Anderson County Biographies
"Portrait and Biographical Record of Southeastern Kansas"
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1894
CAPT. SOLOMON KAUFFMAN. The grandfather of our subject, Jacob Kauffman, was
a native of Germany, and came to America
some time during the Revolutionary War. He was
a young man and settled in Chester County, Pa.,
where he married a lady who was also a native of
Germany, and together they passed the remainder
of their days, living to a good old age. Their religious belief was in accordance with the Amish
Mennonite Church, of which they were honored
members. Their son, David, father of our subject,
was born in Chester County, Pa., but removed to
Kishacoquillas Valley, Mifflin County, where he
married and pursued farming until March, 1845.
He then sold his farm, and with teams and wagons
took his family to Champaign County, Ohio,
where he purchased land and made a comfortable
farmer's home. There he and his worthy companion passed the remainder of their days.
They were the parents of seven children. Joseph
N., the eldest of the children, settled in Ohio in
1843, and was a minister in the Amish Mennonite
Church. Later he became a bishop in the Dunkard
Church and carried on his ministerial duties in
Ohio principally, but died in the Shenandoah
Valley, Va., January 19, 1891. Mattie married
Jacob Hooley and still resides in Champaign
County, Ohio, where she located in 1845. Christian removed to Ohio in 1844, and resides in
Champaign County. David J. settled in the
Buckeye State in 1845, and after a short residence
in Logan County, removed to McLean County,
Ill., thence to Shelby County, that state, and later
joined the colony that founded Greeley, Colo. He
next removed to Washington Territory, but in
1891 he settled in Fresno County, Cal. Jonas went
to Ohio in 1845, and later to McLean County, Ill.,
where he died during the cholera epidemic. Jonathan went to Ohio in 1845, and during the gold
excitement visited California. He now resides in
McLean County, Ill.
Solomon Kauffman, the youngest of the above
mentioned family, was born in Mifflin County,
Pa., January 6, 1832, and divided his time in
youth in assisting on the farm and in attending
the common schools a few months each winter. He
was the first member of the Kauffman family to
choose a trade in preference to tilling the soil.
When nineteen years of age he began learning the
carpenter's trade and served a three years' apprenticeship. In 1852 he removed to McLean County, Ill., and in 1854 to Iowa. He put the roof on
the first sawmill in Marshalltown, Iowa, in the
fall of the latter year, and on January 1, 1856, his
shop, tools, etc., in Lafayette. Iowa, were destroyed
by fire. The fertile soil and political excitement
in Kansas Territory were attracting settlers in that
direction, and he decided to make a home within
its borders. He reached Kansas City April 30, accompanied by Joseph Ingles, an old school teacher.
They made the trip on fool from Kansas City to
Lawrence, thence to Topeka, back to Lawrence,
and thence to Neosho Valley via the Sac and
Fox Indian agencies, their only guide being a
pocket compass. From Hampden, in Coffee County, they went to the headwaters of the Pottawatomie creeks, in Anderson County, and there took
up claims.
At that time there were only five families within a radius often miles of their cabin. The border
warfare was going on, and Mr. Kauffman at once
offered his services to the stale organizations. He
enlisted in the Kansas State Volunteer service
under Gen. J. H. Lane and afterward joined the
Kansas State Militia under Capt. Samuel Walker.
He was present at Topeka, July 4, 1856, when the
Kansas Slate Legislature was disbanded by United
States troops, ready to aid the Free State men in
whatever resolutions the y saw fit to decide upon.
The company under Captain Walker served until
mustered out, November 30, 1856. It numbered
ninety men when mustered out of service, and, as
the men could find little to do, Thaddeus Hiatt,
of New York, and W. F. M. Arny, of Bloomington, Ill., organized these men into a colony, and
through the influence of Mr. Kauffman they located in Anderson County.
Returning to his claim about December 20,
1856, he assisted the colony in securing claims in
the fertile valleys of the Pottawatomie creeks, and
assisted in building the first houses in the new
town of Hiatt, camping with the colony in the
timber on Cedar Creek, near the town site of Hiatt,
almost the entire winter of 1856-57, and enduring
extreme hardships and privations. When the
Civil War broke out, the settlers met at the house
of Mr. Kauffman and organized a company of
militia, Mr. Kauffman being chosen Captain. They
prepared for duty, but later Mr. Kauffman bid
adieu to his company and enlisted as a private soldier. He was mustered into the service in Company A, Third Kansas Volunteers, the same being
subsequently consolidated with the Fourth Regiment, forming the Tenth Kansas Infantry, his company taking the position of Company C. On the
11th of September, 1862, he was commissioned
First Lieutenant of Company L, Third Regiment,
Indian Brigade, commanded by Col. William A.
Philips, and May 28, 1863, he was promoted to the
rank of Captain. The commands with which he
was connected did service in Missouri, Arkansas,
Kansas and Indian Territory, and he participated
in numerous engagements with the enemy. He
was mustered out of service May 31, 1865.
Returning to Anderson County, Kan., after the
war, he was married August 29, 1865, to Miss Melissa J. Patton, a native of Preble County, OIllo,
and the daughter of Peter and Hannah (Oglesby)
Patton. After marriage Captain Kauffman resided
on his farm until November, 1868, when he removed to Garnett, where for two years he filled
the office of Clerk of the District Court, and also
engaged in the real-estate and loan business, which
he conducted until 1874. He then purchased the
Garnett Plain Dealer, and conducted its publication until 1882. From July, 1878, to 1886, he
was Postmaster at that place, but since the latter
date he has been engaged in the real-estate business, he has also built some business blocks and
private residences in Garnett, among which may
be mentioned the building occupied by the Bank
of Garnett and the opera house block, of which
he was sole proprietor and manager for a number
of years. In polities he is a stanch Republican.
In 1857 Mr. Kauffman was a delegate to the
Kansas State Convention at Grasshopper Falls, and
the same year he received a majority of the votes
cast for Probate Judge of Anderson County. The
following year he was elected Chairman of the
Board of Supervisors of Reeder Township and
served as a member of the County Board of Supervisor one term. In 1868 he was elected Clerk
of the District Court, and from 1878 to 1886 he held the office of Postmaster. Socially he is a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. and
Mrs. Kauffman have an adopted son, Arthur B.,
who is now a resident of Chicago, Ill.
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