Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 671 - 672 

WILLIAM McCRACKEN, the leading nursery man of the State of Kansas, has one of the finest fruit farms within its limits. This comprises 200 acres of highly cultivated land, eligibly located on Chisholm Creek, section 22, in Grant Township. His elegant residence, flanked by a fine barn and other well-appointed buildings, is the admiration of the country around, and the entire homestead with its appurtenances stands as a silent monument to the perseverance and industry of the proprietor. Among the many views of residences and farm homesteads presented in this volume, none speaks in higher terms of praise of its owner than the splendid double-page view of Mr. McCracken's property. It tells, in unmistakable terms, of his rare business enterprise, of his unceasing labor, close attention, and broad and liberal views.

             Mr. McCracken is the offspring of a fine old Pennsylvania family, and was born in Allegheny County, that State, on the 16th of March, 1826. His father, Robert McCracken, also a native of the Keystone State, was married in early manhood to Miss Catherine McGregor, and they became the parents of ten children, of whom William, our subject, was the sixth in order of birth. His paternal grandparents, Alexander and Mary (Marsha) McCracken, were natives of Ireland, and crossed the Atlantic in their youth, locating in Pennsylvania, where they spent the remainder of their days.

             Robert McCracken after his marriage carried on farming in Pennsylvania until 1854, and then, when past the meridian of life, changed his residence to Fulton County, Ill., where he settled among the pioneers of that section and lived until quite well stricken in years. He finally crossed the Missippi and, coming to the home of his son in this county, here spent his last days, passing away in the summer of 1881, after having reached the advanced age of ninety-three years. The wife and mother had departed hence over thirty years before, her death taking place at the old homestead in Pennsylvania in 1850. Six of their children are ill living, and residents mostly of Kansas.

             The boyhood days of our subject were spent mostly after the manner of farmers' sons, and at an early period in his life he became interested in fruit-growing, to which he devoted himself to a considerable extent, both in Pennsylvania and Illinois. In this he has now had an experience of fifty years, and may be pardoned for the belief that he has a pretty good understanding of the business. He left Illinois in the fall of 1872, and coming to this county purchased the whole of section 11 in Grant Township, this tract being then an unbroken prairie. He homesteaded an additional quarter-section, five acres of which had been broken by the plowshare, and the year following had turned the sod upon the balance, besides going through the same process on 160 acres of his first purchase.

             Mr. McCracken for several years previous to settling in this State had watched the development of its soil and climate, and had been impressed with the belief that as a fruit-growing section it could scarcely be excelled in the Southwest, and it was with this end in view that he located here. The first year he set out about 25,000 trees, and the second year a like number. To his great disappointment and loss nearly all of these were destroyed by the "grasshopper raid of 1874," but, without spending any time bewailing his misfortune, he as soon as possible replanted, and has now one of the finest fruit and nursery farms in Southern Kansas. He challenges any man to show a finer area devoted to the same purpose, or to exhibit a greater variety of fruit. Among the almost numberless specimens are those which ripen in succession from the middle of May to the middle of November. For these he has a ready market, his shipments being mostly to Wichita and Newton.

             Mr. McCracken has now 300 acres of choice land under a good state of cultivation and, besides his possessions in Grant Township, has reached over into Stafford County, and adjacent to the town of Maxville has 100 acres planted with 30,000 trees, which number it is his intention to increase this present year (1888). He also owns forty acres near the town of Kingman, in Kingman County, a part of which at least he will devote to his favorite industry. He has been very liberal as a citizen in the encouragement of all worthy enterprises, and assisted in building the three church edifices of Grant Township, besides giving his substantial assistance to the support and maintenance of the societies.

             Mr. McCracken, while a resident of his native State, was there married, in Butler County, June 2, 1853, to Miss Mary Lindsay, who is about the same age as her husband, having been born July 18, 1826. Mrs. McCracken is a native of Ireland, whence she emigrated to America with her parents when a young child. Her father, William Lindsay, and his wife, known in her girlhood as Miss Sarah Alexander, were also of Irish birth and parentage, and after coming to the United States settled in Pennsylvania, and in Butler County in 1854.

             The McCracken residence, at the time of its erection nine years ago, was considered the finest in the county, and there are now but very few which will compare with it. It is surmounted by a fine observatory, from which may be obtained an extensive view of the surrounding country a dozen miles in each direction. In connection with his fruit-growing interests, Mr. McCracken officiates as Postmaster at Sunnydale, and also conducts a store of general merchandise, which is located on the farm and in the building from which the United States mail of this section is distributed. The Methodist Episcopal Church building adjacent is one of the objects of his solicitous care; and of the society, which was established in 1881, Mrs. McC. is an active and consistent member.

            It is worthy of mention, which also largely explains Mr. McC.'s enthusiasm in behalf of Kansas, that he has traveled extensively over the United States to find water, soil and desirable climate combined, and, in his judgment found nothing equal to that of the Arkansas River Valley in Kansas.

            The portraits of Mr. and Mrs. McCracken appear on an adjoining page, and will be welcomed by a host of friends.

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