My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES D. YOUNG. There is every degree of satisfaction and profit in scanning the life history of one who has attained a high degree of success as the diametrical result of his own efforts, who has had the mentality to direct his endeavors toward the desired ends and the singleness and steadfastness of purpose which have given due value to each consecutive detail of effort. As a distinctive type of the self-made man we can refer with signal propriety to the gentleman whose name forms the caption of this paragraph. He is one of the native sons of Woodson county and is yet a young man, but has already attained prosperity and the firm of Keck & Young, of which he is the junior member, is operating extensively in hay at Yates Center and at many other points.

Charles Dee Young was born in Liberty township, Woodson county on the 7th of October, 1871, and is a son of John Young, who came to the county about 1870. A native of Germany he, was born in Hanover, in 1836, and when twenty-one years of age sailed for the United States. For a time he was engaged in the sawmill business in the state of New York, following that pursuit until the Civil war broke out when he rented his property and joined the army. He sacrificed his business interests to his country, as so many others did, for while at the front he lost the saw mill. As a member of Company H, Fifty-sixth New York Volunteer Infantry, he joined the army and for four years and three months fought for the supremacy of the Union. When the war was over he received an honorable discharge and with a most creditable military record returned to the north.

John Young afterward spent some time in New Jersey and later removed to Iowa, going thence to Kansas City, Missouri, which was his place of residence just prior to his removal to Kansas. He drove into Woodson county with a team and secured a claim, in Liberty township, immediately beginning the work of improvement. In 1880 he purchased a large tract of land which is now the Young homestead - one of the finest farms in this section of the state. Mrs. Young, the mother of our subject, bore the maiden name of Lucy Miller. The parents were married in Davenport Iowa, and unto them have been born four children: Charles D., Albert who is living in Colorado; Will, who is engaged in teaching in that state and Elmer.

Mr. Young of this review spent the first twenty-one years of his life upon the home farm. He supplemented his early educational privileges by study in the State Agricultural College and in Bethel College in Newton, Kansas. For three years he engaged in teaching in the common schools of the state and then turned his attention to farming which occupation he diligently pursued until January, 1899, when he left the farm and located in Yates Center, where he joined S. G. Keck, in the hay business, thus establishing the present well known firm of Keck & Young. They have warehouses at Yates Center, Batesville and Toronto, Kansas and makes shipments from six or more stations. Their business is constantly growing in volume and has already reached extensive proportions. As this is an excellent agricultural district and the verdant meadows yield fine crops of hay, the business of the firm affords a good market to the farmers and the material prosperity of the community, as well as of the firm, is thereby increased.

On the 10th of June, 1897, Mr. Young was united in marriage to Miss Viola Baker, a daughter of Baxter P. Baker, of Woodson county Having always resided in Woodson County, Mr. and Mrs. Young have a wide acquaintance, and possessing those sterling qualities which ever awaken regard, they have gained many warm friends. In his political views Mr. Young is a Democrat, earnest in his advocacy of party principles and of reform movements, while socially he is connected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity.