Edwin
Before Marriage
Edwin was six years old when he moved with his family by train from Pittsburgh,
Allegheny, Pennsylvania to Great Bend, Barton, Kansas in Jan 1878. He stayed in
Great Bend with the family while his father established the homestead in St
John, Stafford, Kansas. Feb 1878, he moved with his family to the newly
established homestead in St John. The 1880 census shows him on both St John and
Great Bend with his family, as the family resided in both towns for a period.
While in Saint John, he may have attended School District #38 in Kenilworth, St
John, Stafford, Kansas. St John Daily Capital and the County Capital (15 Sep
1893) describe Edwin and his brother-in-law, Jack Williamson, participated in
the Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893. They soon returned and were disappointed
that they did not find anything worth homesteading.
Cora was the eldest child of Antonia and Margaret Gineste. Before marriage in 1892, she was living in Topeka, working in a hotel.
Edwin and
Cora Marriage in Topeka, Ottawa, South Seward
It is
not known how or when Edwin and Cora met. Records show they were married 6 Apr
1895 by Probate Judge Wood at his office in Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas.
Edwin and Cora may have
moved to a rented farm near Ottawa in Franklin County after marriage. This is
based on St John Weekly News (26 Mar 1897) detailing where they came from,
before renting a farm four miles southwest of Seward, Stafford, Kansas in March
1897. The newspaper article described Edwin planning to stay for the summer
before finding a more permanent place in Stafford County.
It was allowed to move onto a vacant land and establish residence, similarly, to homestead claim. Edwin found a vacant school property land adjoining west of his sister, Ida and husband Andrew, farm in South Seward. The property was 160 acres, located at the Northwest Quarter of Section 32, Township 22S, Range 13W (SE Corner of NW 100th & NW 20th, South Seward, Stafford, Kansas). Edwin and Cora moved onto the school property in the fall of 1897. They established residency, building a home, barn for livestock, planted crops. St John Weekly New (5 Nov 1897) describes, Tom Lamont, his father, visiting at the newly built home. St John Weekly News (21 Oct 1898) describes Edwin signing agreements to look after area farms to prevent hunting, starting in 1897.
On 26 Sep 1898, their first daughter, Hazel Marie Lamont, was born at the newly
built home on the school land. St John Weekly News (19 May 1899) describe Edwin
submitting application to purchase school land to Probate Judge. No record has
been found at the Stafford County Kansas Courthouse.
St John Weekly News (29 Dec 1899) describe Cora's mother, Margaret; husband, Leonard Jewell; son, Edward visiting for the holidays. Cora was seven-month pregnant at the time, with Margaret.
William, age 13, stayed
with Edwin and Cora to help. He is listed on the 11 Jun 1900 census as farm
hand in Edwin's household. It is not known how long he stayed with Edwin and
Cora, Augusta Weekly Gazette (7 Sep 1900) describes Cora and Edward visiting
Leonard and Margaret Jewell. This may have been when Cora returned her brother,
Edward, to his mother, Margaret, and Leonard Jewell.
After much struggle,
Edwin was able to purchase the 160-acre school land patent from the state of
Kansas for $480 on 16 Mar 1903. This is recorded at both the Stafford County
Courthouse Register of Deeds Office and Kansas State Auditor's Office for Land Records
in Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas. On 24 Mar 1903 Edwin had a Public Sale at his farm,
before finalizing the sale of his farm to Steve Pound. 1 Apr 1903 Edwin sold
the 160-acre school land property for $3,000 and moved his family to Sarcoxie,
Jefferson, Kansas.
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