PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF OKLAHOMA 1901
Biographies on this page:
Connelly, Harry E.
Duncan, Prof. James
McCarrick, W. E.
Newland, W. J.
Pack, Ira
Seward, F. S.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HARRY E. CONNELLY,
who is well and favorably known in Canadian county, is a progressive business man and agriculturist. Within the past few years he has become well off in this world's goods by paying strict attention to his varied financial enterprises, and at the same time he meets every obligation devolving upon him as a patriotic citizen.
Born December 24, 1868. Mr. Connelly is in the prime of early manhood. His birthplace is in Parke county. Ind., where his parents, John D. and Mary J. (TenBrook) Connelly, were residents for a number of years. His father was engaged in merchandising at Annapolis and Rockville during our subject's boyhood, and for a long period he also served in the capacity of postmaster.
When Harry E. Connelly was in his seventeenth year he accompanied his family to Cowley county, Kans., where they located a quarter section of land. After spending about four years on that homestead young Connelly went to Wichita, where he was interested in the book business for some three years and laid the foundations of future success by diligence and industry.
In 1889 the Connellys came to Oklahoma, the father filing a soldier's claim, and for about a year our subject lived at the new home, which is situated on section 34, township 13, range 6. In the spring of 1890 he bought for $75 the farm which he now cultivates and which he has mate-
rially changed for the better within the past decade. It is located on section 28, township 13 range 6, and thus is not distant from the parental homestead. In the fall of 1899 he entered into partnership with N. W. Britt and since that time has conducted the business known as the Canadian county nursery. The venture has been a successful one, and Mr. Connelly is now considered an authority on the subject. He is a charter member of the Southwestern Nursery Association and has been of material assistance to his colleagues.
In political faith Mr. Connelly is a stalwart Republican. In 1896 he was a candidate for the office of township trustee, and on several occasions he has been sent as a delegate to various conventions of the party. At this writing he is serving in the responsible position of chairman of the township central committee and is carefully looking after the interests of his chosen party.
The marriage of Mr. Connelly and Leona Bourne was solemnized on New Years day, 1898 at the home of her parents, in Delphos, Kans. She is a native of Calumet county, Wis., and was brought to Cloud county Kans. when she was an infant. Her parents, Daniel and Amelia (Spencer) Bourne, are still living in Delphos, where they are held in high esteem by the inhabitants. Mrs. Connelly received a good education, and in the winter of 1895-1896 she was employed as a teacher in this county, at which time she made the acquaintance of our subject. They have two children, a little son and daughter, named, respectively, Bessie and Walter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PROF. JAMES J. DUNCAN,
the efficient and honored superintendent of the school for Arapahoe Indians, at Darlington, Canadian county, has been very successful in his chosen field of labor, and has been recognized as one of the leading educators of the west for a number of years. Possessing a genuine love for the noble work, and having carefully prepared himself by systematic study, he won commendation from all concerned when he first started out in his profession.
A native of Louisa county, Iowa, he is a son of Hon. F. A. and Mary A. (Shaw) Duncan, who resided upon a farm. In his boyhood our subject lived in the country and attended the district schools. He was an apt student, ambitious for a wider career than that of the agriculturist, and after being graduated in the academy at Washington, Iowa, he entered Monmouth (Ill.) College, he carried off the honors of his class at the academy, and, desiring experience, he commenced teaching when he was but nineteen years of age, and continued to devote a portion of his time to this practical work while lie was in the college.
In 1891 Prof. Duncan was tendered the position of teacher of agriculture at Knoxville (Tenn.) College, and during the three years of his connection with that well-known institution he further qualified himself for his duties by taking a course of training in the Agricultural College at Antes, Iowa. While there he became acquainted with James Wilson, president of the experimental station, and who subsequently he-came secretary of the interior. Mr. Wilson had been a friend and colleague of the young man's father during the eight years of the latter's service in the Iowa house of representatives and senate.
For the past six years the professor has devoted his attention to the educating of the Indians, and has met with gratifying success in this difficult task. For a period of three years he was a member of the faculty of Fort Lewis College, and thence he went to Pottawatomie. Kans., where he acted in the capacity of superintendent of an Indian school for about a year. Coming to Oklahoma in 1897 he was principal teacher in the school at Chilocco for six months and in 1898 he accepted the office which he has since creditably filled, that of the superintend-ency of the Arapahoe Indian school at Darlington. He has won the respect and esteem of all of the students, who appreciate the genuine interest which he always manifests in their future success. Under his tactful, practical methods thev are making rapid strides toward that greatly desired outcome—good citizenship. Feeling the truth of the wise saying that "the proper study of mankind is man" he has given his best talents to the solution of the problem presented by the red race, and his hopeful views are in themselves, inspirations to those with whom he has dealings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
W. E. McCARRICK
is the section foreman of the Rock Island railroad for the stretch of track through Okarche and has served the company well for eight years. He was a resident of the Chickasaw Nation before his advent in this country, in 1893, and has had an extensive and varied experience on the frontier. He was born in Ontario county, N. Y., near Geneva.
Patrick McCarrick, the father of W. E., is still living, hale and hearty, on his farm near Geneva, where he has had his home for the last half century. He has been highly successful in his chosen pursuit, and is much respected throughout the community. He married Anna Sweeney and of their children. Nancy, the first-born, is dead; Julia is a widow; George White is the eldest son: James is a miller at Seneca Castle, N. Y.; Kate is the wife of Charles Deets: Frank is a farmer at Seneca Castle; Sarah is Mrs. John McGrain, of Geneva, N. Y.; Delia is Mrs. Philip Flaxman: and Thomas, a graduate from the New York Law School, is an attorney at Rochester, N. Y.
Mr. McCarrick grew to the age of twenty-two on the home place near Geneva, and wis well trained in the local schools. In 1879 he came to Dickinson county, Kans., and engaged in selling fruit trees, an occupation winch he followed for six years. In 1885 he entered the employment of the Union Pacific railroad as foreman, with headquarters at Salina, Kans., and was there and at Solomon for the next four years. In 1892 he united with the Rock Island forces, was put in charge of a section at Siding No. 1, Chickasaw Nation, and in 1893 secured a transier to Okarehe on account of the good schooling the town affords his children. He look charge of section 236, and has continued here to the present time. For twelve years he has followed railroading, and early won high standing as a vigilant and trustworthy official. He knows his business in every detail, and his friends arc confident that the day of promotion for him is not far distant, he has amassed a comfortable fortune, and in a private way does a considerable loan business. In politics he is a Democrat, and in the community upholds good government and progressive methods. In 1870 he was married, in Abilene, Kans., and has four children, Victor, William, Dorris and Harold. Mr. McCarrick is a member of the Pawnee Tribe of Red Men at Okarche, and is a welcome addition to fraternal circles. In June, 1900, a camp of the Modern Woodmen of America was organized in Okarche, and Mr. McCarrick was honored by being selected as its first venerable counselor. As a railroad man he has been singularly successful, having had no accidents on the road under his charge for twelve years, and all his standings in the records are first-class. He holds numerous recommendations of a flattering character from prominent railroad officials and is equally popular among the employees.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
W. J. NEWLAND.
The homestead of this enterprising citizen of Canadian county may well be quoted as an apt illustration of the possibilities of Oklahoma agriculture. He came to the county in 1891, settled on section 11, El Reno township, and has passed through the privations of pioneer life with most creditaLie results, he was living in Lafayette county, Mo., before his advent in this region, and being western born and bred, took readily to the freedom and ease of frontier life. He was born in Sullivan county, Tenn., and his father, F.P. Newland, has been a resident of Seneca Kans., for the last thirty years. His mother, Ellen (Hickam) Newland, was born in Scott county, Va. She has had nine children, six of whom are now alive, and three are in Oklahoma: W. J.; John G., of El Reno: and I. H., of Enid.
Mr. Newland was reared in Edgar county. Ill., and in Kansas. When he was sixteen years old he went to Sullivan county, Mo., and lived there and in Harrison county for some four years. Following this, he removed to Lafayette county, of the same state, where he became a well driller of more than local reputation. He put up windmills, dealt in pumps, and handled everything that had to do with the water supply business. Having mastered the subject, he was able to afford the state geologists much valuable information. His sphere of operations was extensive, and for months his income was sometimes more than $400 a week. In 1891 he sold out evervthing except one drill and came to Oklahoma. Buying one hundred and sixty acres of wild land near El Reno, he at once began to improve it, and now has good buildings and wells of water, an orchard and a vineyard. From time to time he lias added to his first investment, and now owns four hundred and forty acres of land. He is working into stock-raising each year to a greater extent, and already has a herd of cattle of which any stockman might well be proud.
Mr. Newland and Miss Nannie George, a native of Kentucky, were married in 1884. They have three children. Jcsse, Edna May and Gertrude. They form a pleasant family group, and the Newland home is the center of some warm friendships.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IRA PACK,
a well-to-do farmer of Yukon township, Canadian county. Okla. located
on a farm in section 35, township 12, range 6, was born in Kentucky. November 18, 1842. He is a son of Cornelius and Nancy (Evans) Pack, his paternal anrestry being of the old Virginia blue-blood stock. His father was a farmer in Kentucky, and there he was reared. At the age of nineteen years Ira Pack went into the Union army and participated in many hard-fought battles, being at Bull Run, Winchester, Cross Keys, Cowpasture Mountain, Martinsburg and many others. He served in the army three years and two months and never was wounded. While in the army, Mr. Pack was married in Virginia to Sarah C. Zimmerman. a daughter
of John and Nancy (Terry) Zimmerman. Her father, of German ancestry, was born in Pennsylvania, and her mother in Virginia. After being mustered out of the army, Mr. Pack farmed in Virginia one year, and then moved to Knox county, Ill., where he followed the same line of business for seven years. He then moved to Texas, and after farming one year went into the general merchandise business in Salt Creek Station. He followed this for four years in a very successful manner. A cyclone then destroyed his entire stock and buildings, parts of his buildings being found six miles away, and though ten people were in the house at the time of the disaster, none was injured. Then going to the Chickasaw Nation, he engaged in farming until the opening of Oklahoma Territory, when he made the run and secured the property he now owns. He has greatly improved the place and is successfully engaged in general farming. Politically, he is a Democrat, and in religious faith is a Baptist. Mr. and Mrs. Pack arc the parents of five children: Rebecca J., who is the widow of John Florence, and has a farm near her father's; Mrs. Nancy J. Maxwell, whose husband has a farm here, but is in business in the Choctaw Nation; Clara Bell, wife of George Sparks, a farmer in the Choctaw Nation. Edward F.. who lives in the Choctaw Nation; and Mattie L., who lives at home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
F. S. SEWARD.
To Mr. Seward is due the credit of a large part of the early development of Okarche. He started the iirst mercantile enterprise there, and completed the first building in the embryo town. In this he conducted a flourishing hardware business for three years, and at that time built a larger structure, 25x120 feet in extent. With the growing demands of an increasing population, he felt justified in enlarging his stock, and added thereto a complete line of agricultural implements. also dealing in real estate and farm lands. Mr. Seward was born in Grant county, Ky., and is a son of Oliver Seward, who came from an old Virginia family, and who was engaged for the greater part of his business life in general farming. He was much interested in the politics
of the Democratic party, and was an all-around good citizen. His useful and busy career was closed by death at the early age of thirty-eight. His wife, nee Louisa Hayes, was born and educated in Kentucky. Her father, R. W. Hayes, prominently identified with the old Ironside Eap-list Church, and an influential character in the early days of Kentucky, died from milk poisoning. To Mr. and Mrs. Seward were born five children: Lulu, the wife of Henry Dennis, of Missouri: William Johnson. deceased: F. S. Seward, of Okarche, Okla.; P. Z., of Payson, Ill.; and Oliver, who died in infancy.
Mr. Seward left Kentucky when about seven years of age and went to Missouri, where he received a good home training on his step-father's farm, and studied diligently at the public schools. The majority of his education was acquired in later life, through the medium of books and general observation and experience. Mr. Seward's first experience in the hardware business was as a salesman in 1883, in Hurdland, Mo., where he remained for several years. With the opening of Oklahoma in 1889, he went to the town of Guthric and was in a hardware store there for three years. On April 19, 1892, at the opening of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe reservation, he came to this place and opened a store, the first hardware store in Okarche.
In politics Mr. Seward has been prominently identified with the Democratic party. WHiile living in Missouri, during Cleveland's first term, he was in the railway mail service, and from 1888 until 1892 he served as postmaster of Okarche. He was married in 1888, in Missouri, to Dora Cockran, and they have one daughter, Pauline.
Mr. Seward is highly esteemed by the community in which his lot is cast, and has ever shown an interest in the various enterprises for the upbuilding of his town. He is a self-made man, who has seen and taken advantage of the opportunities that have come his way and has thus arrived at a competence and a standing in his locality.
In the spring of 1900 he erected a residence of eight rooms, one of the finest homes in this section of Oklahoma, and equipped with all modern improvements. Through the exertions of Mr. Seward and F. A. Humphrey, a new bank has been organized as The Merchants and Farmers bank, with a capital stock of $10,000.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~