J. P. Ramsey, of Chelsea township, came to Butler county with his parents, when a small boy, and has therefore spent most of his life in this county. He was born in Coles county, Illinois, in 1865, and is a son of John Ramsey, a native of Ireland. John Ramsey came to America when he was about eighteen years of age, first locating in New York State. He was engaged in railroad construction work after coming to America and worked on the construction of one of the first railroads that were built in the State of New York. He came to Illinois at a very early day, and located in Douglass county, where he bought 160 acres of land, which he exchanged for 400 acres in Butler county, and in 1876 came to this county with his wife and family of five children, as follows: Henry, Dewey county, Oklahoma; J. P., the subject of this sketch; Bernard, El Dorado; Samuel, Elm Creek, Neb., and Mrs. Maggie Ford, who resides in Colorado. J. P. Ramsey was reared on the home place in Chelsea township, and was educated in the public schools. Farming and stock raising have been his chief occupation, and he began on his own account in a small way when he was still a youth. He first bought some cattle and later, when he had quite a herd, he rented a quarter section of land, which he afterwards bought. He now owns 440 acres of valuable land in Chelsea township, and is one of the prosperous and enterprising agriculturists of that section of the county.

Mr. Ramsey was married in 1898 to Miss Abbie Kenedy, a daughter of Thomas and Mary Kenedy. To Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey have been born five children, as follows: Elva, John, Clara, Ray and Joe.

There are still fresh in Mr. Ramsey's memory many interesting incidents in the pioneer life of Butler county. He recalls a time when most of the supplies were hauled from Emporia. There were a great many deer and antelope here when the Ramseys first came, and Mr. Ramsey remembers a pet deer which his folks had and which frequently wandered away over the plains and in a day or two would return, accompanied by a herd of wild deer, and Mr. Ramsey has killed a great many deer that had been inveigled into the range of his rifle by his deceptive pet.

Mr. Ramsey is a Democrat and for a number of years has been active in the councils of his party in Butler county. He has served as trustee of Chelsea township three years, and has been a member of the school board for twenty years. He is one of the substantial and progressive citizens of Butler county.

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