My father, Floyd Jacob GATES, was born in Beattie, Kansas, 30 August 1910. At the age of twelve, he immigrated to Saskatchewan, Canada with his parents and siblings 23 February 1923.
In addition, my 2nd great grandfather, Edmund Uriah GATES, served with Company E, 13th Regiment , Iowa Infantry, 1864-1865. Edmund was born 8th July 1882, Holmes County, Ohio and died 7th January 1917, Flagler, Kit Carson County, Colorado. In 1856, he was married to Harriet A Sponsler in Wapello County, Iowa.
1917 ~ According to the Obituary that appeared in "The Flagler News" of Kit Carson, Colorado, Edmund had the following residences:
1832-1850 ~ Thomas County, Ohio, where he was born.
1850-1873 ~ moved to Iowa.
1882-1896 ~ moved to Marshall County, Kansas.
1896-1917 ~ moved Flagler, Kit Carson, Colorado.
Here he first lived on a ranch with his son George.
Then the last few years of his life he lived in Flagler with
one of his two daughters, Sarah (GATES) WHITE.
SERVICE RECORD: THIRTEENTH REGIMENT IOWA
VOLUNTEER REGIMENT, COMPANY E:
Page 62.
Gates, Edmund W. Age 32.
Residence Fourth Congressional District, nativity Ohio.
Enlisted Nov. 2, 1864. Mustered Nov. 2, 1864. Mustered out July 21, 1865, Louisville, Ky.
SOURCE: http://iagenweb.org/civilwar/books/logan/mil405.htm
The MILLER Family: Ada May MILLER, my paternal grandmother, and her parents, William Howard MILLER and Sarah BEEGHLY, were originally from Pennsylvania and moved to Sabetha, Nemaha County, Kansas in 1887/1888. Nine of their thirteen children were born in Sabetha.
Some time ago I found an article about the "Lane Trail" that was part of the Underground Railroad. Its paints a detailed picture of the journey on the Underground Railroad.
The article mentions Edwin MILLER and William MILLER. According to the article, Albany, Kansas was a "station" on the "Railroad."
". . . Grand Island Railroad by-passed Albany in favor of Sabetha in 1870, Albany had faded away."
So, I'm wondering if Edwin MILLER and/or William MILLER are related to my MILLER ancestors that eventually moved to Sabetha in 1887/1888
ROUTES OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD 1850-1865
SOURCE: Wikipedia.org
This map includes Iowa but doesn't go quite far enough West to show Kansas.
Montreal, Quebec, is shown as one of the destinations in Canada. Others were St. Catherines and Waterloo, Ontario as well as Nova Scotia (not shown).
EXCERPT ~ "Lane's Trail and the Underground Railroad"
In the wintry twilight of a January day in 1859, a small caravan of wagons occupied by 30 or 40 escaped slaves approached the log cabin dwelling of Charles Smith in the southwest corner of Brown County. Several outriders escorted the party, whose leader was the notorious abolitionist, John Brown. This was Brown's last adventure in "Bleeding Kansas." A few months later he was captured and executed in an ill-conceived slave insurrection at Harpers Ferry, Virginia: martyred in the cause of emancipation. Sear fields and bare tree branches bracketed the lonely cabin in stark relief, but hot food and shelter from the elements was a welcome prospect for the exhausted little band on their long journey to freedom in Canada on the Underground Railway.
(This is a lengthy article, so I'm skipping down to where the MILLER name is mentioned.)
Albany was two miles north of present Sabetha on the east edge of Nemaha County. Among these pioneers were the families of William and Samuel Slosson, John and William Graham, Noble H. Rising, John Tyler, George Lyons, Edwin Miller and Elihu Whittenhall. These men were destined to exert considerable influence on the civil, military, and economic affairs of the two counties in the next quarter century. Educated, cultured, and possessed of sound business acumen, they were whole-hearted supporters of Free State principles.
(Skipping further down. . . )
By the time the St. Joseph and Grand Island Railroad by-passed Albany in favor of Sabetha in 1870, Albany had faded away. Today only a two story frame house built of native black walnut, and a pioneer cemetery remain from the original settlement. Edwin Miller physically removed his hotel to Sabetha. John Tyler settled on Cedar Creek two miles southwest of Fairview at a crossing which may have been used by emigrant parties as early as 1844. It is logical to assume that it was used by Gen. Lane in 1856, since it aligns north and south with Lexington and Smith's Station at the Gregg Creek crossing. The Tyler family cemetery is a mute testament to the contributions of this pioneer family. Noble H. Rising built the Granada Hotel at Pleasant Spring in 1858, and was a partner with George Lyons in a store at Sabetha in 1859. The following year he built Log Chain Station for the Pony Express on a branch of Muddy (Locknane) Creek.
John Graham, William Miller, and Robert Hale of Albany were killed at the Battle of Chickamagua in 1863 while serving in the 8th KS Vol. Inf. The 8th sustained more than 50% casualties in the fighting. Arthur W. Williams, who founded Sabetha on his farm in 1859, was captain of Company D. He moved to Seneca after the War, where he died in 1886. Graham County, Kansas, is named for John Graham.
Read the complete article on the KansasHeritage.org Scroll down the list of "Pioneer Trails Articles" to "Lane's Trail and the Underground Railroad."
I haven't been able to connect Edwin MILLER to my MILLER family. It is probably a coincidence that there is a William MILLER mentioned.
More research to do!
OTHER SOURCES: Handwritten Family Tree "Oliver Uriah GATES and Catherine HULL" (1988) and information from other family members.
