Clay Co., KS AHGP-Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties-Col. Wiliiam Banner
Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1890
COL. WILLIAM D. BANNER One of the most flourishing establishments in the town of Vining, is that owned and managed by the above-named gentleman, who opened it as a general mercantile store in 1878. and a year later merged the business into that of a drug and stationery store, and has since operated it as such. In all the intervening years he has been very successful. being the only man who has remained in active business all that time. A consideration of his life, and particularly that portion of it referring to his war record, will be highly interesting to our readers.
Coming to Clay County in March, 1870, Col. Banner took up a homestead on sections 11 and 10 of Mulberry Township, and after this was improved, he sold it and purchased another farm in the same township, and later started a general store in Clay County, at Riverdale (a town long since defunct), and was there a merchant and Postmaster for two years. About this time the town of Vining was started, and he changed his location to that point, being one of the first to engage in business at that place.
Stokes County, N. C., was the native place of our subject, and the date of his birth was Oct. 11, 1838. His parents were Southern people, but his ancestry is Welsh and English. On one side of the family, his ancestors emigrated to America from Albion about the time of the Revolutionary War, and became early settlers in Stokes County. The grandfather of our subject was Joshua Banner, who was born in Stokes County. N. C., and was by occupation a farmer, and also operated a tannery near Germantown, in that county. Joshua Banner was reared and married in Stokes County, where he passed the remainder of his life, and also died, when he had attained a great age. He had married Nancy Bitting, who also lived and died in North Carolina, being about four score years old at the time of her decease. A large family of children was born to her and her husband, five sons and three daughters growing to manhood and womanhood. Among these Louis, father of our subject, was the second child and the first son. He was reared in Stokes County, occupying his time in the same manner as his father did. namely, as a farmer and tanner. "(C) 2004 Clay Co. KS AHGP" A very important event in his life took place about 1837, when he married Miss Nancy Flippin, their union being consummated in Germantown, Stokes County. Mrs. Louis Banner was born in Virginia, her parents being natives of the Old Dominion, and when still very young she accompanied them to Stokes County. The Banner family were mostly loyal to the Union, and earnest in their advocacy against human slavery. While a resident of Watauga County, Louis Banner represented his county in the North Carolina Legislature two terms, and passed the remainder of his life in that county, where he died in 1885, at the age of seventy-two years. He was politically, an old-line Whig, and later a Republican. Religiously, he was in sympathy with the doctrines of the Methodist Church, with which organization he was actively identified. His widow yet lives, making her home in Watauga County, being more than seventy years old. She was for many years a member of the Baptist Church.
Being the eldest of all the children in his father's family, which consisted of five sons and three daughters, Col. Banner was early initiated in the cares and responsibilities of farm life, and made himself useful in various ways when still very young. Of his brothers and sisters all are living now, and, with one exception, are married. Our subject and a brother. A. J. Banner, are the only ones residing in Kansas, the others being in North Carolina, where one of his brothers, Louis, is now representing his county of Mitchell in the State Legislature. Col. Banner worked for many years in the tobacco business, and represented the trade in South Carolina, Georgia, and through Florida. In 1858, he accompanied his father's family in their removal to Watauga County, at which time he was about twenty years old.
After the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Banner enlisted in the service of the Union, leaving his home in North Carolina. March 1, 1862, and it was not until July 10 of the same year that he was able to get a regiment in which he could enlist, he being-obliged to walk until he could find Federal troops, aud finally found them at Cumberland Gap, Ky.. where he enlisted in the 4th Tennessee Regiment, Company B, in which he served as First Sergeant during the entire war. At the close of the conflict he was honorably discharged, at Nashville, Tenn., July 10, 1865. He was a very modest soldier and a good man.
In 1868. Mr. Banner was made Colonel of the 98th Regiment, North Carolina Militia, and at that time there were not enough loyal Union men in his whole regiment to fill the offices in the different companies, and very little dependence could be placed upon the rank and file, notwithstanding which the Colonel kept his commission and managed Hie regiment for two years, when he gave it up to come to Kansas.
While a resident of Watauga County, our subject was united in marriage with Sallie Vuncannon. a native of Randolph County, N.C., where she spent her youth. Her father, Jacob Vuncannon, was likewise reared and married in his native county of Randolph, his wife being Sallie Hammon. who was born in that county of Quaker parents. After the birth of their children. Jacob and Sallie Vuncannon removed to Watauga County, in 1860. and there the father engaged in farming and also as a millwright. He died there after he had reached a very old age, while his wife yet survives, at the the age of seventy years, living in Watauga County with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Martha Culver. Religiously, Mr. Vuncannon was a firm Methodist. Mrs. Banner was almost grown to womanhood when
she accompanied her patents to Watauga County, where she was married. After three children had been born to her and her husband, they came to Kansas, where their family circle was enlarged hy the birth of another child. One of their children, a daughter, named Alice, married Dr. Taylor, and a few short weeks after her marriage was taken to her final rest. The living are: Ulysses S., who is with his father in the drug store, where he is a very efficient clerk; J. Louis, who is at home, is engaged at the Vining depot as telegraph operator; and Edna G., who is at home, attending the schools of Vining. Mrs. Banner is a consistent member of the United Brethren Church, which the family attend. Col. Banner has been Justice of the Peace for a period of eleven years; he was Postmaster of Vining for several years, and is now Justice of the Peace and Councilman of Vining. He has also served with characteristic ability as Police Magistrate, and is a strong Republican and an active worker within the ranks of his party.