Burton Family of Labette County, Kansas
Submitted by Margot Lind
Ellsworth L. Burton was born in the month of April, 1868, in Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois. His parents, George W. and Elizabeth Ann Harris Burton were the parents of five children, all of whom, except Ellsworth, died in childhood. (For more information about George Burton, see his biography here.)  George W. Burton served in the Union Army during the Civil War, first enlisting in the Illinois 97th Inf. Reg. and later transferring to Co. D., Ill. 37th Inf. Reg., being mustered out in 1866.  Not long after the end of that conflict George W. Burton, with his wife and son came to Kansas, first to Neosho County, then to Montgomery County and finally to Cherokee County. The beloved wife and mother died in 1903, and he afterwards married Margaret Williams. Mr. Burton died in 1929 and is buried, with his first wife, Elizabeth Ann Harris, in Valley Cemetery, Neosho County.  Ellsworth L. Burton married Abigail Ruth Thomas in Pittsburgh, Kansas on August 18, 1890. Abigail was born Feb. 9, 1869 in Fayette County, Ohio, and came to Kansas with her parents, Francis Marion and Sarah Elizabeth Claridge Thomas, and her siblings, in the 1880's.   Ellsworth and Abigail came to Labette County after their marriage and became the parents of five children--George Francis, Sarah Elizabeth, Marion T., Abigail Ruth and Ellsworth. The photo below show three generations of Burton men--George W. Burton, top, his son, Ellsworth L. Burton, middle, and grandson, George Francis Burton, bottom.   Ellsworth Burton was admitted to the Kansas Bar in 1890. He practiced law in Columbus, Scammon, Oswego, and Parsons KS. He served as county attorney for Labette County and was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1914.  George Francis Burton was born in 1891 in Parson KS. He graduated from Parsons High School in 1910. In 1913 he passed the bar and went into practice with his father, forming the firm Burton & Burton. He moved to Washington State around 1920, but returned to live in Parsons. At some point in his life, he went completely blind. He had one child with his first wife Frances Tenpenny. He died in 1963 and is buried in Valley Cemetery, Neosho County, KS.  Sarah Elizabeth �Dottie� Burton was born in 1892 in Parsons. She graduated from Parsons High School in 1913 and lived at home and worked as a stenographer in her father�s law office. She married Ralph Young in 1937 and moved to Neodesha, Wilson County, KS. She died in 1982. There were no children. She is buried in Neodesha Cemetery.  Marion Thomas Burton was born in 1894 in Parsons KS. He graduated from Parsons High School and served in the U.S. Army during WWI. He attended Wesleyan Christian College in Salina. He practiced law. He married Mabel Young in 1937 and died in 1982. There were no children. He is buried in Pleasant View Cemetery, Shawnee KS.  Abigail Ruth Burton was born in 1895 in Parsons KS. She attended St. Teresa Academy in Kansas City MO where she majored in music. She played the harp all her life. She married Carl V. Rice in 1919. They moved to Kansas City MO in 1934 and relocated to Kansas City KS around 1940. They had four children, Ruth Isabelle Rice, Carlene Virginia Rice, Mary Elizabeth Rice, and Grace Lucille Rice. Abigail Burton Rice died in 1968 and is buried in Highland Park Cemetery in Kansas City KS.  Ellsworth Burton was born in 1902 in Parsons KS. He died of meningitis in 1918. He is buried in Valley Cemetery in Neosho County KS  Most have heard of the notorious Bender family who lived in Labette County and operated a way-stop where unsuspecting travelers were murdered for their belongings. George Burton was a friend of William McCratty, a Bender victim. They served together in the Civil War and traveled together, along with George's brother Wesley, from Illinois to Kansas in the late 1860's. According to family history, George and Wesley Burton were in the posse that went after the Benders. As the story goes, when the posse returned, they claimed that they didn�t catch the Benders. However, family history says they not only caught them but killed all of them and burned their wagons and threw everything in the river and all made an oath never to let the truth be known. Below is a letter from Mary Rice Wells, great granddaughter of George Burton and granddaughter of Ellsworth Burton: "A man who was searching for his brother stopped by at the "Bender Inn" near Parsons Kansas. He recognized a watch one of the Benders was wearing as his brothers but they denied it. He returned to Parsons. A posse was formed, but the Benders were gone. They found seven graves behind the Inn covered with cornstalks. They returned to Parsons saying they didn't catch the Benders. "Abigail Ruth Thomas Burton, daughter-in-law of George Burton (a member of the posse) was told they caught them and killed their entire family, burned their wagon and goods and threw their bodies in the river. Then they all took a solemn oath never to tell anyone what they had done." |
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