February 2024

Lakin’s first lady: Mary O’Loughlin

Much has been written about Lakin’s founding father, John O’Loughlin. He was already highly successful and well-known prior to his marriage, but what would John’s life and the community of Lakin have been like without Mary Veronica O’Loughlin? The matriarch of the O’Loughlin family, Mary’s life was the epitome of living for God, family and community.

Born in May of 1861 at Xenia, OH, Mary was the eldest daughter of five girls and one son born to Dennis and Bridget Farrell who had migrated to America from Ireland. The Farrell family came to the Sunflower State in the 1870s, moving in with an uncle at Brookville. Mary was tasked with looking after the younger children. When she was left in charge of several younger cousins, a sudden flood came down the stream near where the house was built. Mary took the children to the second story where she kept them safe for several hours before help arrived. When the house caught fire, she took the children to safety and ran back into the burning building when she discovered that a small baby had been left sleeping inside. Mary reached the open air with the infant in her arms just as the entire structure collapsed. Her courage, resourcefulness and protective nature were just some of her endearing qualities.

In April of 1874, the Farrells moved further west to Wilson where Mary attended public school. She had earlier attended parochial school at Junction City for one year. In her parents’ home on February 5, 1882, Mary married John O’Loughlin who was 19 years older than her. A fine supper was served to the large crowd in attendance, and because Mary was well and favorably known in the community, she and John received some very fine and costly gifts. The reception lasted late into the night with musical entertainment being provided by some of the locals. John then brought his bride back to Lakin, and they were given a reception in the Boylan’s White House. The late Carrie Davies remembered that Mary was very shy and amazed that so many people showed up to wish them well. Perhaps Mary was unaware that her Irish husband was such a hero in these parts. The newlyweds made their home upstairs in John’s mercantile store building that had been moved from near the railroad to the corner of Main and Waterman. It was there that Mary gave birth to their first child, Margaret, in 1883. Six more children would follow: William, Mary Catherine, Jack, Jennie Rose, Helen and Thomas.

In 1888, the O’Loughlin family moved to their new home located on the southeast outskirts of Lakin. Education for her own children and those of the community was important to Mary, and a large number of men and women spent time in the O’Loughlin home where they were taken into the family and encouraged to attend school and prepare themselves for lives of usefulness. A devout Catholic, Mary offered her home for services prior to the church being erected. She was a gracious hostess and entertained often.

John and Mary O’Loughlin’s home on the outskirts of Lakin. Subjects are unidentified.

A kind friend and neighbor, Mary walked several miles many times to “sit up” and care for the sick and prepare the dead for burial. “No night was too dark nor a day too stormy to prevent her from going to the aid of a family in need at a time of sickness, injury or death.” When a floral club was organized in 1909 to improve and beautify the grounds of the Lakin Cemetery, Mary was elected president. She had a green thumb when it came to flowers but especially rare and unique ones. She also served a stint as president of the Old Settlers’ Association, was the first vice-president of the American Legion Auxiliary, a member of the Lakin Woman’s Club, and was one of a group of Lakin pioneer women who made garments and gave them to little children and other needy persons of the community.

As the O’loughlins had ranches on the Canadian and Cimarron rivers, Mary went several times to the Cimarron, a distance of 50 miles, driving a horse and buggy. Most of her time; however, was spent in her home taking care of her seven children and raising them with the same priorities and values of which she lived by. The devoted wife and mother died in October of 1936. An unusually large number of old-time friends were among those who came to extend their sympathies to her family and show their respects for Mary, a true pioneer woman who had influenced and helped the community in so many ways.

Mary V. O’Loughlin, selfless mother and wife of Lakin’s founding father.

SOURCES: Diggin’ Up Bones by Betty Barnes; History of Kearny County Vols. I & II; Museum archives; and archives of Wilson World, Dodge City Daily Globe, Lakin Investigator and Advocate.

Jack O’Loughlin lived life of service

The fourth child of Lakin’s founding father, John O’Loughlin, and his bride, Mary, was a strong advocate for Lakin and for veterans. Familiarly known as Jack, John Charles O’Loughlin was born in 1888 and attended school at Lakin. He then went to St. Mary’s College at St. Mary’s, Kansas where he received high honors and graduated in June of 1908 from the English Commercial department. Jack returned to Lakin, and in 1910, he and his older brother, Will, began running their father’s mercantile business on the corner of Main and Waterman under the name, “O’Loughlin Brothers.”

John Charles (Jack) O’Loughlin, second son and fourth child of John and Mary O’Loughlin.

Jack had many friends and was well known throughout the area. Not only did he play on the local baseball team, but he also managed teams in Lakin and surrounding towns. Jack also played on the town football team. Wherever he went, he was a proud booster for the growth of Lakin and for those who served our country.

A caricature of Jack O’Loughlin that appeared in the June 9, 1911 Advocate.

In July 1918, Jack left Lakin to answer our country’s call during World War I. He wrote home from Fort Riley in August that he had passed all examinations, and by November 1, Jack was overseas where he was assigned to the medical department of the war. He took care of the sick and wounded at Camp Hospital No. 12 in Dannes-Camiers, France. Notes from Jack often appeared in the Advocate, and no matter the circumstances, his attitude was one of optimism.

Jack O’Loughlin is pictured with his sisters prior to leaving for World War I. L-R: Jennie Rose O’Loughlin, Margaret Hurst, Jack, Mame Thomas, and Helen O’Loughlin.

“Jack O’Loughlin, writing the Advocate from “over the big drink,’ says he is in the best of health, enjoying army life to the limit, and everything quiet as a May morning, and sends kind regards to his friends.”

Upon his return, Jack was back with Will running the mercantile business, and the brothers also had charge of the O’Loughlin’s livestock and farming interests. Jack married Josephine Schwarz at Wilson in 1922. The bride, a graduate of the University of Kansas, was a teacher. Upon their arrival in Lakin, the newlyweds were greeted by their many friends and chivareed in quite an unusual fashion. Jack and Josephine were loaded into an old buckboard coupled to a Ford then “driven at a high rate of speed over town.” The O’Loughlins had two daughters, Patricia and Josephine, and in 1928 the family moved to Garden City where Jack was in the farm implement business. He later went into insurance.

Jack’s dedication to his fellow comrades was unparalleled. He was a charter member and served as commander of the Sheppard-Moore post of the American Legion here at Lakin, and O’Loughlin was a delegate to the 1924 and 1928 national Legion conventions. He was given high praise for his untiring work in making the local post one of the “best in the west.” After moving to Garden, Jack served as the adjutant of the Harry H. Renick post of the American Legion there. He helped organize and was a charter member of the John J. Haskell Veterans of Foreign Wars post and served several terms as its commander as well as commander of the Eighth VFW district. When the McAfee-Stebens Post was organized in Lakin on February 6, 1946, Jack was the Comrade District Commander who conducted the official election for the post’s first officials. From 1936 to 1938, he served as commandant of the Old Soldiers’ Home at Ford Dodge.

Jack was also involved with Lions Club, Elks Club, Knights of Columbus and the Old Settler’s Association. He was very prominent in Democratic politics and was a member of the Democratic central committee of Finney County for many years.

Jack O’Loughlin died unexpectedly in February 1948. The 59-year-old had been admitted to the Halstead hospital several days prior to his death, but his condition had not been considered serious. He had, however, been in poor health for several years.

Jack O’Loughlin is pictured the month prior to his death with his grandson, Johnnie Robison.

SOURCES: History of Kearny County Vols. I & II, archives of the Advocate and Lakin Independent, and Museum archives.

The William O’Loughlin Family

William O’Loughlin was quite the catch. He was athletic, handsome, smart and well-liked. At the age of 29, the eldest son of John and Mary O’Loughlin was elected to represent Kearny County in the 1915 Kansas State Legislature, and he and his brother Jack were running the general store that their father had built decades before. A young Grant County teacher by the name of Grace Blake won over Will’s heart, and the two were married in August of 1918 at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Kansas City.

The happy couple made their home in a “pretty” two-story house on Buffalo Street. The house had recently been remodeled, stuccoed and outfitted with electrical wiring. It was a new beginning for the home as well as for the newlyweds. The house had been built to house the Alonzo Boylan family over 40 years before when Lakin had few citizens and fewer buildings. In its early years, the home symbolized the hope of many Kearny County pioneers who envisioned prosperous futures and a great town springing up along the Santa Fe railway. It seemed only fitting that the son of Lakin’s founding father would make the dwelling his family home.

About 10 months into their marriage, William and Grace were “greatly elated” by the arrival of their firstborn, a 12-pound baby girl who they named Dorothy. In 1921, another baby girl was welcomed to the family, and she was given the name, Mary. Their family was made complete when baby brother, William Jr. or “Billie,” was added to the fold in 1922.

The senior William operated O’Loughlin Brothers general store until 1928 when the brothers sold it. William had already taken up farming and ranching by that time, and in 1931 he was elected to the office of county clerk. Grace became a civic leader and was influential in the organization of the Kansas Federation of Women’s Clubs. She devoted her time, talents and energy to her family, community and the Catholic Church.

Tragedy hit in 1933 when 10-year-old Billie was struck by lightning and died. The entire community mourned the loss of the little boy with a sunny disposition and considerate heart who was frequently called upon to settle playground disputes because of his fairness and honesty.

Three years later, William was appointed to the position of postmaster at Lakin. He retired from that position in 1943, and he was employed in defense work at the airbases at Victoria and Garden City during World War II. Active also in the Lions Club, Knights of Columbus and the Cattle Growers Association, William D. O’Loughlin passed away at the age of 73.

Grace was greatly traumatized by Billie’s death. She died at the age of 93 in 1983 at the Manor Nursing Home in Alma after a long illness. Both she and William are buried in the family plot at the Lakin Cemetery.

Their daughter Dorothy married Bert Sells in 1942. At her funeral in 2003, Dorothy’s children eulogized their mother for always putting her family first yet finding the time for others. She was an avid sports fan, enjoyed playing bridge and loved a good practical joke. Smart and well-read, the gentle-hearted Dorothy often wound up as the caretaker for the family’s many pets. She was living in Cincinnati, OH, at the time of her death.

William and Grace’s daughter Mary married John Walters in 1943. She too was active in church life and her community and loved K-State sports. Having grown up during the Great Depression, Mary had a deep sense of gratitude and a very generous nature. She was always proud of her beginnings, her Irish ancestry and her Catholic faith. A resident of Manhattan, KS, Mary died in January 2003, nine months before her sister Dorothy.

William and Grace’s home remained in the O’Loughlin family even after they moved out. In 1974, their home was deeded to the Kearny County Historical Society by William’s sister, Jennie Rose O’Loughlin, and the “White House” became the centerpiece around which the rest of the Kearny County Museum has grown.

William with daughter Dorothy in front of the White House.

SOURCES: Diggin’ Up Bones by Betty Barnes; History of Kearny County Vols. I & II; archives of The Advocate and Lakin Independent; and Museum archives which were contributed to by members of the O’Loughlin Family.

Lakin’s Pioneer Sweethearts

Since it’s February and romance is in the air, let’s learn about some of Lakin’s pioneer sweethearts!

Thomas Jefferson Pearl was born on Valentine’s Day in 1847 near Terra Haute, Indiana. His father died when Thomas was 10 years old, and his widowed mother moved near Lincoln, Nebraska in 1868 with Thomas and his three brothers and five sisters. The family settled on a farm on what was then the undisturbed prairie. As did so many others, Thomas came to Lakin to work for the Santa Fe Railroad in 1876. A section foreman, he put in 30 years of service for the railroad and also worked at John O’Loughlin’s store. A highly respected member of the community, Thomas also served on Lakin’s City Council.

The love of Thomas’s life, Margaret Catherine White, was born in Dubuque, Iowa, on November 12, 1857. “Maggie” was the half-sister of John O’Loughlin, and she and her mother came to Lakin in May of 1873. They made their home with O’Loughlin in a small dwelling that he had built just north of the railroad right-of-way near where the Kearny County Museum’s parking lot is today. Young Margaret was only 15 at the time. After their mother’s death, Maggie continued living with John and kept house for him.

We don’t know when Thomas and Maggie’s love began to bloom, but according to the late Carrie E. Davies, the whole town was excited over the matter. “A home wedding was out of the question in those days, for we either had to go to Pueblo or to Dodge City for (a) license and someone to say the words to make them one.” Thomas and Maggie chose Pueblo. Chaperone in tow, the duo traveled to Colorado and were married there on November 5, 1879. The Pearls returned to Lakin and made it their home for the rest of their lives. Their eldest daughter, Maude Pearl Nelson, was born in August of 1880 and was the first girl born in Lakin and the second girl born in Kearny County. Their other children were Mabel Pearl Hart, born in 1882, and sons John Thomas and George who were born in 1887 and 1894, respectively.

Thomas and Maggie Pearl, pioneer sweethearts of Lakin, Kansas.

Maggie Pearl was a devoted mother who not only played an important part in molding the characters of her immediate family but also of many in the community. Her Christian life was marked by living faith, kindness and love. A member of the Catholic Church, she also served a stint as president of the Old Settlers Association.

For a time, the Pearls lived in the house near the railroad that John O’Loughlin had built. Their later home sat in the middle of the block just west of the old Ford Garage on Buffalo Street. Some Lakinites may remember this as the McCoy house. In December 1990, the Lakin City Council approved the demolition of the home. Gingerbread trim that was on the dwelling was salvaged and donated to the Kearny County Historical Society. That trim has been incorporated into our house exhibit in the Museum Annex. Thomas Pearl died in 1915, and his beloved Maggie passed away five years later.

Thomas and Maggie were long thought to be Lakin’s first sweethearts, but Ford County records indicate that the first marriage solemnized in Lakin was that of Lucy E. Mudge and Miles W. Allen, a Santa Fe Railroad employee, in February 1874. In the fall of that year, the couple left for Miles’ claim in Rooks County. They made their way to Oklahoma during the Oklahoma land rush and secured a homestead on Bear Creek in Logan County.

In 1895, Miles bought a mercantile where the post office of that area was located. He became a merchant, and Lucy became the postmistress. When the town of Meridian was platted, the townspeople wanted to name it “Allen” after Miles, but he declined the honor as he thought “Meridian” was a more appropriate name since the townsite was on the Indian Meridian. Miles wrote to Washington with his request; hence, the name Meridian was given. Miles, a native of Iowa, died at the age of 74 in 1925. Lucy who was born in Michigan was 83 when she died in 1936. The Allens had four children.

Miles and Lucy Allen, the first marriage solemnized in Lakin, Kansas.

SOURCES: Diggin’ Up Bones; History of Kearny County Vols. I & II; archives of the Lakin Independent and Advocate; okhistory.org; findagrave.com; ancestry.com; and Museum archives.

Local hero Henley Hedge

A picture of Kearny County’s Henley Hedge has been making the rounds on Facebook in recent weeks. The photograph was first posted by the Kansas Historical Society on January 18 and makes this the perfect time to learn a little more about this local legend. Henley Ellsworth Hedge, also known to friends as “Pokey,” was born in 1864 near Caldwell, OH. After receiving his formal education in civil engineering, Hedge headed to Kansas City, Missouri where he surveyed some of the city’s first streetcar tracks, but the West pulled strongly on Henley’s heartstrings. In the fall of 1889, he made his way to Lakin.

Within a few days of his arrival here, Hedge was hired by Buffalo Jones to resurvey and serve as engineer of construction for the Amazon Irrigation Ditch. Hedge designed the first headgates to divert water from the Arkansas River, and the original 300-or-more-foot flume across the rugged Sand Creek west of Lakin was considered one of Hedge’s “masterpieces.” By December of 1890, water was turned into the ditch and was making its way to Scott County at a rate of five miles per day.

Buffalo Jones knew there could be no better man to operate the canal than the man who engineered it, and Hedge proudly accepted Jones’ offer to be Superintendent of the Amazon. The 26-year-old Hedge began patrolling the ditch with a light team of horses, good spring wagon, some shovels and forks, and a hand-forged weed or trash hook. This was no small task considering the canal was the longest one built in southwest Kansas and originated in Kearny County, traveled through parts of Finney County to Scott County, then came back into Finney County and ended at the Gray County line. Returning to Lakin every night after a day’s work was not a viable option, so Hedge often sought refuge with Mr. and Mrs. Hans Eskelund who lived north of Deerfield and about 20 miles from Lakin. Hans, an experienced blacksmith, had helped construct the Amazon ditch, headgates and diversion dam, and his farm was the first to receive water from the canal in 1890.

About this time, a writer by the name of John H. Whitson had come from the East and settled in northern Finney County near the now extinct community of Terryton. According to the late Foster Eskelund, Hans’ son, the writer was intrigued by the large irrigation ditch and had observed Hedge while on patrol. Whitson was inspired to write “The Young Ditch Rider” which first appeared as a serial in “Young People’s Weekly” and then as a book in 1898. Although Whitson used pseudonyms like Golden City for Garden City and Dr. Sarine for notable Finney County physician Dr. Andrew Sabine, the references to this area are undeniable. It is unknown how much of lead character Harry Purcell’s adventures were actually based on Henley Hedge’s experiences, but Whitson was clearly not the only one who admired Hedge. Area newspapers frequently sang Henley’s praises. “The Amazon has the most complete method of securing water of any of our great canals, and the work represents the engineering ability of H.E. Hedge, its superintendent. The Amazon is yearly extending its great water privileges and increasing its number of consumers, and this year many farmers have had reason to congratulate its efficient superintendent on the great value of this canal.”

According to Foster Eskelund, “Pokey” loved his job as ditch rider as it was somewhat tranquil, and it gave him much pleasure to watch the water flowing in the large canal he had masterminded. Hedge liked all the farmers along the ditch, and he once told Foster that the good people in Ohio could not compare with the old pioneers of Kearny and Finney Counties. In July of 1895, Henley married Mary Minnie Logan, the daughter of a Civil War veteran. The ditch rider then began managing the Amazon in such a way that he could spend most nights at home with his bride.

L-R: Mr. Cooper, W.H. Conyers, H.E. Hedge, Walter Longstreth and Wesley Conyers at a camp set up for the Amazon construction crews in 1889.

As head surveyor for the construction of Lake McKinney, Hedge was given the honor of opening the gates to allow water to fill the lake. On February 12, 1907, it was his act of heroism that saved the life of Fred Frost. Hedge was following Frost, civil engineer John Phillips, and rodman Harry Beckett at the newly constructed lake when it was being filled. Certain that they knew where the road was and that the water was shallow, the three men decided to cross instead of going around. Frost turned the team of mules into the water, and Hedge watched as one of the mules slipped off the road bed into deeper water, pulling the other mule and wagon in after him. Hedge leapt from his buggy into the icy water, cut the mules free and managed to pull Frost to safety. Beckett was nowhere to be seen, but Henley could see Phillips. Because he was too far to reach, Henley made his way to dry land and secured a pole then pushed back into the water to rescue Phillips, but the young man refused to take hold of the pole extended to him. Hedge worked in the freezing water for a full hour trying to locate Phillips and Beckett to no avail. “Then someone had the forethought to get him some dry clothes and he worked until 10 o’clock at night when he went home to assure Mrs. Hedge that he was safe.”

Henley worked in the irrigation industry until about 1932, leaving the Amazon in 1904 and taking charge of the South Side Company’s land and ditches. He continued to work in engineering as well. Because of his accurate knowledge of land surveys, he also played a prominent role in the growth of the gas and oil industry in western Kansas. His friends estimated that “Pokey” had done more surveying during his 60+ years of living in Kearny County than all the five or six other surveyors that operated here during the same years. He was very much in demand for his knowledge of the early records and was said to be the type of man who ‘mentally recorded’ all the corners, intersections, and points that were needed. Preceded by his wife in death, Henley Ellsworth Hedge died at the home of their daughter in Washington, D.C. on May 11, 1950. His body was brought back to Lakin and interred at the Lakin Cemetery. Presbyterian minister W.E. Dysart delivered the eulogy at Henley’s funeral, calling Hedge a trailblazer and the builder of foundations. Dysart gave Hedge much credit for the prosperity of Kearny County.

SOURCES: Information provided by the late Foster Eskelund and the Hedge Family; Kansas Historical Society; Diggin’ Up Bones by Betty Barnes; History of Kearny County Kansas Vol. 1; archives of The Evening Telegram, Lakin Independent, Advocate, Investigator and Lakin Index; and Museum archives.