Aaron Pierce Hinman

AARON PIERCE HINMAN. - Kansas boasts of its agricultural resources and with reason. It also boasts of the high class of men who are engaged in agriculture and with equal reason. Among these agriculturists there is none who has a higher standing than Aaron Pierce Hinman, a man who has engaged in many different occupations and made good in them all, but has chosen the farm as the place where he can spend the rest of his life, close to nature.

He was born at Reading, Pennsylvania, April 17, 1850. His father's name was Philo C. Hinman, a native of Connecticut, where he was brought up and educated, learning the trade of wagon making and blacksmithing. He married Susanna Todd, also a native of Connecticut. Soon after they were married they went to Reading, Pennsylvania, but did not stay there very long. In 1856 they went back to Connecticut, locating at Westville. In 1860 they moved to Illinois, where they brought up their children.

When Aaron was six years old he went with his parents to Westville, Connecticut, where he started in school. When he was ten years old the family moved to Illinois, where Aaron again went to school, attending the public school and then the farmers' seminary. After he had completed the seminary work he studied telegraphy, gaining a position with the Rock Island Railway in 1875. He next moved to Iowa, where he remained until 1884, at which time he came to Kansas City, having procured the position of check clerk for the Railroad. His wife, ambitious to assist in making money, opened a restaurant, which gradually evolved into the grocery business, located at 215 James street. Mr. Hinman gave up his position and devoted his attentions to building up the business. At the close of three successful years his store burned out and instead of finding another business location he decided to give up the mercantile business. He moved to Quindaro township where he has lived ever since, except for five years when he lived in Wyandotte. In 1903 he bought forty acres of land from Allen Swanson. There were no improvements on this land, but Mr. Hinman set to work, using his farming knowledge gained at the seminary, to improve the land so that it should produce to its fullest capacity. He set out about seven hundred fruit trees, making a specialty of raising fruit. He has built a comfortable home on the farm. For five years he was mail carrier on rural free delivery route No. 1, his son being his assistant. Mr. Hinman's health gave way and his son took the route off his hands entirely.

On April 2, 1877, he married Alice A. Mutchler, daughter of Charles and Dorothy N. (Heinig) Mutchler of Davies county, Iowa. Mrs. Hinman was born in Iowa, October 14, 1855, living in her native place until after her marriage. She was a very enterprising woman, desirous of being in a position where they could have something to live on when they grew old. She was by nature a domestic woman, but she was also a money maker, as is evidenced by the success she achieved in the restaurant she conducted. Mr. and Mrs. Hinman had four children, all of whom are living now. The two sons, Charles and John M., are living at home with their parents, the former working on the farm and the latter carrier in the rural free delivery. Jessie May married John Angold and now lives in Kansas City, Kansas. Bessie Alice, the youngest, is a stenographer in the Board of Trade Building in Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1909 Mr. Hinman was appointed deputy assessor under Mr. Giltner, doing such good work that in 1911 he was again a candidate for office and was elected clerk of the township, a position which he is now holding. He is a member of the Royal Mystic Legion and of the Christian church. He is a most earnest worker in that little body of disciples, but he does not confine his religion to his church work, but it is with him in his daily life, in his relations with his family, in his work about the farm and in his political duties.

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