Nemaha County Biographies - A
All biographies are from "The History of Nemaha County," 1916:
Chauncey M. Abbott, traveling superintendent for Kirschbraum &
Sons, of Omaha, is one of the best known business men in northern
Kansas. He enjoys the close friendship of a great number of business
men whom he has met in his work as traveling salesman and traveling
superintendent. He was born September 11, 1883, in Goff, and is the
only son of Edmund B. and Prudence (Scofield) Abbott, whose lives are
recorded in this volume. After completing his grammar school education
in 1899, he went to Havensville High. School one year and from there to
Campbell College at Holton, Kans., where he remained two years. At
the end of his sophomore year he transferred to Baker University at
Baldwin, Kans., where he studied one year. He left Baker University
to attend the Central Business College in Kansas City, Mo., where he
prepared himself for commercial work. He then took a position with
Kirschbraum & Sons, of Omaha, as road man. His work was so
successful that in two years he was made manager of their plant at Goff,
Kans. He so successfully executed the duties of the office that he was
promoted at the end of five years to the position of field superintendent,
a position which he now holds.
July 1, 1905, he was married to Vera E. Hindes, and to this union
three children have been born: Rachel H. and Horace E., both deceased,
and Mary A., aged four years. Mrs. Abbott is the daughter of Horace F.
and Mary (Burch) Hindes. Her father was born in Milwaukee, Wis.,
May 15, 1857, and lived on a farm during his early years. When he was
seven years old his father, who had enlisted in the Union army for the
Civil war, was taken ill of fever and was sent to a hospital at Memphis,
where he died. The father had enlisted in Wisconsin and served until
December 4, 1863. Upon the death of the father, Horace Hindes was
taken to live with his aunt, a sister of his father, in Rockford, Ill., where
he received his schooling and made his home until he was sixteen years
of age. Then he started out for himself and did various kinds of labor,
including work in a creamery. In 1890, he organized a stock company to
erect a creamery, and he was made general manager because of his ability
in this industry. But in three years he had an opportunity to sell his
stock at a general increased price and he immediately went from Tampico,
Ill., where his first enterprise was launched, to Stella, Neb., and organized
another company after the same plan he had employed at Tampico. He
managed this for four years, and in 1897 the company dissolved and the
creamery closed its doors. The following year Mr. Hindes moved to
Goff, Kans., and took a position as manager of the branch wholesale
house of Kirschbraum & Sons. For twelve years he directed the work
of this branch house and was then sent out for three years as field
superintendent. In this position, as in others which he had previously held,
he proved a capable executive. Mr. Hindes began to feel the call of the
farm and watched for a chance to purchase a good plot of land. Finally
he bought 320 acres near Logan, Kans., and he is still living on this place.
It is well improved and stocked with good horses and cattle. The mother
of Mrs. Abbott. Mary (Burch) Hindes, was born in Union Grove, Ill.,
April 21, 1862. and was reared in the country. She was married
November 22, 1882. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. To
Mr. and Mrs. Hindes, three children were born: Vera E., wife of Mr.
Abbott, of whom this history is written; Gladys M., musician, and
Henrietta, who died in infancy. Gladys Hindes is an accomplished musician
of wide renown, having toured the country on various Chautauqua and
lyceum circuits. She is a graduate of the Peoria College of Music and
of the Illinois Woman's College of Music at Jacksonville. She also
spent two years studying with Prof. Loudenback at Atchison, Kans., and
followed this with one term of study at the Horner Institute, in Kansas
City. Mo.
Mrs. Vera Hindes Abbott was born March 14, 1886, at Prairie
Center, Ill. She completed grammar school and was graduated from Goff
High School in 1903. During the following two years she worked for
her father in the creamery office. She is a member of the Methodist
Church and of the Eastern Star lodge.
Mr. Abbott is a man of large ability and has achieved a reputation
above the average. His work throughout has shown results and he
has proved one of the best executives in the business. He is a young
man and has a great future ahead of him.
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Edmund B. Abbott, retired merchant, Goff, Kans., was born in
Canada, July 18, 1845, and was reared in the country district and spent
his boyhood working about the farm and going to the district school a
few months each year. At the age of twenty, he went to the Academy
of Bakersville, Canada, for four terms. He also spent four months in
the military academy at Quebec, and was so efficient in his work that
he was able to qualify as second lieutenant in the king's army. On
leaving school he worked on the farm until he was twenty-eight years
of age, when he migrated to Idaho and spent two years in the wild
western country. Recrossing the border, he spent several years in
Canada, and then came to Kansas, locating at Goff, where he engaged
in the lumber business and also dealt extensively in live stock. This
business held his interest almost exclusively until T904, when he retired
to enjoy the fruits of his long and intensive labors.
His parents were Chauncey and Mary (Carpenter) Abbott, who were
the parents of five children: Isadore, deceased; Cynthia, deceased;
Edmund B., of whom this sketch deals; Salina G., deceased, and Chandler
C, deceased. The father was born in Canada near the site of Abbott's
Corner, on October 17, 1807. He was a member of the Methodist church
and was a devoted church worker and held the office of trustee for many
years. That he was highly respected by his neighbors is shown by the
fact that for many years he was the justice of the peace in his Canadian
district and administered the functions of his office justly and with ability
and efficiency.
His wife, Mrs. Mary Abbott, was born December 6, 1814, at St.
Armond, East Canada, and grew up on her father's farm in that district.
She lived at home until her marriage to Mr. Abbott, April 26, 1835, which
was performed by the Rev. Matthew Lang, of their home Methodist
church.
Edmund B. Abbott, of whom this biographical report is written, was
married November 7, 1879, to Prudence Scofield, daughter of Lorenzo
and Charlotte (Carpenter) Scofield. One son, Chauncey, was born to
them. An extended account of his life will be found in this volume.
Mrs. Abbott's father, Lorenzo Scofield. was born at St. Armond, East
Canada, April 26, 1809, and was reared in that vicinity. He devoted his
life to agriculture and lived the greater part of his life in Canada. He
was a devout member of the Methodist church. Mrs. Abbott's mother
was born September 28, 1811, in the same village as her husband. She
was married to Mr. Scofield, March 8, 1835, and they lived a long and
happy life together. Like her husband, Mrs. Scofield was a member
of the Methodist Church. Seven children were born to this union: Lucy
T., deceased; William S., deceased; Jeremiah, deceased, capitalist at St.
Albans, Vt.; David F., deceased; Patricia A., deceased; Prudence C.,
wife of Mr. Abbott, and Louis D., St. Albans, Vt.
Mrs. Abbott was born at St. Armond, East Canada, April 14, 1848,
and was reared on her father's farm. As she was an unusually bright
pupil, she developed an ambition to teach school, and as soon as possible
she qualified herself for such a position. At the age of seventeen years
she obtained a teaching position, and for twelve years she followed that
profession in Canada and Vermont. Retiring from teaching at the end
of that period, she returned to her parents, where she lived for two years,
and then she was married to Mr. Abbott, in 1879. She is a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church and of the Eastern Star Lodge.
Mr. Abbott is one of the public-spirited men of his community and
takes an active part in civic matters. Until recently, he served on the
school board and the city council of Goff and was held in high respect
for his efficient and capable work in those offices. He is a member of
the Masonic order and of the Modern Woodmen of America. He usually
votes the Democratic ticket.
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George C. Adriance and Dora Adriance, owners and publishers of
the Seneca "Courier-Democrat," were born on a farm four miles east of
Seneca. George Adriance was born October 28, 1888. Miss Dora
Adriance was born August 23, 1880. Their parents were Joseph and Mary
(Todd) Adriance. Their father, Joseph Adriance. emigrated from
Dutchess county. New York, in the spring of 1878, and settled on a tract
of raw land in Adams township, Nemaha county. He improved this land
and was married in September of that same year to Mary Todd, who
came to Kansas by the overland route from Marion county, Ohio, with
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Todd, soon after the close of the Civil
war. The Todds located first in Capioma township, Nemaha county, and
later moved to a farm on Tennessee creek, in Adams township. Mrs.
Mary Adriance was educated in the Seneca schools, and taught for eight
years in Nemaha county. Three children were born to Joseph and Mary
(Todd) Adriance, as follows: Frank, born March 19, 1884, married in
August, 1908 to Mary Moriarty of Seneca, lives on a farm near Blaine in
Pottawatomie county and has two children, namely: James Jay, aged
six years, and Helen M., aged three years. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Adriance
lived on their pioneer farm for twenty-three years when they sold it to
R. L. Wheeler, and then purchased a small farm in the southwest part
of Seneca, now owned by J. R. Baldwin. Both died during the same
week in February, 1908.
George Adriance purchased the "Courier-Democrat" in August of
1909. In January of 1912, the newspaper plant was sold to G. W. Willis
of Marysville, and in December of the same year, it was re-purchased by
George and Dora Adriance, forming the partnership of Adriance &
Adriance. The "Courier-Democrat" is an eight page, all home-print paper
devoted to Nemaha county news, with particular attention given to the
development of the city of Seneca, where it is published on Thursday of
each week. George and Dora Adriance are not only publishing an
excellent newspaper, which is well patronized by the people and merchants
of Seneca and Nemaha county, hut they are valued and valuable citizens
in the community where they labor for the common good.
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John W. Andrews, police judge of Corning, Kans., was born in
Michigan City, Ind., October 15, 1862. He is a son of John W. and Laura
(Cramm) Andrews, to whom four children were born, as follows:
James, deceased; Mrs. Laura McKinnel, deceased; Charles B., twin
brother of John W., was formerly sheriff of Nemaha cotmty, and was
also engaged in the livery business with his brother at Corning, and
now makes his home in Seneca.
John W., father of Judge Andrews, was born in Pennsylvania in
1830 and, when a young man, he moved to Michigan City, Indiana,
and followed his trade of tanner. He became prominent in the affairs
of his adopted city, and served as postmaster of Michigan City during
President Lincoln's administration. His death occurred in 1862. Mrs.
Laura Andrews, mother of John W., subject of this review, was born
in Pennsylvania in 1836, and departed this life in 1898. The widow
Andrews was married again, to H. B. Thomas, a contractor of
Michigan City, who died in 1896.
Judge Andrews, was educated in the Michigan City schools, and
graduated from the high school of his home city. When about twenty-two years
old, he came west and located in Chautauqua county,
Kansas, where he invested in 240 acres of land, which he farmed until 1888.
He made a visit back to the old home of the family in Indiana and,
in 1889, came to Corning, and invested his capital in a livery business
at Corning in partnership with his brother, Charles. He continued in
the livery business until 1897, and was then appointed postmaster of
Corning, a position which he held until December, 1914. Mr. Andrews
is well-to-do, and owns property in Corning. He has been conducting
a real estate and insurance business in Corning for some time, and also
deals in farm loans. He represents the Continental, Aetna, the
Capital Live Stock Company insurance companies, and does an excellent
business. Mr. Andrews has accomplished a great deal in his life time,
and is deserving of more than ordinary credit and honor for the part
he has played in the civic body, because of the fact that he has been a
cripple since childhood.
Judge Andrews was married, in 1899, to Kathrine Sauers, who was
born in Atchison, Kans., in 1868, and is a daughter of William Sauers,
who was a harness maker in the early days, and came from Atchison
to Corning. Four children have been born of this marriage, namely:
James K., St. Joseph, Mo.; Lulu, at home; Minnie, pursuing a course
in nursing; John W. Jr., at home with his parents.
The Republican party has always had the allegience of Judge
Andrews, and he has been generally interested in political matters. He
served five years as a member of the Corning city council, and is police
judge of the city. He has filled the office of justice of the peace since
1893. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
the Modern Woodmen of America, and is now serving as clerk of the
local Woodmen, which office he has held for seventeen years.
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This website created June 12, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
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