Sedgwick-Sumner County KS Archives Biographies.....Laurie, John 1841 - ************************************************ 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 April 5, 2007, 1:58 am Author: O. H. Bentley (1910) John Laurie, farmer and stock raiser, of Salem township, Sedgwick county, Kansas, was born in Scotland, February 4, 1841. His parents were William and Mary (Martin) Laurie, both natives of Scotland, where they spent their entire lives. John Laurie remained in Scotland until March 25, 1870, when he came to the United States. He first settled in Knox county, Illinois, where he remained only a short time, and in June of the same year went to Abilene, Kan., where he bought a pony and rode to Sedgwick county, and preempted 160 acres of land in Wichita township. He remained on this land until 1878, when he went south of Clearwater, in Sumner county, and bought a quarter-section of grass land for his stock, where he lived seven years. He then returned to his farm in Wichita township, where he lived until 1888, when he sold his original claim and bought 320 acres in Section 26, Salem township, where he still lives. On June 22, 1866, Mr. Laurie married Miss Isabella McCracken, who was born in Scotland in 1838. Of this union four children have been born, viz.: William, of Douglas county, Missouri; Robert, who died in Scotland; Mrs. Mary Mason, in Washington, and Thomas M., who lives on the home place. Mrs. Laurie died February 17, 1906. Mr. Laurie spent many years in the stock business and of late years feeds about one carload of cattle and two carloads of hogs. Besides this, he does diversified farming. For a number of years he raised Shorthorn cattle and is now raising pure Berkshire hogs. Mr. Laurie has never aspired to office. He was elected justice of the peace, but declined to serve. He has been on the school board for several years, and was treasurer of the Farmer's Alliance for some years. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. Additional Comments: Extracted from History of Wichita and Sedgwick County: past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county Editor in chief: O. H. Bentley Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co. (1910) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/sedgwick/bios/laurie356gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 2.6 Kb