|
Katurah Coppock was born in Dark???, Ohio, near Dayton, September 11, 1862; She lived in Ohio until about 5 years of age at which time she moved with her parents to Putnam county, Missouri, near Unionville. When she was 11 years old the family moved to Carroll county, Iowa.
In the fall of 1885 on Thanksgiving day Mr. and Mrs. Hall started for western Kansas with their family of three children, Charley, Nora, Irving and a niece who now is Mrs. Nannie Barr, of Utica. With their belongings they started the journey in a prairie schooner with a team of ponies. Henry Hall, a brother and family traveled with the L. E. Hall family to this country.
After leaving Coon Rapids, the first town was Havilin, then Exria, Atlantic, Griswald, Red Oak, Lewis, Sidney and Lick Skillet, Iowa. At the edge of the bluffs on the bank of the Missouri bottoms they loaded their wagons, horses and families in a coal car and crossed the Missouri river on a temporary railroad bridge to Nebraska City, Nebraska.
The ferry boats were unable to run at that time on account of a large sandbar in the river. From Nebraska City they emigrated to Hebron, Beatrice, Oak and Nelson, Nebraska. At Nelson they rented a house and during their stay Mr. Hall freighted from Superior to Nelson and chopped stove wood for a farmer during spare time.
At this time the Halls met both Tillman and Orval Peters, brothers who live west of Utica at the present, and they informed Mr. Hall that he could get land in Kansas as they both had filed on land near Utica.
So the three men, with their families and belongings, started on their westward journey, coming to Gunde Rock, Nebraska, Red Cloud, Buffalo, Napanee, Norton, Edmond, Hill City, Mill Brook, Wakaeney and finally Utica, landing there May 3, 1885. As most pioneers, they landed with not much financial means, in fact Mr. Hall had only $7.50.
Ben Evel helped Mr. Hall locate on 80 acres one mile south of where Utica now stands. At that time Utica was only one sod house occupied by Wilson Killingbeck who kept the postoffice in his home.
After locating on the 80 acres Mr. Hall went to Wakeeney and preempted on 80 acres which cost $1.50 to file. Out of the small budget he brought lumber for his house, two weeks' provisions, blacksmith coal and some iron. He made a part dugout and part sod house. The lumber for the house consisted of one 3x6 to go through the center and half siding, roof sheeting with 1x4's placed four inches apart with sod on top.
Mr. Hall did not have the house completed nor the doorway dug out; was busy in the blacksmith shop in an old sod wall with no roof on it when one night there came a regular downpour of rain. He got up in the night to cover an oilcloth over the children to keep them dry but the water came in anyway and they had to stay in bed until morning wrapped in wet quilts as they had no kerosene nor fuel to burn.
Shortly after this Mr. Hall sold one of his ponies for $125 and they built a good sod house. After living on the 80 acres six months he proved up on it and sold it for $300. He still continued to do blacksmithing, then bought a contest on a quarter section of land four miles west of Utica.
In 1887 the Missouri Pacific railroad was built through the county and the city of Utica was laid out.
In the fall of 1887 C. E. Barr came to Utica and was a partner with Mr. Hall in the shop. They worked together for a time and as there wasn't much to do Mr. Hall sold his part to Mr. Barr and moved on a tree claim and farmed a few years. He added a half section to the quarter and was later engaged in the mercantile business.
He stayed in this business for about three years but was very tired of running the store so traded to Mr. Wick for land and finally decided to go back to his farm four miles north of Utica where he and his wife now live. He has done all kinds of work, blacksmithing, plastering soddies, plowing and breaking prairie and for wages accepted only what people had to spare as there wasn't much money in the county then.
Mr. Hall liked Kansas from the first day he landed and still likes it. Last year he had splendid trip west to Oregon, California and other states. At Oregon he visited a brother whom he had not seen for 43 years. During his trip Mrs. Hall remained in Kansas and visited relatives. But with what he has seen of other states he still prefers Kansas.
And Friday, November 26, 1928, Mr. and Mrs. Hall celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at their home with a turkey dinner and all the trimmings. Only three of their children, Mrs. Nora Wheatcroft, Smith Center; Dr. I. B. Hall, Wakeeney, and Mrs. Ness Maranville, Ness City, were able to be present. Other relatives present were; Mrs. Birdie Hall and family, and Glenn Collins, of Pendennis; Dr. Halls family of Wakeeney; Virginia Maranville, Mrs. Nannie Barr, Mrs. Belle Hotchkiss and Mr. Young of Great Bend.
Before retiring to the dining room Virginia Maranville, granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hall, sang Silver Threads Among the Gold; Misses Lila and Merle Hall of Wakeeney, sang Loves Old Sweet Song. Both numbers were accompanied at the piano by Mrs. Maranville. At 1:30 p.m. KOA, Denver dedicated three numbers to the bride and groom. Silver Threads Among the Gold, When You and I Were Young Maggie and Venetian Love Song, by Neven.
The table was decorated with gold nut cups, flowers and the place cards were written in gold. Fifty gold candles decorated the wedding cake which was cut by the bride. Dinner was served by the Misses Lila and Merie Hall, their granddaughters.
Mr. and Mrs. Hall have six living children, Mrs. Nora Wheatcroft, Smith Center; Dr. I. B. Hall, Wakeeney; Dr. E. C. Hall, Sharon Springs; Dr. C. L. Hall, Tinipas, Colorado; Mrs. Ness Maranville, Ness City; Mrs. Alpha Burgess, Denver, Colorado; and twenty three grandchildren.
The day was closed with a surprise in the evening when about 40 guests including old timers and neighbors came in to congratulate the bride and groom.
Mr. Birdie Hall, Mrs. Nora Wheatcroft and Mrs. Ness Maranville assisted by Virginia Maranville and Arlene Waterson, served delicious refreshments consisting of sandwiches, pickles, salad, cake and coffee to the following guests; Mr. and Mr. L. E. Hall, Mr. and Mr. F. E. Schoepf, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Wheatroft, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Shellenberger, Mrs. Birdie Schoept, Mr. and Mrs. S. E. King, Mrs. Maggie Bollinger, Mrs. Nannie Barr, Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Bollinger, Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Vanscyee, Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Carlson, Frances Thornburn, Harold Thornburg, Mr. and Mrs. Watts, Beula Barr, Mr. and Mrs. C. Z. Miller, of Ransom, Mr. and Mr.s A. P. Waterson, and daughter, Arlene; and Ness Maranvile of Ness City; Mrs. Belle Hotchkiss and Mr. Young of Great Bend; Virginia Maranville, Dennis Hall and Glenn Collins. Each guest was presented with a little gold basket filled with candy as a favor of the golden wedding.
Mr. and Mr. Hall declare they had a most wonderful time with their children, relatives and old friends and neighbors helping them celebrate the fiftieth year of married life. The bride and groom received, many beautiful gifts and they wish to thank all who gave them such lovely and useful presents.
Ness County News, Ness City, Kansas Saturday, July 13, 1929
Mr. and Mrs. John McFadden, of Highpoint township, as far as we ave been able to learn, are the first couple to have been married in Ness county and have lived here practically ever since.
It was on July 6, 1879, that John McFadden and Mary Olive Strait were united in marriage in a sod dug out on the banks of the WAlnut, just a mile or two from their present home, by Rev. Hankensmith, a Methodist minister from Brown's Grove, which is now called Burdett.
Mr. McFadden at this time had a homestead over in Hodgeman county and here he took his young bride to live in a sod house and in speaking of the early days mrs. McFadden recalled that for the first year of their married life they lived on corn bread, potatoes and coffee, with an occasional jack rabbit for meat.
Mr. and Mrs. McFadden a few years ago bought a home in Great Bend, but Mrs. McFadden had lived too long on the farm to enjoy city life, so they rented their property there and moved back to the farm, and she says she is perfectly satisfied with life on a farm in this county.
Eight children were born to this union, six girls and two boys, two of whom have passed on. All the other children were home for the celebration of the golden wedding Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. McFadden have a table in their home that is over a hundred years old. It was made by a cousin of Mrs. McFadden and given them as a wedding present. They ate their first meal on it after they were married and used the same table Sunday.
The wedding dinner was served at the home of the McFaddens and only relatives were present.
In the afternoon they had planned a picnic and basket dinner in a grove near their home. Nearly a hundred guests had arrived to help them celebrate, when the storm came on and all were forced to make a hurried trip to shelter, thus bringing to a close what would no doubt have been a happy gathering.
Those from a distance who attended the golden wedding were; Mr. and Mrs. Harley McFadden, of Manhatten; A. Strait, of Goodland and G. Strait, of Coats. The former is son of the host and hostess and the latter two are brothers of Mrs. McFadden.
Saturday, December 1, 1928 - Ness County News, Ness City, Kansas
Submitted by Pamela Tynes
Submitted by Pamela Tynes
Return to Ness County Trails
Return to Kansas Trails
Retrn to Genealogy Trails