Marshall-Atchison County KS Archives Biographies.....Buck, William T. 1854 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 31, 2007, 5:26 pm Author: Emma E. Forter (1917) WILLIAM T. BUCK. William T. Buck, president of the State Bank of Vliets, and owner of the grain elevators in that village, is a native of the Old Dominion, born, in Augusta county, Virginia, May 21, 1854, son of Napoleon I. and Mary M. (Fahnestock) Buck, the former also a Virginian and the latter a native of Pennsylvania, both of whom spent their last days in Virginia. Napoleon I. Buck was born in Morgan county, in that section of the Old Dominion now comprised within West Virginia, April 9, 1822, son of Isaac and Sarah (Waugh) Buck, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of England. Isaac Buck was born in 1797 and was but a lad when his parents came to this county, settling in Virginia, and when the second war of American Independence broke out in 1812 he ran away from home in order to take part in that war, and served for fourteen days before his father could get hold of him and take him back home. When he grew to manhood he took a very active part in Virginia politics and served for some years as a member of the Legislature in that state. Isaac Buck was twice married and was the father of thirteen children by his first wife and four children by his second wife. He died in Virginia in 1891, at the great age of ninety-four years. Reared on a farm, Napoleon I. Buck for some time followed farming. He was appointed sheriff of his home county to fill an unexpired term and was later elected to that office. Upon the completion of his official term he engaged in the mercantile business at Sangerville, Virginia, and five years later sold his store and bought an interest in a paper-mill at Mossy Creek, same state, and was thus engaged for nine years, or until the Civil War broke out, destroying his business. Broken in health, Napoleon I. Buck was unable to enlist in the service of the Confederate States to aid in supporting the contention of his native state, but he paid a substitute, a valiant Irishman, one thousand dollars in gold to represent him at the front. At the close of the war he engaged in farming at Mt. Solon, Virginia, and there he spent his last days, his death occurring on June 15, 1881. His widow, who was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, 1828, and to whom he was married in 1850, survived him twenty-five years, her death occurring in 1904. They were the parents of nine children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth and all of whom are living save one. William T. Buck spent his early years on a farm and received his elementary schooling in the rural schools, supplementing the same by a course in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He early became interested with his father in the paper-mill and when his father later became an invalid took charge of the mill for him. In 1885 he left Virginia and came to Kansas, locating at Shannon, in Atchison county, where he became a farmer and grain dealer, remaining there until 1897, when he came to Marshall county, locating at Vliets, where he bought one of the elevators and also helped to organize the State Bank of Vliets, of which he is now the president. Later Mr. Buck bought the other elevator at Vliets and is now the owner of both elevator A and elevator B at that place, long having been recognized as one of the leading bankers and grain men in Marshall county. Mr. Buck also is the owner of a quarter of a section of excellent land in Shannon township, Atchison county, and has other interests, all of which rank him as one of the substantial men of this county. He is a member of the Merchants' Exchange of St. Louis and gives his earnest attention to the general business affairs of this section. Politically, Mr. Buck is a Democrat and is the committeeman for his party in Noble township. On April 18, 1906., William T. Buck, was united in marriage to Carrie J. DuBois, who was born in the state of New Jersey, July 18, 1864, daughter of Louis P. and Sarah J. (Jones) DuBois, natives of that same state, who are now living at Vliets, members of the household of Mr. and Mrs. Buck, both now being past eighty years of age. Louis P. DuBois came to. Kansas in 1858,.having been sent out here as a means of seeking restoration of his failing health, and entered upon the open, free life of the range, presently becoming engaged as a freighter between Atchison and Denver and was not long afterward appointed captain of the "bull-whackers." He later became engaged in mining in New Mexico, but after awhile returned to New Jersey, where he married and where he remained until. after his first child, Mrs. Buck, was born, after which he returned to Kansas with his family and rented a small farm in Atchison county. Leaving his family there he returned to his mining property in New Mexico, but after some years disposed of his interests there and settled down in his home in Atchison, county, where he remained until. 1914, when he retired and moved to Vliets, where, as noted above, he and his wife are now living, he at the age of eighty-two and she at the age of eighty-one. Mr. and Mrs. Buck have a very pleasant home at Vliets and take a proper part in the general social activities of the village and of the community at large, helpful in promoting all movements having to do with the advancement of the common welfare hereabout. Additional Comments: Extracted from: History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions by Emma E. Forter Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/marshall/bios/buck545gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb