Lydia L. BRIGGS

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1895, Living with husband in Girard, Crawford Co., Kansas
• Census: 1900, Living in Washington, Crawford County, Kansas
• Census: 1905, Living in Girard, Crawford County, Kansas
• Census: 1910, Living in Girard, Crawford County, Kansas
• Census: 1920, Living in Girard, Crawford County, Kansas

Lydia married Charles Henry SLAWSON on 12 Dec 1866 in Whiteside County, Illinois. Charles (son of Jesse D. SLAWSON and Rachel Marie FULLER) was born on 11 Sep 1839 in Henry County, Illinois; died on 29 Jan 1899 in Girard, Crawford County, Kansas; was buried in Union Center Cemetery in Crawford Co., Kansas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Almedia married Ellsworth Luford LAIRD about 1886 in Crawford County, Kansas. Ellsworth was born on 31 Jul 1862 in Spring Hill, Whiteside Co., Illinois; died on 16 Jul 1942 in McCune, Crawford, Kansas, USA; was buried in McCune Cemetery, McCune, Crawford Co., Kansas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1910 - Farmer
• Census: 1895, Living with parents in Girard, Crawford Co., Kansas
• Census: 1900, Living in Washington, Crawford County, Kansas
• Census: 1910, Living in Girard, Crawford County, Kansas
• Census: 1920, Living in Girard, Crawford County, Kansas
• Census: 1925, Living in Girard, Crawford County, Kansas
• Census: 1930, Living in Girard, Crawford County, Kansas

Notes:

Name:
Biography:
MARION G. SLAWSON.
Marion G. Slawson, who is engaged in farming and breeding of registered Hereford cattle and Poland-China hogs, as proprietor of the Maple Grove stock farm in Crawford and Washington townships, is a native son of this county, his birth having occurred here on the 10th of September, 1874. He is a son of Charles H. and Lydia (Briggs) Slawson, both of whom are natives of Whiteside county, Illinois. The father was a farmer by occupation, but at the time of the Civil war he put aside all business and personal considerations, offering his service to the government in defense of the Union cause in September, 1861. He became a member of Company H, Eighth Kansas Volunteer Infantry, and served until the spring of 1866, doing faithful service in defense of the old flag. In the year 1869 he located in Crawford county, becoming identified with its agricultural interests. Here he carried on farming until his death, which occurred on the 29th of January, 1889, when he was sixty years of age. His widow is still living and now makes her home with her son, Marion.
Mr. Slawson pursued his early education in the common schools and afterward attended the Girard high school, while still later he pursued a commercial course of study in a business college at Wichita. He next entered the State University of Lawrence, Kansas, where he pursued a course in law and won the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Following his graduation he located in Kansas City, Kansas, where he opened an office for practice in connection with James F. Jacobs, but after four months he returned home, feeling that his services were needed on the farm, as his father was then well advanced in years and unable to perform all the arduous duties of the farm. Here Mr. Slawson has remained continuously since and is to-day the owner of three hundred and sixty acres of valuable land, constituting the Maple Grove stock farm. This is a splendid property well improved and thoroughly equipped for the purpose used. He is very successfully engaged not only in the production of the various cereals adapted to soil and climate, but also in the breeding and raising of registered Hereford cattle and Poland China hogs, and he now has some very fine stock upon his place. In his business methods he is progressive and reliable, and is justly accounted one of the most enterprising young men of Crawford county.
On the 22d of December, 1897, Mr. Slawson was united in marriage to Clara M. Wilson, a daughter of James and Sarah (Utley) Wilson, of Illinois. They now have two sons, Charles J., born on the 12th of November, 1899, and Merrill W., born June 8, 1904. Both Mr. and Mrs. Slawson hold membership in the Methodist church at Girard and are highly esteemed throughout the community, where they have a large circle of friends. While a student in the State University he was a member of Company H, First Regiment of the Kansas National Guard. Socially he is identified with a number of organizations, including the Masonic fraternity, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Knights of the Maccabees. He belongs to both the subordinate lodge and the uniformed rank of the Knights of Pythias, Castle No. 63, and is also connected with the Anti-Horse Thief Association, No. 279. Mr. Slawson was elected as trustee of the county high school of Crawford county in 1904. Politically he has attained prominence, which is well merited, for he has done effective work in behalf of his party as a loyal and progressive citizen. He gives his political allegiance to the Republican party, and in the year 1904 was sent as a delegate to the state convention at Wichita, Kansas. In 1901 he was elected to represent his district in the state legislature and while a member of the general assembly he gave to each question which came up for settlement his earnest consideration, putting forth every effort in his power to advance the welfare of the commonwealth.
Pages 578-580 from A Twentieth century history and biographical record of Crawford County, Kansas, by Home Authors; Illustrated. Published by Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, IL : 1905. 656 p. ill. Transcribed by Carolyn Ward, in November, 2003.

Marion Slawson was the founder of S-W Supply Company. one of many industries that sprang up in southeast Kansas in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Slawson was politically prominent for serving two terms in the Kansas House of Representatives (1901-04) and a term with the Kansas School Board In 1923, working out of his barn, Slawson invented a stamped metal grave marker. This would be the origin of S-W (Slawson Wilson for his wife;s maiden name). Slawson would gain a patent for his metal stamper, start a manufacturing business and eventually employ eleven workers in his business. Until his death in 1947 Slawson devoted his time to inventions and patenting. The manufacturing facility, barn and homestead are now on the National Register of Historic Places under criterion A of the industry field.
(Extracted biographical info from the National Register of Historic Places registration form, S-W Supply Company, site# 037-266, 215 E. Prairie, Girard Kansas, 66743)

Marion married Clara M. WILSON on 22 Sep 1897 in Girard, Crawford County, Kansas. Clara was born on 16 Sep 1877; died in Jun 1963; was buried in Girard Cemetery, Girard, Crawford Co., Kansas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1895, Living with parents in Girard, Crawford Co., Kansas
• Census: 1900, Living with STEP- mother in Washington, Crawford Co., Kansas
• Census: 1905, Living with STEP- mother in Girard, Crawford Co., Kansas
• Census: 1910, Living with STEP- mother in Girard, Crawford Co., Kansas