Fred B. Caldwell (biography)

[genealogynut]

Taken from A Standard history of Kansas and Kansans, by William E. Connelley
Vol. V   page 2289-2290


FRED B. CALDWELL.  The cultivation of broad acres of land, the growing of crops, the raising of cattle and hogs, proved a stronger influence with Fred B. Caldwell, than the profession of law, in which he was trained and which he followed for several years in Iowa before coming to Kansas.

While Mr. Caldwell has occupied his ranch near Howard in Elk County only a few years, there is no mistaking the fact that he is one of the well known stockmen and diversified farmers of the state.  His Poland China hogs in particular have gained him at least a national reputation.  Stockmen all over the state are acquainted with the record of his animals at the State Fair held at Topeka in September 1916.  There, Mr. Caldwell won the grand championship prize on boars of any age.  He also has the distinction of having produced the first hog to weigh more than 1,000 pounds at eighteen months of age.  There are no finer specimens of this old and standard breed of Poland China to be found anywhere in the world than on the Caldwell ranch in Elk County.  Mr. Caldwell is vice president of the Kansas Poland China Association.  While he concentrates his efforts upon Poland China hogs, he is also a diversified farmer and his ranch of 1,047 acres, situated 2 1/2 miles southeast of Howard on the Elk River, is pronounced by competent judges to be the best body of land in one piece in the entire county.

Mr. Caldwell represents a fine, old family of Iowa.  He was born in Mahaska County, near Oskaloosa, January 9, 1881.   The Caldwell's were originally Scotch-Irish people, and the first Americans of the name came from the North of Ireland to North Carolina in colonial days.  At a remote distance in the family genealogy the name was spelled Caudwell and history recalls that Oliver Cromwell married Ann Caudwell.

From North Carolina the Caldwells crossed the mountains into Tennessee and for a number of yearrs in the early part of the last century lived in Greene County, Tennessee.  Mr. Caldwell's grandfather, Thomas F. Caldwell was born in that county in 1803.  He became one of the pioneers of the Territory of Iowa, homesteaded a farm in Mahaska county in 1852, and died near Oskaloosa in the following year.

A. N. Caldwell, father of the Kansas stockman, was born in Greene county, Tennessee, in 1839, and at the age of thirteen accompanied his parents to Iowa.  He grew up and married there, and followed farming all his active career.  He died on the home place near Osakaloosa in 1908.  He was a republican, served as county supervisor, and was a liberal contributor and an elder in the Presbyterian church.  His wife, Catherine Stump, who was born in Stark county, Ohio in 1850, is still living, a resident of Oskaloosa.  Their children were: Charles C., a farmer near Oklahoma; Earl S., whose home is on a farm ten miles east of Oskaloosa; Fred B.; Warren A.; a farmer and silo manufacturer at Oskaloosa, and at present a member of the County Board  of Supervisors; Richard W., in the automobile business at Ashland, Kansas.

Aside from his earlier experiences on his father's farm, nearly all the training of Fred B. Caldwell was on the literary and cultural side of life, and was rather directed to perfect him for a profession than for the vocation  in which he has made such striking success since coming to Kansas.  He attended the public schools of Mahaska county, was graduated in the preparatory course at Penn College at Oskaloosa in 1900, and in 1905 received  his degree Ph. B from the same institution.  One year he spent studying law in the Missouri State University at Columbia and another year in the law department of Drake University at Des Moines.  Following that for two years he was in the law office of Irving C. Johnson at Oskaloosa.

Probably by that time he had become convinced that his real forte was in the country, close to nature, raising corn and hogs, rather than playing a part in the litigations between his fellow men.  He returned to the old farm in Mahaska county and remained there untiil 1912, in which year he removed to Howard, Kansas.  Without going into smaller details, the record of his success as a farmer and stockman has been sufficiently indicated.

His home is in the southeast part of the Town of Howard.  Mr. Caldwell is a vigorous and staunch supporter of Republican doctrines and on November 7, 1916, he was a successful candidate from his district as representative in the lower house of the State Legislature.  He is a member of the Friends church, and still keeps his affiliations with the Knights of Pythias at Oskaloosa, Iowa.  On September 11, 1906 at Oskaloosa he married Miss Edna Johnson, daughter of Charles and Caroline (Hawkins) Johnson.  Her father, now deceased, was a prominent farmer at Hartford, Kansas, and one of the early stock dealers in that section.  Mrs. Caldwell's mother now resides at Hartford, Kansas.  Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell have two children;  Ruth Caroline, born August 17, 1908 and Robert Warren, born February 24, 1915.