ANVSOFT DVD PHOTO SLIDESHOW V7 92

Elgin Battery, ILL. Volunteer Light Artillery
The Neosho Falls Post, Thursday, Dec. 9, 1909, Pg 1
Vol. 37, No. 22

Joseph B. Jackson

Joseph B. Jackson was born in Will county, Illinois Nov. 4th, 1844, and died Dec. 2nd, 1909 at his home near Neosho Falls, Kans., at the age of 65 years and 28 days. In company with his older brother, W. F. Jackson, enlisted in the Elgin Battery of Illinois on Feb. 29th, 1864. And was discharged at Chicago, Ill., Aug. 16th, 1865 by reason of expiration of the war. He joined the Grand Army Post No. 73 of Neosho Falls, Kans., in 1882.
He was married to Gracia A. Brown in 1867 who died April 13th, 1879. In 1880 he was married to Susan C. Boley who survives him. To these unions were born six children, Frank of Humboldt, Julia of Neosho Falls, Ora of Mulhall, Okla, Harry, Walter and May of Neosho Falls.
J. B. Jackson was one of the early settlers of this locality, engaged for the most part in farming and stock-raising. In the early eighties he was associated with W. F. Jackson in the threshing business. By constant frugality and steadfast application to business he built for himself a home on the prairies 4 miles southwest of Neosho Falls and there lived a life of honesty and useful years taking an active part in the upbuilding of the school and general welfare of the community. During his later years he has more and more given over the work of the farm to his son Harry. Until recently however he has remained active but for the past few months has slowly failed until Thursday afternoon when a quite life was quietly swept away.
Mr. Jackson lived at peace with all men and reared a family which is a credit to the community in which they live. He was a man of influence and the loss is the greater because of the broad mindedness and sound judgment of this man. Funeral services were conducted from the home Friday afternoon by Rev. Simpson. The many friends extend their sympathy to the sorrowing relatives.

Pages 827-828, History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan.: 1901; 894 p., [36] leaves of plates: ill., ports.; includes index.

JOSEPH B. JACKSON.
JOSEPH B. JACKSON, a farmer and dairyman of Woodson County, exemplifies in his life the typical western spirit of progress and enterprise which has led to the rapid advancement of this section of the country, an advancement so great that it has awakened the astonishment and admiration of the world. Mr. Jackson has spent the greater part of his life in the Mississippi valley. He was born in McHenry County, Illinois, on the 4th. of November, 1844. His father, George Jackson, was a native of England, and when eighteen years of age he crossed the Atlantic to the New World, locating first in Delaware. He married Miss Maria Hill, a native of Connecticut, and on leaving the east made his way to Fort Dearborn, which stood upon the site of the present city of Chicago. There was nothing but a trading post at the time on the land now covered by the metropolis and Mr. Jackson became the owner of a number of lots in the small town, gaining possession of them through a trade. Upon the property now stand valuable buildings, ten or more stories in height, and the land is valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Jackson, however, made his way into the interior of the state, locating in McHenry County, where he spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1893, at the age of ninety years. His widow still survives and is now living in McHenry County, at the age of eighty-five years. This worthy couple became the parents of seven children and three of the sons volunteered for service in the war of the Rebellion. George lost his life in the battle of Chickamauga. Wilber and Joseph B. were members of the Elgin Battery of Light Artillery.
Joseph B. Jackson was reared on the old homestead farm in McHenry County, and the public schools afforded him his educational privileges. When the question of slavery brought on sectional differences between the north and the south and the country became involved in Civil war he joined the Elgin Battery and served for eighteen months, participating in the engagements at Newburn, Five Forks and Strawberry Plains. He also spent some time in front of Knoxville, and when the war ended received an honorable discharge, in August, 1865, being not then twenty-one years of age.
After his return from the army Mr. Jackson spent three winters in the pineries of Wisconsin and during the summer months engaged in farming upon rented land. In 1868 he was married, and in 1870 came with his family to Kansas, renting a tract of land on the eastern line of Woodson County. He there resided for three years, after which he purchased

Pages 54-55, from History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan., 1901.

The Swedish Settlement
BY CARL A. REYNOLDS.

In 1869 some Swedes in Illinois, following the tide of immigration westward in search of cheap homes, were attracted toward Kansas by the opening to settlement of the Osage Indian reservation which had been ceded to the Government and subjected by it to pre-emption at $1.25 per acre.
The original settlers were Peter Hawkinson and Swan Olson from Farmersville, Illinois, who reached Allen County in October, 1869. February 8, 1870, Olof Nelson and son Charles, John B. and John H. Johnson emigrated from Knoxville, Illinois, and on March 12, 1870, they were joined by W. S. Holmes and Nels Olson and families from Farmersville. They brought with them little of this world's goods, but possessed undaunted courage, industry and frugality, and set themselves bravely to the difficult task of building their homes in a new and undeveloped country.
But sorrow was in store, not only for these, but all other people who had settled here, for the railroads had also seen that these lands were beautiful and productive, and laid claim. Finally, in 1876, after a lawsuit of national renown, the United States Supreme Court vested the title in the Government. This decision was joyfully accepted by the settlers who at once redoubled efforts for the improvement and beautification of their homes.
In May, 1870, the first school house was built in what is now District 38.
Death invaded the settlement in October, 1870. This caused the location of the Swedish cemetery, now one of the best kept and most beautiful cemeteries in the country.
The settlers having all been reared in the Lutheran church, soon felt the need of religious services and so a Sunday school was organized which for social reasons, was held in rotation in the homes of the various families. Early in the fall of 1870 the settlement was visited by Rev. Andreen of the Augustana Synod, and later a catechrist or colporteur came regularly and held religious services until February, 1872, when, by the arrival of other settlers, the number had increased sufficiently to organize a congregation. This was done by Rev. S. J. Osterberg, now deceased. A few years after the organization a great number was added by those who came from Moline and Woodhull, Illinois. They built their first church in 1878, now used by the Free Mission Society, of which Rev. Alfred Johnson is the local pastor.
In 1898 the Lutheran congregation had so increased as to number 250 communicants and, including the baptized children, more than 450. So it was very apparent that they should build a new and more commodious church to accommodate this large and fast growing congregation.
The accompanying half-tone engraving is of the Swedish Lutheran church. This handsome edifice was erected in 1898 and dedicated May 14, 1899. Its dimensions are 36x54 feet with an addition of 24x26 feet, and a steeple 65 feet high. The total cost of the church and all appurtenances will aggregate $3,300.00 to say nothing of the gratuitous labor