Montgomery-Lyon-Leavenworth County KS Archives Biographies.....FLORA, Daniel Rice Boon October 9, 1838 - September 16, 1908 ************************************************ 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: Bill Boggess billboggess@webtv.net January 23, 2006, 4:03 am Author: Bill Boggess (Revised 01/22/06)        DANIEL RICE BOON FLORA              A KANSAS & COLORADO PIONEER     Amanda G Lentz (1810PA-1862IN) & the Reverend John FLORA (1800GER-1876IN) started their family in Harrison County, Indiana. Results were seven known children born; Josephine F, (1833IN-19xxKS), Volney Pulaski, (1834IN-1909KS), Sarah Catharine, (1836IN-186x??), Daniel Rice Boon, (1838IN-1908CO). Margaret Ann, (1841IN-1926MO), Maryetta Isebell (1843IN-184xIN) (assumed, died early), and lastly John Andrew (1845IN-1934KS).           <>-------<>-------<>     DANIEL RICE BOON FLORA (1838IN-1908CO) Five foot seven inch, blue eyed Daniel was born Friday, 5 October 1838 in New Market (Mauckport after 1847) Harrison County, Indiana, to John and Amanda FLORA, Daniel moved to Kansas, we think in 1862 with brother John Andrew, to brother V P's farm in then Lyon County. Daniel fought in Civil War February 1864 to September 1865, on Army leave with brother John found in brother V P's household, July 1865 state census. He is noted traveling in Lyon County 1866 & '67 and in 1868, with Captain Jacob Hendrix Conrad and brother Henry W Conrad (Note: Came to Kansas in 1868. He was one of the first four settlers of Montgomery County, Kansas. Source material: HANBOOK(sic) OF THE KANSAS LEGISLATURE, 1901. Topeka, Kan. : Crane & Co,1900.) on Osage Indian Ceded Land, Cutler's 1883 "History of Kansas" & Blackmar's 1912 book; , also, 27 December 1868, Daniel returns to Fremont Township, Lyon County to marry MARY HOLLINGSWORTH (1851IN-1936CO), younger sister of brother Volney's wife Eleanor, fourth of William and Martha Hollingsworth's ten known children, Their first home is next to brother John Andrew FLORA & Henry W Conard in Wilson County, Verdigris City was created on Conrad's farm and was first county seat named by governor James Madison Harvey for Montgomery County 3 June 1869. Post Office at Montgomery City where Drum creek empties into Verdigris River, near Brown's Ford. 1875, Daniel ventured to Lake City, Colorado Territory, . They had four children, two each sex, one each surviving to adulthood, girls born in Kansas, boys in Colorado. Daniel and wife Mary died in Ouray County, Colorado, he 16 September 1908, Mary, the 7th of February1936.    We found Daniel Rice Boon in 1840, 1850, NOT in 1860, in, 1865, 1870, 1875, 1880 and 1900 census. A questionable Bartholomew County, Indiana September 1862 document, places him, August 1862, at age 23, with John A at 17 and father John at 62, in 6th Regiment Indiana Infantry Volunteers. National Archives list's only father John in the 6th.    Military records list Leavenworth County(?) his home when enlisting, BUT --- I believe Daniel R B and John A removed to Kansas, spring 1862 (Cutler wrote of John; "On April 9, 1862, he emigrated to Kansas."(?)). There is no accounting for him between Bartholomew County's September 1862 document and 20 February 1864 joining of Company C, 7th Regiment Kansas Cavalry "Veterans" Volunteers with 18 y/o William (Buffalo Bill) Cody (1846IA-1917CO) in Company H. To St Louis aboard "Isabelle" where a delay for lack of horses and arms occurred. October 1864, engaged same time as both brothers in Linn County, Kansas, defeating General Sterling Price. where five future governors battled plus twice past-governor Price. Daniel served faithfully until his honorable discharge at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 29 September1865.    Daniel Rice Boon FLORA wrote in his pension papers; he returned to Emporia, Kansas in 1865, removing to "Liberty" in 1867, where we find reports he with Capt J H and brother Henry W Conrad settled on Osage Indian Ceded Lands, a 3-mile strip east of Osage Indian Diminished Reserves where 3,600 Indians lived. Later (1870) paying Government $1.25/acre for each of their 160 acres . (ie: "Liberty", according to Wm Cutler's 1883 history, was formed combining Verdigris and Montgomery cities, creating Liberty about 6-mies south of where Independence now stands, on the Verdigris River as second county seat until May 1870. Verdigris City, with some 50 people, was first and was on Conrad's farm (Source: H W Conrad's 10/08/28, obituary), next to John Andrew FLORA's farm, one-mile southeast of "Brown's Ford", north of Daniel McTaggart's 1875 built mill, and southeast of where Independence was located in late1869. (1880 census has Daniel McTaggart and Henry Conrad in adjacent households, 1870 he seems far removed) also three miles northeast of new Liberty city, second county seat. Verdigris Township's eastern boundary adjusted east in1870, --- becoming Liberty Township, January1871. New town of Liberty moved east to be on Leavenworth, Lawrence & Fort Gibson RR, after its built1871, later Kansas City, Lawrence & Southern RR then Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe RR.    Afore noted historical articles places D R B FLORA, Henry W Conrad, Jacob Hendrix Conrad, R W Dunlap, plus few others, in Wilson (became Montgomery 3 June1869) County in 1868, and ninth Federal Census of 1870 for Verdigris Township, Montgomery County listing he and wife Mary next door to John Andrew FLORA's household, with brother Volney daughter's future husband, Henry Wilford Conrad, Indiana born - attended Hartsville University, living next to John. I suggest the brothers came to Verdigris valley with other Indiana born German pioneers, such as the Conrads, staking land claims following government opening it for development in1867/8. Documented is; 130 Kansas settlers slaughtered by Indians in1867, and 1868 prairie fire lighted the night sky such that one could read a book, a mile away plus a devastating Grasshopper (Rocky Mountain Locust) infestation of 1874 before moving to Colorado Territory's newly discovered silver and gold deposits. Area remained Osage Territory Ceded Lands until 1870, with Verdigris River, the lowest elevation found within Kansas at 680 feet above sea level, flowing into the Arkansas River near Fort Gibson, Indian Territory (Muskogee, Oklahoma). The Ingall family of "The Little House On The Prairie" fame also moved into the area just west of FLORA's, with little Carrie being born Aug1870, year following his niece Harriette Amanda FLORA's birth, said to be the first white child born in area.    Captain Jacob Hendrix Conrad, John's neighbor from Indiana of "Prairie Valley Farm", also attended Hartsville University, 1856, and had, between 1859 & 1863, been engaged in mining at Nevada which may have inspired Daniel's Colorado move.    Daniel had written in his pension records he moved to Lake City, Colorado Territory in 1875. The territory of Colorado, with is seventeen counties, was formed in 1861. Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado Territory where gold and silver had been discovered was formed in1874, from Conejos, Costilla and Lake Counties. Lake City's elevation is 8,671, 1 1/2 miles higher than Verdigris River in Montgomery, County with five mountains over 14,000, town formed when a road crew discovered gold nearby . State of Colorado was created 1 August 1876 under President Grant as our 38th state.    1880 census has Daniel at George Spahr's, boarding, as a "freighter" in Ruby City, Gunnison County, Colorado (cross-country U S Highway #50 runs through Gunnison County) while wife Mary is found with parents in Fremont Township, Lyon County, Kansas with 2nd daughter Hettie Amanda (Hester) born October 1877 and son Richard W age 1, born January 1879. Daniel applied for veteran's invalid pension in1880. He once lived at Rose's Cabin, near Engineers Pass, just southwest of Capitol City, Hinsdale County, it, nine miles west of Lake City (both now ghost towns) .    He wrote he moved to and remained in Ouray, County, in 1882, created from Hinsdale & San Juan Counties. first county created by State of Colorado, named Uncompahgre, --- the Ute word for warm, flowing water, renamed Ouray on 2 March 1883. Today, 123-years later, Ouray is still surrounded by peaks up to 5,000 feet higher than town, is also blessed with sulphur-free hot springs. One visit and you'll see why Ouray is often called "the Switzerland of America." Town is surrounded by the San Juan Mountains and the Uncompaghre National Forest. The Alpine Loop makes its way into the east side of town from Lake City and Silverton., .    Daniel & Mary had four known children. Two of each sex with two surviving to adulthood. 1)- Dora, born 18 November 1873, Montgomery County, Kansas, died 25 September 1877, buried Maple Wood Cemetery with grandparents Wm Hollingsworth's at Emporia, Kansas, 2)- Hettie Amanda 'Hester' born a month after Dora's death, October 1877, most likely at maternal grandparents home, Lyon County, Kansas. 3)- Richard W, born January 1879 in Colorado, died 25 January 1890 buried w/ family at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Ouray 4)- Harrison 'Harry' Boone, born 3 February 1888, died 29 July 1977, married Alma M (?Ingo) born 1891, died 27 October 1980, both buried Cedar Hill Cemetery, Ouray, he the last of the "Third Generation of FLORA". Also buried is a Wina G (Brownyard) FLORA, (1881-1898CO), died 7 July 1898 with 12 day old son surviving, said to be wife of Harry. A complete mystery with given information. (1908 would fit!)    Daughter Hester (Hettie Amanda), born a month after sister Dora died, married 18 November 1900 to James Lindsey Tillman, born November 1871 in Kansas, 1st lived with her parents, then in 1910 census, with children, Sarah E, 9 y/o, Boyd A, 6 y/o and Arthur D, 2 y/o, living next door to younger brother Harry, listed "farmer/general farm", single and housing their 60 y/o mother, Mary Hollingsworth FLORA.    Daniel Rice Boon FLORA died Wednesday, 16 September 1908, wife Mary then applied for veteran's widow penson benefits in 1909. Mary H died Friday, 7 February 1936 while living with son Harrison "Harry" Boon FLORA, he had M C Witherspoon's Jewlery business at that time. All are listed buried, plus Mary's oldest sister, Elinor Hollingsworth FLORA,wife of Daniel's oldest brother, V P Flora, at Cedar Hill Cemetery (aka: Ouray Cemetery), five miles northwest of Ouray near U S #550, nearer to where Portland once existed.    Elinor's granddaughter, whom she raised, Anna Stasha Borie and husband Jerome Emil MILLY were later buried in Cedar Hill. Daniel's g,g,nephew, Jim Duggan wrote: (7/28/05): "I meet and visited with Harrison "Harry" Boon FLORA and his lovely wife Alma Ingo in the 1960's while he was living in Ouray, Colorado. They showed me the family haunts in Montrose-Ouray area." (1/15/06): "Red Mountain City was shown to me in 1960's by Harry Flora. It is a ghost town (pile of boards) on top of the hill alongside the road from Ouray to Durango, Colorado. Not even a wild burro in sight."             compiled by: William (Bill) Samuel Boggess great,grandson of John A Flora   raised at Carthage, Missouri    Additional Comments: 140-page booklet "OUR FLORA FAMILY" is filed with: "Kansas Room", Independence Publoc Library,Labette Genealogical Sociery, Oswego, Flint Hills Genealogical Society, Empiria, Lyon County Historical Archives, Emporia File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/montgomery/bios/flora113bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ksfiles/ File size: 12.6 Kb