Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 465 - 466 

WILLIAM B. ROGERS is pleasantly located on the northwest quarter of section 5, of Union Township. He is engaged in general farming, to which he devotes his whole attention, and is meeting with unbounded success. He is an extensive real-estate owner, being the possessor of 187 acres of valuable land, all of which he has under a good state of improvement, and it constitutes one of the finest pieces of property in the community. His present commodious and substantial residence was built in 1885; it is of a good style of architecture, two stories in height, and is an ornament to the township.

      Mr. Rogers was born Oct. 17, 1842, in Morgan County, Ohio. His parents, John and Susan (Antrim) Rogers, were natives of New Jersey, in which State they married, shortly after emigrating to Ohio. There they first settled in Belmont County, and subsequently in Morgan County, where Mr. Rogers engaged in the tanning business until 1866. In that year he removed to Illinois and settled on a farm in Bureau County, and was there actively engaged in agricultural pursuits for several years, and there his death occurred in 1882 at the age of seventy-five. He was a highly respected and well-to-do citizen. He was a stanch Democrat until the outbreak of the late Civil War, but from that time he became a supporter of the Republican party, being convinced that its course was the true one in regard to the conduct of the Rebellion. His widow is now living with her son, our subject. She was born Sept. 9, 1809, and was endowed with great physical vigor, which she retained in a marked degree for several years beyond the time when most people are enfeebled by the infirmities of age, remaining in good health and active until 1887, when she was stricken by paralysis. To her and her husband were born seven children, namely: Antrim and Sarah (deceased), Franklin, Hannah, Mary (deceased), William B. and Edwin. Franklin resides in Bureau County, Ill.; Hannah is the wife of T. Hogue, of Whiteside, Ill.; Edwin resides in Wise County, Tex.

      Our subject grew to manhood in his native State, receiving the educational advantages afforded by the public schools. He adopted the trade of blacksmith and became quite skilled in that branch of mechanics, continuing to follow that vocation while he remained a resident of Ohio. He was married, Dec. 18, 1864, to Mary Beswick, daughter of William and Eliza (Abbott) Beswick. She was born in Morgan County, Ohio, April 20, 1843. When she was but eight years old she had the sad misfortune to lose her mother, who left five children, namely: William T., Francis M., Mary, Jane R. and Angelina. William lives in Marysville, Ohio; Francis, Mrs. Rogers' twin brother, lives in Morgan County, Ohio; Jane is the wife of John Wooton, of Morgan County; Angelina resides in Morgan County.

      After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Rogers removed to Bureau County, Ill., where he purchased eighty acres of land which he cultivated with good success for several years. Finally he decided to remove to Kansas, allured hither by its fine climate, which is like that of Virginia, without its. excessive heat; and the richness of its soil, which is declared to be much superior to that of ordinary prairie land in fertility, and freely produces everything, except the tropical products of the extreme South, that is grown in the United States. Here by industry and enterprise he and his wife have built up a beautiful home, surrounded by all the comforts of life; they have also made for themselves an assured position in the best social circles of the community.

      Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, namely: Harriet, Carrie, Herbert and Ermin. In politics Mr. Rogers is an intelligent and faithful Republican. He performs satisfactorily the duties devolving upon him as a good citizen, but has never desired to hold public office, his numerous business interests absorbing all his attention.

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