As I remember Grandfather, he was a stern man and the head of the family. What he said was “law.” I do remember my Dad, John, was not always happy with his ideas.
The farms all joined, and I remember him coming in our driveway in his horse and buggy. I think he made the rounds to all his boys and Aunt Emma.
My Experiences Growing up on our Kansas Farm – Billie Maninger
Editor’s Note: Bob Henderson’s book “The Maninger Family” contains recollections by Bob’s mother. Clara “Billie” Maninger (Henderson Matzen) was the sixth of John and Priscilla Maninger’s seven children. Her memories of early years in Harper are wonderful. We’ll include some of her anecdotes in upcoming stories.
Val and Lena Maninger had moved into town in 1899. Their children were coming of age, getting married, and occupying some of the Maninger farms.
Let’s see what the new century had in store for the Maningers.
The 1900 census lists Val and Lena’s household in the town of Harper. Val is age 65, and listed as a retired farmer. Lena is 59. Sons Joseph, 23, William, 21, Edward, 19, and Frederick, 14, live in the household. Joe, Will, and Ed are listed as farm laborers. Fred is at school. Leah Eggli, age 17, lives in the household.
More marriages
Gus and Bertha
On March 14, 1900, Gus Maninger, 28, and Bertha Aust, 18, were married by A.H. Broadstone, Justice of the Peace in Harper.
Will and Rose
On October 28, 1903, Will Maninger married Rose Dufield in Bayneville, Kansas, home of the bride’s family.
Joe and Tillie
On February 10, Joe Maninger and Tillie Stoker were married by Rev. H.P. Cooter of the Presbyterian Church.
More news
With so many Maningers around, there’s so much news. Here are some samples:
More rabbits gone
Gus and Ed Maninger had organized team-competition rabbit hunts for several years. The 1905 rabbit hunt was one of the more competitive and exciting.
The Banner Township team, captained by Ed Maninger, included four other Maningers. The Banners were victorious, and won an oyster feed from the Pilot Knobbers.
There were also coyote and wolf hunts.
John and Priscilla Maninger household
John and Priscilla Maninger and family were living on their farm on the northwest quarter of Section 13, about one mile south of Harper, and one mile west of the original Maninger farms.
The 1900 census lists John as age 32, Priscilla 28. They have four children, Dude, Jess, Eunice, and Emmy.
The census lists several farm hands living on the property:
- Jake Syphors 48 work hand
- William Manard 22 work hand
- Edgar Princeham 26 boarder
- Fred Kaylor 23 boarder
Moving a house
In 1901, The Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railroad ran a line from Harper nine miles south to Anthony. In July 1901, the Orient condemned land along the right-of-way, taking a strip of land off the east side of the farm where John and Priscilla Maninger lived.
The new rail would pass just next to their house, possibly cutting through the yard or some outbuildings. The action also eliminated the north-south road that accessed the Maninger house.
The railroad assessed and paid Val Maninger $396 for the land taken and another $90 for land of another Maninger farm a mile south.
Because of this, the Maningers moved their house to the north side of the farm. The house was enlarged, and some barns and outbuildings were constructed.
During the move and construction, John and Priscilla and family temporarily moved into a house in Harper.
John and Priscilla Maninger’s farm house. The handwritten caption says this picture is from before the house was first remodeled. On the contrary, I think the three chimneys and the addition, and the absence of trees, indicate that this photo was taken after the house was moved and enlarged in 1901. We will see other photos dated later than 1901 in which the house looks like this.
Here’s Billie Maninger’s recollection of the house remodel:
John Lewis Maninger, one of Valentine’s sons, and Priscilla Weyeneth were married on November 1, 1889. Soon after they moved in a small house about one mile straight south of Harper, Kansas. The house was amid some tall trees just next to the Orient Railroad.
Sometime years after my older brothers and sisters were born, the house got too small and we moved it up to the place where I think Mattie, Fern and myself were born. This location was on another corner of the farm my father owned. The men built on two rooms and some porches and planted trees, orchards, and built a barn and a few sheds. In my early years, the area was rather barren, but the trees soon grew and I think the two wells we had were better water than at the other home site.
My Experiences Growing Up On Our Kansas Farm – Billie Maninger
Mattie and Billie
Martha Magdalena “Mattie” Maninger was born Thursday, September 4, 1902, to parents John and Priscilla.
Three years later, on Monday, May 15, 1905, John and Priscilla had another daughter Clara Alice “Billie” Maninger.
John Maninger wasn’t only a farmer
We’ve mentioned that John Maninger was industrious, a farmer, an entrepreneur, a tinkerer, a local political advocate, and other things. We’ve heard that farming wasn’t his passion.
John Maninger never really liked farming and frequently would embark upon side business ventures.
John L. Maninger – by Linda Maninger Howell
John sells McCormick farm implements in Germany
In 1901, John accepted a tentative position to market McCormick farm implements in Germany.
The employment in Germany didn’t work out, but John did sell McCormick binders around south central Kansas.
John continued to sell binders and other implements and repairs. To his credit, he had many irons in the fire and seemed to manage them all.
John Maninger on school board
The farms within a mile of Harper were “attached” to the Harper School District, so John and Priscilla’s children attended Harper city schools instead of rural schools.
John Maninger was elected to the Harper School Board in 1902. He would serve diligently for fifteen years.
His was a progressive voice. In several instances, he initiated motions for teacher pay raises. He raised a motion that the best student from each district be given a year’s free tuition.
We’ll see more of John Maninger’s contributions to Harper schools in upcoming stories.
Timeline
Sources:
- Image – New Year’s 1900 – Houston Daily Post – January 1, 1900 – Library of Congress – https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86071197/1900-01-01/ed-1/seq-1/
- Census – John and Priscilla Maninger – 1900 – Ancestry.com – https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4120147_00155?pId=16754516
- Newspaper – John Maninger has 10 pound baby girl – Harper Sentinel – May 19, 1905 – newspapers.com
- Image – Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railroad – Anthony, Kansas – 1902 – Kansas Historical Society – https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/218421/page/1
- Newspaper – Orient Railroad condemned land – Harper Sentinel – July 26, 1901 – newspapers.com
- Map – excerpt – John Maninger house location – Standard Atlas of Harper Kansas – Geo. A. Ogle – 1902 – Library of Congress – https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4203hm.gla00044/?sp=13
- Newspaper – John Maninger moved to Weatherly house in Harper – Harper Sentinel – November 22, 1901 – newspapers.com
- Image – John and Priscilla Maninger and farm house – c 1902 – The Maninger Family in America – F. Robert Henderson – 1982
- Quote – My Experiences Growing Up On Our Kansas Farm – Billie Maninger – from the book “Maninger Family in America” – F. Robert Henderson – 2000
- Image – McCormick Implement Store, Harper, Kansas – Harper Historical Calendar – Harper Historical Museum, Harper, Kansas
- Newspapers – John Maninger farm implements – Harper Sentinel – various dates 1903, 1904 – newspapers.com
- Image – McCormick binder – Advertising Brochure: 1903 McCormick Farm Equipment – DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska – Lincoln – https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1467&context=tractormuseumlit
- Newspaper – John Maninger is on school board – Harper Sentinel – August 18, 1905 – newspapers.com
- Newspaper – John Maninger actions on school board – Harper Sentinel – various dates – newspapers.com
- Image – Harper High School – TaAgatha Harper High School Yearbook – 1916
- Census – Valentine and Magdalena Maninger – 1900 – Ancestry.com – https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4120147_00248?pId=16758391
- Newspaper – Marriage of Will Maninger and Rosa Dufield – The Anthony Republican – October 30, 1903 – newspapers.com
- Newspaper – Marriage of Joe Maninger and Tillie Stoker – The Anthony Republican – February 12, 1904 – newspapers.com
- Marriage license and certificate – Gus Maninger and Bertha Aust – Harper County Clerk – Anthony, Kansas
- Marriage license and certificate – Will Maninger and Rose Dufield – 1903 – Ancestry.com – https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61371/images/TH-1-16104-83690-89?pId=900271327
- Marriage license and certificate – Joe Maninger and Tillie Stoker – Harper County Clerk – Anthony, Kansas
- Newspapers – Scrapbooks with news articles – Harper papers – various dates – all from newspapers.com
- Newspaper – Rabbit hunt – Harper Advocate – December 22, 1905 – newspapers.com
- Image – Rabbit hunt – Condensed History of the City of Harper, Kansas – Harper, Kansas Centennial – 1977
- Family Tree diagrams – Ancestry.com and Mark Jarvis
- Music – Shady Grove – Shake That Little Foot – Free Music Archive – https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Shake_That_Little_Foot/Shake_That_Little_Foot/Shady_Grove_vbrmp3
Family Nibbles 