Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Dexter, William H. 1861 - 
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Author: Emma E. Forter (1917)

WILLIAM H. DEXTER.

    William H. Dexter, one of the well-known and substantial farmers of Center
township, this county, is a native of the Dominion of Canada, but has been a
resident of Marshall county since he was nine years of age, having come here
with his parents in 1870, and may thus properly be regarded as one of the
pioneers of the county, having been a witness to its development since the days
of the open range. He was born on April 6, 1861, son of Asahel and Jane
(Whitfield) Dexter, natives, respectively, of Canada and of England, who became
pioneers of Marshall county and whose last days were spent here.

    Asahel Dexter was born in Canada on March 14, 1809, and there grew to
manhood. He married Jane Whitfield, who was born in England on September 24,
1817, and who had emigrated to Canada with her parents in the days of her
girlhood. After his marriage Mr. Dexter continued to make his home in Canada
until 1870, when he came to Kansas with his family and settled in this county.
Here he bought a half section of land in Center township and established his
home, spending the rest of his life there. When he bought the place he erected
there a small shack, which did duty as a home until the next year, when he built
a substantial dwelling house, but not until he had made two attempts on the
same, for the framework of the new house had hardly been completed when a
tornado came along and demolished it. The second structure has stood all the
storms since and is still standing, the subject of this sketch still residing
there, his continuous home since he was ten years of age. Asahel Dexter was a
good farmer and soon had his pioneer farm improved in good shape. In common with
all the early settlers he suffered the privations due to grasshoppers and
scorching winds in those early days, but he persevered despite all
discouragements and was presently well established. As he prospered he added to
his land holdings and as his sons started out for themselves he helped them to
acquire farms of their own. He and his wife were earnest members of the Baptist
church and helped to found the church of that denomination at Marshall Center,
Mr. Dexter for years being a deacon of the same. In his later years Mr. Dexter
retired from his active labors of the home place and turned the management of
the same over to his youngest son, the subject of this sketch, who now owns the
home place. Mrs. Dexter died on May 24, 1887, and Mr. Dexter survived her a
little less than four years, his death occurring on February 4, 1891, he then
lacking less than three weeks of being eighty-two years of age. He and his wife
were the parents of thirteen children, of whom the subject of this sketch was
the last-born, the others being as follow: Maria, who died before the family
left Canada; George, deceased: Matilda, deceased; Thomas B., who is living a
mile east of the old home place in Center township; John, who died before the
family left Canada; Sarah Jane, deceased; Mrs. Mary Richardson, of Hill City,
this state; Mrs. Margaret Parker, deceased; Asahel, deceased; Teesdale, of
Trenton, Nebraska; Martha, of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and Edmund, who lives
three miles west of the old home, in Elm Creek township.

    William H. Dexter, as noted above, was but nine years of age when his
parents came to Marshall county and he was reared on the pioneer farm that his
lather opened for cultivation, even from the days of his boyhood an able
assistant in the labors of developing and improving the same. He completed his
schooling in the Marysville schools and early began to relieve his father of the
responsibility of farm management, continuing to live on the old home place,
which is still his home and which he now owns. Mr. Dexter has three hundred and
ten acres in that tract, a well-improved and profitably cultivated farm, on
which there are two sets of farm buildings. In addition to his general farming
he has given considerable attention to the raising of live stock and has done
very well.

    On December 29, 1897, William H. Dexter was united in marriage to Hettie
Hewitt, who was born at Blue Rapids, this county, daughter of Richard and Jane
(Strange) Hewitt, natives, respectively, of Kentucky and of Missouri, early
settlers of Blue Rapids township, who are now living at Jennings, Oklahoma, to
which place they moved in 1893. To that union four children have been born,
Margaret Alice, Frederick William, Ralph Hiram and Wilma Hettie, the two former
of whom are now students in the Marysville high school. Mr. and Mrs. Dexter are
members of the Baptist church and Mr. Dexter is a member of the board of
trustees of the same. He is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security.


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)


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