Sumner County Biographies
"Portrait and Biographical Album of Sumner County"
Chapman Bros., Chicago, 1890
HENRY KNOWLES, of the firm of Knowles
& Garland, is joint proprietor of one of the
finest meat-markets in Southern Kansas.
It was established in Wellington in 1882,
by our subject and his son, V. E., and had not
long been operated ere a fine trade had been acquired. On account of ill-health the son was
obliged to abandon the business, and selling his
interest to Mr. Garland, departed to California.
Mr. Knowles does the buying for the establishment,
having had quite an extended experience in the
cattle trade, and being an excellent judge of flesh
on foot.
The father of our subject was Daniel Knowles,
son of Moses Knowles, and a native of New York
State. He married Miss Sallie Spring, of Massachusetts, and his death occurred in February,
1823, a month prior to the birth of our subject,
who therefore has but little knowledge of paternal history. The widow subsequently married a
second time, her husband being Abner Goodrich,
and after residing in New York State several
years longer, went to Worcester, Mass., where she
departed this life.
Henry Knowles was born in Livingston County,
N. Y., March 18, 1823, and was reared there,
attending school as opportunity offered during
bis early years. His step-father kept an hotel on
Hemlock Lake, which was known as the "Half
Way House," and our subject made himself useful
about the hotel, which was his home until twenty
years of age, when he started in life for himself.
Ho was industrious and willing, and found work
at various kinds of employment during the following year. He was always inclined to make
trades, and when twenty-one he went to Rochester,
with a drove of cattle, which he sold, this being
his first deal in that stock, and being accomplished
in the interests of another man.
In 1847 Mr. Knowles went by lake to Chicago,
and thence by team to McHenry County, Ill.,
where he bought a tract of land in what was
known as the Burr Oak Openings, and on this wild
acreage built a log house with a clay and stick
chimney, and took up his pioneer work. Soon
after he began dealing in stock, and as there were
no railroads through that section cattle had to be
driven to market. One of his first experiences in
business was in driving a herd to Milwaukee,
eighty miles distant, making the drive alone and
on foot. The Cream City was then a small place,
and it and Chicago were about of equal size.
When the Chicago & Galena Union Railroad was
completed to Marengo, Mr. Knowles shipped the
first load of cattle ever sent from that place to
Chicago. At that time cattle were unloaded at the
freight depot and driven to the stock-yards at
Madison Street, three-fourths of a mile west of the
river.
After sojourning on his farm four years, Mr.
Knowles moved into Marengo, and remained there
engaged in the cattle and butcher business until
1878, when he came to this county and purchased
one hundred and sixty acres of wild land seven
miles north of town. He built a dwelling and at
once began to improve land. He had been in ill-health for some time previous to his removal West,
and was poor in purse, but his short-comings in
that respect were balanced by a large fund of
energy and thrift. After having operated his
farm about two years be engaged in the cattle
business in a small way, buying stock in the country and selling to the butcher in town. In 1881
he removed to this place and devoted his attention to buying and shipping cattle and hogs, and
about a year later opened the market whose history has been before noted. He has been very
prosperous and has accumulated a very nice property. He has erected a tasty and comfortable
residence in town, and owns one hundred acres of
land adjoining the city, and two outlying farms.
He rents one of these estates, and supervises the
work upon the other, where he feeds cattle for
shipping.
The marriage of Mr. Knowles took place in 1845,
his bride being Miss Sarah Waters, who was born
near Johnsonsburg, Wyoming County, N. Y., on
the 1st of March, 1826. She remained under the
parental roof until her marriage, acquiring many
household arts, those of spinning and knitting
being included among them. Her father, Robert
Waters, was born in New England, and was a soldier in
the War of 1812, after which contest he
settled in Wyoming County, N. Y. He was one
of the pioneers of that section, and having purchased a
tract of heavy timber land, cleared a
large acreage and resided there until 1836, when
he removed to the Territory of Michigan, and
again took up pioneer labors as a citizen of Kalamazoo
County. After spending five years on the
frontier he returned to Wyoming County, N. Y.,
and purchased a farm, upon which he resided until
his death. The mother of Mrs. Knowles was in
her maidenhood Miss Amarila Knight, and was a
native of the Empire State. She was a daughter
of Simeon Knight, an early settler of Chautauqua
County, whence he removed to Wyoming County,
where he subsequently died. Miss Knight remained
with her parents until her marriage to Mr. Waters,
and became conversant with those household
duties of carding, spinning and weaving, which
are unknown to the present generation, and which
she transmitted with good teaching of a more
intellectual and moral nature, to her daughter.
Her children were clothed in garments made from
cloth which she had woven. Her decease took
place in Wyoming County.
To Mr. Knowles and his worthy wife seven children have been
born � Ellen and Alice are now
deceased; Wesley and Frank E. are living in this
county; Eva married Miner Youmans, and lives in
Mayfield; Charles and Flora are deceased. Both
the parents are members in good standing of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Knowles has
been a Class-Leader for many years. Both are
thoroughly respected for their useful and upright
lives, in a retrospect of which they And no cause
for serious regret. Politically, he is a stanch
Republican.
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This website created Oct. 29, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
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