One of the old settlers and representative farmers of Summit township is A.A. Mann. He is a native of Monroe county, Ohio, born in 1841. He was raised on a farm, receiving a common school education, and at the age of twenty-one enlisted in the service of the United States army, Company C, 116th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in August, 1862. His regiment operated principally in the Shenandoah valley and wound up at Appomattox. Mr. Mann was mustered in as a corporal and was detached to drum corps.

He was in the battles of Winchester, Virginia, June 14, 1863, Piedmont, Virginia, June 5, 1864, Lynchburg, June 18, 1864, battle of Winchester, September 19, 1864, Fisher Hill, September 22, 1864, Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864, Ft. Gregg, April 2, 1865, Appomattox, April 9, 1865. Of the fifty-two men in their company, thirty were killed and wounded in the battle of Piedmont. They were under the command of General Wildes, who often expressed himself in no measured tones as to the bravery and efficiency of this regiment and said it was an honor for any man to be able to say, "I belong to the 116th."

After the war, Mr. Mann returned to Ohio, his native state where he remained until coming to Kansas in 1872. Mr. Mann was married in April, 1862, to Nancy O. Coen, who was also a native of Monroe county, Ohio. They came as far as Solomon City in 1872, and from there to Cloud county with an ox team and settled on the farm where they now live, his original homesteaded, and where they have experienced all the hardships of the early settler.

They first built a log house with a dirt roof where they lived several years. Mr. Mann relates how at one time they were without anything to eat except flour and about one "batch" of that, not even salt, nor grease. Forced to resort to something Mr. Mann started for an unknown destination in quest of something to eat and met his sister, who handed him five dollars that had been sent from their home in Ohio. The providential sending of this money bridged them over. The first July in Kansas he had no money nor land broke out; a prairie fire came doing much damage which added to their hardships.

Mr. Mann is of German origin, his ancestry were among the early settlers of Pennsylvania. His great-grandfather was sold to a sea captain to pay his passage to America and to pay the debt fought in the Revolutionary war. He was wounded in the thigh. They were a race of farmers who settled in Pennsylvania and later moved to Ohio where they took up woodland.

Mr. Mann's father was born in Ohio and was rocked in a cradle made a hollow log. His mother was Phoebe Strahl, also of Ohio. Mr. Mann is one of nine children, six of whom are living. A brother, Thomas David, is a prominent farmer of Mitchell county; Lydia, widow of L.D. Carleton, is a resident of Manhattan, Hannah E., wife of A.W. Burdur, a farmer of Summit township; Barnett G., a farmer and Esther Josephine Finch.

To Mr. and Mrs. Mann eight children have been born, all of whom are living. George W., a farmer near Superior, Nebraska. Hiram T., a miner of Sumpter, Oregon. E.A., a farmer near Vermillion, Kansas. Phoebe E., wife of F.E. Gildersleeve, a farmer of Summit township. C.J., a farmer near Bloomfield, Oklahoma. Mary J., wife of H.H. Swaney, a farmer of Summit township, Lydia and Anson.

Politically Mr. Mann is a Republican; attended to the duties of trustee of Summit township for two terms. He is a member of the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons and the Grand Army of the Republic, No. 173, at Scottsville. The family are members of the Christian church at West Asher, Mitchell county. The Mann family are talented singers and an acquisition in that capacity to church work and musical circles. Mr. Mann has one hundred and eighty acres of land which is principally adapted to wheat growing, and he has five acres in apple orchard and other small fruits.