MRS. A. B. GRAY.

                                                            Arkansas City.

[Note: Mrs. A. B. Gray may have been listed in the 1893 Arkansas City census. It shows the following.]

ARKANSAS CITY 1893: ANNA GRAY, AGE 63.

The only child that Mrs. Gray had that we know anything about was W. H. Gray, and I found it easy to get him mixed up with W. J. Gray. The few entries I have found relative to W. H. Gray are listed below. MAW

Riverview Cemetery Records compiled by Bunner show...

Anna B. Gray, Birth Date ?, Space 2, Lot 16, Block O, Old Addition.

W. M. [Has to be H.] Gray, Birth Date ?, Space 4, Lot 16, Block O, Old Addition.

No other Gray listed in old addition under Block O.

Riverview Cemetery Records compiled by Bunner show...

J. H. [has to be I.] Bonsall, birth date 1833, Space 7, Lot 19, Block O, Old Addition.

Susie M. Bonsall, birth date 11-30-1831, Space 10, Lot 19, Block O, Old Addition.

I. H. Bonsall was the brother of Mrs. A. B. Gray.

                                               FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.

                                               THE WINFIELD COURIER.

                                                     CENTENNIAL ISSUE.

                         WINFIELD COURIER, THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1876.

                                                        ARKANSAS CITY.

On January 1st, 1870, the first stake was driven in the town site by the town company. On March 1st, 1870, G. H. Norton built the first house on the town site, which he occupied as a resi­dence and store. It is now occupied by Mrs. Gray.

W. H. Gray, son of Mrs. A. B. Gray...

[COMMITTEE FOR THE CHRISTMAS TREE AND FESTIVAL.]

Arkansas City Traveler, December 13, 1876.

                                        COMMITTEE ON CHRISTMAS TREE.

Mrs. C. R. Sipes, Mrs. Dr. Shepard, Mrs. J. Breene, Mrs. R. A. Houghton, Mrs. T. Mantor, Miss M. Thompson, Mrs. L. McLaughlin, Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. T. R. Houghton, Miss F. Skinner, Mrs. S. P. Channell, W. H. Gray, Mrs. T. H. McLaughlin, Al Mowry, Mrs. James Benedict, L. C. Norton, I. H. Bonsall.

[CENTENNIAL FESTIVAL: AT NEWMAN’S NEW BUILDING.]

Arkansas City Traveler, December 20, 1876.

Festival to be held at Newman’s new building, on Christmas night, Monday, December 25, 1876. Everybody and his wife are expected, and cordially invited to come. Besides the Christmas tree, there will be a charade acted by the ladies and gentlemen of Arkansas City; a Yankee kitchen in “ye olden style” with pumpkin pies and baked beans one hundred years old, fresh and nice, and a supper of modern times, with all the luxuries of the season. Fresh fish from the fish pond, caught on the spot, to order, and oysters from the Walnut. Now, young ladies, remember leap year is drawing to a close, and only a few days are left, and you should not lose the last chance you may have for four years to come. Who knows what fate may have in store for you, or what the fish pond may produce? And everybody should remember that but few of us will be on hand to attend the next Centennial festival, and make the most of this opportunity.

Come, everybody, and have a good time. The Christmas tree will be decorated in the afternoon, and persons wishing to have gifts put on the tree will please hand them to someone of the committee before 4 p.m., as there will be too much to attend to in decorating the hall to receive packages after that hour.

The committee appointed to decorate the tree is as follows:

Ladies—Mrs. Sipes, Mrs. Breene, Mrs. T. Mantor, Mrs. T. H. McLaughlin, Mrs. T. R. Houghton, Mrs. Dr. Hughes, Mrs. Dr. Shepard, Mrs. R. A. Houghton, Miss Mattie Thompson, Miss Kennedy, Miss F. Skinner.

Gentlemen—S. P. Channell, W. H. Gray, James Benedict, I. H. Bonsall, L. McLaughlin, Al. Mowry, L. C. Norton.

Anything left at Bonsall’s photograph gallery before the 25th will be taken care of and put on the tree by the committee.

Arkansas City Traveler, May 30, 1877.

MRS. GRAY, AT CAPTAIN NORTON’S FORMER RESIDENCE, has a number of beautiful flowers in full bloom.

Arkansas City Traveler, March 27, 1878.

DR. CARLISLE, of Knox County, Ohio, had a letter of intro­duction to Mrs. Gray from some friends in the Buckeye State [Ohio]. He came out last week and has concluded to locate among us. The Doctor will turn his attention mainly to stock raising.

Arkansas City Traveler, September 10, 1879.

Parties desiring a good cooking stove or heater, cheap, can be accommodated by calling on Mrs. Gray, at the old Capt. Norton place. She has three stoves in first-rate order, and other household articles, which she wishes to sell before returning to the East.

Arkansas City Traveler, April 13, 1881.

The Arkansas City Post Office was established in 1870, with G. H. Norton as Postmaster, and the office was first opened in the log house now owned by Mrs. A. B. Gray.

Arkansas City Traveler, April 13, 1881.

Mrs. A. B. Gray, sister of Mr. Bonsall, returned to her home at this place last Wednesday. Mrs. Gray has been absent for some time in Illinois, visiting friends.

Arkansas City Traveler, July 20, 1881.

Mrs. A. B. Gray offers the whole or part of her residence property in the city for sale, cheap. The place is stocked with some of the choicest fruits, and to anyone with a taste for horticultural pursuits, this would be a profitable investment.

Arkansas City Traveler, July 20, 1881.

AD: FOR SALE—CHEAP! Either one-half or the whole of block 13, in Arkansas City. Well stocked with choice fruits. Inquire on the premises of Mrs. A. B. Gray.

Arkansas City Traveler, June 13, 1883.

There will be a meeting of the members of the Baptist Church of Arkansas City, at the home of Mrs. A. Gray, on Saturday, the 23rd inst., at 3 p.m., for the purpose of electing five trustees of said church. A. GRAY, Church Clerk.

Arkansas City Traveler, June 20, 1883.

Members of the Baptist Church will please meet at Mrs. A. Gray’s on Saturday next. See notice elsewhere.

Notice. There will be a meeting of the members of the Baptist Church of Arkansas City, at the home of Mrs. A. Gray, on Saturday, the 23rd inst., at 3 p.m., for the purpose of electing five trustees of said church. A. GRAY, Church Clerk.

Arkansas City Traveler, August 22, 1883.

The old Capt. Norton place, for the past nine years the property of Mrs. A. Gray, was sold Monday to B. F. Childs, of Kansas City. Mrs. Gray will build in some other part of the city.

Arkansas City Traveler, October 10, 1883.

Mr. B. F. Childs, the gentleman who lately purchased Mrs. Gray’s property, arrived from Kansas City last week. It is his intention to build as soon as possible.

Arkansas City Traveler, Supplement, December 19, 1883.

The sound of blasting that has prominently appealed to the auricular organs of our citizens for the past few days is the effect of Fitzpatrick’s being in pursuit of the aqueous fluid on the residence properties of Mr. Copple and Mrs. Gray, on Sixth street.

Arkansas City Traveler, February 13, 1884.

The Ladies’ Mite society of the First Baptist Church will meet with Mrs. A. B. Gray on Friday, February 15, at 2 o’clock.

Arkansas City Traveler, March 19, 1884.

There will be a meeting of the Baptist Church at the residence of Mrs. Gray on next Saturday, at 2 p.m., for the transaction of important business. It is requested that there be a general representation.

Arkansas City Traveler, March 26, 1884.

Baptist social at Mrs. A. B. Gray’s next Friday evening.

Arkansas City Traveler, March 26, 1884.

The ladies of the Baptist Church of Arkansas City will hold their semi-monthly social at the residence of Mrs. A. B. Gray next Friday evening. Supper will be served at six p.m., and a cordial invitation is extended to all to be present and partake thereof.

Arkansas City Traveler, September 24, 1884.

The ladies of the Baptist society will give a basket support at Mrs. A. B. Gray’s on Friday of this week.

Arkansas City Republican, July 18, 1885.

DIED. William H. Gray, son of Mrs. A. B. Gray, living in the east part of town, died at his mother’s residence last Sunday at 12 o’clock m. Mr. Gray was 30 years, 6 months, and 7 days old, and had been an invalid for several years. The cause of his death was dropsy. The funeral took place at the Baptist Church Monday at 10 o’clock a.m. The services were conducted by Rev. F. L. Walker, assisted by Rev. J. O. Campbell. The remains were interred in the Riverview Cemetery.

Arkansas City Republican, September 12, 1885.

Mrs. A. B. Gray left Tuesday, for a visit to Chicago, where she will attend a family reunion.

                                                 BAPTIST CONVENTION.

            The Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Walnut Valley Baptist Association.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, October 15, 1885.

The fifteenth annual gathering of the Walnut Valley Baptist Association assembled with the Baptist church of this city yesterday at 10:30 a.m. In the absence of the Moderator, Rev. W. F. Harper, of Wichita, was called to the chair; Rev. W. J. Sandefur, of Sunny Dale, clerk.

Following is a complete list of the delegates present.

Arkansas City: Rev. F. L. Walker, Mrs. Charlotte Pillsbury, Mrs. A. B. Gray, Mrs. Peed, and Mrs. F. L. Walker.

Arkansas City Republican, March 13, 1886.

The members of the Baptist Sunday School will give a concert tomorrow evening at 7:30 at their church. The following is the programme.

Chant .................................... Choir

Prayer ................................... Pastor

Anthem ................................ Choir

Address ................................ Rev. F. L. Walker

Class Recitations; Singing— “Jewels” .............. School

Recitation ............................. Mollie Weir

Singing ................................. Choir

Reading ................................ Mrs. Gray

Recitation ............................. Freddie Cavis

Singing— “Bringing in the Sheaves” ................ School

Recitation ............................. Miss Manda Adams

Recitation ............................. Miss Belle Fonda

Singing— “Work! For the Night is Coming” .... School

Recitation ............................. Mrs. Linnie Thompson

Essay .................................... Mrs. F. L. Walker

Anthem ................................ Choir

                                                              -Benediction-

Winfield Courier, Thursday, April 8, 1886.

’Twas Tennyson who said that in the spring time the fancy most lightly turns to thoughts of love and matrimony. The poet was right in many instances—and is the one in hand. Month after month, year after year, spring after spring—yes through a decade almost, has the present victim of our quill withstood the charms of gentle woman. But spring has caught him at last. His faber has danced at the weddings of its hundreds as he dilated on the “exquisite beauty of the bride,” the “excellent qualities of the groom, and the ecstatic bliss of matrimony.” In his journalistic fancy he has numerously declared:

Happy the youth that finds a bride,

Whose breast is to his own allied.

But wily cupid finally got to caroling around the susceptible vestibules of his heart, finally entered and ere long had a reception that gave him full possession of the premises to the gleeful joy of the owner. The consummation is reached. Today witnessed the joining, as one, of Mr. Edmund G. Gray, of this city, and Miss Gertrude Fowler, of Waterloo, Iowa. The ceremony took place at 1 o’clock at the residence of H. P. Farrar, Arkansas City, and was pronounced by Rev. S. B. Fleming. Only the more intimate friends of the matrimonial pair were present, forming a very happy company composed of Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Farrar, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Searing, Mr. and Mrs. Stacy Matlack, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Topliff, Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Farrar, Mr. and Mrs. George Ordway, Mrs. A. B. Gray, Mrs. B. W. Matlack, Mr. I. H. Bonsall, Mrs. Clevenger, Mrs. Foss, and Miss Lucy Walton. At 2 o’clock the newly made “one” took the train for Winfield, followed by a shower of heartiest congratulations and well-wishes. After taking tea with Mrs. Ordway, aunt of the bride, Mr. and Mrs. Gray repaired to their home, the Mrs. Pritchard residence on South Mansfield street, which Ed. had clandestinely and splendidly furnished ready for housekeeping.

Now a little personal: Everybody knows Ed. G. Gray. For twelve years has he inhabited the avenues of Arkansas City and Winfield, alternately. The scintillations of his faber have illuminated the columns of various Cowley County journals. He is a practical newspaper man of keen ability—in fact, his capacity is versatile, and at present he is our efficient and urbane Deputy County Clerk. His genial disposition and valued friendship make him popular with all Miss Fowler came to Arkansas City early last fall and readily established herself as a lady of refinement and culture, attracting among her acquaintances the best people of Arkansas City. Of winsome disposition, admirable independence, and ambition, with a thorough knowledge of the practical as well as the fine arts, she is a lady whose household queenship can result in nothing but happiness and sunshine. Here’s to your health, Edmund, and may yourself and fair bride ever guide over the shoals of time with a fair sky and “nary” a breaker.