Page 850-851, transcribed by Carolyn Ward from History of Butler County, Kansas by Vol. P. Mooney. Standard Publishing Company, Lawrence, Kan.: 1916. ill.; 894 pgs.


  HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 850 cont'd

W. G. Scrivner, a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Whitewater, Kans., is a native of Estill county, Kentucky. He was born January 4, 1854, and is a son of Joseph and Mary (Benton) Scrivner, both natives of Kentucky and descendants of old American families. The father was a prosperous farmer in Estill county, Kentucky, where he died in July, 1889. The mother departed this life at the old home in Kentucky in 1909. W. G. Scrivner was one of a family of thirteen children. He received his education in the subscription schools of his native State where he remained until 1875 when he came to Kansas, locating in Atchison county. He remained there during the summer of that year and in October came to Butler county with a brother, N. V. Scrivner, and located on land in Fairmount township.

The Scrivner boys had many experiences of an interesting character during their trip from Kentucky to Butler county. They drove nearly the entire distance and rode mules. When they came to this county their capital was limited to about $10, but they set to work at once and like the average pioneers of the time made the best of the situation. They broke the raw prairie and planted about on[sic] hundred acres of wheat that fall. The first few years were filled with discouraging conditions and repeated failures but they were not discouraged. They rented and operated more land from time to time. In 1885, W. G. Scrivner leased 320 acres, which was well stocked, and during the next three years his profits were $3,000. In 1889, he purchased a farm of 160 acres in Fairmount township and shortly afterward leased considerable land in that vicinity and he now owns 400 acres of well improved land in Fairmount and Clifford townships, and is one of the most substantial farmers and stockmen in northwestern Butler county.

Mr. Scrivner was united in marriage July 15, 1889, with Miss Mary J. Nolinger, a native of Butler county and a daughter of J. C. and Phoebe Ann Nolinger, natives of Indiana, born near Logansport. They were early settlers in Butler county, locating here in 1871. To Mr. and


  HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY 851

Mrs. Scriver[sic] have been born ten children, as follows: Claude B., Alfred S., G. P., Myrtle, Iva, Harvey, Henry, Benjamin, Dixie and one child who died in infancy.

In addition to his farming operations, Mr. Scrivner deals extensively in mules, and is perhaps the largest dealer of that character in Butler county. He also has various other local interests and is a stockholder in The Peoples State Bank of Whitewater. Mr. Scrivner's fraternal affiliations are with the Masonic Lodge, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Fraternal Citizens, and politically he is a Democrat. In 1913 the family left the farm and removed to Whitewater where they have superior educational facilities.


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