Anderson County Biographies
"Portrait and Biographical Record of Southeastern Kansas"
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1894
JAMES H. HILL. Those to whom has been
granted the privilege of residing in Kansas
for the past thirty years or more have witnessed an
uninterrupted series of improvements. Where once rose the smoke of the camp
fire now ascends the busy hum of industry from
a thriving city. Where once the hunter roamed
in search of game the farmer now tills the soil.
Chaos has been reduced to system, and poverty
has been replaced by prosperity. As one of the
number whose efforts have contributed to secure
these results, we present the name of James H.
Hill, a resident farmer of Anderson County. Since
coming to this county in 1860, he has been intimately associated with its material development
and has been especially prominent in Westphalia
Township, where his pleasant rural home is located
on section 12.
It will not be amiss to state briefly the ancestral
history of our subject. Frederick Hill was born
in Brownswick, Germany, April 13, 1745, and
took the place of an older brother who had been
drafted to fight in the British army against the
Colonies. Coming to America, the regiment
camped in Canada, and the St. Lawrence River
being frozen over, he and a companion, a Mr.
Steckman, deserted the army, crossed on the ice
and joined the defenders of the Colonies. He
continued a faithful soldier to the cause of liberty
until the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
After the war Frederick Hill located in Bedford
County, Pa. He married Elizabeth Defenbaugh,
who was born in Lancaster County, Pa., February
5, 1757, and at the age of eleven years removed to
Bedford County, Pa. She passed away September
28, 1854, aged ninety-seven years, seven months
and twenty-three days. Frederick Hill died May
2, 1838, aged ninety-three years and nineteen
days. They were the parents of seven sons and
five daughters, their eldest child being Jacob, who
was born in Bedford County, Pa., March 17, 1781,
and died July 25, 1845. His wife, whose maiden
name was Rosena Elizabeth Byer, was born February 23, 1798, and died November 24, 1859. Her
parents were Frederick and Rosena Elizabeth
(Lantz) Byer; the former was born in Frederick
County, Md., February 11, 1758, and died in 1821,
aged sixty-four years; the latter was born August
13, 1760, and died March 26, 1818.
Grandfather Hill had a family of five sons and
six daughters, the second of the children being
John Lantz, who was born in Bedford County,
Pa., June 11, 1824. In 1846 he married Miss Susan
Kellerman, who was born in Bedford County, Pa.,
December 30, 1827, being a daughter of John and
Dorothy Kellerman, natives of Bucks County. Pa.
In the fall of 1859 Mr. Hill moved from the Keystone State to Kansas, and in the following year
settled on land he had purchased. There his death
occurred September 17, 1879, when fifty-five years
of age. His widow is still living and resides on
the old homestead, which comprised five hundred
acres at the time of his death. She is a member of
the United Brethren Church, and her husband held
membership in the same. They were most worthy
and esteemed citizens, and enjoyed the respect
and affection of all with whom they became acquainted. Eight children were born to them. Irvin
died at the age of twenty-four years; Mary married James Magaghey and became the mother of
four children, Ora, Susie, Maud and Fannie; Dora
married David Kellerman and has three children,
Asa, Troy and Pearl; James H., our subject, was
next in order of birth; Amanda, widow of Samuel
S. Wade, has two children, Ethel and Jennie;
Sadie married Clarence Woodward; Augusta married John Griffin and has two children, Dell and
Zeno; Nellie is the youngest member of the family. In politics the father of these children was a
Republican.
James H. Hill, the original of this notice, first
saw the light of day in Pennsylvania, his birth
occurring October 31, 1854. As he was only about
five years of age when his parents came to Kansas,
he has but dim recollections of the Keystone State.
Since first coming here he has resided on the old
farm and is now the owner of six hundred and
fifty-six acres. He follows stock-raising, deals in
live stock, and being thorough-going and industrious is now in very comfortable circumstances.
He was married in 1876 to Miss Margaret Weddle,
a native of Missouri, and the daughter of William
Weddle. Six children were born of this union:
John, who died when four years of age; James
Bruce, Ruth A., Mark D., Fred C. and William L.
The principles of the Republican party fully
commend themselves to the judgment of Mr. Hill
as worthy of his sanction. In carrying on his extensive farming interests he does not lose sight of
the stock-raising industry and on his farm has
some thorough-bred Clyde horses. His fine farm
is a standing monument to his industry and good
management. He enjoys to an unusual degree the
confidence of the community.
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