Rev. John Beard was a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination. He left Tennessee in 1848 and settled in Knox county, Illinois, and in 1856 came to Kansas, and was one of the first men to preach the Gospel in Atchison county. He was an ardent Free State man who was emphatically opposed to the institution of slavery and fearlessly attacked the pro-slavery party and its principles from the pulpit. On one occasion he preached a sermon in Mt. Pleasant and laid a huge revolver on the pulpit beside his Bible with the remark, “I hope there will be peace during the services,” and there was peace. This action was in keeping with the fearless character of the man himself. Rev. John Beard died at the age of sixty-six years. No pictorial likeness of this famous pioneer is available or his grandson, Frank, would have it inserted in the history. His last sermon was preached at Pleasant Grove church in South Atchison. During his career he served the Round Prairie and High Prairie churches in Leavenworth county, the Wolf Creek congregation in Brown county, and the Pleasant Grove church in Atchison county. He was traveling at all times, to and fro, in northeast Kansas while engaged in the Lord’s work. His son, William M., left Illinois in 1862 and settled in Brown county, Kansas, and in 1865 came to Atchison county. Border ruffians at one time raided the home of William Beard in Brown county. Mattie Beard, a three months’ old babe, was awakened by the noise made by the raiders and screamed loudly. One of the ruffians walked to the cradle, drew his revolver and said: “I’ll stop her noise.” The mother made frantic by this threat picked up a chair, and with all her strength, augmented by her fright, rushed at the raider and knocked him down. After this occurrence the Beards left Kansas and returned to Illinois, where people were more of one mind on the subject of slavery and life was much safer. They remained in Illinois until the close of the war and then came again to Atchison county, settling on a farm in Walnut township. This farm has been owned by the Beard family for fifty years and is now in possession of John Beard, a son of William. Rev. John Beard died in Atchison county in August, 1866. William M. died in 1905, and his faithful wife followed him to the great beyond two years later, in 1907. The father of Sarah Hawthorne Beard was also a pioneer settler of Knox county, Illinois, and planted the first apple orchard in that section of the State, and was the first and only apple exhibitor at the first county fair ever held in Knox county, Illinois.
Frank Beard was a boy of seven when his parents removed to Atchison county and was reared on the farm in Walnut township, receiving his schooling in district No. 60. He followed farming until 1909, when he came to Potter and engaged in the general merchandise business in partnership with Mr. Hodges. This partnership continued until 1911, when he sold out his interest in the general store, and in July of that year purchased the furniture and undertaking business which he is now conducting successfully.
Mr. Beard was married in 1898 to Miss Bee Henson, a daughter of A. T. and Amanda (Cox) Henson, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter having been born in Missouri. The Hensons migrated to Kansas in 1854 before the organization of the State and settled in Jefferson county. They were Free State advocates and took part in the struggle which made Kansas a Free State. Mr. and Mrs. Beard have one child, Leona Beard, born in 1903.
The Democratic party has always claimed the allegiance of Mr. Beard in National affairs, but he is inclined to independence of voting in local, county and State affairs. He is a member of Kickapoo Lodge, No. 4, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Modern Brotherhood, and the Knights and Ladies of Security. Mr. Beard is one of Potter’s best and well respected citizens, a successful and prosperous business man who is ever willing to put his shoulder to the wheel to advance the interests of his home community.
THOMAS HIGHFILL.
The late Thomas Highfill, of Easton township, Leavenworth county, Kansas, was born April 9, 1844, on a farm near the city of Madison, in southeastern Indiana. He was a son of William Highfill, who was born in South Carolina of German parents, and was there reared to young manhood, went to Kentucky from South Carolina, and there met and married Elizabeth Bonnell, born in Kentucky of German ancestry. Shortly after their marriage William Highfill and his wife crossed the Ohio river and settled near Madison on the Flat Rock river. He had charge of the toll-gate entrance of the bridge crossing the Flat Rock at that time. When Thomas was four years of age, or in 1849, the father and his family loaded their movable effects on wagons and started across the plains, en route to California, consuming six months on the long trip, their wagons being hauled by slow-moving oxen. The family remained in California for four years, and William spent the time profitably in placer mining for the yellow metal, after which they returned to the middle West, this time making the return trip with horses instead of oxen. They settled in Platte county, Missouri, and resided there until 1862, when William Highfill made a final settlement in Mt. Pleasant township, Atchison county. He died the same year in Atchison county. George Highfill, son of Thomas, is now the owner of the original home place of the Highfill family in Atchison county.
Thomas Highfill was eighteen years of age when his father came to Atchison county. He assisted in the operation of the home farm until his marriage, November 24, 1864, to Elvira Porter, who was born in Casey county, Kentucky, February 7, 1847, a daughter of George and Sarah Ann (Foster) Porter, both of whom were born in Kentucky, and resided in their native State until November, 1850, when they removed to Buchanan county, Missouri, and there farmed for two years on the McDonald farm, near Wallace. The Porters came to Atchison county, Kansas, among the earliest of the pioneers in the spring of 1855 and settled on a tract of land just one-half mile west of the present town of Potter. George Porter filed on 160 acres of land in the fall of 1854 which has never changed ownership but once and has never been out of the family, being now owned by George Highfill, the eldest grandson of George Porter. The elder Porter, although born and bred in a slave State, abhorred the institution of slavery, despite the fact that his father, Isaac Porter, was a slave owner. He saw the evils of slavery when a youth and determined never to support it, because it was utterly wrong. He came to Kansas imbued with the determination to do his part in making the State free. He suffered considerably from the forays of the border ruffians and his homestead on the banks of the Big Stranger was raided frequently by the pro-slavery element. At one time Mr. Porter had a fine saddle horse stolen from him by border ruffians. As soon as he learned of the theft he set out after the thieves armed only with a bowie knife stuck in his boot top. He followed them to Atchison and lay hid in a clump of jimson weeds, near the camp of the ruffians on the spot where the Santa Fe railroad yards are now located. The marauders were drinking and carousing in seeming safety and had no idea that they would be followed. As a consequence of their neglect in not placing a sentry Mr. Porter was enabled to secure his horse and return home in safety at 4 o’clock in the morning. At the outbreak of the Civil war Mr. Porter enlisted in the Thirteenth Kansas regiment and served throughout the war. While absent in defense of the Union his wife and five children were left to shift for themselves as best they could. George Porter was a stanch Republican in his political affiliations and was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He died February 19, 1887, the age of sixty-five years, having been born January 21, 1822. His wife, Sarah Ann, died June 23, 1897. They were the parents of eight children, of whom Mrs. Thomas Highfill was the eldest. Mrs. Highfill was ten years old when the Porter family located in Kansas, and during the days of the Civil war, when the breadwinner of the family was absent fighting for the Union, this brave woman ploughed with an ox team and did the hardest kind of farm labor.
To Thomas Highfill and wife were born the following children: George, born September 8, 1865, and is the owner of the farm preëmpted by his grandfather Porter; John, born December 12, 1866; Sarah Elizabeth, wife of P. H. Fleer, of Potter, Kan., was born June 23, 1868, and died May 11, 1909; Thomas J., born April 8, 1870, residing in Potter; Mrs. Rose, wife of Clarence Binkley, of Atchison, born December 23, 1878; Abigail, wife of Ashton Hundley, of Atchison county, born October 19, 1879; Martina, wife of Louis Linville, of Spring Lake, Texas, born November 14, 1880; and Benjamin F., born June 10, 1884. The mother of these children resides on the Highfill place, west of Potter. Her son, George, is a prosperous farmer and good business man, who is connected with the Farmers State Bank of Potter.
Thomas Highfill departed this life March 7, 1899. He was a well respected and industrious citizen who did well his part in the development of Atchison county.