Pages 372-373, transcribed by Carolyn Ward from History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan.: 1901; 894 p., [36] leaves of plates: ill., ports.; includes index.



 

372 cont'd HISTORY OF ALLEN AND  

HIRAM A. MYERS.

HIRAM A. MYERS has been a witness of the development of Allen County from its pioneer epoch, has seen its wild lands transformed into beautiful homes and farms, while the work of progress has been carried forward in city and village and the county has taken rank with the best in the State. His residence here dates from 1870, and thus through three decades he has been numbered among its worthy citizens.

Mr. Myers was born in Boone County, Indiana, March 10, 1841, and his parents, James and Evaline (Stoker) Myers, were both natives of Kentucky. When a young man the father removed to Indiana, where he was married, and in 1852 took his family to Iowa, coming thence to Kansas in 1857. In this State he settled in Jefferson County, where he died in 1882, at the age of seventy-nine years, while his wife passed away in 1890, at the ripe old age of eighty three. They celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary, and at that time thirteen of their fifteen children were living. The following named were born unto them: Elizabeth A., wife of Frank Johnson; Mary, wife of Horace Gibbs; Ellen, wife of Perry Dale; Sarah, wife of Thomas West; Eliza, who married Squire Burnes; Harriet, who wedded Thomas Pucket; Sophrona, wife of Alfred Quackingbush; Martha, wife of A. L. Rivers; Louisa, wife of James Clements; Flora and Reuben, both deceased; Jonathan, who was killed in the army; Thomas, now in Jefferson County, Kansas; H. A., of Allen County, and James of Ellwood, Kansas.

There were five brothers in the army. One of the number made his escape from the Indians at the time of the massacre on the Platte river. He was also of the party of men that rescued Mrs. Larimer from the Indians, by whom she had been held captive for one year.

Hiram A. Myers, whose name begins this review, came to Kansas in 1857, and remained with his parents on the home farm until twenty years

  WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS. 373

of age, when, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he volunteered as a Union soldier on the 17th of September, 1862, enlisting in Company D, Eleventh Kansas Mounted Infantry. He saw some very arduous service, participated in the battles of Fort Wayne, Cane Hill, Van Buren, Prairie Grove and Cross Hollows, and was at Lawrence at the time of the Quantrell raid. He also aided in repelling the Price raid, and at the close of his term was honorably discharged February 22nd, 1865.

Returning to his home Mr. Myers was united in marriage to Miss L. E. Young, who was born in North Carolina and came to Kansas in 1860. In March, 1870, they removed to Allen County, locating on a farm in Elsmore township, where they lived for several years, Mr. Myers raising, buying and selling stock. He now resides in Savonburg, and for the past twelve years has been traveling agent for a stock company of Kansas City.

In 1898 Mr. Myers was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died leaving five children: Cora Alice, Oliver J., who is a guard in the Kansas penitentiary and who served in the Spanish-American war with the First Territorial Infantry, Company M; Delia I.; Lillian D.; Julia A.; Clara E. and Gilbert O., the third and fifth members of the family, are now deceased. Since attaining his majority Mr. Myers has been a stalwart Republican. He belongs to Savonburg Post, G. A. R., and is as true to his duties of citizenship today as when he followed the stars and stripes on southern battle-fields.


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