My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM M. REAM.
William M. Ream, one of the prominent and substantial citizens of Soldier township, Shawnee County, who resides on a fine farm of 160 acres, in section 31, township 10, range 16, was born January 27, 1835, in Perry County, Ohio, and is a son of William and Eliza (McClure) Ream.

The father of Mr. Ream was a native of Ohio, and the mother, of Pennsylvania. The father owned a large farm in Ohio and raised a great deal of stock, his son, our subject, gaining experience there which he put into practice later in life. Of the eight children of the family, he was the only one whose interests and inclinations led him to establish his home in Kansas.

From his farm in Ohio, Mr. Ream enlisted as a private, May 1, 1864, in Company C, 160th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under Colonel Reasoner and General Sigel, and soon after was elected 1st sergeant. He participated in many skirmishes and in the battles of Antietam and Martinburg and was mustered out at Zanesville, Ohio, in September, 1864. Returning to the farm, Mr. Ream remained there until 1866 when he went to Somerset, Ohio, where he engaged in a general mercantile business until 1872, under the firm name of Huston & Ream. During this period of his life he formed the acquaintance of Gen. Phil. H. Sheridan, the hero of Winchester, with whom he became associated in bonds of closest friendship. When the whole country mourned the death of that gallant officer, Mr. Ream was one of the chief mourners and was a pall-bearer at the funeral of General Sheridan’s father.

After selling his store, Mr. Ream went into a banking business, but in 1878 went to Texas, where he bought a ranch of 16,000 acres in Kerr County and controlled 16,000 more. This great extent of land he utilized in the raising of sheep and his first clip paid him 32 cents a pound. The passage of the Wilson tariff bill in the next year reduced his clip to eight cents a pound, the duty having been taken off wool, and this caused him to sell out. In the fall of 1880 he returned to Missouri, bought a farm and went to raising stock. In 1887 he came to Kansas and bought 160 acres at Kilmer Station where he continued for 16 years, engaged in farming and raising fine stock. In 1903 he sold to advantage and bought his present place. He cultivates 50 acres here and the rest of the 160 is fine grass land. The place is known as the “Tom Stanley” farm at Ream’s Corners. Mr. Ream has always been interested in business enterprises of importance. For eight years he was one of the directing board of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company and helped to build 44 miles of the road,—from Newark to Shawnee, Ohio. He still holds some of the valuable stock.

Mr. Ream was married November 22, 1859, to Mary C. Axline, who is a daughter of Emanuel and Susannah (Shaffer) Axline, natives of Virginia. Mrs. Ream was reared six miles from Harper’s Ferry. Two of her brothers were in the Civil War; David C., of Louisville, Kentucky, now 84 years of age, formerly a private in an Indiana regiment and still so patriotic as to offer his services during the Spanish-American War and Solomon N., of the 31st Ohio, who died while at home on a furlough. Mr. and Mrs. Ream had five children, namely: Charlie, who died aged 11 years, December 23, 1872, and was buried at Somerset, Ohio; George, who died March 8, 1877, and was also buried at Somerset; Carl, who died August 2, 1874, and was buried at Somerset; Maud, who first married Louis Shaffer and by this union had one daughter, Nellie Ream, —her second marriage was with James R. Peck, of Jefferson County, Kansas, and they have two children, Mary Estella and Florence Ethel; and Ralph K., who assists his father on the farm. Politically Mr. Ream is a Republican. He is a member of the Grange at Indian Creek. Mr. and Mrs. Ream have living with them a girl who came to them in January, 1862, and hence has been living with them for over 43 years.