328 – Cheney Homestead
In 1877, William Cheney traded a cow for Jack Taylor’s homestead claim for 160 acres of government land in McPherson County, Kansas. That homestead claim gave William the right to occupy the property, and an additional five years to improve it. Homestead Act of 1862 The act granted 160 acres of unappropriated public lands to…
327 – Illinois To Kansas
By 1870, the Cheney family had established themselves in Christian County, Illinois. Over the previous decade, several of the children had married and started farms of their own, many within a few miles of the original homestead. The family was closely connected—parents, siblings, and in-laws living nearby and working the land. Mary Cheney, now widowed,…
© Copyright 2026 – Mark C. Jarvis
Family Nibbles 