This is a collection of short biographical sketches submitted by individuals with a link to the Researcher. You are invited to send appropriate sketches of early Atchison County residents for inclusion on this page

ALVA CURTIS TRUEBLOOD

ALVA CURTIS TRUEBLOOD, a former Atchison merchant and city official and Union veteran, now deceased, was born in Salem, Washington Co., IN in 1838, a son of Dr. Joshua and Zelpha (ARNOLD) Trueblood, natives of South Carolina, who emigrated from their native state to Indiana in the early pioneer days when the Indians were still camping on the streams and roaming the forests of the Hoosier State. The parents of A. C. Trueblood settled in Salem and he was there reared to manhood, receiving his education in the district schools and the Seminary at Battle Creek, ME, where he was graduated. After his graduation in the classical course at Battle Creek, he returned to his home town of Salem and embarked in the newspaper business, purchasing the Salem Times, which he edited until the outbreak of the Civil War. He enlisted at the first call for troops issued by President LINCOLN and was mustered in as a member of Company H, Thirteenth Regiment, Indiana Infantry, under Captain SALES, who was later promoted to the rank of colonel, private Trueblood being successively promoted to a second lieutenancy and then to first lieutenant of his company. Later, he was commissioned a captain and remained Captain Trueblood until the close of the war. He saw much active service during the great rebellion and was under fire with his regiment at the very first battle in which it was engaged, at Green Brier Mountain, WV. Captain Trueblood fought in thirty-six terrific battles during his term of service and was engaged in the nine days' battle at Cole Harbor under General GRANT. Captain Trueblood often gave a vivid and heart-rending description of the terrific slaughter of human lives which took place at this great battle and told of how a person could walk for miles on the dead bodies with which the field was strewn. His time of enlistment expired while the battle of Cold Harbor was in progress and he then returned to his home, where he was married December 29, 1864, to Hattie ALLEN.

Mr. and Mrs. Trueblood resided in Salem, IN, until after the close of the war when he entered the mercantile business in Salem and was very successful. His health failing him it was deemed advisable that they seek a new home in the West. During his business career he had invested in Atchison County land and they came to this county in 1880, settling on their farm in the spring of that year. They remained on the farm but a short time, however, until Mr. Trueblood regained his health, in a measure, and then removed to Atchison, where he embarked in the queensware business, which he conducted for about three years. He was then elected city clerk and held the office for about ten years. Captain Trueblood died April 16, 1904. Mr. and Mrs. Trueblood have reared the following children: Albert, now engaged in the newspaper business at Sacramento, CA; Victor T., manager of the Van Noys News Company of Kansas City, MO; Paul T., a traveling salesman residing in Grand Island, NE; Owen T. of Kansas City, an express messenger of the Missouri Pacific Railroad; Nellie, a graduate of Midland College and a teacher in the Ingalls School; Norvel died in 1867 at the age of four years. The mother of these children was born in March 1840, a daughter of Thomas and Annis (BRINKLEY) Allen, both natives of West Virginia, and pioneer settlers of Washington Co., IN. She was educated in the common schools of her native county and attended the Salem Female College. Thomas Allen, father of Mrs. Trueblood was proprietor of a cotton and woolen manufactory at Salem and was forced to pay Gen. John MORGAN and his raiders the sum of $1,000 to prevent the burning of his milk, when Morgan and his troops made their memorable raid and burned the depot at Salem and raided the stores Thomas Allen and wife were the parents of eight children, six sons and two daughters. Three of the sons were Union soldiers, William Allen, the twin brother of Mrs. Trueblood, serving in the same regiment with Captain Trueblood.

Mr. Trueblood was an efficient and capable city official during his many years of service in the city clerk's office and had many warm friends in Atchison. He was allied with the Republican Party and was prominent in the affairs of his party. He was well known in Masonic circles and was high in the councils of the Masonic Ledge, being master of Washington Lodge, No. 5, of Atchison, KS, for several years and was a leading member of the Grand Army of the Republic, both of which bodies officiated at the ceremonies held when his body was laid away for the long rest.

Taken from:

History of Atchison County, Kansas

by Sheffield Ingalls - 1916

Submitted by:

Clemi Higley Blackburn, July 2001

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