James Hamilton (biography)

[Wilma]

I think there might have been a bit of blarney included in some of the stories.

[genealogynut]

All I know is what I transcribed from my copy.  Since there seems to be questions about the validity of the bio, I would like to challenge you folks to check it out.  For starters, a person may check with the Register of Deeds to see what she has on record.  (Of course, her data may not be 100% accurate either).  This is an important lesson in genealogy research,........ never accept someone else's data as fact. (Unless they have the documentation to prove it)  Always get the facts and the sources yourself.....do your own research!!!!

[Wilma]

Lois, when this weather moderates, Janet and I are going to check out several places that I think I have seen rock walls or what is left of them.  If I am right, I am so used to seeing them, that I don't see them anymore. so I can't say that there is any there.  You've got me really curious now.  There is one place that maybe Joanna's husband would remember.  That is south of the river on the old road that went south out of Howard, crossed the river  and on south.  There isn't any rock there now but it is just in my memory that there used to be.

[hhjacobs]

I'm not questioning what you wrote, just what was written way back when. I know how much hay, grain and time my sister uses to take care of her cattle. How would they have hauled that much grain and hay to that property?The amount of time it takes with trucks, they just used horses. It would have been feeding and hauling in supplies every day of the year becouse There's not enough grass to let them graze. If the cattle were in pens the manure would had to have been removed at some point and that would have taken lots of time.

[Joanna]

     The town of Howard takes up most of 1-30-10.   12-30-10 lies straight South of town.   I own part of the SE/4 of 12-30-10 (East of the present Hwy 99).   Mike Bellar owns the farm land North of me, and West of the Hwy (all South of the Elk River).   It may be possible that all of these tracts combined is the land in question.   The only rock walls I can remember though are on the East side along the abandoned road.
    I would think the description best fits the old Barnaby place that Randy Wiseman owns (good farm land, timber shelter, and 1/2 mile from town).   Not sure about the rock walls.   Rock walls might have been scavenged into the road bed and bridge abutments when the old Highway 99 was built coming straight South of town.   This would also be just South of the old railroad stock pens, and would have made it easy to ship a lot of hogs and cattle to a slaughter facility.
    Lois has the right idea though, of going to look in the register of deeds office.   Even if there was an exception to the legal description on the deed, the name would be recorded.    Marty

[genealogynut]

I am glad to see that we have an interesting discussion going on.    Thanks, Marjean, for a little reminder of a simple math lesson. (160 acres minus 106 for cultivation =54) I should have caught that, but you know, when a person types up so many of those bios, they all begin to sound quite a bit alike, and a person soons "tunes it out."  And I appreciated the informative input from Marty, Wilma and Waldo. Each one is helpful in trying to piece this puzzle together.

I checked the Federal census records last night, and could not find James Hamilton in Elk County at any time.  But there is no 1890 census record.  So, after the records are checked in Neva's office, if further checking needs to be done, I think looking in the 1885 Decennial Kansas Census would be the next step, as that gives lots of info on farmers, etc.

Undoubtedly, that had to have been a feed lot.  When the wind was in the right direction, can you just imagine the smell that the entire city of Howard had to endure?

Times have sure changed over the past 100+ years.  Back then, I supppose people were really proud of all their accomplishments, hard work, efforts, etc.  As it was really something to be able to own land.  Nowadays, if a person owns 160 acres,------it's like "Huh?  Big deal!"  The social and economical standards are quite different also.  I don't know if there were certain requirements that had to be included when people submiitted their bios to be printed or what, in the 1883 edition of Cutler's History, but in today's world it sounds like they were in competition for "bragging rights!"

[Wilma]

We in the southwest part of Howard anyway, know about the feedlot smell.  Bellars have a hog operation southwest of town and when the wind is right we know it is there.  I don't complain about it.  The Bellars are hard working people and I hope, very successful in their farming.  We need more people like them.

[Joanna]

I don't think the feedlot that would have been in the late 1800's would have a strong smell.  The ranchers would drive their calves to a rail head to ship in the fall after grass season.   I would think that if I had the location described, I would buy calves coming in and then feed them 60-90 days on grain and then ship them.   This would put on some weight and put marbling in the meat to get a higher price at market.   The railroad would probably haul them to Kansas City for slaughter and it would be a good way to get a higher value out of the grain you could raise than to just sell it.   500 calves run on stalks for 90 days would not make too bad of a smell.

The write up says that Mr. Hamilton was one of the largest tax payers in the county.   He must have owned more than 160 acres for that statement to be true, because if I remember history there was no income tax at that time.

I remember reading that before the Civil War that beef was not eaten much, as there was not too much available.   Hogs were the meat available.   300-400 head fattened out over a 12 month period would really not be a problem.   I remember an older fellow that I used to visit with a lot fed his hogs out in an oak grove.   The acorns were a good food source and the hogs finished with a lot less grain.   The hogs back then were a lot different physically than what we have now and weren't fed out as heavy as they are now.   Marty

[genealogynut]

In checking with the Register of Deeds office, the land description would be just south of the Elk River, on the east side of what used to be a road. (South of where Jim Barnaby used to live).  Neva also believes that Mr. Hamilton had to of leased additional land to support his operation.  That sounds logical to me. To me, there isn't any way 54 acres could accomodate that many cattle and hogs. 

[Wilma]

Did you get the legal description for the 160 acres?  Was it the southeast quarter of the section or the northeast quarter or part of each?

We have been assuming that Mr. Hamilton ran a herd of 500 head of cattle the year round.  What if he were only acting as the agent for moving that many head of cattle, a few at a time, from the farms, holding them for shipping.  Or perhaps buying them from the farmers, feeding them for awhile, then shipping them?  Didn't I read someplace that there used to be a shipping yard in the south part of Howard?

I am going to my maps and see if I can ascertain where Jim Barnaby used to live.  Wish me luck.