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Sarah Jane Thompson Briles

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  From Indiana to the Kansas Prairie One of the things I enjoy most about genealogy is watching an ancestor's story unfold through the records they left behind. Sometimes those records tell of exciting events, but more often they reveal the quiet determination of ordinary people who built homes, raised families, and persevered through life's challenges. That certainly describes Sarah Jane Thompson , my second great-grandmother. Born in Indiana in 1843, Sarah's life took her from the forests of southern Indiana to the developing farms of Iowa and finally to the open prairies of Coffey County, Kansas. Along the way she experienced westward migration, the aftermath of the Civil War, widowhood, life as a Kansas farm woman, and the changing role of women who often found themselves managing land and finances in addition to caring for their families. Growing Up on the Frontier Sarah Jane Thompson was born on 7 August 1843 in Warrick County, Indiana , the oldest known child of Wil...
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Noah W. Briles Biography

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  From North Carolina to the Kansas Prairie One of the things I enjoy about creating narrative reports from my genealogy database is that they bring together the facts of an ancestor's life into a single timeline. Once that timeline is complete, it becomes much easier to see the person behind the records. Recently, I generated a narrative report for my second great-grandfather,  Noah Washington Briles (1840–1879) . While the report contains the documented events of his life, it also provides the framework for telling his story. Below is an expanded biography based on that report. Early Life Noah Washington Briles was born in  1840 in Randolph County, North Carolina . He spent his childhood in the household of his father,  Alexander Briles , appearing with the family in the 1850 census. By 1860, the Briles family had moved west to  Coffey County in Kansas Territory , joining thousands of families seeking new opportunities on the frontier. Noah grew up during a re...
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Monday's Diggings: Neosho Falls

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  One of the pleasures of organiz ing old family files is rediscovering articles that deserve another look. While going through my MENTZER family files , I found a multi-page history of Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas . The article chronicles the rise, prosperity, and gradual decline of one of southeastern Kansas' oldest communities. Since several branches of my family—including the Mentzer family—lived in Woodson County, understanding the communities where they lived provides valuable context for their lives. Located on the Neosho River , Neosho Falls derived both its name and its early prosperity from the river's natural rapids. According to the article, settlers began arriving in 1857, even before the area was officially opened for settlement. Among the earliest arrivals were Colonel N. S. Goss and I. W. Dow , who reached the area in April 1857. Soon afterward, additional settlers established cabins, stores, a hotel, and one of the county's earliest post offices. ...
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