Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 1016 - 1017 

 EDWIN D. CROSS, of Attica Township, is proprietor of a valuable farm of 340 acres, which lies about nine miles from the city of Wichita. It is finely improved with commodious and substantial buildings, which are located on a point of ground which affords an ample view of the surrounding country. The farm is watered from alkali springs twenty-two feet below the surface of the ground, and from which the water is pumped by a windmill, and is conducted by pipes wherever required.

            The Cross farm is considered one of the finest stock farms of Sedgwick County, and our subject takes great pride in his thoroughbred Short-horn cattle and Poland-China hogs. He came to this section of country in its pioneer days, and when Wichita was an unimportant town of about 1,000 inhabitants. Mr. Cross had previously a little money, which he invested and lost by the depreciation of property, and came to this State with about $700, no team or anything else with which to commence farming. He was obliged to exercise the greatest economy in getting together his implements and in putting in his crops that first year; he had his labor for his pains, as the crop was ruined by drouth and grasshoppers. He was one of those men, however, who were not easily dismayed by misfortune, and the next year went over the same ground, this time meeting with better success His progress since that time has been steadily upward, and his farm with its appurtenances, its fine buildings and fat herds, presents a picture of comfort and plenty which is a delight to the eye.

             Our subject was born in Clinton County, Mich., Jan. 19, 1844, and is the son of Thomas C. and Louisa (Matthews) Cross, the former of whom was born in Westchester County, N. Y., in 1808. Thomas C. was the son of Lewis Cross, who was of Irish descent. Thomas was reared to farming pursuits, which he followed in summer, but during the winter season employed himself at shoemaking, and in this capacity was connected with large manufacturing establishments at different places in the State of Connecticut.

             The mother of our subject, who is now living with her son Edwin, was born in Washington County, N. Y., Jan. 21, 1814, and is the daughter of John G. Matthews, a wagon-maker by trade. She became the wife of Thomas M. Cross on the 24th of February, 1833, the wedding taking place in Greenwich, Washington County, where they lived for some time afterward. They removed to Michigan about 1838. The parental household in due time included seven children. The eldest, Sarah E., was born Aug. 13, 1834, and died at her home in Michigan, Feb. 26, 1860; she had married Roswell Weatherby, and left one child, Herbert E., who is now living in this State. John L. was born July 13, 1836, and married Miss Rachel Danes; they have four children, and make their home at Cheney, this State, where Mr. C. is employed as a veterinary surgeon. Mary A. was born June 19, 1839, and is the wife of T. M. Lane, proprietor of the Douglas Avenue House, at Wichita; they have no children. The next child of the family was an infant son, who died when six weeks old; Edwin D., of our sketch, was the fifth in order of birth; Louisa Alice was born July 18, 1846, and died Dec. 14, 1879, at her home in Attica Township; she was the wife of Josiah Perkins, and left two children. Charlie died when six years old, and Ella C. makes her home with her grandma and uncle Edwin.

             Edwin D. Cross made his home with his parents on the farm in Clinton County, Mich., until twenty years of age, in the meantime having acquired a common-school education. He now commenced his apprenticeship at the cooper's trade in Illinois, and was there employed for about three years in different places. He then returned to the old homestead, where he remained until 1873, then crossing the Mississippi bought a "squatter's" right, and pre-empted his present home of 160 acres. To this he subsequently added the balance of his land, and now, after years of industrious labor, sees before him the fine prospect of a competency in his old age, and has passed beyond the necessity of that close application to hard work and business which accompanied his earlier years in this State. He is a man who keeps himself well posted upon National and political affairs, and during the early agitation of the Greenback party, heartily supported its principles. His sympathies are now with the Union Labor Party. Mr. Cross has never married.

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