Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Dolen, John  C. 1844 - before 1917
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com May 7, 2007, 8:40 pm

Author: Emma E. Forter (1917)

JOHN C. DOLEN.

    John C. Dolen, now deceased, and at one time one of the large land owners
and successful farmers and stockmen of Marshall county, was born on October 2,
1844, in Kentucky, being the son of Benjamin and Nancy (Chesney) Dolen.

    Benjamin and Nancy (Chesney) Dolen were natives of Kentucky, where they grew
to maturity and were educated in the public schools. They were later married and
established their home in that state, where they resided for some years, when
they decided to seek a home in one of the more northern states. They at first
located in the state of Missouri, where they remained for a time, after which
they settled in Nebraska. There Benjamin Dolen established his home on a farm,
and in time became one of the successful men of the district. There he and his
wife spent many years of their lives and were held in the highest regard and
esteem. There they reared and educated their children and were influential in
the physical and the moral development of the district.

    John C. Dolen received his education in the schools of Missouri, and
remained with his father on the home farm until he enlisted in 1861 in the
Confederate army and served four years. He joined the Second Missouri Infantry,
and part of the time he was in a cavalry regiment. He was married on July 22,
1866, to Araminta Henton, who was born on April 28, 1843, in the state of
Illinois, the daughter of James and Susan (Primm) Henton. Her parents were
natives of Tennessee and Illinois, respectively. Susan Primm was the daughter of
John Primm and wife, who were natives of North Carolina and later settled in
Virginia and then went to Illinois, just east of St. Louis. In Illinois they
located on a tract of land and engaged in farming. The territory at that time
was new and there were but few settlers, neighbors being far apart. Many were
the hardships that the family endured in their struggle to obtain a home on the
frontier of the state. St. Louis at that time was little more than a trading
post, with little prospects of becoming the great city of today. James Henton,
the father of Mrs. Dolen, was a rover. On leaving his home in Tennessee he
located in Illinois, and then moved to Missouri, where he remained for a time,
when he returned to Illinois and later came to Nebraska in 1855. Here he
preempted land near Table Rock and was one of the first permanent settlers in
the state. Mrs. Dolen remembers well the trip from their home in Illinois to
their new home in Nebraska. The journey was made with horses and wagon, and many
hardships were encountered on the way. After having established their home in
the then far West, they were subjected to many privations and hardships. Their
nearest trading points, Brownsville or St. Stephens, were many miles away. There
were few neighbors in the district and they were a long distance from the Henton
home. On their arrival at their new home, the father cut logs and built a house
of three rooms, in which the family lived for many years. Mr. Henton being a
good carpenter was enabled to construct a substantial, though small, house in
which his little family was to live.

    James Henton was born on August 2, 1812, and died on April 10, 1900. His
wife was born on September 1, 1818, and died on May 8, 1899. They were the
parents of the following children: Araminta, Catherine, Hester, Matthew,
Minnesota, Columbus, Arthur, Louisiana and Lucinda.

    In 1854 Benjamin and Nancy Dolen left their home in Kentucky and located in
Missouri, where they remained for ten years, when they established their home in
Gage county, Nebraska. They made the trip by the overland route, with horses and
wagon, and on their arrival in Gage county Mr. Dolen homesteaded a tract of
land, which he later developed and improved and in time became a successful and
prosperous farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Dolen were the parents of the following
children: John C, Emily, Edward, Harriet, Prather and James.

    John C. Dolen engaged in the hotel business with his uncle, Warren Chesney,
at Beatrice, Nebraska. This was the only hotel in the town and was operated in a
log building. While living at Beatrice John C. Dolen was married and there he
lived until one year later, when he went to the home of his father and later
homesteaded a tract of land. There he remained for seven years, during which
time he did much in the way of developing his new farm. He then moved to DeWitt,
Nebraska, where he remained for five years, after which he returned to Beatrice
and operated a tavern until 1882, when he came to Marshall county, Kansas. Here
he purchased a large tract of land in the Otoe Reservation, but did not move
onto the tract until 1886. In 1903 he built a fine home on his tract in section
13 and was the owner of four hundred and forty acres of splendid land, with one
of the beautiful farm homes in the county. He met with much success in his work
as a general farmer and stockman and was known as one of the most successful and
influential men of the district. One of the finest stone quarries in this
section of the state is located on Mr. Dolen's home farm. He was a most thorough
farmer, and his well cultivated fields and his splendid stock were indicative of
his ability and caretaking. He took great pride in the development of his farm
and in the upkeep of his buildings.

     Mr. and Mrs. Dolen were the parents of the following children: Edward,
James, Benjamin, Lillian, George and Nellie. Edward is on the old home place,
which is the original purchase of his father in this section. Here he is meeting
with much success in general farming and stockraising. He is a progressive man
and one of the successful younger farmers of the county. He is married to Delia
Robinson, and to them have been born the following children: Edward, Mildred,
Cecil, Seita and Harold. James is a farmer of Oklahoma and is married to Mattie
Munson and to them has been born one child, Hope. Benjamin is in Panama, where
he is employed on the canal; Lillian, George and Nellie are at home. Since the
death of John C. Dolen, Mrs. Dolen has received attention from her children, the
daughter Lillian giving the greater part of her time to the care of the home and
her mother. The family have long been prominent in the social life of the
community, and have had much to do with the general prosperity and growth of the
district in which they have lived for so many years.

    John C. Dolen was identified with the Democratic party, always taking deep
interest in local affairs, and while he was not an office seeker, he had much to
do with the civic life of the township and county, and was often consulted in
matters pertaining to public affairs. His life was a worthy one, and his death
was mourned by a large circle of friends.


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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