Clay Co., KS AHGP-Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties-James J. Law
Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington, Clay and Riley Counties Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1890
JAMES J. LAW. During the early settlement
of Sherman Township, Clay County,
there emigrated to it a young man of twenty
years, landing here in November, 1865,
with a capital of seventy-five cents in his pocket.
He had already seen considerable of the world and
experienced the vicissitudes of life in two armies
and his determination now was to cast his lot with
the people of the young State of Kansas, and if possible
acquire for himself a home and a competence.
The task before him was no small one, but he
possessed the courage and resolution of which successful
men are made and he set about this self appointed
work in the best manner which then offered.
For four years thereafter he worked as a farm laborer
and then in March, 1869, homesteaded 160
acres of land where he now lives. He labored
early and late the first few years in cultivating the
soil, erecting buildings and bringing about the improvements
naturally suggested to the intelligent
and enterprising man. We now find him, James J.
Law�the owner of a good farm and surrounded
by all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of
life. In addition to this he is a highly respected
citizen and one who has been valuable to his community.
A native of Gibson County. Tenn., Mr. Law
was born June 8, 1845, and there spent the years
of his childhood and youth on his father's farm.
The latter, Lemuel H. Law, was likewise a native
of Tennessee, where he was reared and married to
Miss Mary, daughter of James and Elizabeth
(Coppage) Thomas. This lady was born in North
Carolina, and removed to Tennessee with her parents
in her girlhood. The latter reared their
family of five children in Tennessee and died there.
When James J. Law was sixteen years old and still
pursuing his studies in the district school, a company
was organized, chiefly of school boys, and at
its head was William Thomas, his uncle, who
officiated as a recruiting officer. He persuaded
young Law to enlist in Company E, 31st Tennessee
Cavalry, and he served, with other schoolmates,
for about two and one-half years and until Sherman
made his raid through Georgia. Young Law
during this time had his scruples about serving
with the enemies of his country, and escaping from
the Confederate ranks joined the Union army and
was taken as a loyal prisoner to Chicago, and as an
applicant for the oath of allegiance to the United
States Government. As soon as the oath was administered
he enlisted as a Union soldier in Company
H, 5th United States Infantry, and served on
the frontier in the States of Colorado and Texas,
for about eight months, when his services were no
longer needed. He then received his honorable
discharge and turned his steps toward the State of
Kansas, of which he has since been a resident.
On the 22d of October, 1866, Mr. Law, esteeming
it not good for even a young man to be alone,
took unto himself a wife and helpmate. Miss Lydia
E., daughter of Hiram and Sarah E. (Lakin)
Cooper. The young people did not receive any
costly wedding presents nor take an extended lour,
but soon after their marriage commenced housekeeping
in a log cabin, with a dirt roof and the
same material for a floor. Later Mr. Law put up
an addition to his dwelling, which he covered with
a roof of shingles and which was considered quite a
pretentious structure for those times. The little
family occupied this until the present comfortable
dwelling was built. In the meantime Mr. Law
proceeded with the improvement of his property
planting forest and fruit trees and erecting by degrees
the necessary buildings. He now has an
apple orchard of 150 trees in good bearing condition,
besides other trees, also stable, granary and
corn-cribs. His land is mostly in a productive
condition and devoted to general farming and stock
raising.
The six children born to our subject and his
estimable wife were named respectively, William
F., Hiram L., Charles W. and Perry J., Mary E. and
Frances E. The two latter died while young. Mr.
and Mrs. Law have been connected with the Methodist
Episcopal Church for about twenty-three years.
Mr. Law has been recognized as one of the pillars,
serving as Class-Leader and Steward and contributing
a liberal support. He is identified with the A.
F. & A. M., being a member of Clifton Lodge. No.
122. In politics, he is a sound Republican. His
honored father, although a resident of Tennessee,
was a member of the old Whig party.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was
Jesse Law, who served as a soldier in the War of
1812 and subsequently located in Smith County,
Tenn., where he reared his family and died. He
was for some years a pensioner. His father had
served in the Indian War in Florida. Back another
generation, we find John Law, a native of Scotland,
who emigrated to America with his brothers,
William and Henry, prior to the Revolutionary
War and located in Virginia where they were all
married, reared families and died. Their descendants
are scattered throughout nearly every State in
the Union. On his mother's side the grandparents
of our subject were natives of North Carolina, and
spent their last days in Tennessee. An interesting
fact in connection with the history of Mr. and Mrs.
Law is, that they were the first couple married in
Clay County, Kan., after its organization.