San Diego County Biographies
 
COLONEL DANIEL H. HORNE

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
of Oceanside, was born in Dover, New Hampshire, February 26, 1828. His father, 
Samuel Horne, was born in the same town, in 1802. His grandfather, who lived 
until ninety‑two years of age, was a native of Scotland. The family were 
Protestants. His mother, Lydia (Blake) Borne, was born in Dover, New Hampshire, 
in 1805. She was the daughter of Major William Blake, who was of English 
descent. She was married to Mr. Samuel Horne in 1821, at Dover, New Hampshire, 
and had a family of twelve children, nine of whom reached the age of maturity. 
The subject of this sketch was the third child; he attended school in his native 
town until fifteen years of age, when he went to Haverhill, Massachusetts, where 
he learned the tanner and currier's trade. After a two years' apprenticeship he 
embarked in business for himself at Salem, and afterward at Woburn, Charlestown 
and Boston, and continued in it until he was twenty-six years of age. He was 
married at Woburn, Massachusetts, April 22, 1849, to Miss Maria L. Hovey, a 
native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, born June 26, 1826. Mr. Hovey was a relation 
to the originator of the Hovey seedling strawberry. In November, 1854, Mr. Horne 
started alone for Kansas, arriving at Kansas City on November 30. At Lawrence he 
was selected by other settlers as chairman of a committee to select a town site. 
The result was they went thirty miles to the site of the present city of Topeka 
and spent the night there on the banks of the river, and selected that site. 
Colonel Horne built the first cabin and wintered in it with others. When the 
farm claims were divided, Colonel Horne secured the second choice of location. 
The man who had first choice sold his claim for $15. It has since become of 
great value. The Colonel pre-empted and retained his selection, built and lived 
on it for many years, and has seen the " wilderness blossom like a rose," and 
seen the desert transformed into a large and rich city, full of life and 
business. He voted at the meeting that gave the town its name, " Topeka," the 
Indian name for wild potatoes, that grew along the river. He was chosen marshal 
of the Free State Squatters, and captain of the Topeka Guards. In the fall of 
1855 he was captain of another military company, which was organized to go to 
the relief of Lawrence, which had been surrounded by the border ruffians, with 
100 men under his command. On their arrival at Lawrence Captain Horne united his 
forces with those of Dr. Robinson and Colonel James H. Lane. Breast�works were 
hastily erected, the town fortified and strict military order preserved, but 
fortunately ended with the death of only one man. While in Lawrence at this 
time, Colonel Horne was promoted to the rank of Major in Colonel Hunt's regiment 
of Free State Forces. May 13, 1861, Major Horne was elected Colonel of the 
Fourth Regiment, South Division, Kansas Militia, and received his commission 
from Governor Charles Robinson, first governor of Kansas. On the 28th of that 
month Colonel Horne has credit for suggesting the plan which carried the 
election that secured the State Capital at Topeka, and during his residence 
there he was a great factor in the growth and in fixing the status of the now 
large city.
        In August, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company E, Eleventh Kansas 
Volunteer Infantry, and was made First Sergeant Major at the organization of the 
regiment. While with the command he participated in the battle of Fort Wayne, 
Kane Hill, Prairie Grove, the taking of Van Buren, and minor engagements. In 
February, 1863, he was commissioned by President Lincoln Captain of the Fourth 
Regiment, Indiana Brigade, and served in it until it was mustered out of the 
service in the fall of the same year. In the fall of 1861 he was chosen Captain 
of Company A, Second Regiment, commanded by Colonel George W. Veale, for his 
faithful and courageous conduct. While engaged in this service he received 
several manifestations of approval from the commander of the forces, and the 
post of honor was assigned to him of guarding the main crossing between Kansas 
City and Westport, where it was expected the Rebels would attempt to cross the 
Blue. During this time he was a candidate against Colonel Veale for State 
Senator, and was elected. During the latter part of his two years' term he was 
President of the Senate. He was a member of the Topeka Council and President of 
the Board of Aldermen in 1871. Being acting Mayor of the city at the time of the 
great Chicago fire, he promptly responded to the call for aid by forwarding with 
all possible dispatch Topeka's generous contribution of $5,400. He organized the 
Topeka Manufacturing Company on March 16, 1883.
        Colonel Horne was identified with Topeka's interest from 1854 to 
1885�thirty-one years. At that time he had seen his most sanguine hopes 
realized. The town had grown from nothing to a city of 30,000 inhabitants, and 
history awards to him and his compatriots the honor of having been the founders 
of the great State " Free Kansas," nor has this worthy and successful life ended 
here. In 1885 he removed to Oceanside, California, where he found only a few 
houses, but with his usual business zeal commenced his share of the building up 
of this new town. Here in full view of the ocean and surrounding country he has 
built a large and commodious residence and has beautiful grounds about his 
place. He was the first president of the new Bank of Oceanside; also president 
of the board of trustees, and it will not be the Colonel's fault if Oceanside 
does not become one of the most attractive and prosperous cities in Southern 
California. He has recently been serving San Diego County as foreman of the 
grand jury, and in that position unearthing official corruption and fraud which 
had been secretly practiced to an alarming extent. For this disinterested and 
manly service the taxpayers of the county owe him a debt of gratitude, and 
whether he receives it or not, he will have the approval of his conscience for 
duty well done.
        Mr. and Mrs. Horne have had a family of ten children, of which but two 
survive: Georgie W., born in Woburn, Massachusetts, in 1852, and wife of Mr. 
McGraw, of Michigan (they have two children); Mary, born in Topeka, Kansas, June 
1, 1862, now married to Mr. E. M. Cluett, formerly of Wisconsin. Colonel Horne 
and his wife are Congregationalists, and he is a man very liberal in religious 
sentiments. Mrs. Horne has shared her husband's fortunes and has passed with him 
through the dangers and privations of the border times. He is a member of the A. 
F. & A. M. In his youth in politics he was a Whig and was a great admirer of 
Daniel Webster, with whom he was acquainted. Since the organization of the 
Republican party he has been a Republican, and although now in the sixty-first 
year of his age, he seems strong and capable of many more years of life and 
usefulness.
 
SOURCE:  An Illustrated History of Southern California:  Embracing the Counties 
of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower 
California� Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890.  p.-  202-204