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WILLIAM M. MATTOCK.
WILLIAM M. MATTOCK.—Standing out conspicuously as a pioneer upon our eastern border and as a trusted and tried citizen of Allen county is William M. Mattock, of Marmaton township. The day when he was not among us takes us back to the Civil war era upon the close of which the soldiers of the Union scattered to homes throughout the
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length and breadth of the United States. Many of them sought the fertile and unsettled portions of our frontier, chief of which latter was the domain of eastern Kansas, and our subject was among the number. He drove, with his family, across the border into Allen county in 1866, and was the third settler to build a cabin in what is now Marmaton township. He entered the south-west quarter of section 24, township 25, range 20, and the settlers who were his neighbors then and are here still are the Culbertsons, the Harclerodes, John Sapp and Henry C. Rogers. The Porters lived farther south than Rogers but have long since gone. All of eastern Allen county was included in Humboldt township till after the war. Elsmore was the first to be cut off, in 1868, and Marmaton the second, about 1871. Mr. Mattock was in Humboldt school district at first but the next year little "Stony Lonesome," midway between Humboldt and Iola, was erected and he was attached to that district. His first two votes were cast in Humboldt, the distance to the polling place not sapping the voter of his enthusiasm any more than now.
The original home of Mr. Mattock was McLean county, Illinois. He was reared there but born in Richland county, Ohio, September 1, 1840. His father, Jacob Mattock, was born in Pennsylvania in 1815, left the state with his father, Daniel Mattock, at eight years of age and settled in Richland county, Ohio. The Mattocks are descended from the French and German races who came to America in colonial times. An only brother of Jacob Mattock was killed, with his family, in the Spirit Lake Indian massacre, in Minnesota, many years ago. Jacob Mattock was married in Ohio to Eliza McConkie, a daughter of William McConkie, who emigrated from Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. Two children were the result of their marriage, viz: William M., our subject, and Mrs. Mary Swineheart, who died in McLean county, Illinois. Mrs. Jacob Mattock died in the same county in 1866.
In the spring of 1860 Jacob Mattock took his family into Cooper county, Missouri, where he died the same season. The following year his son enlisted in the 9th Missouri Cavalry, Company I, and served the first year as a scout with different commands. His company officer was Capt. Eaton and his regimental commander, Col. Williams. Mr. Mattock was promoted from sergeant of his company after the first year to Acting Sergeant Major of the regiment. He served in the south-western department and was dealing with bushwhackers quite all the time. The Price Raid furnished a few engagements, like the Big Blue, which the 9th Missouri Cavalry got into, but beyond these the only excitement of the regiment was raised when a band of guerrillas or detachments of rebels was encountered and brought into a fight.
Mr. Mattock's service covered Missouri, Arkansas and eastern Kansas, and his exposure during these years brought on him attacks of rheumatism from which he has suffered much torture all the years since the war.
William Mattock was reared chiefly in a small town in Ohio. He was schooled at Newville and acquired sufficient learning to render him competent to transact the ordinary business of life. He was married in July,
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1865, to Maria J., a daughter of C. S. Starkey, who came to Kansas with our subject in 1866. His two children are Dr. J. A. Starkey, of Waynesville, Illinois, and Mrs. Mattock. Mr. Mattock's children are: Emma A., wife of J. W. McFarland, of Stillwater, Oklahoma; L. D. and J. A. Mattock, of Marmaton township, and Katie, wife of J. W. Sigler, of Lone Elm, Kansas.
Mr. Mattock was elected Trustee of his township first early in the '70's and has filled the office sixteen years, and only retires when his health will not permit him to serve longer. He is one of the staunch Republicans of Allen county and, for years, it was an unusual thing when he was not on the Marmaton delegation to any county convention.
Pages 170-172, 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.
