J. B. WALL.

Rock Township.

1901 BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

[DECEMBER 1869.] PAGE 142.

J. B. WALL resided on his present farm, which was the northwest quarter of section 32, Rock Township, since December 1869.

He was born in Garrard County, Kentucky, April 5, 1836, a son of William Wall.

William Wall was born in the city of Cork, Ireland, and his wife, Tima Burnsides, was born in Garrard County, Kentucky. He was a bookkeeper, and later followed farming. Both died in Kentucky. They were the parents of the following children: Edwin, Edmond, Margaret Ann, Mary Ann, Sallie, Nancy, Robert, William, and J. B. Of these, four were still living in 1901,

The children all received a common school education. J. B. lived at home until after he had attained the age of twenty-four years. August 24, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, 1st Reg., Ky. Vol. Cav., and during his three years and four months of service was in Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee. After the close of the war, he returned home, where he remained until he journeyed to Cowley County, Kansas. He took up the northwest quarter of section 32, Rock Township, in December 1869 and was joined by his family the same year. He built a log cabin and in 1878 put out five acres of corn. He added improvements and ended up with one of the best farms in the vicinity. His present home was built in 1884, at a cost $700, and his barn and outbuildings were all in first class condition. He raised corn, oats, wheat, cattle, hogs, and horses.

Mr. J. B. Wall was married October 7, 1866, to Tima Teter of Garrard County, Kentucky, a daughter of Stephen Teter. Her father was a soldier in the Mexican War, and while returning to his home in Kentucky, died in Texas of smallpox. Her mother subsequently married Alfred Burton. From the first marriage three children were born: Alfred; Buena, deceased; and Mr. Wall’s wife.

Of the second union, seven children were born: Robert, Rhoads, Alice, Florence, Dovie, Hauntley, and Perry.

Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Wall had the following children.

1. Robert Wall, farmer, married Alice Bonnerfield, by whom he had a son, Hilburt.

2. George Wall, who lived in Leadville, Colorado.

3. Ira Wall, who was single in 1901, and lived at home.

4. William Wall, also single, also lived at home.

5. Leota Wall.

Mr. J. B. Wall was independent, in politics, and served on the school board in his district. He favored the Christian church; Mrs. Wall and daughter belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church.

Note: The name of Mrs. Wall remains somewhat of a mystery. In an article from the newspapers below, she is called Mrs. “Fatima E.” Wall.

Rock Creek Township 1873: James Wall, 33; spouse, Trina E., 26.

Rock Creek Township 1874: James Wall, 33; spouse, Tima E., 28.

Kansas 1875 Census Rock Creek Township, Cowley County, March 1, 1875.

Name age sex color Place/birth Where from

J. B. Wall 33 m w Kentucky Kentucky

T. E. Wall 28 f w Kentucky Kentucky

Lecta Wall 8 f w Kentucky Kentucky

Robert Wall 6 m w Kentucky Kentucky

George Wall 2 m w Kansas

J. P. Wall 3m m w Kansas

FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.

Cowley County Courant, March 23, 1882.

George Warner and J. B. Wall, two of Rock township’s boss farmers, came in and deposited a couple of the almighty dollars last Saturday.

[40TH ANNIVERSARY: MR. & MRS. ACRES.]

Winfield Courier, September 6, 1883.

FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY.

Mr. and Mrs. Acres, Two of Cowley’s Pioneers, Celebrate Their Fortieth Wedding Anniversary, With Children, Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, and Many Acquaintances Present. The Particulars by a Spectator.

In response to invitations extended to them, a large number of the relatives, friends, and neighbors assembled at the home of Cornelius and Susan Acres, in Rock Township, on the 22nd of August to celebrate with them the fortieth anniversary day of their wedded life. The day was exceptionally fine, the attendance large, and the spirits of all present rose in harmony with the occasion.

The morning hours were passed by the “old settlers” in pleasant converse and enthusiastic reviews of “ye olden time” when the classic “vale of the Walnut” was yet echoing the wild halloo of the departing Osages, for it was away back in the “distant past,” some four years before the memorable “grasshopper year,” that Father and Mother Acres and all their boys and girls came and built their cabin and made their home among the early pioneers of Cowley’s smiling domain. What a fruitful theme of contrast for those “old folks” to talk on were those early days of 1870, with their meager fare of “rusty bacon” and “sod-corn bread,” and those other dark and fearful days of burning, parching, scorching 1874, when the “devouring locusts covered the land and darkened the air,” and the cry went up, “aid us or we perish!” Aye, what a contrast between then and now, in 1883, when, in the valley north and west, and

“Far to the east and south there lay,

Extended in succession gay,

Deep, waving fields and pastures green,

With gentle slopes and groves between.”

And where all the land literally (not figuratively) groans under its generous burdens of wheat and oats and hay and fruits and corn, and where blooded swine and sheep, and horses and cattle fine, graze on every hillside and wander by all the streams.

The spell is broken—Mother Acres has announced dinner. The “old folks” all gather around the long tables bending under their “loads and loads” of good things eatable, and furnishing proofs stronger than those of “Holy Writ” that 1883 is indeed a year of plenty. To praise the cooking would be to “throw a perfume upon the violet.”

Suffice it to say that when those long tables had been thronged and vacated by four different and happy crowds, the “multitude were all fed,” and then there was “hurrying to and fro” and loosening of belts and buttons, and bands and buckles, and after “good digestion had waited on appetite,” some ease began to be felt.

When all were gathered together and seated, Prof. Alex. Limerick, in his usual happy manner, and with speech at once neat, touching, and appropriate, addressed the venerable and venerated couple whose wedding we came to celebrate, and presented to them, in the name of all, the gifts and tokens each had brought.

The presents were handsome and when arranged upon the table presented an attractive display. The list of gifts and names of the givers were:

Pair of silver initial napkin rings, Mr. and Mrs. Alex. Limerick, of Winfield.

Silver butter-knife and pair of slippers, Mr. and Mrs. John R. Richards, of Rock.

Silk-lined work-basket, chair tidy, celluloid comb and brush, pearl handle knife, fine bathing towel, shaving cup, money purse, and meerschaum pipe, Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Acres, Pleasanton, Kansas.

Glass butter-dish, Miss Jessie Rogers.

Cut glass fruit dish, Mrs. Huston, Akron.

Silver caster, silver butter-dish, and gold breast pin, Mr. and Mrs. N. E. Carter, Pleasant Valley.

Set silver teaspoons, china mustache cup and saucer, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rogers, Akron.

Large glass water-pitcher, Miss Lula Rogers.

Two silver dollars, John M. Carter, Pleasant Valley.

Cut glass fruit-dish, Mr. and Mrs. J. Q. Pember, Rock.

Pair towels and elegant silk handkerchief, Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth Rogers, Akron.

Dozen pie dishes and book, “Pathways in the Holy Land,” Mr. and Mrs. A. V. Polk, Akron.

Cut glass fruit-dish, Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Eagin, Douglass.

Canary bird and cage, and bouquet, Mrs. and Sarah and Ollie Wilson, Rock.

Large “Hunting Scene,” oil chromo, Mrs. A. E. Sandford, Rock.

Oil chromo, “Cute,” Mrs. Hannah Grow, Rock.

Linen table-cloth, Mrs. Fatima E. Wall, Rock.

Money purse, Maude Rogers.

Silver butter-knife, Mrs. McGuire, Rock.

Winfield Courier, November 15, 1883.

CRYSTAL WEDDING.

About sixty of the friends and neighbors assembled at the home of Dr. and Mrs. A. V. Polk, November 8, 1883; to unite with them in celebrating their crystal wedding. Dr. A. V. Polk and Miss Elizabeth Welfelt were married in Middle Smith Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, by Rev. Henry Little, on September 16, 1863. There they lived until December 1, 1868, then coming to Topeka, Kansas, December 4, 1868, and finally to Cowley County, February 12, 1869, and the next day settled on their present claim, where we find them this beautiful day. The wedding should have occurred September 16th, but as the Dr. was building, it was postponed until November 8th, which caused none the less enjoyment. The Dr. had beautiful apples for dinner of his own raising.

The occasion was a very pleasant one. All seemed to enjoy themselves and most heartily congratulated Dr. and Mrs. Polk in view of the prosperity which had attended them during the first fifteen years of wedded life. The dinner, which was abundant in variety and supply, and of the best quality, was served in good style, and was well received, as was evident from the manner in which the guests carried out their part of the programme.

After dinner, Prof. A. H. Limerick, in a beautiful and appropriate speech presented to Mr. and Mrs. Polk the following gifts.

Mrs. Abbie Tribbey, fruit dish.

Mr. and Mrs. Wall, 2 pickle dishes.

Frank Sperry, toilet set.

Mr. and Mrs. Akers, 2 pickle dishes.

Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Huston, fruit dish.

D. A. Huston, mug.

Mrs. A. B. Steinberger, pickle dish.

Nancy J. Baxter, butter dish.

Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Huston, ink stand.

Mrs. H. McGraw, fruit dish.

Mrs. E. J. Dawson, glass pitcher.

Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Kelsey, pepper box.

Miss Mary Huston, set sauce dishes.

Thos. C. Brown and Miss Emma Williams, set of glass dishes.

Robert and J. W. Hanlen, large lamp.

Mr. and Mrs. H. N. Rogers, butter dish.

Mr. and Mrs. Martindale, glass cup.

Mrs. Alice Stump, glass pitcher.

Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Limerick, glass pitcher.

Mr. Andrew Dawson, peck of apples.

Mr. and Mrs. J. C. McKibben, glass pitcher.

Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Weimer, cake stand.

Mrs. S. Huston, tidy.

Mrs. W. O. Hammond (of Wichita), lace fichu.

Mr. and Mrs. J. Q. Pember, jelly stand and set of goblets.

Miss Celia N. Lyons, pair mittens.

Miss Jessie Pember, cup and saucer.

Mr. and Mrs. W. F. M. Lacey, paper holder.

Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Mann, a bread plate with the following words in gilt letters thereon: “Give us this day, our daily bread.”

—

The James B. and Fatima E. Wall story was covered in the following.

Cowley County Heritage Book, 1990.

Note: A photograph was shown of the James B. Wall home built in 1884.

Article was submitted by Leota Candace Wall Elder.

James B. & Fatima E. Wall.

James B. Wall resided on a farm, which is the northeast quarter of section 32, Rock Township. He arrived in early December, 1869, from Garrard County, Kentucky, near the town of Harrodsburg.

He was born in Garrard County, 3-5-1836, the son of William Wall, born in Cork, Ireland, and Fatima Burnsides, born in Garrard County, Kentucky. James B. lived at home until the age of twenty-four, when on 8-24-1861, he enlisted in Company G, 1^st Regiment, Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry. During three years and four months of service, he was in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. After the war was over, he returned home where he remained until he journeyed to Cowley County, Kansas.

Fatima Elizabeth Teter, born 2-15-1845 in Garrard County, Kentucky, was the daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth Teter. Stephen Teter was a soldier in the Mexican War. While returning home, he died in Texas of smallpox.

My grandfather and grandmother Wall were parents of the following children: Robert Rice, who married Alice Bennefield by whom he had sons, Hilbert and Earl; George Ward, James Ira, and Leota, all single and who lived at home; William Stephen, who married Amanda Esther Ann Johnson, 4-12-1903. The had three daughters: Leota Candace, Opal Jaunita, and Eldred May.

James B. paid one dollar to a squatter for a log cabin he had started to build on the land. He also paid ten dollars for the land, on which he cut and cleared timber, and immediately started to continue building the log cabin. He added improvements each year until his farm was one of the best in the vicinity. The house, designed after homes in the Southern states, was built in 1884, costing seven hundred dollars.

In the winter of 1869 and 1870, J. B. cleared timber from the land, and planted five acres of corn in the spring of 1870. Through the years he raised corn, oats, wheat, cattle, hogs, and Kentucky bred horses. The horse lot was fenced like they did in Kentucky, with buffalo grass growing instead of Kentucky bluegrass. The yard was planted to bluegrass and shaded from the heat of the Kansas sun by beautiful trees left in correct places, as timber was cut to make the building site.

J. B. was independent in politics and served on the school board and other committees in the community. Religiously, his family favored the Christian Church, but they attended the Walnut Valley Presbyterian Church near Akron, Kansas.

During the year of 1876 a professional furniture maker, traveling in a covered wagon with a covered trailer carrying tools, stopped by my Grandfather’s farm. He was interested in the waterfall on the creek just above where it emptied into the Walnut River near the family log cabin. He set up camp and made furniture in that location for several months. My Grandfather had cut and cured walnut wood from a special tree he discovered in the winter of 1870, while cutting timber to clear land for planting the five acres of corn. Many pieces of furniture were made from that walnut wood. A beautiful walnut drop-leaf table with hardware (patent dating 1774), wash stands, shelves, comb cases, foot stools, and many small pieces.