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Hanna Family

                                                         Robert B. Hanna.

He is written about in the 1901 Biographical sketches of Cowley County. He came August 19, 1871.
[AUGUST 19, 1871.]              PAGE 447.
                               [PORTRAIT SHOWN OF “ROBERT B. HANNA.”]
ROBERT B. HANNA came to Cowley County, Kansas, August 19, 1871, and was one of the reliable citizens and substantial farmers of Sheridan Township, living on section 28, township 32, range 6 east. Mr. Hanna was born in Hancock County, Indiana, in June 1849, a son of Thomas J. and Mary (Bolton) Hanna. He was distantly related to Marcus A. Hanna, senator from Ohio.
Thomas J. Hanna, his father, was a farmer and stock raiser all his life, and died in the summer of 1900, aged 74. He was a Republican; and although often tendered office, he never served other than as justice of the peace. Mrs. Mary Hanna was born and reared in Hamilton County, Indiana, and died in 1859. They were the parents of five children: Robert B.; J. A., a school teacher in the vicinity of Oklahoma City; Franklin L., who lived on the old home farm in Indiana; Marietta (Newhouse), of Frankfort, Indiana; and another, who died in infancy.
[COULD MARIETTA HANNA NEWHOUSE BE RELATED TO THE MOHAWK INDIAN, NEWHOUSE...BELIEVE THAT WAS HIS NAME?]
Robert B. Hanna remained in Indiana until he was 23 years of age. His first work was in a sawmill and stair factory. In the spring of 1871 he came west and stopped for a time in Jackson County, Missouri. He went to Humboldt, Kansas, to visit some friends, and there met a man en route to Cowley County, Kansas, whom he accompanied. He was a single man then, and took as a claim his future farm near Eatonville, in Sheridan township--the west half of the northwest quarter of section 27, and the east half of the northeast quarter of section 28, township 32, range 6 east. He first broke some prairie land, which he planted, and then built a box house, 12 by 14 feet. He kept house by himself for some time, then returned to Indiana to be married, and took his wife back to Kansas with him. He immediately set about improving his farm--building fences and setting out hedges--and in the spring of 1876 set out an orchard of three acres, consisting of a variety of apples, peaches, and other fruit. Mr. Hanna worked out by the month for two seasons, previous to coming to Kansas, and laid by about $260, which he used in acquiring title to his land. His principal crop was corn. He experienced but one failure in the many years he resided on his farm. He raised hogs extensively, and also some cattle.
 Mr. Hanna married Samantha Hiday, who was also reared in Hancock County, Indiana. They had four children.
1. Cora (Grove), of Cowley County, who had two children, Roland and Robert.
2. Glendora Hanna.
3. T. J. Hanna.
4. Magdalene Hanna.

Mr. Hanna was a Prohibitionist in principle, but supported the Republican party to some extent. He was a member of the school board of district No. 47, which he helped to organize in the early days. He was a member of the Farmer’s Alliance for a short time. Religiously, he was a member of the United Brethren denomination, and attended the church at Eatonville, which was dedicated on December 23, 1900.
Sheridan Township 1882: R. B. Hanna, 32; spouse, S. R., 28.
                                               FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.

 

Cowley County Historical Society Museum