Not long ago, I was talking about the Albert and Ada (Jones) Phillips family in one of my articles. I knew that I had a photograph of the family but couldn’t find it at the time. Then today I was looking for something else and found it in another folder. Ever have that problem?
Allen Albert “Al” Phillips was one of the early settlers in Wabaunsee County, arriving in Newbury Township in 1868. He purchased 1,000 acres of the old Potawatomi Reserve, broke prairie, planted wheat and raised cattle.
Like Henry Fauerbach, Al Phillips had passed through Wabaunsee County on or more of several trips to drive horses overland to the California Gold Rush country. I’ve never heard anyone say how he navigated Native Americans and other obstacles en route, but he must have reached his destination with most of the herd because he made a considerable amount of money in the process.
Al Phillips was married to my great great aunt, Ada (Jones) Phillips. She was the oldest child and daughter of Francis Marion and Roxanna M. M. (Eaton) Jones. She was born in Geneva Township, Michigan and met her future husband attending school. He was her teacher. That would not have been possible today—I don’t think—but none-the less he went on to be County Superintendent before enlisting in the Civil War. Following the war, he moved his family to Wabaunsee County, Kansas where he farmed and taught school near Alma. Two years later, he returned to Michigan, and I’ve never heard the reason why. Then in 1870, he moved his family to eastern Wabaunsee County, near present day Willard, and for several years he had a truck garden on five-acres of land in the summer, and taught the Post Creek School, three miles east of Willard, near the Searcy homes.
Al and his wife, Martha (Graham) Phillips had eight children. Al set the older children (daughters and sons) up on farms in Newbury Township and the family lived in a large cluster of farms. Today, those farms are mostly land owned by the Gideon Families, the old Clothier Farms, and the Lietz family farms. The Phillips Cemetery where Al and Martha Phillips are buried, is just across the road and a little northwest of Merle and Nora Lietz’ home.
Allen Phillips, Junior, who was also called “Al,” was the fifth child. He was born on his father’s farm in Wright County, Iowa (near Iowa City and the Mississippi River) in 1849 and made at least one of the trips to California with horses. He was very well educated for the time and was his father’s right hand in establishing the new ranch in Kansas. Al Phillips was one of the most eligible bachelors in the Vera community and met his future wife, Ada Jones, upon the Jones’ families second return to Wabaunsee County. They were married that same year at the Wabaunsee County Courthouse, in 1870.
All seemed to be going very well for the Phillips family. Not only did Al Phillips, Sr. own one of the largest farms in the area, but he also became one of the town officers and stockholders in developing what he hoped would be the growing town of Newbury. He was elected a Wabaunsee County Commissioner in 1870, and was serving when tragedy struck.
He and his wife were on their way home from a visit with their son Levi Phillips, who was postmaster of North Topeka, when lightening struck their carriage killing both he and Martha Phillips instantly. The accident occurred on June 30, 1878 at Moon’s Crossing on Mission Creek just west of Topeka. I remember my Grandmother, Mable (Jones) Clark, telling the story so many times. The irony was that the horses pulling their carriage were not killed, or even injured. As most good teams did, they continued their all the way home to Vera, where Al Phillips, Jr. found the team waiting outside the barn the next morning, his parents dead in the carriage.
This threw the family into disarray. Al and Martha Phillips died without a will. Therefore, the entire estate had to be probated and divided according to state law. Al’s large farm had to be sold because some of the heirs did not want land. It caused irreparable harm to family relationships and many of his children moved away from the area, never to again gain contact.
Al and Ada Phillips stayed on a much reduced portion of land, but they kept the original log house and farmstead on 180-acres of land. I remember the house still standing as a small boy, but around 1950, Al’s son, William “Billy” Phillips, who had bought the farm from his parents, sold it to the Lietz family and moved to Topeka.
Al and Ada (Jones) Phillips lived their entire lives on the farm and were the parents of 10 children, nine of whom lived to be adults. They are:
Margaret Martha “Mattie” Phillips – 1874 to 1944
James Monroe Phillips – 1877 to 1956
Minnie B. Phillips – 1880 to 1946
Albert William Billy” Phillips – 1883 to 1977
Mable Edith Phillips – 1885 to 1973
Frederick Norman Phillips – 1887 to 1962
Hattie Vera Phillips – 1889 to 1977
Ada Elizabeth “Leasie” Phillips – 1891 to 1988
Eva Norene Phillips – 1893 to 1975.
I’m going to stop there, with the exception of providing some information about the photographs.
The first is pretty self explanatory, its the Allen and Ada (Jones) Phillips family, and there are captions provided.
The second photograph is a four-generation picture. Seated is the great grandmother, Roxanna M. M. (Eaton) Jones, and standing from L-R are Emily Wilson, great granddaughter, Ada (Jones) Phllips, and her daughter Martha “Mattie” (Phillips) Wilson.
The third photo is of Albert and Martha (Graham) Phillips. They are the couple who were killed in their carriage.
The fourth photograph is a five-generation photograph, with Roxanna M. M. (Eaton) Jones, seated right, Ada (Jones) Phillips, seated left and holding Albert William Phillips, Jr., Ada’s daughter Martha “Mattie” (Phillips) Wilson standing left, her son Albert William Phillips, Sr. standing right.
Don’t we all love these old photographs and I’m so honored and pleased that my Grandmore, Mable (Jones) Clark saved them, labeled them and passed them on to future generations.
