Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 657 - 658

CORNELIUS M. VREELAND, an aged and esteemed resident of Salem Township and a native of New Jersey, is comfortably located on section 5. His early home was near the seashore in Hudson County, N. J., where he was born on the 5th of June, 1816.

             Our subject is the son of Michael and Lettie (Outwater) Vreeland, who were also natives of New Jersey, and whose ancestors crossed the Atlantic from Holland during the Colonial days. The records would indicate that several male members of the family participated in the Revolutionary War and assisted the Colonists in their struggle for independence. Later they took up arms in the War of 1812.

             Mr. Vreeland was reared to manhood in his native State, where he received but a limited education, and at the age of fourteen or fifteen years, becoming impatient of the monotony of his life, engaged on a sailing-vessel and followed the water thereafter for a period of probably eighteen years. From cabin boy he arose to the position of Captain, and for three years was commander of the sailing-vessel "Caution," which ran on the Hudson River from New York to Albany. He became thoroughly acquainted with the duties of a sailor's life and proved an able commander, well liked by his subordinates.

             While following the water Mr. Vreeland made occasional visits to his childhood's home, and upon one of these occasions was united in marriage with an associate of his childhood, Miss Susan Salter, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride on the 7th of September, 1839. Mrs. V. was also a native of New Jersey. and was born Sept. 1,1823. Her parents were Paul and Elizabeth (Cuberley) Salter, natives of New Jersey, whose ancestry were Hollanders. Paul Salter did valiant service in the War of 1812. He was the head of a family of children, only four of whom are now living, namely: John, of New Jersey; Sarah, Mrs. James Worden, of Sumner County, this State; Mary A., the wife of John Worden, of the same county, and Susan, Mrs. Vreeland. The latter by her union with our subject is the mother of eight children, namely: Tennis, of Wichita; Michael, of Oskaloosa, Iowa; David and Jacob, of Salem Township, this county; John, of Nebraska; Clara, Mrs. Addison Brandow, of Wichita; Grant and Frank, of Gypsum Township, this county.

             Mr. Vreeland about 1849 decided to quit the water, and located in Warren County, Ohio, where he engaged in farming nearly two years, and thence removed to Warren County, Ill., where he followed the same pursuit until the fall of 1874. Then, crossing the Father of Waters into this county he located in Salem Township, and with the same activity and industry which had marked his former life, engaged vigorously in agricultural pursuits and was remarkably successful. He is now the owner of 430 acres of choice land, and his accumulations are the result of his own industry, as he began life dependent upon his own resources. His finely improved farm, with its handsome and substantial buildings, will remain years hence as a standing monument to his perseverance, and his name will be held in kindly remembrance by the people among whom he has lived, and by his upright and honorable course has proved an example worthy of imitation.

             Our subject and his faithful partner are now well advanced in years and have reason to feel that their lives have not been spent in vain. They have endeavored to exercise the kindly spirit of charity and benevolence, to do good as they have opportunity, and proved the friends and sympathizers of those less fortunate. Our subject in early manhood was a Whig politically, but upon the abandonment of the old party cordially endorsed the Republican principles, which he has since sustained. He passed through the trials and difficulties of pioneer life, laboring with the men around him in the building up of a homestead, and contributed his full quota toward the progress and development of his adopted county.

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