Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Weaver, Henry 1859 - 1916
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Author: Emma E. Forter (1917)

HENRY WEAVER.

    The late Henry Weaver, for years one of the best-known and most progressive
farmers and stockmen of Guittard township, the proprietor of a fine farm in the
Beattie neighborhood and one of the real pioneers of Marshall county, was a
native of the great Empire state, but had been a resident of Marshall county
since he was ten years of age and had thus witnessed the development of this
county from pioneer days. He was born on a farm near Batavia, in Genesee county,
New York, October 6, 1859, son of Nicholas and Susan (Toney) Weaver, the former
a native of Switzerland and the latter of France, who became pioneers of this
county and both of whom are now deceased.

    Nicholas Weaver was born at Roupeswell, in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland,
October 18, 1818, and in 1852 came to the United States, settling near Batavia,
New York, where he lived until 1867, when he moved West and settled on a farm in
DeKalb county, Illinois, where he lived until May 2j, 1869, when he started with
his family for Kansas, arriving in clue time in Marshall county, where he
established his home and where he spent the remainder of his active life, one of
the most active and influential pioneer citizens of this county. Some time
before his death Nicholas Weaver retired from the active labors of the farm and
moved to Waterloo, Oregon, where his last days were spent, his death occurring
there on May 31, 1907. His widow survived him for seven years, her death
occurring near Batavia, New York, on January 31, 1914, she then being ninety
years of age. She was born at Melden, France, in 1825. To Nicholas Weaver and
wife six children were born, three of whom are still living, namely: Thomas
Weaver, of Lebanon, Oregon; Mrs. Alice Hotchkiss, of Apalachin, Tioga county,
New York, and Charles Weaver, of Princeton, Idaho.

    Upon coming to this county Nicholas Weaver and family drove through from
Illinois in company with the families of John Balderson and John Kelly, and for
a time after their arrival here lived in their covered wagon, until they could
get settled and erect a small house. A year or two later their house was
destroyed by fire, together with their clothes, household goods, three hundred
dollars in currency and their family records, a very serious loss to the pioneer
family. The farm that Nicholas Weaver homestead in what afterward came to be
known as Balderson township was presently developed in excellent shape and Mr.
Weaver came to be recognized as one of the substantial and influential farmers
of that part of the county.

    As noted above, Henry Weaver was about ten years of age when he came to this
county with his parents and he grew to manhood on the homestead farm in
Balderson township, completing his schooling in the pioneer schools of that
district. As a boy he herded cattle on the open range, over the very land that
he afterward came to own, and he witnessed the beginning of the town of Beattie,
in the neighborhood of his home, which town sprang up following the coming of
the railroad. He carried the mail from Beattie to Guittard postoffice, four
miles north, and from boyhood his life was marked by habits of industry and
thrift. After his marriage in 1885 he established his home on the farm in
Guittard township, where he spent the rest of his life, and in time came to be
the owner of two hundred and sixty-six acres of land, all of which was highly
developed and profitably cultivated. Mr. Weaver built a modern house on his
place and he and his family were very comfortably situated. In addition to his
general farming he had for years paid considerable attention to the raising of a
good grade of live stock and had done very well in his operations. He was a
Republican and ever took an earnest interest in local civic affairs and for
eighteen years served as treasurer of the local school board in district No.
112. Though reared in the Lutheran faith, at the age of forty-five years Mr.
Weaver affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church and was a member of that
church at the time of his death. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity and
of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and in the affairs of both these
organizations took a warm interest. Henry Weaver died at his home in Guittard
township on August 22, 1916, and his death was widely mourned throughout the
Beattie neighborhood, for he had earned and had long enjoyed the respect and
esteem of a large circle of friends. His interest in the development of local
industrial conditions was displayed on all proper occasions and he was a valued
shareholder in the Farmers' Union Elevator Company at Beattie and in the
Farmers' Mutual Telephone Company, in the affairs of both of which concerns he
took an active interest. Following the death of Mr. Weaver a local newspaper had
the following comment regarding his personal character: "He was industrious, a
capable manager, a thoroughly good citizen in every way, a kind and indulgent
husband and father, and his death brings deep sorrow and regret to his family
and friends."

    On February 4, 1885, at Beattie, Henry Weaver was united in marriage to Cora
E. G. Totten, who was born on a pioneer farm near Beattie on December 25, 1869,
daughter of Joseph and Susan (Postin) Totten, who were among the earliest
settlers of Guittard township, and to this union four children were born,
namely: Joseph Nicholas, on November 7, 1886, who died January 1, 1887; Roland
S., who was born in Balderson township on March 10, 1891, was graduated from the
Beattie high school and is an undergraduate of the Kansas State University at
Lawrence, married Clara Scholtz and has one child, a daughter, Gwendolyne Joy,
born on October 17, 1915; Wallace Henry, who was born at Kendrick, Idaho, June
1, 1893, during the period of one year in which the Weavers made their home at
that place, was graduated from the township schools and had one year at the
Beattie high school, and Gladys V., who was born on the home place near Beattie
on December 10, 1897, and graduated from the Beattie high school in 1916.

    Mrs. Cora Weaver is the last-born of the twelve children born to her
parents, Joseph and Susan (Postin) Totten, the others being Elizabeth Thorn,
Emeroy Jones, John L., Florence Sharp, Henry T., Eliza Newton, Frank H., Nora
Pauley, William J., and Charles Joseph and Sarah Madora, both deceased. Joseph
Totten was born at Blanford, Massachusetts, March 22, 1825. His father was born
in Rhode Island in March, 1795, and spent most of his early life in his native
state, where he married Miriam Carpen-penter, who was born on January 4, 1804,
later moving to Massachusetts, whence, in 1828, Joseph Totten then being but
three years of age, they moved to Albany, New York, where they lived for eight
years, at the end which time they moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, but at the
end of a year spent there returned North and settled in Rock Island county,
Illinois, where Joseph Totten grew to manhood. The elder Totten later moved to
Iowa, where he died in 1864. His widow later came to this country, where her
last days were spent, her death occurring at the home of her son, H. T. Totten,
in 1878, she then being seventy-seven years of age.

    Joseph Totten completed his schooling in the schools of Rock Island county,
Illinois, and there engaged in farming, later moving to Iowa, in which state, on
November 17, 1844, ne married Susan Postin, who was born in Ohio on February 6,
1830, and who, when quite young, had moved with her parents to Scott county,
Iowa, where she married Mr. Totten, the two shortly afterward settling in
Minnesota. In the spring of 1858 Joseph Totten and his family left Minnesota and
came to Kansas, arriving in Marshall county on June 8 of that year, and settled
in what is now Guittard township, being among the very earliest arrivals in that
part of the county, there being only four or five families in that township at
that time. Mr. Totten had a full experience of pioneer life and on the virgin
prairie opened up a farm that is now in the possession of his son, Frank H.
Totten. At the time the Tottens settled in this county Indians still were
numerous hereabout and wild game was plentiful. The white neighbors were few and
far between and the outlook for the first few years was not very encouraging,
but Mr. Totten possessed a sturdy courage and a resoluteness of will essential
to the demands of the occasion and had prepared himself for every emergency. He
presently prospered in his undertakings and not only became recognized as one of
the most substantial farmers of that part of the county, but as one of the
leading and most public-spirited citizens. For four years he served as township
trustee and for twenty years was a member of the school board of district No.
19, which he helped to organize, and also helped to put up the first school
building in that and other neighboring districts. Mr. Totten was a Republican
and was warmly devoted to the interests of his party, ever a firm supporter of
its principles. For some years after his settlement in this county Joseph Totten
was obliged to journey to St. Joseph for the family provisions and necessary
household articles, among the latter being a number of cats, for which he paid
one dollar each, the cats being necessary to destroy the mice which infested the
premises. In those days farm products were transported to the same point, a long
and difficult haul. Mr. Totten watched the development of Marshall county with a
warm interest and by redeeming a portion of its soil from its primitive state,
contributed his quota toward the upbuilding of this part of Kansas. Joseph
Totten died at his home in this county on May 20, 1892, and his widow survived
until June 2, 1903.

    Joseph Totten's grandfather, Levi Totten, was born in England and came to
this country in the days of his young manhood. He is supposed to have served as
a soldier of the patriot army during the Revolutionary War and also to have
served as a soldier during the War of 1812 His son, Henry Morris Totten,
grandfather of Mrs. Weaver, was born on March 17, 1795, and died, as above
noted, in Iowa, in 1864. His widow, as noted above, survived him for some years,
her last days being spent in this county. They were the parents of four sons,
those besides Joseph, the first-born, being Edwin, Charles and Henry, the two
former of whom served as soldiers of the Union army during the Civil War and the
latter of whom was a member of General Custer's command in 1876,. and was killed
in the Indian massacre which wiped out that gallant command. When Joseph Totten
came to Marshall county there was very little "hard cash" in circulation
hereabout and the conveniences of modern life were wholly lacking. The nearest
mill was located on the Missouri river and sometimes the settlers were obliged
to go farther to mill, even to Iowa Point. In the summer of 1863 Joseph Totten
started out to explore the farther West, his objective point being Denver, and
he made the journey in seven months. He put up the first hotel in Marys-ville
and was engaged in the erection of the first three houses in Frankfort, during
that year working one hundred and five days as a carpenter, for which labor he
received three hundred and fifteen dollars. In that same year he also served as
assessor and thus made the money necessary to the early development of his
homestead. Had Mr. Totten preserved in detail the story of his pioneer life and
of his experiences on the frontier, there would have been given to posterity an
extensive and readable volume.


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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