My Genealogy Hound

ALEXANDER McQUISTON.
Alexander McQuiston, one of the well-known residents of Monmouth township, Shawnee County, is also one of the old settlers, having preempted 160 acres, -the northeast quarter of section 10, township 13, range 16, —as early as 1858. He was born in Venango County, Pennsylvania, February 7, 1834, and is a son of David and Mary (Davidson) McQuiston.

On the paternal side our subject comes from Scotch ancestry, although the family has been American for several generations, his grandfather having been born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. In 1800 the grandfather worked in Cincinnati and helped to shingle some of the first houses ever built there, but his home was in Venango county. Our subject’s mother was born in Pennsylvania of Irish parentage. Our subject is one of a family of 11 sons born to his parents, namely: John, deceased; William, deceased; James, who died in infancy; David H., deceased; Alexander; Joseph, of Pennsylvania; Davidson, deceased, who served in the Civil War; Ira, of Platte County, Nebraska ; Robert, an old soldier of the Civil War, living at Big Springs; Cyrus, of Pennsylvania; and Hiram, deceased, who served in the Civil War. Three of the sons of this family served in the Civil War. There have been three fatal accidents also in the family: the grandfather Davidson was killed while doing his duty as sheriff in Pennsylvania; Rev. John McQuiston was killed by the cars at Pauline, Kansas; and Hiram McQuiston was accidentally shot after safely passing through the dangers of the Civil War.

Our subject remained at home with his parents until 21 years of age and then went to Bureau County, Illinois, to join his brother John, who had settled there in the previous year. After three years of farming there, Mr. McQuiston returned to Pennsylvania on a visit. In July, 1858, he came to Shawnee County, Kansas, where he preempted his present farm in Monmouth township. He lived in a little board shanty until he put in his first crop. When everything looked promising, he returned to Illinois and was married there in July, 1859. That Mr. McQuiston’s first agricultural operations were a complete failure was no fault of his, for that was the year of the great drought which is a part of the history of the settlement of the State. He was one of the hundreds of unfortunate men who saw all their efforts go for naught. The fall of 1860 found the little family in dire need and on this account Mr. McQuiston accepted the invitation of his father-in-law to return to Illinois for a season.

Mr. McQuiston expected to almost immediately return to Kansas, but just then the war clouds broke over the land and as two of his wife’s brothers enlisted, he remained to assist his father-in-law and did not come back to his Kansas farm for five years. This has been his home ever since and he has a valuable property. The planting of maple and cottonwood trees proved a wise measure and he now has a fine grove. He also set out orchards, apple trees alone to the number of 1,000, built a comfortable home and substantial barns and has continued to prosper. His farm is devoted to grain, fruit and stock.

Mr. McQuiston was married to Mary A. Winder, a native of Illinois, who died in Kansas after 25 years of happy wedded life. They had three children, the one survivor being Mrs. Mary Alice Lovell, of Pennsylvania, who has nine children. Mr. McQuiston’s second union was to Susan A. Newman, who was born in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, October 11, 1856, and came to Kansas with her parents in 1879. She is a daughter of John J. Newman. They have three children. Nora Viola, William A. and Frank H.

Politically, Mr. McQuiston is a Republican. For 14 years he has served as justice of the peace, twice being appointed by the Governor. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years.

The detailed story of Mr. McQuiston’s early experiences in Kansas is very interesting. It was hard work to place his farm in its present condition, but the results show what determination and energy will finally accomplish. Every year agricultural operations are becoming more and more the subject of scientific study and those who succeed today have much less to contend with than did those of even a decade ago.