John B. Oliphant

JOHN B. OLIPHANT, one of the most prosperous farmers of Osage township, Labette county, Kansas, has been located here since 1867, and is one of the earliest settlers. He owns 240 acres of fine farm land, and is engaged in general farming and stock raising. Mr. Oliphant was born in Johnson county, Missouri, near Warrensburg, in 1847, and is a son of Felix E. and Ann R. (Williams) Oliphant.

Felix E. Oliphant was born in Tennessee, and was of Scotch descent. He went to Missouri at an early day, and at one time owned 300 acres of land there, the consideration for which was 12 1/2 and 25 cents per acre. He did not like the surroundings during the war, and in 1865 sold his fine farm and left the country of southern sympathizers for Kansas. He moved to Doniphan county, Kansas, where he bought land, but later sold out, and in the spring of 1867 came to Labette county. He took as. a claim in the northeast quarter of section 7, township 32, range 18, in Osage township, where he lived until his death, in 1888. His widow is still living on this property, and is now past seventy years of age. He was an old-line Whig, and later a Republican upon the organization of that party. Mr. and Mrs. Oliphant became the parents of 10 children, of whom eight are now living, as follows: S. D., who resides in Labette county; John B.; L. D., of Joplin, Missouri, who is engaged in mining; J. F., who purchased a farm in the same section as John B. Oliphant, in 1896; C. M., who is engaged in the elevator business in Barton county, Kansas; Joseph B., of Galena,, Kansas, who is engaged in mining; and Mary (Tussing) and Susan (Barnes), widows, residing in the northern part of Osage township.

John B. Oliphant was reared in Missouri, and began to shift for himself at the age of seventeen years. He adopted the occupation of a farmer, and has followed it with success all his life. He came to Osage township, Labette county, July 7, 1867, and filed on the northwest quarter of section 6, township 32, range 18, but obtained a conveyance of the north 80 acres only. He later bought the 80 acres directly east and recently purchased the north half of the northeast quarter of section 1, township 32, range 17, - making a farm of 240 acres. It is one of the finest in the county, but little of it being waste land. He first built a box-house, of native lumber, sawed from the timber along the creek, and erected the present large, seven-room, frame house in 1892. He also has large and substantial barns and outbuildings. He set out a hedge and also many fruit trees. In 1894 he set out an orchard of 20 acres, which has done exceptionally well. During his first year on the farm he raised sod-corn, and then sowed wheat and planted corn. He hauled his first crop of wheat to Labette city, where it was sold for $2.40 per bushel. He engaged in stock raising, and for some years raised horses, having at one time as many as 25 fine animals.

Mr. Oliphant was united in marriage with Hattie Boutillier, who is of French descent, and was born on the Isle of Jersey. She moved to Iowa with her parents when about two years old, and lived there for twenty years, and then came to Kansas, in 1870. They are the parents of the following children: W. J., who is on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway; F. L., who mined for some years, and is now at home, in partnership with his brother, W. J., in a threshing outfit; Charles; Sylvia, a widow; Alma; Maggie; Ollie; and Ruby. Politically, Mr. Oliphant was a Republican for many years; he cast his last Republican vote for James G. Blaine. Since that time he has been independent, and has voted the Union League ticket. He has served as township trustee. Formerly he belonged to the A. 0. U. W. His wife is a member of the Methodist church, and Mr. Oliphant helped to build the church near his home.