Howard Lathrop, a prominent farmer and stockman and an early settler in Clifford township, is a native of New York. He was born in Genesee county, July 27, 1843, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Herrick) Lathrop. Elizabeth Herrick was a native of Newberryport, Mass., and was of German descent. John Lathrop was born in Rutland county, Vermont, in the town of Pittsford and was a son of Adgate and Martha (Clifford) Lathrop and was born May 11, 1794, and died February 22, 1887. The Lathrop family is of Engish[sic] descent and were among the very earliest settlers in New England. A representative of this family came to this country with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620. John Lathrop came from Pittsford, Vt., to Genesee county, New York, in 1812. That section of New York State was heavily timbered and at that time a dense wilderness, but that country has long since been far famed for its beauty of scenery and fertility of soil. He made the trip from Vermont with an ox team and cart, and was twenty-one days enroute. He cleared and improved the farm and reared his family there and spent the remainder of his life. He was a man held in high esteem by all who knew him and was one of the substantial citizens of his time. In early life he was a Whig but later became a Democrat. He held numerous offices of trust and responsibility and was prominent in the political affairs in Genesee county.

He was married to Elizabeth Herrick in 1840. She was born in Newberryport, Mass., August 4, 1810, and died in 1905. They were the parents of six children of whom Howard, the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth.

Howard Lathrop grew to manhood on the home farm in Genesee county, and received his education in the district schools. The school year consisted of four months, and his educational career, insofar as schools were concerned, ended when he was fifteen years old. He earned his first money by working for his father on the home farm at $200 a a[sic] year, and this arrangement continued for five years. He bought a

farm in Genesee county about 1865, which he later sold at considerable loss on account of the instability of the currency at that time, due to the high price of gold. However, he saved $1,200 out of the transaction and in 1872 came to Butler county, Kansas. He bought 440 acres of school land in Clifford township from Daniel Elder, and still owns that property. He paid $5.00 per acre for his first land, going into debt for the entire purchase price. Later he bought additional land, and now owns 1,700 acres of land in Clifford township. He has been engaged in general farming and stock raising and is one of the successful men of Butler county. Besides his farming operations he is interested in other local enterprises. He was a stockholder in the Butler County Telephone Company and is president of the Peabody State Bank. He was one of the organizers of that institution, in 1899, and has been a member of the board of directors since that time, and was vice president for a time.

Mr. Lathrop was married March 22, 1870, to Miss Jennie Young, a native of New York, and a daughter of Rev. William and Hester (Knapp) Young, natives of New York. The father was a minister in the Christian church. To Mr. and Mrs. Lathrop have been born the following children: Frank, Ida, Charles, Clifford, William Y., all of whom reside in Butler county, except Charles H., who lives just across the line in Marion county, at Burns.

Mr. Lathrop is a Republican and has taken an active part in political affairs, although the extent of his interest in office holding, so far, has been to help the other fellow. He is one of Butler county's substantial citizens and is widely and favorably known.

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