[IMAGE]
Isaac Hammond and Wife, Rebecca Hammond and Grandchildren
Reading from left to right: Florence Valentine, Richard Valentine (standing)
John Isaac Hammond (in front), Mildred Hammond, and Myrle Hammond.

Mrs. Rebecca Hammond, widow of the late Isaac Hammond, is one of the noble pioneer women of Butler county. She was born in Summit county, Ohio, in 1843, and was reared and educated there. Her father, Jacob Isenberger, was also a native of Ohio, and belonged to one of the pioneer families of that State. The late Isaac Hammond was a native of England and immigrated to America with his parents who settled in Illinois when he was four years old. Here he grew to manhood, was educated in the public schools, and remained on the home farm until the Civil war broke out, when he enlisted in an Illinois regiment, and served until the close of the war. After receiving his honorable discharge from the army, he returned to his home in Hancock county, Illinois, where he and Miss Rebecca Isenberger were united in marriage, pursuant to their engagement which had taken place before Mr. Hammond enlisted in the army.

In the spring of 1871, Mr. and Mrs. Hammond came to Butler coun-

ty, Kansas, driving the entire distance from Illinois, with a team and prairie schooner. They camped on the banks of the Whitewater, and Mrs. Hammond remained with the wagon while her husband rode over the surrounding country in search of a suitable claim. It was several days before he found one which was satisfactory, but one night upon his return, he told his wife that he had found a location. She had told him before he started out that, in making his selection, he must pick a good claim for she said, "When I settle on a place I'll never leave it." Fortunately Mr. Hammond did make a good selection, and it was the family home for thirty-seven years. They immediately proceeded to their claim, and lived in a tent there, made of their wagon cover, from May 1 to August 17. They began farming and stock raising on their claim and prospered, and at the time of his death in August, 1908, Mr. Hammond owned 800 acres of land which is still owned by the family. He was an industrious and capable business man and a progressive citizen; and a man who made the world better, for having lived in it. To Mr. and Mrs. Hammond have been born the following children: Walter, died at the age of twenty-eight; Mrs. Jennie Valentine, Greeley, Colo.; Harry, farmer, Augusta; Sydney, farmer, Augusta; Ike, farmer, Augusta; Gladys, died in infancy, and Ray, farmer, Towanda.

Mrs. Hammond resides at Augusta where she and her husband had lived for some time prior to his death. She is enjoying excellent health, and is unusually well preserved for a woman of her age. She does her own housework and is as active mentally and physically as the average person of forty or fifty. Mrs. Hammond has seen much of the life and development of Butler county, and she can relate many interesting reminiscences of pioneer days. On one occasion their house caught fire while she was some distance away for a pail of water. When she saw the fire it immediately occurred to her that one of her children was asleep upstairs in the house, and she lost no time in getting the child out of its dangerous predicament, and then she proceeded to extinguish the fire with melted snow water which she had prepared the day before for the weekly washing.

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