Settling Kansas 1875

The period from 1860 - 1870 is a little cloudy. In 1860, Valentine Worley Van Huss and his wife Lucinda (nee Carter) were living in eastern Tennessee near Elizabethton.

[The middle name "Worley" comes from Catherine Worley, born 1769 in Rowan County, North Carolina, died 1796, Wythe County, Virginia. She married Valentine Felty VanHuss in Wythe Co. Va.. He was born February 14, 1768 in Rowan Co. North Carolina, and died March 1, 1858 in Johnson County, Tennessee. They had several children, including Matthias, father of Valentine Worley VanHuss.]

Valentine Worley and Lucinda had at least five sons, including, James M., Daniel S. Robert E., Isaac, and John Finley.

By 1870, Valentine and his wife  Lucinda were to be found in Johnson County, Kansas near Stillwell, Kansas. Lucinda died and is buried in the Aubry cemetery.

In 1875, James M. Van Huss took out a claim on land in Butler County. The land was part of the Osage Reserve for which he paid $1.25 an acre. He purchased 160 acres.

In 1881, brother Daniel arrived and took out a similar claim on land in Glencoe Township.

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Redo the following section.


[Read more about the Osage Indians. Read the Kansas Historical Quarterly about the Osage Removal. One last article, Kansas Settlers on the Osage Reserve (and Laura Ingalls Wilder)]

The title records are kept in the Butler County Courthouse in El Dorado, Kansas. See the Registrar of Deeds on the ground floor.

[Note.  What is Range Township Section on a Plat?

Property in deeds are identified by Range, Township & Section. For instance, the 1875 title to James M. VanHuss is described as 160 acres of the southwest quarter of 33 26 6. The three numbers 33 26 and 6 signify the section, township, and range, going from smallest to largest. A full section is 640 acres. James received title to the southwest corner.

Butler County 1905 map, showing range, township, and section

Read across the top line to find the range, then down the left side to identify the township. Converge the two lines and you end up on Little Walnut Township; then go to section 33.

Read the Wikipedia definition of a section.]

1874

The year 1874 was known as the Grasshopper Year when billions of grasshoppers descended from the skies and ate every plant in sight.

The insects arrived in swarms so large they blocked out the sun and sounded like a rainstorm. Crops were eaten out of the ground, as well as the wool from live sheep and clothing off people's backs. Paper, tree bark and even wooden tool handles were devoured.

KSHS, Grasshopper Plague of 1874. 

That anyone would come to Kansas after a plague of biblical proportions is a testament of the spirit of man.

1875

The cursory title search that I have done starts with the period 1875 when James M. VanHuss first received a US Patent to land. The deed identifies 160 acres consisting of the southwest 1/4 of 33 26 6. You can see from the map above that the quarter section of 160 acres is just east of the town of Leon, Kansas.

1881 - 1882

Daniel arrived in 1881 and received a US Patent to land in 29 27 8. Robert E. and his wife Lizzie came the following year in September of 1882, and received title (husband and wife received separate titles) to land in the same section. This land is located in Hickory Township, just to the north and west of Beaumont, Kansas. As you approach Beaumont on Highway 54, the land will be just to the north off the highway. If you get out and look, you will find the ancient stone foundation to a house and a metal water pump.

1885 - 1887

In the following years, 1885 and 1887, the brothers transfer titles to other brothers, specifically E.L. VanHuss (wife?) and Isaac.

1898

John Finley VanHuss does not appear until 1898. John Finley VanHuss is my wife's great grandfather. John Finley buys in section 30 27 8, which is south and west of Beaumont, Kansas. He also buys lots in Beaumont and Latham, Kansas. The town physician in Beaumont is Dr. William Phillips. His daughter will marry John's son Fred. Their son Robert (Bob) is my wife's father.

Butler County 1905 showing land of John Finley VanHuss and his wife Josie.

The father, Valentine VanHuss did not acquire land until 1902, when he received a US Patent from President Theodore Roosevelt. The land was in section 29 27 8, like that of sons Daniel and Isaac.

1902

In 1902, John Finley purchased several lots in Latham and Beaumont, Kansas. Thus, he might appear in this 1905 photo taken of the main street of Latham, Kansas at the "J. L. McFall Buys and Sells Everything" store. It is two days before Christmas in 1905, J. L. McFall the gentleman standing in the left half of the image, is giving away prizes for cash purchases.

Latham, Kansas 1905 looking east

As images become available, I will come back and insert them into this post. Keep in mind that it will need updating.

Van Huss Cemetery, Carter County Tennessee

I visited the cemetery when I was just starting this project, so a lot of information was unavailable to me.

Van Huss Cemetery is just outside Elizabethton, Tennerssee.

Use a Garmin if you can. Otherwise, find the intersection of Wilbur Dam Road and Dairy Lane. Follow the Doe River on the south side. Take Siam Road for most of the way, less than a mile. Go past the Misty River Cafe, past Bowlers Lane, then right on Dairy Lane. Tucked back in a corner of a working farm is the cemetery. Ask for permission to park.

Earlier I had stopped at the Siam Baptist Church and asked for directions. By luck, Glenda Van Huss overheard me talking to another parishioner. Glenda told me that her father's name was Cecil. He is now deceased, but not buried in the Van Huss Cemetery. She was able to direct me to the cemetery, a short distance away.

The cemetery is not large, with less than 30 headstones. The Van Husses buried here are half brothers to Bob Van Huss' ancestor Valentine Worley Van Huss. These Van Husses are the sons and daughters of Mathias Van Huss and his second wife Lavinia Dugger.

The oldest names are brothers Joseph P. and Daniel S. Van Huss. Sadly, the marble headstones are worn by the elements and the dates of birth and death can not be read. The brothers married sisters, Rebeca Nead and Elizabeth Nead. Fortunately, Rebeca's birth and death dates can be clearly read as born "Jan 1834, died Sept 1922, at the age of 88". Other family members are buried in the cemetery. There is one headstone with the name Van Huss visible, and a civil war reference to possibly the "12th inf".

You can find Joseph P. and Daniel S.Van Huss in the 1860 Census of Tennessee. Then in Goodspeed Hisatory of Carter County is J. P. Van Huss, born March of 1833, husband of Rebeca Nead, and a short biographical history.