The son of Samuel Kerr and his wife Betsy Ann Taylor.

Company "I" 2nd Illinois Cavalry -
KERR, Russell T.; Recruit; Residence Peru; Discharged Aug 14, 1863

He married 26 Jan 1864, Champaign Co., IL to Frances J. Lamb.

Washington County, Kansas Pioneers
This list of pioneers who settled in Washington County before 1874, was printed in the 70th Anniversary Edition Supplement to the Washington County Register in 1938.
Kerr R. T. Illinois 1869 Hollenberg - Charleston

70th Anniversary Edition SUPPLEMENT TO The Washington County Register, Friday, Sept. 16, 1938
HOLLENBERG - Early History
Gerat H. Hollenberg came to Washington county, Kansas, in 1857, from Marshall county, and settled on the Fort Kearney overland road, 137 miles from St. Joe and two miles from the Nebraska line. Here Mr. Hollenberg opened the first store in Washington county. It was on this same ranch that he laid out and founded the town of Hollenberg, in 1872.
Soon after this the St. Joe & D. C. R. R. was extended to that point from Hanover. Hollenberg built a store on this town site which was occupied by William R. T. Kerr, who sold groceries, dry goods and notions. After the railroad reached the town, C. A. Fuller moved in, built a store, and opened out a stock of groceries in connection with a small saloon. A small school house was built the same year and school opened in the fall of 1872 with Miss Reynolds as teacher.
In 1879 A. C. Herring, John Mann and Messrs. Brown and McColleny built stores and put in groceries, hardware, dry goods, etc.
In 1872 a post office was established in Hollenberg and R. T. Kerr was named postmaster.

1880 census, Washington Co., KS, Hollenburg, p. 471C
R.F. Kerr, 41, nursery man and land agent, IL IN KY
Frank J., 32, IN VT MA
Lillie E., 13, IL IL IN
Samuel P., 12, IL
Jennie, 10, KS
Ellie, 8, KS
James, 6, KS
Bell, 4, KS
Mary, 2, KS

The Washington Republican
Washington County
Friday
Febraury 14, 1896
Hollenberg.
"Some of our farmers are gettin ready for sowing oats. No frost in the ground.
Renters are arranging to change places.
R.T. KERR has moved on the old MOWER farm adjoining town."

1900 Washington Co., KS, Franklin Twp., p. 81
Russels T. Kerr, b. Mar 1840, IL IN Ky
Frances, [faded]
Unicey Wilson, 68, mother-in-law, VT

1910 Washington Co., KS, Franklin Twp., p. 70
Russel T. Kerr, 69, IL OH KY
Frances, 63, IN ? VT

Washington County KSArchives - Hollenberg City Cemetery in Hollenberg, Kansas
KERR Father R T Kerr 1841 - 1811
Corp Russell T, Co 1 2nd Ill Cav Civil War Vet
Mother F J 1846 - 1926
Russell Harold son of J E Kerr died Jan 17, 1905 7yrs 11 mos 23 dys

1925 - Title: CHAMPAIGN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT CHANCERY CASE 7353. Bill to Quiet Title.
Name(s):
Kerr, Elizabeth
Kerr, Joseph Foster
Kerr, Russell T.
Kerr, Samuel

Portrait and biographical album of Washington, Clay and Riley counties, Kansas, - PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM, 1890, pp. 44-45.
"RUSSELL T. KERR, one of the leading citizens of Hollenberg and an extensive dealer in grain and live stock, has been a resident of Washington County for a period of twenty years and is thus identified with its most important interests. Energetic, enterprising and industrious, he is one of those characters never satisfied when idle and takes as much pride and interest in the advancement of his community as in
the prosperity of his own private affairs.
A native of Champaign County. Ill., the subject of this sketch was born March 2, 1811. He is the offspring of an excellent family, being the son of Samuel and Betsy Ann (Taylor) Kerr, who were natives respectively of Ohio and Kentucky. Both parents removed to Indiana in their youth and in that State were married. In 1836 they settled in
Champaign County, Ill., and were among its earliest pioneers, taking up land from which the Indians had just departed. Upon the north and west of them there was not a settler for twenty miles. Deer, wolves and various other kinds of wild animals were plentiful. The elder Kerr entered 500 acres of land from the (government and when his township was organized, it was named in his honor. He improved the whole of his land and there spent the remainder of his days, departing this life about 1852. The wife and mother survived her husband only about four years. Their family consisted of six children of whom Russell T. was the eldest born. John C. is a resident of Vermillion County, Ill. Elizabeth is the wife of Jacob Jones and Matilda married Jonathan Jones, both being residents
of Vermillion County, Ill; Joseph established himself on a farm in Kerr Township, Champaign Co., Ill., where he now resides; Rachel Ann is the wife of Prince Evans and they live in Southern Kansas.
Russell T. Kerr was reared to man's estate in his native county, but in the early part of 1861, before reaching his majority and shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in Company I, 2d Illinois Cavalry in which he served over two years. He was principally engaged as a
scout, but fought at the battles of Vicksburg, Champion Hill, Raymond. Jackson, Holly Springs, Bolivar, Pocahontas, and was also in numerous skirmishes. He was uniformly found at the post of duty and was promoted to Corporal. He served
until the expiration of his term of enlistment and then receiving an honorable discharge on account of disability returned to his native county and resumed the farming pursuits to which he had been reared since boyhood. He also commenced dealing in live stock. In due time, being ready to establish a home of his own, he was married, Jan. 24, 1864 to Miss Frances J., daughter of Plina and Eunice
(Sawtell) Lamb. Mrs. Kerr was born in Fountain County, Ind., Oct. 31. 1847. Her parents were natives of New England which they left early in life, removing each with their respective parents to Indiana, where they were married. Later they removed to Illinois and when Frances J. was a small child, changed their residence once more to Champaign County, 111., where the father died and where
the mother is still living.
Mr. Kerr, in 1869, came to Washington County. Kan., and entered land in Franklin Township. In addition to the cultivation of this he engaged in breaking prairie a number of years, operating five teams. He effected good improvements upon his land and lived there until 1874 when he removed to Hollenberg and for two years was the Station
Agent at that town. He also established a store of general merchandise, officiated as Postmaster, and dealt in grain. He was the first duly elected Trustee of Hollenberg Township of which Franklin now forms a part. He put up the first warehouse in the place, also the first hay scales and shipi)ed the first car load of grain from this point. Having no scales then for weighing that first load of grain it was measured in a cheese hoop.
In addition to the interests above mentioned, Mr. Kerr also operated an hotel for a number of years at Hollenberg, Later he abandoned it and for the last two years has given his attention entirely to his grain and live stock interests. For a time he conducted a lively real-estate business and has had the selling of nearly all the land in this part of the county, having, as the record shows, made the largest list of transfers within its limits. He also
officiated as a Notary Public. Politically, during the progress of the Civil War he supported the Republican party, but voted for Horace Greely in 1872. Since that time he has been a third-party man and has frequently been selected as the candidate of the minority party for the various county offices and was given large majorities at home, his own township giving him 120 votes from a ballot
numbering only a few more than this. In religious matters, he coincides with the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
To Mr. and Mrs. Kerr there have been born eight children the eldest of those now surviving being a daughter, Lilly, who is the wife of John T. Lewis and the mother of two children — Verne A. and an infant unnamed. Samuel P. is living in Montana; Jennie .M. is the wife of Sheridan Henderson and they have one child, a son, Guy. Ella K., James, Belle and Maiy are at home with their parents. The paternal ancestors of Mr. Kerr were originally from Scotland, and a paternal granduncle served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War until its close and was afterward a member of the United States Senate. On his mother's side Grandfather John Taylor, was a second cousin of President Zachary Taylor, and a member of the Kentucky Legislature.
On another page appears a fine engraving of the pleasant home of Mr. Kerr, to which his amiable wife and accomplished daughters welcome their many friends with good cheer and hearty hositality."

http://www.schueths.com/doug/genealogy/publicvers/gleanedwithnotes/pafn381.htm
Ancestors and Cousins including Rice, Schueths, Schindler & Conger Families
From a transcribed letter provided to Doug Schueths by Joe Babcock via email 5/11/1999:
"These notes were transcribed by Joseph L. Babcock from a copy of the notes in his possession. The notes were in Wealthy C. Babcock's own hand. Where I have used (xxx) is where I have inserted text to hopefully make thing clearer.
I. From Champlain Co. IL to Washington Co. KS
In the winter of 1871 two brothers in Champlain Co, IL, began to make plans for the long drive west to Washington Co, Kansas. My grandfather, Russell Taylor Kerr and his wife, Frances Lamb Kerr had three children, Lily, Samuel and Jennie, aged 5, 3 and 1 respectively. I do not remember the name of my grandfather's brother nor how many children there were. Both men had served in the Union Army during the Civil War, Russell in the Illinois Cavalry.
The greatest difficulty that I heard my grandmother talk about in the making this trip was the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables. She was sure that there were berries and roots that were edible and that Indians knew where they were, but the white folks didn't know and they had no time to hunt. It was imperative to get some kind of shelter built before winter storms came. So they made a "dug-out". This was a sort of cave dug into the side of a hill with a roof put over it. I asked my mother where their cave was but she did not know. She thought it was along the bank of Joy Creek somewhat south and west of the present location of Hollenberg.
When spring came in 1872, my grandfather's brother decided to go back home, but my grandfather and grandmother decided to stay in Kansas. My mother was born on March 1, 1872 in the dug-out. In the summer of 1872, they built a house on the west side of what later became Hollenberg. My grandfather lover plants and brought in many prairie flowers. People drove from miles around to see his yard. The house burned in the late 1880's so I never saw either the house or the dug-out. My grandfather became the first postmaster and first general storekeeper of Hollenberg.
About 1880, after the close of church services on New Year's day, Asa Talcott (grandfather of Bethel Cassell now a resident of Steel City) arose and invited the entire congregation to come out to this house for New Year's dinner. My grandparents, with as many of their seven children as had been born by that time, came. My mother said she had the first taste of Turkey she ever had at that dinner.
After dinner the young people went skating on the Little Blue, and my uncle, Samuel Kerr, showing off as boys will, skated too close to an air hole and went through. By lying flat on the ice to spread out the weight the men managed to get him out and take him to the house to be dried off and warmed up so there was no tragedy.
When school was opened in Hollenberg there were only two children to go - Lily and Samuel Kerr. The first teacher was a woman - I think her name was Reynolds. One of my cousins found a book on the History of Washington, Marshall and Riley Counties in the Seattle Public Library. It had been published about 1890. I have never been able to get a copy.

Link to drawing of Russell Kerr's farm stead c. 1889 from the above book:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kswashhp/illustrations/washkerrrtres.jpg

http://www.idreamof.com/military/ks/washington.html
Washington County Kansas Veterans
Unknown War: Russell Kerr - (Hollenberg City Cemetery)

Russell T. Kerr's children:

1. Child Kerr, b.c. 1865, Champaign Co., IL; d. by 1871, Champaign Co., IL.

2. Lillie E. Kerr, b. 1867, Champaign Co., IL; m. John T. Lewis; had at least i. Verne A. and ii. child

3. Samuel Pliny Kerr, b. 6 Apr 1868, Champaign Co., IL; homesteaded in Montana. 6 Apr 1868. He d. 25 Nov 1948.

4. Jennie Kerr, b. 1870, Washington Co., KS; m. Sheridan Henderson and had at least i. Guy Henderson

5. Ella K. Kerr, b. 1 Mar 1872, Washington Co., KS; m. 1 Mar 1890 to Cassius Lincoln Babcock [son of Reuben Leonard Babcock and Wealthy Jane Ludwick]; she d. 1952.

Ella's daughter Wealthy Consuella wrote:
"In 1890, on my mother's 18th Birthday my parents eloped. Elopement was easier in 1890 that it is today. My father drove to Hollenberg, got mother and then drove to Hanover. There he put his horse in the livery stable and rented a team drove on to Marysville where they were married and the reversed the trop. They did not tell anyone because my father had not sold his corn and they were planning to use the corn money to buy land in western Kansas. He sold his corn about 6 weeks later and left his home at night leaving a letter explaining what he was doing and deed to this share of the land. My mother was made of sterner stuff so she woke her parents up and told them what she was doing.
Unfortunately the area in western Kansas was having a terrible drought. They even had to buy water for the mules, Jack & Kate, to drink. So they decided to go south to wait for the Cherokee Strip to come in. At Arkansas City they rented a room for mother to live in and father got a job teaching carpentry at the Chilocco Indian School. Later that winter my father got "chills and fever," and my parents decided, like the Sioux Indians, that no one could live in that unhealthy place. Also my grandfather Babcock kept writing that they would build a little house for them to live in so they drove back to Washington Co, where my father built a little 3 room house about 150 yards west of the other house. My brother and I were both born in the little 3-room house, he on August 31, 1891, and I on November 18th, 1895.
My brother (Dale Leonard, Sr.) went into World War I and in 1918 my parents sold the farm. My grandmother Babcock died in 1928 and my parents bought my Aunts share of the original Reuben Babcock farm. When my mother died in 1952, my brother and I sold that farm to Otto Brenneis.
My grandfather and grandmother Kerr, one of their grandchildren and my grandmother's mother are buried in the Hollenberg Cemetery. My parents and my father's parents are buried in the Steel City Cemetery."
Ella K. Kerr's children:
i Dale Leonard Babcock was born on 31 Aug 1891.
ii Wealthy Consuella Babcock was born on 18 Nov 1895.

6. James E. Kerr, b. May 1873, Washington Co., KS.

7. Belle Kerr, b. 1876, Washington Co., KS.

8. Mary Kerr, b. 1878, Washington Co., KS.