LABETTE CO. KS
Formed 1867 from Neosho
Montgomery formed 1867 from Labette
 

CENSUS RECORDS

1870 Labette Co. KS Census
Hackberry Twp. (scratchy ink)
Pg.19, #129-129, DUNCAN, Allen 38 PA farmer $2000-$600
                  Adelia F. 25 IL keeping house
                  Milton 1 KS
                  NOWLAND, John 8 TX
                  (MAD: Alex Duncan in 1880 census)
Montana Twp. (scratchy ink, very hard to read)
Pg.43, #150-152, DUNCAN, William R. 47 NC farmer $0-$275
                  Elizabeth 45 IN keeping house
                  William W. 20 IN farm laborer
                  Edwin 18, James W. 16 IN farm laborers
                  Sarah 12, Laura A?. 9 IN
                  Glendora (f) 5 IN
                  (MAD: 1860 Greene Co. IN census, Edwin 18 was Garrison 9, Sarah S. was age 5; 1880 Arkansas Co. AR census)
North Twp.
Pg.64, #88-88, DUNCAN, Arritta (f) 29 KY keeping house $0-$53
                  James 4, Sarah J. 3 KS
                  Ida C. (f) 4/12 KS b.Feb.
 

1880 Labette Co. KS Census from Soundex (looking for Isaac Wilbur Duncan b.1872-73 OH)
Canada Twp., Vol.9, ED 104, Sheet 14, Line 18
DUNCAN, Alex 49 PA (white male)
            Fidelia 35 IL wife
            Milton 11 KS son
            Dinsilla 9 KS dau.
            Wallace F. 5 KS son
            Eliza 1 KS dau.
            KNOWLAND, J.A. 18 TX S.S. (MAD: stepson)
            (MAD: Alexander Duncan, b. 4/13/1831 Westmoreland Co. PA; son of John Alexander Duncan b. 1804 Fayette Co. PA, d. 1850 Indiana Co. PA, wife Eliza Patteron; mar. Fedelia Gandy Knowland 3/27/1868 Cherokee Co. KS, d. 7/20/1906 Labette Co. KS; info from Neva M. Fisk 4/1991)
 

MILITARY RECORDS

Pension Index Card File, alphabetical; of the Veterans Administrative Contact and Administration Services, Admin. Operations Services, 1861-1934; Duff to A-J Duncan (negative FHL film 540,888, some cards very faint); Joseph Duncan to Dunn (positive FHL film 540,889, some cards very dark)
      Cataloged under Civil War, 1861-1865, pensions, indexes; does not say if Confederate or Federal, but probably Federal. Negative film, some cards much too faint or dark to read, some cards blurred or faded, particularly the service unit and the dates of application. Most of the very faint or dark cards were in a slightly different format, with space for years enlisted and discharged which were sometimes filled in. Many of these were for service in later years, although one or two were for service ca 1866.
      Name of soldier, alias, name of dependent widow or minor, service (military unit or units), date of filing, class (invalid or widow or minor or other), Application #, Certificate #, state from which filed (sometimes blank), attorney (sometimes blank, MAD: did not usually copy), remarks. Sometimes the "Invalid" or "Widow" class had an "s" added to it before the application #; occasionally the area for the service information included a circled "S". The minor's name was frequently that of the guardian rather than the minor.
      The military unit was frequently the Company Letter, the Regiment Number, sometimes US Vet Vol Inf. (US Veteran Volunteer Infantry), L.A. (Light Artillery), H.A. (Heavy Artillery), US C Inf (US Colored? Infantry), Cav. (Cavalry), Mil. Guards, V.R.C. (?Volunteer Reserve Corps?), etc. Sometimes there were several service units given.
      Cards appear to be arranged by the last name, first name, middle initial if any, and state (including "US") of service.
      Duncan, James R.; H 114 Ill. Inf.; 1882 Nov. 15, Invalid Appl. #464902, Cert. #401101, Kans. (MAD: enlisted Sackett, IL; ? Sangamon Co. IL; ?? 1880 Labette Co. KS, wife Mary H.)
 

HISTORIES before 1923

"History of Labette County, Kansas, and representative citizens" by Nelson Case; pub. Chicago, Ill.: Biographical Pub. Co., 1901, 823 pgs. (LH12657, HeritageQuest images 5/2007; FHL book 978.196 H2ca and film 1,036,205 item 2)
      Pg.65: The Labette County Historical Society. ... July 9, 1878 ... Alexander Duncan, of Canada township, was made temporary chairman ...
      Pg.112: Canada Township. On January 23, 1867, Alexander and Milton Duncan located on section 7, township 34, range 18, and were the first settlers in what is now Canada township. ... The first child born in the township was Milton Duncan, son of Alexander Duncan, on February 12, 1868. .... The first election in the township was held November 5, 1867, at which J.R. Shippey was elected trustee, J.M. Duncan and G.W. Mays, justices of the peace; ....
      Pg.191: Emmons District, No.84. This district was formed in the northwest part of Canada township, on an order made March 5, 1872. ... Alexander Duncan taught the first school therein. The first board was composed of J.J. Higgins, Alexander Duncan, and James Sweet.
      Pg.535-536: MRS. SARAH (DUNCAN) DeCOW, widow of Abner DeCow, is one of the earliest settlers of Labette county, Kansas. She is also one of the most highly esteemed residents of the town of Bartlett, where she built the third house erected.
            Abner DeCow was born in Canada, November 12, 1826, and was a farmer by occupation, being one of the very first settlers of Labette county. He took up a claim in Hackberry township, built a cabin 16 by 18 feet in size, and lived there until his death, in 1870. He is still remembered by the oldest residents of the county as a man of high principles and an honor to the community.
            Mrs. DeCow was born in Newcastle, Ohio, in 1837, and is a daughter of Alexander Duncan, who was born in Virginia and followed farming. He married Sarah Lepley, who was born in Pennsylvania, and of the 14 children born to them, the following are now living: Kate; Samuel; Sarah; Frances; Shannon; Alice; Amanda; Cleora; M. Jackson; and John. Sarah Duncan lived in her native county until she was sixteen years old, and then moved with her parents to Winneshiek county, Iowa, where she was married. She accompanied her husband to Labette county, Kansas, in 1867, and located in Hackberry township. After the death of her husband she moved to Bartlett, where she built the third house in the town, and for eight years conducted a restaurant. She built her present home in 1895, -- an eight-room, frame house of comfortable size. ... She and her husband became parents of seven children, as follows: George; Charity; Shannon; Maggie; Oliver; Frank; and Mabel, deceased. (MAD: Newcastle, Coshocton Co. OH)
      Pg.816-817: CHARLES MURRAY, one of the most prosperous farmers of Montana township, Labette county, Kansas, is located in sections 32 and 33, and owns 100 acres of land. Mr. Murray was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1846, but was reared in Cincinnati, Ohio, ... Civil War ... then to Hendricks County, Indiana, then to Kansas in 1869 for 4 years, then back to Indiana until 1885, then to Labette county, Kansas. .... Mr. Murray was united in marriage with Mary E. Duncan, who was born in Morgan county, Indiana, in 1848, and they have reared three children, as follows: Lulu (Peck), of Clayton, Indiana, who has one daughter, Matilda; Clarence, who served in Company A, 2d Reg., Mo. Vol. Inf., during the Spanish-American War, and was killed on April 7, 1901, by a railroad train; Daisy (Cornish), of Neosho, Missouri, who has two children,-- Earl and Hester; and Bessie, who still remains at home. ...
 

END

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