Pages 392-393, 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.



 

392 cont'd HISTORY OF ALLEN AND  

JOSEPH TERRELL RENO.

JOSEPH TERRELL RENO, of Iola, was born in Schuyler County, Illinois, October 5, 1845. His father was the Rev. Joseph Reno, United Brethren, whose ministerial work in Linn and Bourbon Counties, Kansas, many years was both important and effectual. He did much toward the establishment of that faith in those counties, and at his death in 1876, left the work in a healthy, encouraging condition. He was born in East Tennessee in 1807, and went to Illinois in the early settlement of that

  WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS. 393

state. He secured an education that made his life a success, and at the outbreak of the Black Hawk war, 1834, he enlisted and served his State in quelling the disturbance. Although he was a self-made man, few with his opportunities could have done more in the cause of religion as a pioneer preacher than he. In politics he was a Republican, coming into that party from the Whigs.

Jonathan Reno, our subject's paternal grandfather, was a Virginian. He was descended from French stock, was a farmer and was killed in Springfield, Missouri.

Sarah Skyles married Rev. Joseph Reno. She was a daughter of Mr. Skyles, of East Tennessee. Mrs. Reno resides in Allen county, Kansas, and is the mother of Joseph T., Charles, of Piqua, Kansas; William O., of Iola; Adda, wife of Frank Smith, of Allen county and Jeanette, wife of I. Helms, of Bronson, Kansas.

Joseph T. Reno was near twenty-one years old when he came to Kansas. He was reared on an Illinois farm and educated in the district schools and before he was eighteen years of age he enlisted in the army. His regiment was partially raised in McDonough county, Illinois, and his command was Co. A, 84th infantry. His regiment was placed first in the 4th corps and later became a part of the 14th corps. He began service at Louisville, Kentucky and was in the fight at Perryville, that state. In their order Mr. Reno participated in the engagements at Chicamauga, Atlanta campaign, (Ringgold Gap, Buzzards Roost, Kennesaw Mountain,) Jonesboro, Nashville and Franklin. He served as a private and through all these, some of the most bloody battles of the war, he passed without injury. He was discharged at Camp Harker June 8, 1865, and cultivated his crops in Illinois that year. He came to Kansas in the fall and located on a farm in Linn county. In 1879 he came into Allen county and located a farm near Bronson and resided in that vicinity for ten years. In 1889 he located on a farm near Carlyle and four years later he took up his residence in Iola.

Mr. Reno was first married in Linn county, Kansas, in 1868 to Emma Saddler, a daughter of James Saddler, one of the pioneers to Linn county. In 1883 Mrs. Reno died, leaving five daughters: Laura, wife of Andrew Price of Lordsburg, New Mexico; Mary E., wife of Dallas Gillespie, of Missouri; Dora, widow of Simon Brillhart; Cora, who married Charles Cain, of Iola, and Lettie. Mr. Reno was married the second time in 1883. His wife was Sadie Kenady, a daughter of Valentine Brillhart. She died in 1898 and in April 1900 Mr. Reno married Emma L. Prather, a daughter of Randolph B. Tucker, of Clermont county, Ohio.

Mr. Reno added his mite to the expansion era of Iola. In 1899 he platted Reno's addition to Iola, much of which has already been disposed of and improved.


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