Saline County Bios "Portrait and Biographical Record of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson and Marion Counties," 1893
DANIEL HUMBARGAR. The gentleman
whose name appears above is one of the
pioneer farmers of Cambria Township,
Saline County, where he has a fine tract
of land on section 23. He was born in Richland
County, Ohio, February 27, 1840, and is a son of
Jacob and Elizabath (Snyder) Humbargar. The
former was born in Perry County, Ohio, in 1806,
and is a son of Henry Humbargar, a native of
Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio as a pioneer in
1801. Our subject's father still survives and at
the age of eighty-six makes his home with his son
Daniel. His wife died in 1866.
Prior to coming to Kansas in October, 1857, the
family had spent five years in Cedar County, Iowa.
Their exodus thither was made in company with
three other families with the usual ox-team conveyance. The Humbargar family at that time
comprised the father, mother, and four children whose
names are Solomon, Daniel, Jacob and Samuel.
Our subject and his father located on adjoining
farms on coming to Kansas, but Daniel lived with
his father until 1865. Soon after going into his
own home his mother's decease made it expedient
for his father to make his home with him, so the
two have been but little separated, having passed
fifty-two years of life together. The father owns
two hundred and twenty acres of land which was
originally Government land. Daniel at once took
up a homestead claim, and upon completing his
term of tenure received a deed for the same signed
by U. S. Grant. This has ever since that time
been his home. He now owns one hundred and
sixty acres in the home farm and two hundred
acres more at a short distance. He here raises
cattle, which he finds a most profitable business,
and ships at least two car-loads to the Eastern
markets every winter. He plants from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred acres of wheat annually and this brings forth a rich yield, as his
tract is nearly all bottom land.
In the early days, our subject made a business
of buffalo hunting, drying and shipping the
meat and pelts. While thus engaged he was attacked by the Indians three or four times and on
one occasion stood off thirty or forty. On another
occasion he and a brother were attacked by sixty
Cheyenne Indians, but after he had sent a bullet
through the Chief and a brave the others took
to their ponies dismayed. In 1863 and 1864 the
settlers found it expedient to unite in a militia organization, and as a member of this Mr. Humbargar
was a participant in all the raids.
In 1862, Daniel Humbargar drove a train for
the Government and under the command of Gen.
Blunt, of Eastern Kansas. The teams were driven
to Fts. Gibson and Smith and the loads they carried were prisoners on their way to Ft. Scott. Mr.
Hambarger was for six months thus employed.
May 22, 1865, our subject was married to Anna
Giersch, a daughter of Peter Giersch, who came to
the Saline River Bottom in the year 1858. An
interesting family has grown up around these enterprising parents: Peter; Solomon; Mary, who is
Mrs. John Shanahan and resides near Salina;
Andrew; Clara; and Libby. With the exception
of the married daughter all are at home. The
boys are employed in farming their grandfather's place. In the year 1880, Mr. Humbargar
was elected County Commissioner on the Independent ticket and maintained his position for
three years. For some time he was a member of
the Central Committee in the Democratic party,
but at present be is not actively interested in politics. He is a Director in the County Agricultural
Society and has devoted much time to its success.
He is, in Church affairs, affiliated with the Catholics of this locality, having identified himself
with them since the organization of the church
here.
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This website created June 15, 2011 by Sheryl McClure. � 2011 Kansas History and Heritage Project
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