in a stone quarry and was at the head of a family of eleven children. Both parents are deceased. Hugh Marshall was an honest, hard-working men, and with his excellent wife, a member in good standing of the Christian Church. They left the Blue Grass regions at an early day and settled in Preble County, Ohio, where they spent the remainder of their lives.

 All the sons of the parental household of our subject, with the exception of the latter, served as soldiers in the Union army. Of these children, Enoch, Margaret, Milton K., Rachel and Martin are deceased. Milton, while in the army was struck on the head by the bursting of a shell, which destroyed his hearing, and about 1882 or 1883, owing to his deafness, was killed by the cars while walking on the railroad track in the State of Michigan. Enoch also lost his hearing by an explosion while blasting rock, and he too was killed, like his brother, by the cars in Ohio. Isaac is a resident of Reno County, this State.

             Mr. Marshall was reared as a farmer's boy in his native county, and continued a member of his father's household until twenty years of age. He came to Illinois with the family in 1857, and engaged as a blacksmith several years in the town of Carlisle. Before leaving the Buckeye State he was united in marriage with a maiden of his own county, Miss Ann M. Knapp, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, in the spring of 1856. This lady became the mother of three children -- John C., Joshua P. and Lucretia. The first-mentioned is a blacksmith by trade, and a resident of Mt. Hope, this county. The others are deceased. The mother died at her home in Carlisle, in May, 1862.

             Our subject, in 1867, contracted a second marriage, with Miss Ema Hatch, in September, 1867. Mrs. Ema Marshall was born Feb. 22, 1845, in Jefferson County, Ohio, and is the daughter of Benjamin F. and Lydia P. (Eaton) Hatch, who were natives of Vermont and the parents of eight children, namely: Abbie Jane, Charles, Ellen, Francis L., Isaac, Sylvester E., Laura Emma and Mary E. Of these but four are living. Benjamin Hatch was a resident of Canada during the insurrection there, by reason of which he lost all his property. He subsequently followed merchandising in Ohio and Illinois, and died in Carlisle, about 1851. The mother is now a resident of Missouri. Both were members in good standing of the Baptist Church, and the father belonged to the I. O. O. F. Mrs. Hatch is descended from an excellent old Quaker family, who first came over in the "Mayflower," and has in her possession a shovel and tongs and other relics brought over at that time, and which are believed to have belonged to Ann Austin, of historic fame. Both Mrs. Hatch and her husband were well educated, the former completing her studies in an excellent school in New Bedford, Mass.

            Joseph Hatch died about 1881. He became a resident of Detroit and was for some time the Inspector of flour at that point. Charles, previous to the outbreak of the Rebellion, was a merchant of Baton Rouge, and joined the rebel army, in which he became a General, was captured by the Union troops and taken to Columbus, Ohio, where he was subsequently exchanged. It is supposed that he then returned South, but he has never since been heard from by his family.

             Mr. Marshall located on his present farm of eighty acres in 1880, where he has effected all the improvements which to-day are the admiration of the passing traveler. The fields are enclosed with handsome hedge and wire fencing, and the buildings are neat and substantial. His family includes his excellent wife and three children, the latter named respectively: Hugh B., Maude and David C. Mrs. M. is a member in good standing of the Christian Church. Our subject, politically, votes the straight Republican ticket. Socially, he is devoted to the interests of the I. O. O. F., with which he became identified in 1855.

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