Barnabas Evans
Barnabas Evans was born in Andrew county, Missouri in 1845, where he remained until the age of six years, when his father removed to Iowa, where his family remained until the spring of ’50, when they returned to Missouri. In ’54 they located near Hickory Point, Kansas, where they resided for two years, participating in the battle at that point in ’56, at which time Mr. John Evans, the father, was wounded four times while in command of Capt. Lewis’ company of State militia. Removing to Johnson county in ’57, Mr. Evans located 2 ½ miles northeast of Olathe, on the Santa Fe road. After living in various parts of the county, in ’68 he removed to his present homestead. His history and recollections are intimately connected with the county, whose troubles and vicissitudes he has witnessed and shared. Mr. Evans was present at, and states that he was an unwilling participant in the famous “Oxford election,” where he was pressed into voting against his own wishes, while passing into Mo. on business. He was only eighteen years of age, but no questions were asked concerning age or qualifications. He voted several times during the day. At night the count footed up over 1700 votes cast in this precinct that had less than 20 legal voters. In ’61 he married Miss Minerva J. Kenton, one of the lineal descendants of Simon Kenton, of historic renown. And since that time he has resided in Monticello and Olathe townships, except one year spent in Cowley County, Kansas. During the war of the rebellion he served in the State militia. In the fall of ’66 he went to Denver with a consignment of green apples, which he sold for nine dollars per bushel, being a profitable speculation, even at the excessive cost of transportation.
Atlas Map of Johnson County, Kansas, E. F. Heisler and Co., 1874, p. 59.
