The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas

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returned home and began farming.  He was married January 14, 1866 to Phoebe Johnson who was born October 13, 1842, in Putnam county, Ohio.  Five children have been born to them: their eldest,  Everard was born January 23, 1867; was married to Miss Roundtree and now resides in Oregon.  Robertie was born April 1, 1871; Homer November 2, 1873; Maggie April 19, 1875; Emily February 2, 1882.

butler_a.JPG (41461 bytes) Amon Butler cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and has voted the Republican ticket ever since.  He came to Norton county February 1, 1873, accompanied by his brother Joe and Ben; struck the Prairie Dog at Henry Oliver's just after sundown.  They could see plenty of wild turkeys roosting on the large cottonwood trees near Oliver's dugout.  They found Henry very clever and sociable.  They had not been there very long when Tom Brown came along.  Oliver invited Tom in to spend the evening, but Tom was somewhat in a hurry to get home as his wife had just arrived from York state and was afraid to stay alone.  Just then Joe brought in a sack of potatoes. Tom's countenance began to brighten up at the sight of the potatoes.  When Joe put them onto cook Tom concluded to stay until after supper.  Ame says he doesn't think he ever saw any person hide as many potatoes as Tom did.  When the potatoes were eaten Tom looked as though he would like to have a few more.

The next day Ame located on the land that he now lives on.  At the time he homesteaded he was 12 miles farther west than any other settler on the Prairie Dog.  Buffalo, antelope and all kinds of game plentiful.  He has taken an active part in politics since coming here; has represented his township in nearly every county convention since its organization; he was a delegate to the judicial convention at Hillbrook in 1885 that nominated L. K Pratt, was also a delegate to senatorial convention at Oberlin in 1884 as a supporter of Hamilton at the time Granger was nominated; was a delegate to the state convention at Topeka in 1890, supporting Humphrey for governor; was also a delegate in 1892 at Atchison and voted for George T. Anthony for Congressman at Large.  He was a candidate for sheriff in 1888 but failed to get the nomination, At that time he was clearly the choice of the party and should have been nominated, but the weaker candidates, Lockard, Jim Miller, W. H. Croco, and Pat Conarty feeling sore at the action of L. K. Pratt (who they thought had been playing double with them combined against Butler after it was discovered that he was Pratt's choice, and they combined nominating Lisbon Sheley.  At the polls Isaac Keener was elected; Keener was the Democratic nominee, and received the support of Union Laborites and a great many of Butler's friends among the Republicans.  In 1885 Butler was nominated and elected sheriff, and again in 1887; this time practically without opposition.  In the spring of l890 after his term of office had

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