James Starr

James Starr James Starr, eldest son of John and Hannah Osborn Starr, was born November 14, 1814 in Indiana. James married Belinda Clem, daughter of Michael and Jane Clem from Ohio, on February 16, 1838 in Warren County, Indiana. The family moved to Bourbon County, Kansas where James and son John served in the 6th Kansas Calvary. During the Civil War, James visited Washington County. On April 20th, 1870 he purchased 256 acres of land from Lewis Cheatham which were situated in Cane Hill Township, just east of what is now the city of Lincoln. The area became known as Starr Hill for several years. As the community grew, James was instrumental in the formation of a voting precinct. A new township was officially established on July 30, 1884 named Starr Hill in his honor. James was a farmer and carpenter. After Belinda died in 1894, he married Maria Frazier. He and Belinda had four children: Jane, John, I lannah and William. Jane (born February 14, 1839) married Joseph Liburn Carter in 1861 at Bourbon County, Kansas and moved to Washington County with her father in 1870. They owned and operated the first store in the community. After Starr Hill Township was founded, a post office was established in their store. Liburn Carter has been given credit for submitting the name Lincoln for the new post office and it became official on January 13, 1885. Jane and Liburn had seven children: John; James, who married Mae Rauch and Willie Rhea; Hannah, who married John Murphy; Nancy, who married Sam Martin; Eva, who married George Burns. Many of their descc1Hlants still live in the Lincoln area. John (born August 14, 1841) married Susan Hobson and Margaret Jones. John was a prominent carpenter in Eureka Springs and Lincoln. I le helped in the construction of many homes and businesses. He had seven children: Adah, died young; Beatrice, who married Seely Kinne; David, who married Pearl Boyle; Mary, who married George Miller; John Waren, who married Minnie Slater; Burton, who married Estell Holt; Theodore, who married Eva Morris. Hannah (born August 9, 1843) married L. J. Symonds and James Gifford. She had no children, but was remembered for her tender nursing care. William (born October 8, 1848) married Martha Thompson and Sarah Henson. William was a well-known apple grower in Lincoln and also participated in the building of Lincoln. He and Martha had four children: James, Samuel, Ivah, and Ollie. Ollie married Louis Heyne. They lived for a time in Lincoln and Gentry before moving to Craig, Colorado. Many contributions and achievements of James Starr and his family have been recorded in the history of Lincoln. Today, the name Starr is remembered by Starr Street in Lincoln and the township is still known as Starr Hill. Information for this family history was obtained from the genealogy compiled by: Earl D. Starr; Barbara Light Starr; Gayle Starr Mooney, 1986. By: Earl D. Starr John Bell Steele A poet, a scholar, a statesman, a military hero, a devout Christian family man, a gallant handsome man - John Bell Steele. James married Lodelia Craven and is the grandfather of this writer. He moved to California where many descendants reside. Samuel married Catherine Brown and was a well-known car- Guy Cooper Steele - 1874, Age 5 penter and businessman in Lincoln. His daughter, Ilene Starr Bain, lives in Iola, Kansas and has this memory. "The church that Dad, Grandpa Starr and Uncle John worked on was called the North Methodist Church. There was another church in the south part of town called the South Methodist. There were two churches mostly because of politics. Most of the North Methodist people were Republicans and the South Methodist people were Deomcrats. The Civil War was still on the minds of some people. Attending church was a big part of our lives and I can remember Grandpa Starr and Waldo's Grandfather Bain always sitting in the north east corner of the church which was called the "AMEN CORNER". All of the old men sat in that corner, at least I thought they were old. They probably weren't much past fifty-five years of age. The women would all sit together and the young people would get as far back to the back of the church as possible. Grandma Martha Starr was said to have been a good 'shouting Methodist' but I don't remember her." Ivah married "Judge" Eugene King. He was an early postmaster, Justice of the Peace, Notary Public and merchant of Lincoln. They owned one of the first automobiles in Lincoln. Their home on North Street in Lincoln was the finest in the area and was believed to have had the first hot and cold running water. Ollie married Louis Heyne. They lived for a time in Lincoln and Gentry before moving to Craig, Colorado. Many contributions and achievements of James Starr and his family have been recorded in the history of Lincoln. Today, the name Starr is remembered by Starr Street in Lincoln and the township is still known as Starr Hill. Information for this family history was obtained from the genealogy compiled by: Earl D. Starr; Barbara Light Starr; Gayle Starr Mooney, 1986. By: Earl D. Starr