| WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS. | 545 cont'd |
LEWIS D. BUCK.
LEWIS D. BUCK—On the anniversary of American Independence there settled in Allen county a citizen whose interest in horticulture and agriculture have ranked him as one of the intelligent and successful men in his class. This well known settler is Lewis D. Buck, who established himself upon a prairie farm in Marmaton township three miles northeast of Moran. He was without friends here, and consequently, without credit, and his "nickle," and the plug team he drove into the county constituted his visible resources. The story of his first efforts at cropping is an interesting one and the methods employed to secure necessary implements and accommodations, by men in his reduced circumstances, would form a subject for an interesting essay upon pioneer life on the prairies of Allen.
When Mr. Buck came to Kansas he settled for a time in Douglas county. He remained in the vicinity of Lawrence till the year 1876 when he loaded his few effects into his wagon and directed his steps toward Allen county, Ohio is Mr. Buck's native State. He was born in Putnam county, October 13, 1841, and is a son of a farmer, Benjamin D. Buck. The latter was born in 1892 in Oneida county, New York. He was married to Almeda Conant. He came into Ohio at the close of the war of 1812, and died in 1864. His wife died in 1892. Of their children, Seth, Benjamin, Lavina and Orson are deceased. Henry is at Columbus Grove, Ohio, and Lewis D., our subject.
Until the outbreak of the Rebellion Lewis D. Buck had had no experience beyond the limits of the farm. His patriotism was aroused by the insult to our flag and he enlisted for its defense in Company A, 20th Ohio Infantry. He went into the service April 18, 1861, and served ninety days. His second enlistment was in Company K, 14th Infantry and he
| 546 | HISTORY OF ALLEN AND |
served as hospital nurse at Lebanon, Kentucky, and at New Albany, Indiana. He was discharged at the latter place in 1863 and passed the succeeding two years in the Rocky Mountains. In 1865 he recrossed the plains to Kansas City, Missouri and secured employment with Myers, Lee and Low in that city as real estate solicitor. March 11, 1866, he was married to Elizabeth Gibson, a widow whose father, Albert Vaughn, emigrated to Jackson county, Missouri, as one of her pioneers and was from Kentucky. Mrs. Buck was born near Kansas City November 15, 1841. Her children were two, one by each marriage.
In his career as a farmer in Allen county Mr. Buck has demonstrated one important fact, that small fruit will grow and mature here abundantly. His orchards are a prominent feature of his farms and his peaches, apples and other fruit products have been going to the Kansas City markets for many years. His success in this work is a matter widely known and in the horticultural meetings of the county his number on the program is one of the instructive features of the session. He is local reporter to the Secretary of the State Horticultural Society, of Kansas, and his enthusiasm has done much to stimulate interest in horticulture in Allen county.
Mr. Buck is a staunch Republican. He voted first for Mr. Lincoln and for thirty-six years he has been on unwavering supporter of the doctrines of protection and sound money.
Pages 545-546, transcribed by Carolyn Ward from History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan.: 1901; 894 p., [36] leaves of plates: ill., ports.; includes index.
