I want to thank Janet Dyson, Hamilton Family descendant for commenting on this page. I thought I would share some Hamilton information with her and others who are interested. Hamilton brothers, Walter and David Hamilton, bought a part of the old William A. Pierce “Mill Brae” Ranch about 1900. The Hamiltons and their sister, Janet Hamilton, lived there many years and passed the farm on to their nephew James Simon Oliver and his wife Mary (Glogau) Oliver, who then left it to their children. Here is a little information I have gathered:

Hamilton Mentions
Maple Hill News Items
From Alma Signal Enterprise
1890 to 1940

January 22, 1897 Mr. James Hamilton and Miss Theodosia Dottie Black were united in marriage recently.

February 21, 1898 Died on February 14, 1897 at Maple Hill, Ms. John Turnbull. The deceased, Margaret Hamilton Turnbull was born at Blakelow, Roxburghshire, Scotland, January 25, 1845. On June 18, 1869, she was married to John Turnbull, Sr. at Linton, Roxburghshire, and came to Maple Hill from Scotland in July of 1877. Funeral Services were conducted by Rev. W. S. Crouch, at the Stone Church.

March 31, 1902 St. Patricks Day was most fittingly celebrated here. C. J. Watson led the parade, W. J. Oliver carried the banner, J. W. McCoy road the goat and Walter Hamilton conducted the Zobo Band.

May 23, 1902 The Republican Convention will be represented by C. J. Watson, J. N. Dolley, F. L. Raymond, Simon Oliver, Frank Adams, James Best, J. M. Kemper, James Hamilton, R. D. Riley, Dr. Tom Bolton, C. M. Hosack, George Lesline, and H. Pettis.

March 8, 1912 Mr. Adam Hamilton, was born in Dumfries, Scotland, July 9, 1822. His wife, was Mary Culbertson Hamilton. They were married on November 8, 1844 at Coldstream Bridge, Berwickshire, Scotland. Ms. Hamilton was born on March 3, 1826 in Linton, Roxburghshire, Scotland. The family first moved to Saskatchewan, Canada from Scotland, where they homesteaded. Three sons remained in Scotland and England and did not immigrate with the family. One son, Adam Hamilton, Jr., remained in Saskatchewan when the remainder of the family decided to move to the United States. Mr. Hamilton came to Maple Hill with other members of his family in 1892. They moved to Maple Hill, because one of the Hamilton children, Margaret, had married a blacksmith, John Turnbull, Sr. and they had moved to American five years before the elder Hamiltons moved to Canada. Mary Culbertson died at Maple Hill on August 21, 1893. Both she and Mr. Hamilton at buried in the Stone Church Cemetery.

Ten children survive: Janet, Walter, and David at the Hamilton home, James, William (whose wife was Melinda C. Linnie Ribelin), Mrs. Grace (Andy) Miller, Mrs. Mary (William) Reed, all of Maple Hill. Adam Jr. lives in Canada, Thomas and Robert live in England.

Mr. Hamilton was a violin maker. Before he left Scotland, he made each of his sons a violin. He worked by candlelight long hours into the night. The wood had to be scrapped just so thin, then he held it up to the light to see if he could see light through it. He made the violin he gave his son Jimmie, from an old maple shovel. He played for all of the Scotch celebrations in Maple Hill and Dover.

(Note: For the Adam Turnbull obituatry above, I combined what was in the newspaper with what was in the Old Branches From New Trees: A History of Wabaunsee County.)
March 18, 1938 John Andrew Ribelin, aged 65, was born in Marrayville, Illinois on
September 2, 1872 and died at Maple Hill on March 12. He came to Maple Hill in 1892, where he has since resided on a small farm just north of town. He was married on November 12, 1899 to Mary Hamilton Reed in Topeka. Two daughters, Ms. Paul Carlin of Topeka and Ms. Edith Moore of Maple Hill survive. Rev. Taylor officiated at services which were held in the Congregational Church. (Note: John Ribelins sister, Linnie, married William Hamilton.)

December 20, 1940 Mr. Walter Hamilton, aged 75 years, a long-time resident of Maple Hill, died this past Friday. He was born December 21, 1864 in Scotland and came to Maple Hill with his family in 1892. He died at his home, the former Pierce Ranch House and was in the care of his nephew and niece, Jim and Mary Oliver.

Hamiltons Buried in Stone Church Cemetery

Hamilton, Melinda C. Ribelin Died, 1910
Hamilton, Violet Died 1906
Hamilton, Walter 1864 – 1940
Hamilton, David 1867 1947
Hamilton, Janet 1850 1921
Hamilton, Adam Died 1912
Hamilton, Mary C. Died 1893

Andrew Miller 1854 1950
Grace Hamilton Miller 1853-1932

Mary Hamilton Ribelin 1880 1973
John Andrew Ribelin 1872 1938

John Turnbull, Sr. 1845 1936
Margaret Hamilton Turnbull 1845 1898

For more information on the Hamiltons, I suggest that you contact Mr. Shirley (Harold) Oliver at Maple Hill. She has been doing most of the research on the Oliver/Hamilton family. Her husband, Harold, was the son of James Simon and Mary Glogau Oliver and was raised in the Hamilton House, which was originally the Pierce Ranch House.

The photo below was taken about 1900 on the Maple Hill’s Main Street. The photo is looking north from near the Rock Island Railroat tracks. The ladies in the buggy L-R are Mrs. Jessie Hamilton and Mrs. Simon Oliver. The children L-R are James Simon Oliver and his sister Nettie Oliver.