Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 864 - 867

CHARLES W. HADLEY. The farm owned by this gentleman, on account of its location is probably one of the most valuable in Lincoln Township, being six-miles from Annelly, two miles from Furley and eight miles from Brainerd, Butler County. He has here 166 acres of land, which is specially adapted to the raising of grain and stock, and which he has brought to a fine state of cultivation, while the buildings will compare favorably with anything of the kind in this section. A view of his well-appointed place is given in connection with this sketch. A native of Clermont County, Ohio, Mr. Hadley was born Oct. 12, 1838, and was the second child of Harvey and Sarah (Cooper) Hadley, whose family consisted of five sons and four daughters.

            Harvey Hadley was a native of New York State, while the mother of our subject was born in Kent, England. The latter was brought by her parents to this country when a child three years of age. She was the daughter of Thomas and Ann (Adams) Cooper, who were also of English birth and parentage, and who settled first in the town of Whitney, N. J., whence they subsequently removed to White County, Ind., where the grandmother died about 1822-23. Grandfather Cooper after the death of his wife removed to Illinois, where he is said to have been the oldest member of the Masonic fraternity, and was made an honorary member of Yolo Lodge No. 81, and Woodlawn Chapter No. 46. From Illinois he made his way to California, and is believed to have been also the oldest Mason in that State. He died there at the advanced age of eighty-nine years.

            The paternal grandparents of our subject, Jonathan and Mary (Green) Hadley, traced their ancestry back to Germany, although Grandfather Hadley was a native of New York State and his wife of Vermont. They spent their last years in the latter place. Their son Harvey, the father of our subject, was a man of much force of character and good education, intelligent and well informed, and after his removal to Illinois was, in 1840, a candidate for the State Legislature, being defeated by only one vote. He was then a Whig politically, and the fact that he was on the ticket of the latter party in a Democratic county (Bureau) speaks well for his popularity among the people of that section. He finally developed into a Methodist minister, and was stationed for two years each in Princeton, Knoxville and other places in Illinois, from which he emigrated to California in 1854, after laboring in the ministry for a period of twenty-four years. On the Pacific Slope he learned dentistry and practiced for some years in that region, finally going to Washington Territory, in 1880. There he is again engaged in the ministry, having a regular circuit, although seventy-seven years of age. The mother died at Oakland, Cal., in 1883.

            Our subject completed his education in the graded schools of Knoxville, Ill., and in 1856 joined his father in California and engaged in mining in Nevada and Yuba Counties. Later he embarked in the harness and saddlery business at Cacheville, Yolo County, where he resided twenty-six years. From California he returned eastward as far as this county, in 1887, and purchased the quarter-section of partly improved land where he has since operated with the best results. He has built a good barn and planted an orchard of 120 apple trees, and intends setting out 130 more. He has also an orchard of 176 peach trees, together with a large number of cherry trees, and if permitted to carry out his plans will have one of the most valuable and desirable homesteads in Lincoln Township. His barn is already the largest building of its kind in the township. His fine stock embraces good grades of Morgan and Clyde horses, with high-grade Durham and Jersey cattle, and fifty-three head of purebred Poland-China swine.

            Mr. Hadley, at the outbreak of the late Rebellion, was a resident of Knox County, Ill., and there enlisted as a Union soldier in the 54th Illinois Infantry, but was rejected by the examining surgeon. He had in the meantime been married, on the 7th of March of that year, to Miss Maria M., daughter of Elkanah A. and Margaret (Elder) Moore, who were natives of Kentucky but are now residents of Knoxville, Ill. Mrs. Hadley was born June 23, 1843, in Jefferson County, Ind., and was the youngest of her parents' four children.

            After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hadley soon set out for California. After the birth of three children - Mary E., George and Charles E. - the wife and mother was seized with an illness from which she lingered three years, and was then called from earth, her death taking place in Yolo County, Cali., in May, 1873. The children are all living and at home with their father. The second marriage of Mr. Hadley took place in Yolo County, Cal., in November, 1873, with Miss R. Margaret Moore, a native of Pennsylvania, and who was born in Bedford County, Sept. 6, 1838.

            The present wife of our subject was the eldest of seven children born to her parents, Robert and Esther (Davis) Moore, the father a native of County Antrim, Ireland, and the mother born in Pennsylvania. Her brother John, during the Civil War, enlisted as a Union soldier in the 123d Illinois Regiment when but a youth of sixteen years, and was killed at the battle of Farmington, Tenn. Isaiah, who also enlisted when scarcely more than a boy, served three years in the Union army, and was subsequently murdered by the Indians at Ft. Leavenworth.

            Mr. Hadley after coming to this county purchased, in 1876, 240 acres of school land on section 16, which is now partly occupied by the new town of Furley, and which he sold last March to the Gold Belt Town Site Company, receiving therefor a handsome sum of money. Being located conveniently to the town of Brainerd he does much of his business there, and is also a member of the Masonic fraternity there, belonging to Lodge No. 282. He and his excellent wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Furley. Of this union there have been born two children: Robertie, Oct. 27, 1874, and John M., Oct. 21, 1877. Three of the five children comprising the household circle are attending school in the home district.

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