Posted on: Venango Co. Pa Biographies Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Pa/VenangoBios?read=292 Surname: Eckles, Williams, McQuiston ------------------------- AMOS E. ECKLES Biographical History of Kansas, p. 1116 One of the worthy old soldiers of Pratt county, Kansas, lives on section 26 in Richland township, his name being as given above. He is one of the early settlers of the county, and has passed through all the hardships and privations which that hardy class of pioneers were called upon to meet. He at the present time is in the possession of a beautiful two hundred and eighty acre farm which he and his family conduct, making, possibly, the dairy business a specialty, Mrs. ECKLES having the reputatuion of being one of the best butter makers in Pratt county. Mr. ECLES was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, Fairview township, on the 6th of December, 1847. He was a member of one of the oldest and best families of that section, son of James ECKLES. This gentleman was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and his father before him was born in Wales. James married Lidia CARNES, a daughter of Martin CARNES, of Beaver county, Pennsylvania. Her father was a farmer in that county. The father of Mr. ECKLES died when our subject was three years old, leaving a widow and seven children. The names of the children are as follows: John, Simeon, who was a soldier in the Civil war, Anna E., Enoch, also a soldier in the civil war, a member of the Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment of Infantry; this boy was caputured by the enemy while on picket duty, and being taken to Andersonville, there died of starvation in 1864. The last member of the family was Amos, the present subject of this review. The mother of this family is now living, at the age of eighty-four in Mercer county, Pennsylvania. The father was a Republican in politics, the mother is a pominent member of the Methodus Episcopal church. Mr. Amos ECKLES was born, as stated, and reared in the county of his birth. During the war for the preservation of the Union he enlisted in Company E, of the One Hundred and Third Pennsylvania Infantry, at Meadville, in February, 1864. In that regiment he saw considerable service until the close of the war. His first orders were for the south when his regiment was ordered to Roanoke Island, doing guard duty for a month, then to New Berne, North Carolina, for a month, then to Moorehead City, to Fort Monroe, where he guarded the train which had Lincoln's remains through to Baltimore, and was discharged in 1865. For fourteen years following the war he was in the employ of the rolling mill company at Erie City, Pennsylvania. He was an expert and skilfull workman and drew as such very good pay for his services. He married in Venango county, Pennsylvania, Mary M Williams, who was of a pioneer family of Venango county, where she was born, reared and educated. She was a daughter of Elijah and Jane (MCQUISTON) WILLIAMS. Her father was born in 1812 and died at the age of seventy-five years in Venango county. In politics He was a Democratic, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was a class leader and public exhorter in the cause of the Master. Their marriage had occurred in Venango county, their ancestors having been of Scottish origin, and having settled in the county of Venango at a very early date. Mrs. Williams died at the age of seventy-four. They were the parents of nine children, five sons and four daughters, seven of whom are now living: Jane REECE, Nancy HUGHES, Mercer county, Pennsylvania; John, of Comanche county, Kansas; Hugh; George, lives in Pratt; Smith, who is now deceased, was a soldier in the Civil war, and died in Andersonville prison; Joel, now deceased; Rachel, also deceased; Sarah B., deceased wife of Ira McQUISTON of Pratt county , Kansas. After passing much of his lifetime in the iron industry in Pennsylvania, Mr. ECKLES came to Pratt county, Kansas, in 1884, where he pre-empted the farm upon which he now lives, and which is considered one of the finest farms in Pratt county. It consists of very fine rolling prairie and is well watered. The improvements consist of a very good house, large barn, and wind mill, and other outbuildings necessary to the conduct of the large farm. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Eckles have been four stalwart sons, Geroge, Ralph, James B. and Ira Ray, all of whom are at home. Our subject is in political faith a Republican and is ever ready to do whatever he can to enhance the interests of that party. He is a member of the Grand Army Post in Pratt Center, and he and his wife are prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Their home is a typical country Kansas home, at all times open to friends and neighbors.