John
F. Overfield
This cache is
dedicated to my Great Great Grandfather John F. Overfield and in
response to Campcreekers' "Drop Zone Challenge Cache"
(GC1BKT7).
John
Overfield, born Feb. 19, 1862, was the first white child born in
Wakarusa township and a Kansas State Senator from Montgomery Co.,
Ks. He also drilled the first oil well in Oklahoma. His
father, Thomas Overfield, settled close to Lawrence along
Washington Creek, which this cache has been placed. Thomas
moved his family from Salem, Massachusetts to the then Kansas
Territory to insure our state was inducted free to all men and for
that I'm very proud.
Below is a
biography of John F. transcribed from volume III, part 1 of
Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history.
John F.
Overfield.—While at the present time Mr.
Overfield is best known as the president of the Denver Alfalfa
Milling & Products Company and as state senator from the
Independence district, as well as one of the strong financial men
and pioneer oil producers of Kansas and Oklahoma, yet, he has won
success in other fields of activity and has had a business and
political career filled with years and honor. Mr. Overfield was
born at Lawrence, Kan., Feb. 19, 1862, son of Thomas and Margaret
(Ferguson) Overfield. His father was a native of Birmingham,
England, and resided in his native country until his twenty-fifth
year, when he came to the New World to seek his fortune. He first
located in Massachusetts, where he met and married Margaret
Ferguson, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and remained there
until her twenty-fifth year, when she emigrated from the old
country. She settled at Salem, Mass., and there married Thomas
Overfield. They came west and located at Lawrence, Kan., in 1854,
being members of those brave free-state colonists who left their
homes in the East to assist in the admission of Kansas to statehood
free from the stain of slavery. Mr. Overfield took up a farm near
Lawrence, and as the territory was inhabited chiefly by Indians he
began to trade with the Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes for furs,
which he shipped east. This industry grew to a considerable
business before the Territory became well populated, and Mr.
Overfield was regarded as one of the prosperous pioneers. He was
thoroughly imbued with anti-slavery ideas and was ever ready to
help advance the cause of freedom and free government. He lived to
the hale old age of eighty-four years before passing to his last
rest, in 1909. Mrs. Overfield still lives at the age of eighty. She
reared a family of seven children—six sons and one daughter—all of
whom are living. John F. Overfield was the fourth child and third
son, and his boyhood days were spent near Lawrence, until his
eighth year, 1870, when his parents removed to Montgomery county,
where Mr. Overfield had taken up a homestead, which is still in
possession of the family. The lad grew up healthy, strong, and
resourceful, as are all boys who had to endure the hardships and
privations incident to frontier life in Kansas, and secured an
education in the log cabin schools of the early days. After
finishing the elementary schools at Independence he was sent by his
father to the Kansas State Agricultural College at Manhattan for
two years, and then to a commercial college in Independence for a
business course. Soon after leaving school he engaged in the
mercantile business in Independence, but gave it up to accept a
better opportunity as traveling salesman on the road, which
occupation he followed ten years. He had natural business ability
and desired to engage in some enterprise where he would be able to
invest capital in a business of his own. With this end in view he
left the road, in 1896, and invested in oil properties in Oklahoma,
being one of the pioneers in that field, as he drilled the first
well in that state. He soon made a name for himself, and was
engaged by Michael Cudahy, of Chicago, to look after the Cudahy
interests in Oklahoma, and he has held the position ever since,
still having control of the Chicago packer's many oil wells.
Besides being owner of several oil wells, he is the president and
general manager of the Denver Alfalfa Milling & Products
Company, with three big mills located respectively at Hartman,
Bristol and Wiley, Col., all in the Arkansas valley irrigated
district, each mill having a daily capacity of from eighty to 100
tons of alfalfa meal. Mr. Overfield is a stanch supporter of the
Republican party, having from the first been a loyal upholder of
its principles, with an unwavering faith in the ability of its
leaders in state and nation. He has always taken an active part in
local politics, served in the city council of Independence and in
1908 was elected state senator from the Twelfth district of Kansas
for a term of four years, a position which he is filling with
dignity and to the entire satisfaction of his
constituents.
On Dec. 1, 1887, Mr. Overfield was
united in marriage with Clara J., daughter of William H. Rhodes, of
Freeport, Ill., and they have five children—Gilbert H., Earl R.,
Majory, Clara, and Katherine. Mr. Overfield is a Mason, a member of
the Modern Woodmen of America, the United Commercial Travelers, and
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, No. 780. He is a
lifelong Kansan, being the first white child born in Wakarusa
township, Douglas county, and by reason of his own efforts,
industry, integrity, and capability has forged his way to the front
rank in the business world.
This cache was
placed with permission from land owner so please respect his
property!! He is also a game warden for the Kansas Department
of Wildlife and Parks so don't mess with the
rabbits!
Cache container
is a .30 cal ammo box. The shoulder of N1200 Rd is nice and
wide for parking. Please watch for
traffic.
FTF PRIZE: an
un-activated FTF Geocoin, geo pin, a NeeneeRaven friendship
bracelet, Presidential Gold Dollar, and The Ravens' sig
wooden nickel.
!CONGRATS to Ablebugs for FTF!