The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas

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five children, Grace S. on January 8, 1875, died April 15, 1878; Jennie May born May 22, 1876 died July 10, 1879; Nellie E. born May 13, 1879; Jessie Edna born April 1883; Oscar Leroy born May 21, 1885, died March 1, 1888.

In 1879 he moved to Norton and went into the harness business, in which he remained until June 1885 when he sold out to Payne & Chamblin, then he embarked in the furniture business with W J. Bower, in which he remained until the fire of January 2, 1886 in which he suffered a loss of $4000 including his building and stock, after which he sold out to his partner and bought the general merchandise of C.H. Fry, in which he continued about one year and then sold the stock to N. A. Johnson, after suffering a loss by fire, by the burning of an adjoining building.  He went back in the harness business in company with T. N. Martin, but after the big fire everything seemed to go against him, and in 1888 they failed in business but in a few months he started in the harness business by himself on a small scale, but thought he could not compete with larger shops, so sold out and in July 1889 moved to Washington territory.  He at one time held the office of township trustee of Center township, by appointment, and was urged to run again but would not; he was treasurer of school district No. 1 for three years.  He is now in Washington, Clark County, three miles from Vancouver, a city of between five and six thousand inhabitants, on a small fruit farm, and is prospering financially.

Milton Dopps was born May 8, 1847; he took land three miles north of Calvert.  He married Miss Rose Bradley in March 1878; they have three children.

Ellen, their only daughter, was born February 22, 1849; she was married to David Close October 31, 1869.  David Close was born in Holmes county, Ohio March 25, 1846.  There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Close four children: their eldest, Etta May born August 23, 1871, died of measles March 17, 1872; Maud born May 1, 1873, died of measles June 8, 1888; Wilbur born March 24, 1877: Burton born November 19, 1873.

He enlisted May 2, 1864, in company H, 166 regiment Ohio volunteers, discharged Sept 9, 1864, was in Virginia all the time but in no battles.  Mr. Close first settled on land now owned by Isaiah Williams five miles east of Norton.  He was elected justice of the peace in 1874; moved to Norton and went into the mercantile business in company with Philip Bruner in February 1876; in 1878 he purchased of Lige Collins one half interest in the mill; in 1880 he sold his interest in the store to Bruner and shortly afterward purchased Collins' interest in the mill which he has owned and operated ever since: he was elected county commissioner in 1882 and again in 1885.

He fed the first car of cattle shipped from the county in 1875.

Simon Dopps was born December 17, 1851; married Myra Decker in 1876, they have three children.  David Dopps was born December 7, 1853, married Hattie Bradley in 1875. They have one boy 12 years old, and one girl 3 years old.

Jacob Dopps born February 27, 1856; he married Emma Hasleau in 1874; five children were born to them; Mrs. Dopps died in October 1888.

Charley Dopps born November 7, 1867, died August 13, 1875.

Ellsworth Dopps born August 17, 1863; married Henrietta Morris in March 1883; they have four children and reside at Vanconver, Washington.

John P. Dopps was elected justice of the peace for Buenavista precinct, Almena township in the spring of '74, and at the November election of that year he was chosen probate judge of Norton county. He was elected justice of the 

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