Gustavus F. Gallagher, Augusta, Kans.—This Civil war veteran, and his pioneer wife, belong to that noble band of men and women whose courage and industry knew no limitations in the early days when they came West, and contributed their youth and energy to conquering the wilds of the plains. Gustavus F. Gallagher was born at Fremont, Ohio, or where Fremont is now located, in 1830, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Foose) Gallagher, the former a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Kentucky, who came to Ohio with her parents when she was four years old. Thomas and Elizabeth (Foose)

Gallagher were the parents of four children, as follows: William W., John D., Thomas M., and Gustavus F. Gustavus F. Gallagher bears the distinction of having been the first white child born in Fremont, Ohio, and he recalls with pride that Rutherford B. Hayes, who later became president of the United States, was one of his boyhood friends and playmates.

Mr. Gallagher was reared and educated in the State of Ohio, and in early life went to Illinois, and was about thirty-one years of age when the Civil war broke out. He enlisted at Danville, Ill., in Company D, Twenty-fifth regiment, Illinois infantry, and for three years and three months, fought beneath the stars and stripes in defense of the Union. He was mustered out of service and discharged at Springfield, Ill., and shortly afterwards settled in Indiana where he remained until 1881. He then came to Kansas, settling two miles north of Augusta, where he bought 200 acres of land, and six years later removed to Augusta and has since made his home there. Mr. Gallagher was married in Vermillion county, Indiana, January 1, 1856, to Anne Foose and to this union four children were born, as follows: Mrs. Elizabeth Anne Crane, Augusta; Gustavus, Jr., married, Celia Carpenter and lives in Oklahoma; Mrs. Jessie Wishard, lives at Alvin, Texas; and Clarence D., married Estella Markham, and lives at Johnson, Stanton county, Kans. The wife and mother of these children died December 13, 1890, and Mr. Gallagher married for his second wife Mrs. Charlotte Gardner, widow of John R. Gardner, of Augusta, who died August 5, 1887. Mr. Gardner was a soldier of the Civil war, and for ten months and twenty-seven days languished in the Confederate prison at Andersonville.

The present Mrs. Gallagher was a daughter of Elijah and Welthy (Lamb) Weston, the former a native of New York, and a cousin of Payson Walker who has walked himself to fame, and the latter a native of Connecticut and a member of the Lamb family of that State, noted for their wealth and commercial prestige in the early days. Mrs. Gallagher was born at Troy, Geauga county, Ohio, and was one of the following children, born to her parents: Charlotte, now Mrs. Gallagher, wife of the subject of this sketch; Barnabas, deceased; Thankful, deceased; John, deceased; Mrs. Mary Bower lives in Oregon; Mrs. Hannah Auxer lives in Ohio, and Mrs. Elzora Scott also lives in Ohio. Mrs. Gallagher was educated in the public schools of Ohio, including one term at Able's High School, Troy, Ohio, and at the age of seventeen married John R. Gardner at Bundysburg. They were the parents of two children: Elijah H., who died in 1890 at Augusta, Kans., leaving one son, Lile F. Gardner; Mrs. Effie Brewer, of San Luis Obispo, Cal. She has one son. Frank R. Powell, by a former marriage.

In 1851 they removed to Noble county, Indiana, settling in the wilderness of that section where they remained until 1860 when they went west again, this time settling in Logan county, Illinois. In 1868 they came to Kansas, settling in Crawford county, on what was known as the neutral lands. After some difficulty they secured a clear title to their

land, and in 1871 removed to Butler county, and took a claim in Douglass township, or that part of it which is now Richland township. After residing on their claim about two and one-half years, they removed to the town of Douglass, in order that they might have better educational advantages for their children.

Mrs. Gallagher relates many interesting incidents of pioneer life in Butler county. She remembers distinctly when the grasshoppers came, destroying everything in their wake in 1874, and she tells how she saved her small fruit trees from destruction by the pests by tying sheets over the trees. They escaped the destruction of the hoppers much better than did many of their neighbors, who were left absolutely destitute. They had twenty-five acres of corn which happened to be ripe—too ripe to be palatable for the grasshoppers, which as a rule are not particular, and the following winter found ready market for all the corn they had to spare at $1.00 a bushel. They also had a good crop of wheat that year and taking everything into consideration, they were about as prosperous grasshopper year as it any other time. In 1876 the Gardners removed to Augusta and bought the National Hotel, which they conducted for a number of years.

In 1907 Mr. and Mrs. Gallagher went to Stanton county, Kansas, and filed on a claim, five miles south of Johnson and lived there for two and one-half years when they returned to Augusta, where they are now spending their declining years in ease and comfort in their cozy home on Main street. Mrs. Gallagher takes an active part in local historical work, and is keenly interested in the preservation of the early history of Butler county. Mr. Gallagher has been a Republican since the candidacy of John C. Fremont and is a staunch supporter of the policies and principles of the Republican party.

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