Person:Whitman Knight (8)

BIOGRAPHY: I'm not related to these people, but I thought you might find the following interesting. It recently appeared in Washington, Kansas's weekly newspaper: Washington County News Thursday, August 3, 2006 W. H. KNIGHT descended from one of three brothers who emigrated from England to America. The youngest one had a son, Joshua, whose son was Hezekiah KNIGHT. He became the father of Whitman Harvey, born Dec. 15, 1839, at Sandy Creek[,] Iswego County, New York. Harvey attended Rock River College in Mount Morris, Ill., and graduated in 1858. He spent three years teaching in that area. In 1863 he married Mary F. JONES whose parents were David and Ellen JONES. Harvey and Mary had Children: Burton, Alfred, Edward and Clara. Harvey and his two brothers were raising hogs, two to three hundred head, until the hogs caught cholera and all died within a week. At that time he decided to go west. In 1869 he rode a horse and joined a wagon train to look over the country. When he got to the Big Blue River in Kansas he turned around and rode back to Illinois. The following year (1870) he, Mary and the four children, came with a wagon train to Kansas. In the same train were Harvey's brother, David and wife; Mary's brother, Frank JONES and his wife; and Mary and Frank's mother, Ellen.

  The wagon train came to Westport Landing (KC) and traveled west along the north side of Kansas River, then north along the east side of the Big Blue River.  Grass was so tall that a man rode ahead of the wagon train a carried a pitchfork full of hay above his head so the wagon drivers could see where to follow. They followed the Big Blue River to the Nebraska border before crossing it. Then the wagon train broke up, David KNIGHT and some of the other families went into Nebraska to settle. Harvey did not want to settle there as Nebraska had capital punishment there and he did not approve of hanging.
  Harvey's family and the JONES family came down to the site of the first Kimeo.  He homesteaded 160 acres in Section 28, Frank JONES homesteaded 160 acres adjoining to the east and Ellen JONES homesteaded 160 acres on the south. As soon as Ellen proved her claims, she gave it to Harvey with understanding he would take care of her the rest of her life. For the first two or three years after coming to Kansas, Harvey taught school. In August 1871, he was ordained in the Congregational 

Church and became the first preacher at the Fact Church in Clay County. During the summer, Harvey and Frank JONES freighted. They took wagons to Westport and loaded sugar, flour, coffee, cornmeal, dry salt pork, etc., and joined other wagon trains hauling supplies to Dodge City. There they sold their supplies and loaded buffalo hides, which they brought back to Westport Landing. There they loaded supplies and medicine for themselves and neighbors and headed back to Kimeo.

70th Anniversary Edition SUPPLEMENT TO The Washington County Register Friday, Sept. 16, 1938

The store in Kimeo is owned by L. J. Hoover. He purchased it in 1909 from W. J. McNamara who built it in 1904. Mrs. Hoover manages the store and Mr. Hoover is manager of the Farmers Co-op Elevator association in Greenleaf. W. H. Knight owned the old Kimeo Store and was the merchant there for a number of years.

The Congregational Year Book 1906 Statistics for the year 1905 Published Under Direction of the National Council of Congregational Churches in the United States, Congregational House, Boston Page 33

  Knight, Whitman Hearvey,* son of Hezekiah Talcot and Anna (Angell) Knight, was born in Sandy Creek, N. Y., Dec. 15, 1839. Was graduated from Rock River College, Mt. Morris, Ill., 1858. Spent three years teaching, and seven years preparing for the ministry. Ordained by a Congregational council in Goshen, Kan., Aug. 23, 1881, where he served as pastor till 1896, preaching at times till 1899, when he became totally helpless from paralysis. Married June 17, 1863, Mary, daughter of Rev. David and Ellen (Newsom) Jones, who survived him. Six children, two living. Died of paralysis, in Kimio, Kan., July 22, 1904, aged 64 years, 7 months, 7 days/

CENSUS: 1850 United States Federal Census Name: Harvey Knight Age: 10 Estimated birth year: abt 1840 Gender: Male Home in 1850(City,County,State): Adams, Jefferson, New York Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: Adams, Jefferson, New York; Roll: M432_516; Page: 267; Image: 43.

1860 United States Federal Census Name: Whitman Knight Age in 1860: 20 Birth Year: abt 1840 Birthplace: New York Home in 1860: Lynnville, Ogle, Illinois Gender: Male Post Office: Lindenwood Household Members: Name Age Hof Knight 54 Anna A Knight 54 Whitman Knight 20 Hellin A Knight 14 Jefferson Lovindge 17 David L Youngs 18 Martin Kimball 60 Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Lynnville, Ogle, Illinois; Roll: M653_215; Page: 0; Image: 189.

1870 United States Federal Census Name: Harvey Knight Estimated birth year: abt 1839 Age in 1870: 31 Birthplace: New York Home in 1870: Lynnville, Ogle, Illinois Race: White Gender: Male Post Office: Lindenwood Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Lynnville, Ogle, Illinois; Roll: M593_265; Page: 342; Image: 415.

1880 United States Federal Census Name: Harvey W. Knight Home in 1880: Lincoln, Washington, Kansas Age: 40 Estimated birth year: abt 1840 Birthplace: New York Relation to head-of-household: Self (Head) Spouse's name: Mary F. Father's birthplace: New York Mother's birthplace: New York Occupation: Merchant Marital Status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Household Members: Name Age Harvey W. Knight 40 Mary F. Knight 42 Anna A. Knight 5 Charles W. Knight 3 Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Lincoln, Washington, Kansas; Roll: T9_399; Family History Film: 1254399; Page: 585.1000; Enumeration District: 326; Image: 0432.

1900 United States Federal Census Name: Harvey Knight Home in 1900: Kimeo, Washington, Kansas Age: 62 Estimated birth year: abt 1838 Birthplace: New York Relationship to head-of-house: Head Spouse's name: Mary Race: White Occupation: General Merchandise Household Members: Name Age Harvey Knight 62 Mary Knight 64 Charles Knight 23 Jessie Knight 19 Harry Knight 2.12 Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Kimeo, Washington, Kansas; Roll: T623 503; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 139.