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Surnames: Zabriskie, Schuyler, Lawson, Guest
Classification: Obituary
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/WgXBAEB/36
Message Board Post:
From the
McLouth Times
McLouth, Kansas
(Jefferson County)
Friday, October 10, 1902
An "Old" Landmark Gone
"Uncle" Zeno Zabriskie died at 10 o'clock last Friday night. He was buried
Sunday. Rev. G. M. Huffman conducted the funeral in the Methodist church. While he had
been sick a week and been low the danger point was thought to have been passed and his
death was very sudden and unexpected. Dr. Jones had been to see him only a few minutes
before and found him improving. He passed off very quietly and very quickly.
The subject of this sketch was born in Vermillion county, Indiana, October 23, 1825. The
family lived in Indiana until he was ten years of age when they moved to Clay county,
Missouri, and went to farming about eight miles from Liberty, the county seat. Four years
later, in 1839, they emigrated to Lee county, Iowa, settling near Keokuk. Mr. Zabriskie
stayed there until he was in his twenty-second year and then went to Rock Island county,
Illinois. February 15, 1845, he was married to Miss Gertrude Schuyler Lawson of St.
Francisville, Clark county, Missouri. Nine children have been born of this union, five of
whom are now living. In 1846 he took to the river and began steamboating. This he
followed during the summer for ten years. In the late fall of 1847 he concluded to try
the west again and accordingly came out to Platte county, Missouri. That winter he
crossed the river into Kansas and worked in Leavenworth county. Wood chopping was the
work he did and he made a!
record, cutting and putting up his twenty-five cords of wood in one week. In May 1848
he again returned to Illinois. He continued to live in the vicinity of Rock Island and
would follow the river during the summer season. He afterwards bought some land there and
farmed for a while. Attracted by cheap land and plenty of it, he came to Jefferson
county, Kansas, landing on the quarter section where he died, on the 13th of June 1868.
That summer he built the first frame house on what was then known as the Delaware
Diminished Reserve. He bought 360 acres of land here, but between what he has sold, what
the railroad took for right of way and what was afterwards incorporated in the town of
McLouth he had about 75 acres left adjoining McLouth on the west. In 1882 he and Hon.
Amos McLouth surveyed and platted the original town of McLouth. At that time ten acres
were taken from Mr. Zabriskie. Since then twenty acres more have been bought within the
corporate limits of the c!
ity.
July 28, 1890, Mrs. Zabriskie died and on June 30, 1895, Mr. Zabriskie was married to Miss
Helen Guest. Uncle Zeno rounded out a good long life though his years were given to hard
labor and exposure. He reared a family that are an honor to him and to the community.
Since coming here he was active in all that was for the good of the country and the town.
He held various offices and for years was a member of the city council and was township
treasurer. Public spirited generous and true he lived and died surrounded by hosts of
friends, Uncle Zeno rested secure in the thought that he had led a good life and his
labors had been of material assistance in the growth and development of this community.