SURNAMES
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His father was Nahum Pike and his mother was Jerusha Nutt Sprague. Joshua Pike, owing to the death of his Mother left home at the age of 9 years old and consequently received little schooling but by his own energy and application acquired a good practical business education. At age 6 years old he commenced pegging shoes and followed the business of a shoemaker until after his immigration to Kansas. He made the first pair of boots ever made in the city of Lawrence for the late lamented Judge Josiah Miller and he was connected with Paul R. Brooks in the establishment of the first boot and shoe store in that city. He carried on business in Lawrence until the spring of 1858. During 1858 he was engaged in farming in Wabaunsee county, but in the fall of that year returned to Lawrence , and there forward till the breaking out of the war was engaged in various pursuits. He was city Marshall, a police officer of the city and deputy-sheriff under Colonel Samuel Walker. Mr. Pike arrived in Lawrence with his party October 8, 1854 and at once became identified with the free-state organization. He was a member of the celebrated "Stubbs Company" which was in the free-state battles of Franklin and Fort Saunders, and was one of the party who captured from the border ruffians the cannon known as the "Sacramento", so named from having been captured by Colonel Doniphan's regiment in the Battle of Sacramento. He was one of the party who rescued John Doy from the St. Joseph Jail, one of the most daring exploits ever executed by a body of brave men. To read more about this click here. On the breaking out of
the war, he was one of Governor Robinsons bodyguards, commanded by Captain George
Earle, and ordered to patrol the borders of Missouri. From that nucleus, a company
was organized and after performing various independent duties, was finally mustered into
the 8th Kansas and afterward, on reorganization became Company A, 9th
Kansas, of which he was the first lieutenant. In the spring of 1862 he was stationed
for a time at Ft. Leavenworth, afterward at Troy, Doniphan County. While there they
captured several horse thieves and surrendered them to the commanding officer at St.
Joseph, Missouri. From there they were engaged in escort duty across the plains to
Colorado. He participated in the Indian council, at Ft. Larned, where all the western
tribes of Indians were camped buffalo-hunting, a most dangerous position. He
returned with his command to Ft. Scott in the fall, where he was promoted to Captain and
ordered to take command of Company K, which he commanded until compelled to resign in
October 1864, on account of the failure of his eyes. He is listed on the Kansas
Pension Rolls as disabled due to chronic opthalmia and drawing $15 per
month. He participated in the battles of Prairie Grove, Newtonia, and Spring
Creek, where he was wounded. His services were largely in the defense of the border
against bush-whackers, a most hazardous duty. During his service he lost 14 men and
had over 20 of his company wounded. Owing to the loss of his eyesight he was unable
to work at his trade, and engaged as a mercantile clerk before moving to Florence, Marion
County, Kansas in 1870 and becoming the Proprietor of the 2nd Harvey
Eating House (established on the Santa Fe Railroad) and Florence Hotel in
1876. "J.
A. Pike & Co., (R. T. Battey being the company) finished the hotel and
opened it June 14th, 1876, and ran it as an Eating House and Hotel for over a
year. . Fred
Harvey appeared in December 1877 and he made them an offer to buy the
hotel and furniture and as they were obligated to the Santa Fe company to
relinquish the lease on 30 days notice, they accepted Mr. Harvey's offer and
sold out the hotel and furniture Mr. Harvey paid J. A.
Pike & Co., the sum of $4,370.00 for the hotel and $1,000.00 for the
furniture, etc., a total of $5,370.00. He was married at Farnumsville, Worcester County, Massachusetts, January 8, 1854, to Mary Eliza Balcom. Miss Balcom was born 4 June 1832 in Douglas, MA. She also died in 1922. Her parents were Judson Balcom and Jerusha E. Elliot. Mary Balcom descended from one of the best families in New England. She came to Kansas with her husband before a house was erected in Lawrence, passed through all the trials of the early struggles of the persecuted free-state people, and as largely as a woman could, aided in every good work, doing the full duty of a pioneer mother in founding the State upon the everlasting principles of freedom. She was an intelligent, intellectual, noble woman. She called her husband 'Pike' as did all her siblings. I have some letters she wrote to her siblings back in MA and she seemed a very strong and fun-loving woman. In one letter she said "Pike and I are growing grapes to make wine"! They had four children: i. Frank Herbert Pike (born 1858 in Lawrence, Kansas) ii. Jessie A. Pike (born 1862 in Lawrence, Kansas) In 1916 she was listed as Mrs. Jessie A. Fraser, of Topeka, KS, in attendance at her parent's 62nd wedding anniversary. iii. Fred Earl Pike (born 21 Dec 1867, Lawrence Kansas). In 1916 he lived in Manitou Springs, CO, with his wife and two children. He died in 1938 and is buried in El Paso County, CO. iv. Charles F. Pike (born after 1869, Lawrence or
Florence, KS)
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