JOHN CASTELLI RATHBONE
Submitted by Linda Cunningham Fluharty.
Tonganoxie Mirror, Tonganoxie, KS - June 25, 1908
John Castelli Rathbone was born October 10, 1818, in New
York. While yet a child his parents removed with him to New Jersey, and
at the age of twenty-two he moved to Virginia, near Burning Springs. For
years he was county surveyor, and in 1858 he was the first to discover oil in
Virginia. Afterwards he moved to Petersburg, and when the war broke out
he volunteered, raised a regiment and received the commission of colonel
(Note: 11th West Virginia Infantry).
At the age of twenty-one he married
Eliza Vanderbeck in Bergen county, New Jersey. To them were born ten
children, five boys and five girls. Four sons still survive him -
Abrams, of St. Joseph, Mo.; William P., of Parkersburg, W. Va.; Francis Wait,
of Kansas City, Mo., and J. Cass, of Tonganoxie.
In 1883 he and his wife moved to
Kansas City, to be near their sons. In 1890 his wife died, and he spent
the greater part of his declining years with his son, J. Cass Rathbone in
Tonganoxie, at whose home he died of a stroke of paralysis, after one week's
illness, on June 17th. Had he lived till October he would have been
ninety years old. He was brought up in the Episcopalian church, and at
the age of forty-five he became a convert to the Catholic faith.
Col. Rathbone's remains were taken
to Virginia for burial (Note: Parkersburg, Wood County, West
Virginia.)
In the death of Col. Rathbone
Tonganoxie loses a good citizen and the nation a patriot. We are unable
this week to give our readers a complete biographical sketch of the life of
deceased, as we were unable to secure the data. To the bereaved
relatives we extend our sympathy.
