Shawnee-Leavenworth County KS Archives Biographies.....McAfee, Josiah B. 1830 - ************************************************ 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 September 26, 2006, 4:38 am Author: James L. King (1905) REV. JOSIAH B. MCAFEE. REV. JOSIAH B. McAFEE, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, is one of the remarkable men of the State of Kansas, and it is difficult to mention any line of activity or notable development, from early pioneer days down to the present, without giving a full measure of credit to this honored and now venerable citizen. All over the expanse of the State may be found the material results of his foresight, judgment, unselfish public spirit, and many of the established educational and religious institutions have incorporated in their usefulness the work of his brain and heart. The birth of Josiah B. McAfee occurred August 6, 1830, at McAfeetown, in Juniata County, Pennsylvania. He is a son of James and Sarah McAfee, whose parents were old and respected residents of that particular section. Our subject's education was a liberal one, early being directed into theological channels, and in 1854 he was admitted to the ministry of the Lutheran Church by the Maryland Synod. Selecting Kansas as his field of labor, Rev. Mr. McAfee, with his family, reached the city of Leavenworth on April 15, 1855, since which time he has been a Kansan, heart and soul. One month later he founded the Leavenworth Collegiate Institute—the first educational institution of prominence in the State—and was the organizer of the first Sunday-school in the State. Pupils flocked to his instruction but he did not confine his efforts to general education, for his aims were still higher. In those days of lawlessness, many good men suffered for their outspoken opinions, but Rev. Mr. McAfee continued without fear or favor to teach and preach against slavery and took sides on other questions at issue in the early days of the Territory. A man of such decided opinions and of such fearlessness in advocating them, could not be held down by old-time canons of observance and in 1856 he took a very active part in the political campaign, visiting his old home at this time where he aroused enthusiasm for Gen. John C. Fremont, the Republican nominee for President. It was during his absence that threats, which formerly had been made, were put into execution and he returned to find his home in ruins. He then left Leavenworth and established his home at what is now Valley Falls, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising, having invested in land. In passing it may be noted that from this source has come all of Rev. Mr. McAfee's income, all his services in the cause of education, religion and temperance, having been given freely for the benefit of his fellowmen. Under the caption of "The Muhlenberg of Kansas," there appeared in the Lutheran Evangelist, bearing date of November 22, 1901, an article from the pen of Rev. D. Earhart, which contains some interesting facts concerning our subject, and we here reproduce it: "We are quite sure a short biographical sketch of Rev. J. B. McAfee will be interesting as he was the first Lutheran minister that settled in Kansas. Besides preaching the Gospel when an opportunity offered, he performed many noble deeds and lived a very useful life. "Rev. J. B. McAfee was born August 8, 1830, in Juniata County, Pennsylvania. He received his primary education in the district school near his home and like General Garfield drove a team of horses on the (Pennsylvania J canal when a boy. He received his further education at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1849, he was received into full membership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Port Royal, in his native county. In 1854 he taught a district school for a while, and then took charge of the academy at Clear Springs, Maryland. In 1854, he was licensed by the Maryland Synod to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments. "April 1, 1855, he with his young wife started for Leavenworth, Kansas, with a view of making Kansas his future home, arriving there safely two weeks later. He at once commenced his ministerial work, and work on a school house and church building, and also taught school in order to support himself and family. During 1855 and 1856, the border ruffian war raged in Kansas, and Brother McAfee had several narrow escapes from the border ruffian lynchers. In 1856, he visited his native State and in October of that year the Maryland Synod, in session in Frederick City, ordained him. As his ministerial labors and trials are recorded in 'The History of the Early Lutheran Church in Kansas,' I will not repeat them here, but will give some historic facts not so well known. "September 1, 1862, Rev. J. B. McAfee enlisted as a private soldier in the Union Army, and on the 15th of the same month he was unanimously elected first lieutenant by the company. The Lutheran Osberver of December 8, 1892, says (of soldier McAfee): 'that he was in four battles, and during 1862-3-4 he served in various capacities as lieutenant, captain and superintendent of refugees at Fort Smith. From 1865 to l867, he was private secretary to Governor Crawford of Kansas, with the rank of colonel, and often acted as Governor. During his service as adjutant general, he organized two battalions for service against the Indians in Western Kansas. He wrote and compiled from reliable data the official "Military History of Kansas Regiments in the War for the Suppression of the Great Rebellion." He was also chaplain of the Second Colored Regiment of Kansas Volunteers whilst he was in the army.' "He was elected mayor of Topeka, for 1870 and 1871. One day he was informed that a faro-bank was in operation over the Wells, Fargo & Company express office in the city of Topeka. Armed with a warrant he and several policemen started to raid the building where the nuisance was kept. Finding the entrance to the building closed, the mayor ordered a large meat axe to be brought, and then instructed the marshal to take the axe and break open the door, and the order was promptly obeyed. The faro-bank and fixtures were secured, and were valued at $625, and burned in a public street in Topeka, by order of the mayor. The pugnacious Col. C. R. Jennison had his faro-bank burned in Topeka, in 1871, by order of the mayor. No saloon man got a license with which to debauch the citizens of Topeka during Mayor McAfee's administration. He was a terror to evil-doers. For four terms he was a member of the Kansas Legislature and served on the temperance committee. "In 1893-94 Rev. J. B. McAfee delivered over 100 lectures and sermons in as many Kansas pulpits, in the interest of prohibition, when the anti-prohibition people tried to elect a Legislature for the purpose of calling a convention that would annul the prohibition amendment of the constitution of Kansas. He labored and traveled in Kansas at his own expense under the auspices of the State Temperance Union. He likely did more than any other man in Kansas to thwart the plans and hopes of the liquor men of his State. Though he was not a party Prohibitionist, yet the party of Prohibitionists were more willing to trust him on this subject as chief executive of the State than his own party was. "The Kansas Prohibitionist, a party paper, said of Rev. McAfee: 'He is the peer of any man who is named in connection with the office of chief magistrate. A life-long temperance man, he is without blemish; a fearless defender of the right, his integrity is unquestioned. If the people of Kansas want a Prohibitionist Governor, there stands J. B. McAfee. Match him.' "In 1873, Brother McAfee suffered a bleeding of the lungs for the third time, and was so low that he was speechless. Two of his neighbors were very ill at the same time; their doctors gave them brandy as a remedy for their disease and affirmed that it helped them much. Rev. Mr. McAfee's doctor urged him to take some brandy, and affirmed that if he did not take it, he would be in the next world before the next morning. He refused to take the brandy, and as he could not speak, he wrote on the slate: 'Well, Doctor, I will be sober when I get there.' The doctor missed his guess for the brother is alive and well now, twenty-eight years after the event. The two patients that took the brandy never recovered, but died in a short time afterwards. "The people of Kansas may well congratulate themselves that Kansas has furnished a counterpart to the renowned Pennsylvanian, Rev. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, son of the patriarch Muhlenberg of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The former doffed the clerical robe of the pastor and attired himself in the military uniform of a soldier. He was made a colonel, major general, Member of Congress, United States Senator, and died October 1, 1807. Had our J. B. McAfee been clothed with the needful authority and properly sustained by the people, he would have suppressed the rum and beer rebellion in Kansas, in the latter part of the 19th century, as Washington suppressed the whiskey rebellion in Western Pennsylvania in the latter part of the 18th century. "We are glad in concluding this sketch to say that Rev. Mr. McAfee is still active in life's affairs, and lives, highly respected in Topeka, Kansas, where"we hope he may yet be spared many years of usefulness." Mr. McAfee is the only survivor in this State of the organizers of the Lutheran Synod of Kansas. It was through his labors that the first five Lutheran churches of Kansas were organized and they long felt the influence of his presence and the assistance of his purse. He is a valued member of Lincoln Post, No. 1, Grand Army of the Republic. He is a member of the Kansas State Historical Society, one of its directors, and it owes much to his interest and careful research. The following appeared in the Central Christian Advocate of September 7th, 1904: "On his seventy-fourth birthday, Rev. J. B. McAfee, a veteran Lutheran clergyman in Kansas, wrote to Dr. D. H. Fisher a letter which deserves publicity: ; Dear Brother Fisher—I see in the Daily Capital of August 6th that you are in the Buena Vista Hospital, Little Orleans, Maryland. I am very sorry that there is any occasion for your being in a hospital. I do hope and pray that you may soon be restored to health again. I have had the pleasure and honor of knowing you and your good work in Kansas for about forty-eight years. You have been the most faithful and untiring worker in the Master's vineyard in all these years that I have ever known. Kansas is truly better because you have lived in it. You never waited for opportunities to do good; you made the opportunities. You never waited for the enemies of the church and good government to attack you; you went forth to meet them in the byways and highways. To you more than to any other person are we indebted for constitutional prohibition in Kansas. I well remember, thirty-seven years ago, when you offered in the State Temperance Convention the first resolution looking to constitutional prohibition in Kansas, and after the resolution was voted down, you held it high in your left hand, as high as you could, and exclaimed: "Brethren, I do believe God will spare my life to see the principles of this resolution embodied in the constitution and laws of Kansas." God not only spared you to see it, but to be one of the most important factors in securing it. During my almost fifty years of residence in Kansas I know of no one who has worked so hard and so faithfully and efficiently to secure good laws and good government and to advance the cause of Christ in this State. May the Almighty hand of that loving Savior who led a sinking disciple from a grave in the waters of Galilee lead you safely, day by day, down the pathway of life, safely through the valley of the shadow of death, and in the morning of eternity may you hear the welcome plaudid of "Well and faithfully done." Brother, it won't be long until you will rest your weary head within your loving Savior's arms. Soon we will meet and greet each other in the land of the blest, in the home of the redeemed. God bless you. Most fraternally yours, J. B. MCAFEE. P. S.—I am seventy-four years old today." At Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, March 20, 1852, in the parlor of the Theological Seminary, Rev. Mr. McAfee married Anna R. Yowler, and they have two daughters: Celeste, who was married in 1874 to D. H. Forbes; and Emma Virginia, who was married on the same day to Judge D. C. Nellis; and one son, Henry W., who married a sister of Judge Nellis of Topeka, in 1880. Rev. Mr. McAfee has retired from active life. As he recalls the many stirring incidents he can but feel that, while the path led often over rugged heights, he was permitted to place many landmarks on the way and it has led into quiet pastures at last. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS EDITED AND COMPILED BY JAMES L. KING TOPEKA, KANSAS "History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples" PUBLISHED BY RICHMOND & ARNOLD, GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 1905. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/shawnee/bios/mcafee32nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ksfiles/ File size: 13.5 Kb