| 290 cont'd | HISTORY OF ALLEN AND |
THOMAS M. FITZPATRICK.
THOMAS M. FITZPATRICK.—A history of Allen county would be incomplete without the record of Thomas Marion Fitzpatrick for he is one of her native sons, a distinction of which very few men of his age can boast. He was born in the county in 1860, before the state was admitted into the Union. His father was one of the pioneers of Kansas who came hither locating in Osawatomie in 1856. Four years later he took up his abode in Allen county, locating on what was known as the Bishop farm, and during the Civil war he served as a private in Company E, Ninth Kansas Cavalry. He was born in Missouri in 1820, and was thoroughly familiar with the development of the west. He married Rebecca Sparks, whose people were natives of Indiana. Their surviving children are: J. J. Fitzpatrick, of Allen county; Mrs. Sarah E. Schultz, of Anderson county; Thomas M., of this review; and Mrs. Anna M. Lucky, of Allen county.
The boyhood of our subject was not one of leisure for he was early trained to do the work of the farm and through the summer months assisted with the plowing, planting and harvesting. He pursued his education in the subscription school, his first teacher being a Mr. Todd, and the school house being on the Fulton farm. Mr. Fitzpatrick also engaged in teaming from Kansas City prior to the building of the Southern Kansas railroad. He aided in farm work when Elm township was a part of Iola township, and only about ten families lived within its borders, the greater part of the land being wild prairie which awaited the awaking touch of civilization. The first land which he owned was a quarter of the Dr. Fulton farm. He removed to his present farm in 1831, and is to-day the owner of a valuable property, his labors having wrought a great change in the appearance of the farm.
In 1880 Mr. Fitzpatrick wedded Miss Melissa Leake who was born on the farm now owned by Mr. Daniel Horville, and whose mother is yet living. She has three brothers living in Kansas: William Henry, a resident of Phillips county; J. P., of Iola, and I. T., who is also living in the county. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick are Albert, Bertha May, Cora Fay and Jessie. All are under the parental roof.
After attaining his majority our subject gave his political support to the Democracy, but of late years has been a Populist. He has served as a member of the school board, and is a prominent member of the camp of the Modern Woodmen. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick are native citizens of Allen county, and as such are entitled to distinction. They have always manifested a deep interest in its progress and upbuilding and have borne their share in the work of development which has placed Allen county upon a par with any county in the commonwealth. Their social qualities and genuine worth have gained them many friends.
Page 290, 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.
