Wyandotte County Biographies
"Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas--Historical and Biographical"
Goodspeed Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890
Alexander D. Jacks is well known to the people of this region, and
is now residing on a good farm in Wyandotte Township, and although
born in Platte County, Mo., March 5, 1846, he has been a resident of
Wyandotte County, Kas., since the fall of 1861. He was the youngest of a family of thirteen children, the following six of whom are living: William (a farmer of this county), Richard (who has been a resident of California since 1850, and is engaged in gold mining), Elias
(who is following the same business in that State), Warden Thomas
(who is a farmer of Wyandotte County), Catherine (widow of J. H.
Masterson, who was accidentally killed while hauling grain in 1889;
she is now managing the farm of 120 acres on which she is now living), and Alexander D. (the subject of this sketch). The parents were
both Kentuckians, the father's birth having occurred on May 24, 1802.
He was a soldier throughout the Mexican War, could remember incidents connected with the War of 1812, and throughout life was an
agriculturist and stock-raiser, being the owner of 800 acres of fine land
at the time of his death. His wife died at the age of sixty-eight and
both were worthy members of the Christian Church. Alexander D.
Jacks received his early training in the old subscription schools, but
as the war came up whilst he was in attendance, it greatly interfered
with his education. Notwithstanding this he is possessed of a large
fund of useful information, which admirably fits him for the active life
which he pursues. He has always been the friend and patron of education, and, in truth, supports all institutions which tend to develop
the rising generation. He commenced life for himself at the age of
twenty-five years, and being the youngest member of the family, the
sole care of which devolved upon his shoulders, and for a long time
his ups and downs in life were many. His marriage, which occurred on December 13, 1871, was to Miss Martha A. Chandler, a native of Missouri, her education being received in her native State and
in Kansas, but their union took place in Wyandotte County, of the latter State, and has resulted in the birth of the following children: Mary,
Minnie (aged fourteen), Jennie (aged nine), Grover (aged five), and Lester (who died in infancy). Mr. Jacks has always supported the measures of Democracy, and is a gentleman who has always used his right
of franchise intelligently, and has cast his vote for men of honor and
integrity. He has never aspired to office, much preferring to till his
land, for he finds it much more profitable, and the "glory" of holding public office has no charms for him. He is a member of the
Farmers' Alliance, an organization which he thinks will accomplish
much for the farming element if the members will stand firmly by
their principles. He is one of the old and sturdy pioneers of this region, and has seen the county of Wyandotte developed from its primeval state to the garden spot of Kansas. Kansas City, Kas., contained
a population of 1,500 inhabitants, but now boasts a population of 40,000 souls, and has the largest pork and beef-packing interests in the
Southwest. Upon his arrival in this county land was worth $2.50
to $12 per acre, but now, land surrounding his place has sold for $100
per acre. He has a fine farm of 120 acres, with 100 under cultivation, and he has a handsome farm residence, and commodious and
substantial outbuildings. Mrs. Jacks is a worthy member of the
Christian Church, and she and her husband have abundant means with
which to make their declining years happy and comfortable.
William Jacks is well known to the citizens of Wyandotte County,
Kas., and is a native of Missouri, born on April 24, 1824, in which
State his early education was obtained, he being an attendant of the
old log school-houses of pioneer days, and for some time an attendant
of a select school. He relates many amusing anecdotes and reminiscences of his early school days, and although he has since made a
success of his life, he has often felt the need of a better education,
and for many years past has been a liberal patron of educational institutions of all kinds. In fact, he gives liberally of his means to all
worthy enterprises, and has shown that he has the interest of the
county at heart, and is highly public spirited in every respect. He
commenced life for himself as a merchant, amongst the whites, and
Delaware and Wyandotte Indians, but as he had scarcely any capital
to begin with, he relinquished his hold on business in the year of
1850, and went to the Pacific slope to try his fortune in the placer
gold diggings, where he remained off and on, for some fifteen years.
He well remembers the time when the present site of San Francisco
could have been purchased for $300, and was well acquainted with a
young man who purchased a lot for $5, for which he was offered, after
San Francisco began to build up, the sum of $75,000. He also relates the following thrilling incident, which took place in his journey
across the plains: When the caravan came near the famous "Sink of
the Humboldt River," in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the whole
country was a sandy desert, and while there he counted from 500 to
1,000 dead cattle which were famished for want of water, there being
also numerous wagons left desolate and abandoned with inscriptions
written on them something like the following: "Take all that you see,
we are done with wagons and all that you see on this desert plain."
Men, women and animals were famished and many were dead. His
company saved the lives of many emigrants who had endeavored to
cross the great plains and see the Golden Gate. These, as well as
many other incidents, are related with great accuracy and vividness
by Mr. Jacks, and would be of great interest to any one interested in
the progress and development of the far West could he hear or read
them. He was married to Miss Mary McDaniel on the same day of
Grant's first election to the presidency, his wife being, in all probability, a native of Missouri, in which State she was educated. Mr.
Jacks was in California from 1850 to 1866, during the Rebellion, and
has always been a "Simon pure" Democrat, and has supported and
upheld the true principles of Jeffersonianism. He is a gentleman of
honor and integrity, and has endeavored to exercise his right of
franchise in a proper manner. He is under the impression that he
cast his first presidential vote for Franklin Pierce. He has held the
office of township trustee for' several terms and the important position
of county commissioner also, which shows that the people have reposed the utmost confidence in Mr. Jacks' ability as a man of sterling
business acumen. He is at present justice of the peace in his township, and is a gentleman who will fully support the principles of justice and right and an equalization of rights in the Farmers' Alliance,
of which he is a member, prospectively. He is not an arbitrary person, who usurps the rights of others, but does all in his power to produce harmony at all times. He is well posted upon the current topics
and issues of the day. and his views on all matters of public interest
are sound, and show that he keeps fully apace with the times. In
1866 he emigrated from California to Wyandotte County, Kas., and
when he first knew Kansas City, Mo., it was a boat landing, and only
eight or ten houses were visible from the river. Old Parkeville, ten
miles west of Kansas City, Mo., was the Kansas City of the West or
next to St. Joe, which fact goes to show what an early pioneer Mr.
Jacks was in this section of the country. Kansas City, Kas., was unknown at that date, and Westport was a stopping place for supplies
on the overland route to Santa Fe. When Mr. Jacks came to his
present home it was a perfect thicket and wilderness, the Indians being
the principal proprietors of the land at that time. He paid at first
$14 per acre for forty-nine acres, and shortly after bought sixty acres
at $25 per acre, which land now lies within five miles of the city limits
of Kansas City, Kas., and is now valued at $800 per acre, which value
will be greatly enhanced when the great manufacturing plant of the
Southwest is erected. He was present at the "Great Corn Feast,"
the last held by the Wyandotte Indians, two and one-half miles west
of Wyandotte, Kas., near the Old Indian Spring, so well known to
early settlers, and heard the speeches delivered by the principal chiefs,
both in the Indian and English languages. Gov. Walker, who was of
the Wyandotte tribe, spoke in both languages and Chief Gray Eye, of
the Wyandotte tribe, also orated before the tribes in his native tongue.
Mr. Jacks is held in high esteem by his neighbors for his sterling worth
and integrity, and he and his wife expect to spend the rest of their
days on their present farm, surrounded by everything to make life
comfortable and pleasant. In addition to their home farm they own
eighty acres of valuable land in Platte County, Mo.
W. F. Jaques is foreman of the shipping department of Armour's
Packing House, and has been in the employ of Armour for the past
five years. He was born in Illinois in 1855, and acquired his early
education in the public schools of Geneseo, and afterward engaged in
teaching for four years, after which he emigrated to Ellis, Kas., and
began the publication of a newspaper. After editing the Ellis Headlight for three years he sold out, and for three years was employed as
a clerk in the Union Pacific Railway offices at Ellis, Kas. At the end
of this time he came to Kansas City, Kas., and entered tbe employ of
Armour as a clerk, but at the end of two years was promoted to foreman of the lard department, and one year later was given control of
the shipping department, a position he has tilled ever since. He was
married at Geneseo, Ill., in 1881, to Miss Jennie L. Paul, a native of
Illinois, born in 1858. They have one child, a boy, Ewart Paul, born
November 22, 1888. Mr. Jaques is a warm Republican in his views,
and being a young man of many sterling principles his future prosperity is assured. He is the owner of some property in Kansas City,
and his home is at No. 746 Sandusky Avenue. His parents, W. C.
and Eliza A. (Beers) Jaques, were born in Pennsylvania. The father
is now living in Geneseo, but the mother died in 1880. During the
time Mr. Jacques was engaged in publishing a newspaper at Ellis,
Kas., he also read law in the office of Lawyers David Rathbone and
M. M. Fuller, and was admitted to the bar, but has never engaged in
the practice.
August F. Jasper, coal and feed merchant, Argentine, Kas. Mr
Jasper is one of the oldest settlers of this county, having made his
first appearance here in 1863, and is a prominent and popular business man. He was born in Leipsic, Germany, April 18, 1855, and is
the fifth in a family of nine children born to Herman and Minnie Jasper, natives also of Germany. The parents came to the United States
in 1859, located first in Osage County, Mo. (1860), and later moved to
this county, where the father was engaged in farming and teaming.
When they first located here the land was a wilderness and heavily
timbered, and the father and his sons did a great deal to clear the land
of the heavy timber. Their earliest neighbors were Indians, living
with them in perfect peace, and West Kansas City was all under brush
and heavy timber. Our subject has seen the first laying of the different railroad tracts through the city, and all the other large improvements. Up to the last few years he has devoted his attention to potato
growing and fruit raising, but in the fall of 1888 he started his coal
and feed store, in which he has been very successful. He started with
a very limited capital, but meeting with success he is now able to supply them in any quantity. Mr. Jasper is single, and has taken care
of his mother since the death of the father, who died November 25,
1889, when in his seventy-ninth year. In politics Mr. Jasper is a
Republican, and was road overseer of his township for four years and
six months in succession. He is a member of the Argentine Association. In his religious views he is a German Lutheran.
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