Daniel Edwards

DANIEL EDWARDS, one of the highly respected citizens of Ross township, Cherokee County, Kansas, died on his well cultivated farm June 19, 1899. He was born in Cumberland County, England, January 8, 1847, and was a son of Daniel and Elizabeth Edwards.

The parents of the late Daniel Edwards were honest, worthy, industrious people, the mother coming from an old Cumberland family, and the father, from one in Lancaster. They had six children, namely: Margaret, Tamer, Daniel, Thomas, Elizabeth and James.

Although the subject of this sketch was a man of more than usual intelligence and of excellent business capacity, he had but limited educational advantages in his youth, as he started to work in the coal mines when but a child of nine years. In 1869 he came to America and worked at various places before coming to Cherokee County, in 1879, spending some years at North Lawrence, Stark County, Ohio. After his marriage he settled in Mineral township, Cherokee County, and, after being engaged for a time in mining, bought 80 acres of land in section 36, township 32, range 23, in Ross township. He had all the improvements to make here, as it was wild prairie land when he settled on it. He did some farming, but coal soon being found under his land, the development of this great commodity rewarded him better than agriculture. His knowledge of mines and mining assured him of much more than a competency, when he put down what is now known as the Edwards shaft on his farm, in 1899. This mine is worked with a force of from five to 14 men, and its output is very satisfactory. Mr. Edwards was a very hardworking man, and did not live to see how really valuable his property was to be.

In 1879, Mr. Edwards married Mary Shaw, who was born at Stockport, Cheshire, England, and is a daughter of James and Martha (Gibbons) Shaw, with whom she came to America in June, 1863. They located at North Lawrence, Stark County, Ohio. Her mother died at Pigeon Run, in that county. The father came to Kansas and spent his last years here. They had three children,—John, who is a retired engineer at Weir City; Mary (Mrs. Edwards); and Wright, of Massillon, Ohio.

Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, namely: John Albert, who died in Ohio; Ida Martha, wife of John McGregor, who farms the Edwards homestead; Cora Elizabeth, who died in Ohio; Daniel Wright, who died in 1898; Nellie Belle, deceased, and Della Estelle (twins), of whom the latter became the wife of William Earl, of Ross township; William Walter, who is mining on the home place; and James Thomas, who is at home. Mr. Edwards was a member, as is his wife, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he favored the Populist party. Fraternally, he formerly belonged to the order of Odd Fellows.

Mr. Edwards was a man of the highest integrity. He was well known to a large number of people. In his home he was beloved and respected, being a loyal, loving husband and careful father, whose ambition it was to train up his children to be good men and women. He was a man of a great deal of character. He had earned all his possessions, and valued them as the result of his industry, but he was always ready to help those in need, and gave largely to charity.

History of Cherokee County Kansas and its representative citizens, ed. & comp. by Nathaniel Thompson Allison, 1904, transcribed by students from USD 508, Baxter Springs Middle School, Baxter Springs, Kansas, 1/17/97.