Henry H. Quantic
HENRY H. QUANTIC. One of the well known and highly respected citizens of Riley, Kansas, is Henry H. Quantic, a substantial retired farmer. For thirty-two years he has been a resident of Kansas and during this time has witnessed many wonderful changes, and he has done his part in bringing about many that have been beneficial. He was born in the old Town of Kingsbury, in Somersetshire, England, June 10, 1841. His parents, who lived and died in England, were Job and Hannah (Bonning) Quantic, who had a family of thirteen children, five of whom reached mature years. Henry H. was the eldest of the sons, the others being: Thomas G., John, Job and Samuel, and of these, Henry H., Thomas and Job, the last named being deceased all came to America.
Henry H. Quantic was the first of his family to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the United States, making the voyage in 1862, at the instance of Job Bradford, an Englishman, who had previously [Transcriber's note: the preceding lines appeared to have been transposed in the original, they have been sequenced here for reading] located on a farm in New York and there prospered. During a visit to his native land he proposed to Henry. H. Quantic a plan whereby the young man could borrow from him the sum needed for his traveling expenses and repay it by working on Mr. Bradford's farm for $10 per month. The offer was accepted and duly carried out and it seemed so sensible a plan that subsequently Mr. Quantic brought his brother Thomas to the United States under like conditions, and two years later, in 1868, also aided his brother Job in the same way.
Mr. Quantic continued to follow farming in New York until 1884, when he came to Riley County, Kansas, settling in Wild Cat Township, in the Valley of the Wild Cat. There he secured land which he subsequently developed into a fine farm and through hard work, frugality and good business management added greatly to his original holding and became one of the county's large landowners. For a number of years he engaged profitably in farming and stock raising, but the time came when ease and comfort began to look attractive and therefore he sold his country property and moved into the pleasant Town of Riley, retiring entirely from active business.
In 1868 Mr. Quantic was married to Dorcas Ann Trebley, who was then a resident of New York, but her birth took place in England, April 2, 1842. To this marriage the following children were born: Charles H., Florence A., Effie T., Maude E. and Myrtle Hannah. Both Mr. and Mrs. Quantic are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and they are counted among the most active and benevolent residents of their Christian body. In politics Mr. Quantic casts his vote with the republican party but has never consented to hold a public office. His life has been one of industry and honesty, with strict regard for the rights of others, and temperate in all things and a strict observer of the moral code, he has reached advanced age in good health and thereby is able to fully enjoy the ease which is his portion and which he has earned.
Transcribed from volume 4, pages 1796-1797 of A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, copyright 1918; originally transcribed 1998, modified 2003 by Carolyn Ward.