HENRY C. GRANER.
“Pleasant Hill Stock Farm.”
Situated on a hillside within sight of the old Graner homestead in Lancaster township, Atchison county, is the “Pleasant Hill Stock Farm,” owned and managed by Henry C. Graner, one of the most successful and best known farmers and breeders of northeast Kansas. Mr. Graner is a son of Gottlieb Graner, a pioneer in the pure bred live stock industry of Atchison county, whose biography appears in the review of the life of William H. Graner on the preceding pages of this history of their home county. The “Pleasant Hill Stock Farm” is unquestionably one of the best equipped modern breeding plants in the State of Kansas and is famed over the West for the product of its fields and barns. This farm consists of 240 acres of well tilled and well improved land, situated two miles north of the town of Lancaster and only a quarter of a mile from the birthplace of Henry C. Graner. In addition to his home place, Mr. Graner is the owner of 160 acres of land which he uses for pasturing his live stock. The home farm is well equipped with two farm dwellings and five well built barns and granaries with other conveniences to facilitate the handling of live stock. The owner has given special attention to equipping his farm for the breeding of fine cattle and hogs. He pays a great deal of attention to his Poland China hogs and is a breeder of the Big Type Poland China swine, which are among the best in the United States. Mr. Graner ships the product of his breeding pens to all parts of the country and has annual sales of thoroughbred hogs which are a feature of the countryside. To show the prices obtained from his sales in 1914, one small sow sold for $500. He handles the Big Type Poland China breed exclusively and is a regular exhibitor at county fairs and has frequently taken first prizes and many blue ribbons. His drove of fine hogs exceeded 300 in 1915, all pure bred stock.
Mr. Graner’s herd of Shorthorn cattle is of the Scotch pure bred strain and bred to “Choice Goods,” a famous strain known the world over for quality. He has also shown his fine cattle at the county fairs and live stock exhibits and carried off many first prizes. His herd of pure bred Shorthorns numbers fifty head at the present time, all registered stock. In addition to being a breeder of hogs and cattle Mr. Graner breeds standard Percheron horses of the imported strain sired by “Brilliant,” of which he has usually from twenty-five to thirty head of fine stock on the place.
Henry C. Graner was born April 19, 1871, on the old Graner homestead in Lancaster township, on which he was reared to young manhood. When a small boy he attended school in the village of Lancaster, and after the school house was erected in the neighborhood he went to the district school. He was one of the first students to enter Midland College in Atchison and there completed his education. He remained on the home farm until 1901 and then bought the farm which he now owns, first consisting of 160 acres, to which lie afterwards added an eighty. He later invested in another quarter section which he uses for pasture.
He was married June 6, 1901, to Miss Mary K. Meck, who has borne him five children, as follows: Lillian, born October 11, 1902; Matilda, born April 21, 1904; Louise, born June 1, 1907; Henrietta, born March 11, 1910; and Frederick, born April 8, 1913. The mother of these children was born in Center township August 31, 1874, a daughter of Fred Meck, now living on a farm in Center township, Atchison county. Mrs. Graner is a capable woman, a devoted wife and mother, and the Graner home is a very happy one at all times.
Mr. Graner is a Democrat in politics, but has little time to devote to the political game other than to vote for his favorite candidates at election time. He and Mrs. Graner are members of the Lancaster Presbyterian church, of which institution Mr. Graner is a trustee. He is affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is also a member of the Standard Bred Poland China Record Association, and the Percheron Society of America. Mr. Graner’s success has been mainly due to hard work, close application to his affairs and keen financial judgment.