JOHN FRANKLIN CALKINS was born 20 Dec. 1829 in Cohocton, Steuben Co., New York to John Calkins and Ruth Crawford Calkins. On 21 May 1854 John married Abigail Wells, born 02 Sept. 1836 in Michigan, daughter of Solomon Wells and Caroline Ross Wells. (Abigail is sister of Fraancena Martha Wells, wife of John's brother Stephen Crawford Calkins) John enlisted in the Civil War on 04 Aug.1862, Co. E. 23rd Wis. Inf. He Mustered out 04 June1865.
John Franklin Calkins died 20 Feb. 1897 in Mazomanie, Wis. and is buried in Mazomanie Cemetery.
The following was written by John's niece, Alma Calkins Bingham:
Uncle John was one of the finest Christian men who ever lived, loved and respected by all. As told elsewhere, he and my father, Stephen Calkins, with their wives (who were sisters) and John's little son, Frankie, moved to northwest Iowa at the close of the Civil War. There he and a Mr. Hale laid out the townsite of the present city of Spencer in Clay County, Iowa. Later he and Aunt Abbie had a farm at Gilletts Grove south of Spencer. In the early 1880s he contracted for building railroads. One road was the Great Northern up through the Dakotas into Canada. One winter they spent in Manitoba where it was so cold, Aunt Abbie said they sold milk in frozen blocks. John Calkins and Will Annett were partners in some railroad work in Wyoming. I believe Mr. Knutson of Morrison, Knutson Co. in Boise was a mule driver for him on some of this work. It was on that job Knutson met his first wife who was then Aunt Abbie's cook.
Winters they usually spent in Spencer. Burt stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Coats and went to school. Emma Pickering was a girl John and Abbie raised; I am sure they did not adopt her. About 1889 they stopped contracting and bought a section of fine farm land south of Dickens, Iowa. Near the center of the section was a rise of ground; on they built their house and large barns. They were very well to do. Aunt Abbie always had her own driving team and was prominent in many public activities. During the depression of 1892-93 they lost everything in a real estate deal. Moved to Tennessee but only stayed a short time and settled in Wisconsin, Wyoming Valley where Uncle John died. He was hauling a load of logs; as he drove into the home yard a log slipped, the lad came loose and he was crushed. Aunt Abbie saw the accident and carried him into the house. (Alma Calkins Bingham)
Abagail Wells Calkins died 26 May 1930 in Riverside, Riverside Co. California and buried in Elsinore, CA on 29 May 1930.
Children of Abigail Wells Calkins and John Franklin Calkins:
Franklin Welles Calkins born 6/5/1858 Iowa Co. Wis; died 12/20/1928 Elsinore, Calif. and Jerome Burton Calkins born 11/5/1867 Spencer, Iowa; died 8/3/1938 Elsinore, California. They had several other children who died in infancy. They adopted Ellsworth Reed Calkins b. 1867 and Emma J. Reed Calkins born 1868.
(from Genealogy History, R.I. Miller)
John Franklin Calkins died 20 Feb. 1897 in Mazomanie, Wis. and is buried in Mazomanie Cemetery.
The following was written by John's niece, Alma Calkins Bingham:
Uncle John was one of the finest Christian men who ever lived, loved and respected by all. As told elsewhere, he and my father, Stephen Calkins, with their wives (who were sisters) and John's little son, Frankie, moved to northwest Iowa at the close of the Civil War. There he and a Mr. Hale laid out the townsite of the present city of Spencer in Clay County, Iowa. Later he and Aunt Abbie had a farm at Gilletts Grove south of Spencer. In the early 1880s he contracted for building railroads. One road was the Great Northern up through the Dakotas into Canada. One winter they spent in Manitoba where it was so cold, Aunt Abbie said they sold milk in frozen blocks. John Calkins and Will Annett were partners in some railroad work in Wyoming. I believe Mr. Knutson of Morrison, Knutson Co. in Boise was a mule driver for him on some of this work. It was on that job Knutson met his first wife who was then Aunt Abbie's cook.
Winters they usually spent in Spencer. Burt stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Coats and went to school. Emma Pickering was a girl John and Abbie raised; I am sure they did not adopt her. About 1889 they stopped contracting and bought a section of fine farm land south of Dickens, Iowa. Near the center of the section was a rise of ground; on they built their house and large barns. They were very well to do. Aunt Abbie always had her own driving team and was prominent in many public activities. During the depression of 1892-93 they lost everything in a real estate deal. Moved to Tennessee but only stayed a short time and settled in Wisconsin, Wyoming Valley where Uncle John died. He was hauling a load of logs; as he drove into the home yard a log slipped, the lad came loose and he was crushed. Aunt Abbie saw the accident and carried him into the house. (Alma Calkins Bingham)
Abagail Wells Calkins died 26 May 1930 in Riverside, Riverside Co. California and buried in Elsinore, CA on 29 May 1930.
Children of Abigail Wells Calkins and John Franklin Calkins:
Franklin Welles Calkins born 6/5/1858 Iowa Co. Wis; died 12/20/1928 Elsinore, Calif. and Jerome Burton Calkins born 11/5/1867 Spencer, Iowa; died 8/3/1938 Elsinore, California. They had several other children who died in infancy. They adopted Ellsworth Reed Calkins b. 1867 and Emma J. Reed Calkins born 1868.
(from Genealogy History, R.I. Miller)
JOHN FRANKLIN CALKINS was born 20 Dec. 1829 in Cohocton, Steuben Co., New York to John Calkins and Ruth Crawford Calkins. On 21 May 1854 John married Abigail Wells, born 02 Sept. 1836 in Michigan, daughter of Solomon Wells and Caroline Ross Wells. (Abigail is sister of Fraancena Martha Wells, wife of John's brother Stephen Crawford Calkins) John enlisted in the Civil War on 04 Aug.1862, Co. E. 23rd Wis. Inf. He Mustered out 04 June1865.
John Franklin Calkins died 20 Feb. 1897 in Mazomanie, Wis. and is buried in Mazomanie Cemetery.
The following was written by John's niece, Alma Calkins Bingham:
Uncle John was one of the finest Christian men who ever lived, loved and respected by all. As told elsewhere, he and my father, Stephen Calkins, with their wives (who were sisters) and John's little son, Frankie, moved to northwest Iowa at the close of the Civil War. There he and a Mr. Hale laid out the townsite of the present city of Spencer in Clay County, Iowa. Later he and Aunt Abbie had a farm at Gilletts Grove south of Spencer. In the early 1880s he contracted for building railroads. One road was the Great Northern up through the Dakotas into Canada. One winter they spent in Manitoba where it was so cold, Aunt Abbie said they sold milk in frozen blocks. John Calkins and Will Annett were partners in some railroad work in Wyoming. I believe Mr. Knutson of Morrison, Knutson Co. in Boise was a mule driver for him on some of this work. It was on that job Knutson met his first wife who was then Aunt Abbie's cook.
Winters they usually spent in Spencer. Burt stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Coats and went to school. Emma Pickering was a girl John and Abbie raised; I am sure they did not adopt her. About 1889 they stopped contracting and bought a section of fine farm land south of Dickens, Iowa. Near the center of the section was a rise of ground; on they built their house and large barns. They were very well to do. Aunt Abbie always had her own driving team and was prominent in many public activities. During the depression of 1892-93 they lost everything in a real estate deal. Moved to Tennessee but only stayed a short time and settled in Wisconsin, Wyoming Valley where Uncle John died. He was hauling a load of logs; as he drove into the home yard a log slipped, the lad came loose and he was crushed. Aunt Abbie saw the accident and carried him into the house. (Alma Calkins Bingham)
Abagail Wells Calkins died 26 May 1930 in Riverside, Riverside Co. California and buried in Elsinore, CA on 29 May 1930.
Children of Abigail Wells Calkins and John Franklin Calkins:
Franklin Welles Calkins born 6/5/1858 Iowa Co. Wis; died 12/20/1928 Elsinore, Calif. and Jerome Burton Calkins born 11/5/1867 Spencer, Iowa; died 8/3/1938 Elsinore, California. They had several other children who died in infancy. They adopted Ellsworth Reed Calkins b. 1867 and Emma J. Reed Calkins born 1868.
(from Genealogy History, R.I. Miller)
John Franklin Calkins died 20 Feb. 1897 in Mazomanie, Wis. and is buried in Mazomanie Cemetery.
The following was written by John's niece, Alma Calkins Bingham:
Uncle John was one of the finest Christian men who ever lived, loved and respected by all. As told elsewhere, he and my father, Stephen Calkins, with their wives (who were sisters) and John's little son, Frankie, moved to northwest Iowa at the close of the Civil War. There he and a Mr. Hale laid out the townsite of the present city of Spencer in Clay County, Iowa. Later he and Aunt Abbie had a farm at Gilletts Grove south of Spencer. In the early 1880s he contracted for building railroads. One road was the Great Northern up through the Dakotas into Canada. One winter they spent in Manitoba where it was so cold, Aunt Abbie said they sold milk in frozen blocks. John Calkins and Will Annett were partners in some railroad work in Wyoming. I believe Mr. Knutson of Morrison, Knutson Co. in Boise was a mule driver for him on some of this work. It was on that job Knutson met his first wife who was then Aunt Abbie's cook.
Winters they usually spent in Spencer. Burt stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Coats and went to school. Emma Pickering was a girl John and Abbie raised; I am sure they did not adopt her. About 1889 they stopped contracting and bought a section of fine farm land south of Dickens, Iowa. Near the center of the section was a rise of ground; on they built their house and large barns. They were very well to do. Aunt Abbie always had her own driving team and was prominent in many public activities. During the depression of 1892-93 they lost everything in a real estate deal. Moved to Tennessee but only stayed a short time and settled in Wisconsin, Wyoming Valley where Uncle John died. He was hauling a load of logs; as he drove into the home yard a log slipped, the lad came loose and he was crushed. Aunt Abbie saw the accident and carried him into the house. (Alma Calkins Bingham)
Abagail Wells Calkins died 26 May 1930 in Riverside, Riverside Co. California and buried in Elsinore, CA on 29 May 1930.
Children of Abigail Wells Calkins and John Franklin Calkins:
Franklin Welles Calkins born 6/5/1858 Iowa Co. Wis; died 12/20/1928 Elsinore, Calif. and Jerome Burton Calkins born 11/5/1867 Spencer, Iowa; died 8/3/1938 Elsinore, California. They had several other children who died in infancy. They adopted Ellsworth Reed Calkins b. 1867 and Emma J. Reed Calkins born 1868.
(from Genealogy History, R.I. Miller)
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