Whitney J. Bailey

My great grandfather on my mom's side was Whitney J. Bailey, Birth: 5 Jun 1872 in Jefferson Township, Knox County, Ohio.

Whitney was a wheat farmer in Pratt, Kansas where the family lived. In 1900, they were living in McPherson Township and in the 1920's, in Saratoga Township, Pratt County, where Whitney was a farmer.

Death: 11 January 1947 in Pratt, Kansas. Burial: Greenlawn Cemetery, Pratt Co., Kansas

“Mrs. Rolin Mcguire recalls that one of the big social events of the year was the time of butchering when several families helped each other as they worked first at one farm and then at another. Pioneer settlers had a way of making play out of hard work. In the coldest part of the winter, neighbors came and several hogs were butchered, enough to supply the year’s meat. Many were specialist in some phase of the work but she says that Whit Bailey was one of the best butchers in these parts and much in demand.” PRATT PAPER

Charles Bailey, son of Whit, who was born in 1911, told the following story to the Pratt Paper on November 23, 1990:

“The name ‘combine’ was derived from the combining of the cutting and the threshing machine into one machine, the combine, which soon replaced all headers, header barges, binders and threshing machines.

Combines had only been out a few years when Whit Bailey bought an International Harvester from Burt Dodson in 1924. Charles Bailey says that the combine was assembled on a vacant lot just west of the Courthouse and that his dad, Whit, had Dodson to deliver it to him on the east side of town because he didn’t want to drive his tractor with lugs down the brick streets of Pratt. Whit Bailey rented a farm 2 miles east and 1 ¾ miles north of Pratt. Charles remembers going to town from the farm northeast of Pratt with his dad on a little 1921 Fordson tractor to pick up their new combine. Mr. Dodson delivered it to them on a hill east of town about where Don’s Servateria is located and they hooked it on to it and headed back down the Cannon ball towards the east to home. The Cannon Ball, now Highway 54, was just a dirt and gravel road. Whit Bailey drove the tractor and Charles rode on the combine seat to handle the brake when going down hills.

This combine came from the factory as a horse drawn machine, equipped with two small pony wheels in front and a tongue. It also had a brake on the bull wheel to hold it back when going down a hill. The first year in the harvest fields, Whit hitched 2 head of horses on the combine and put the Fordson tractor ahead of the horses. A log chain ran from the tractor back between the horses and hooked to the combine to catch the wheat. These wagons would hold about 60 bushels of wheat and it took 4 or 5 wagon loads to keep the grain hailed away.

The two horses hitched to the combine with the tractor ahead didn’t work too well. When the tractor turned a corner, the log chain rubbed the horse’s legs and also the horses had to breathe the fumes from the exhaust of the tractor. The two horses that pulled the grain wagon along side the combine didn’t like the noise of the machinery so close to them. The inside horse next to the combine was pretty spooked.

Changes were made before the 1925 harvest in the horse power hook up. The tongue was removed from the combine and a tractor hitch was installed where the tongue had been. The tractor was then hooked directly to the combine and the horses were put in the lead. The combine pulled the grain wagon along side with a special hook up for that purpose which required 6 horses then to help pull the tractor. This worked better but sill the horses were a little spooked with all that noise behind them.

Horses, tractors and this early combine were quite a colorful combination, but not the best operation in getting the wheat cut and threshed so more changes were needed to make this operation better. One of the changes made was a bin that was installed on the top of this combine to hold the grain. This did away with the grain wagon that was pulled alongside. Then a big change was made in 1927 before harvest when Whit bought a new John Deere tractor that completely took over the job of pulling the combine, and also semi-retired the little Fordson and put 6 head of horses out to grass.”

PRATT UNION PAPER, about October of 1907
“Whit Bailey killed a large rattlesnake near his home northeast of Pratt Monday. It had six rattles and a button. Mr. Bailey was lucky to discover his snakeship before he struck.” They were not uncommon during this country’s early existence but in 1907, were becoming rare enough that an encounter with one rated mention in the county papers.

PRATT UNION PAPER, September 1933
“There were 200 persons in attendance at the Pratt County Old Settlers picnic at the Fish Hatchery. Some who attended and the year that they arrived:
1884 Mrs. A.W. Bailey
1887 Whit Bailey
1887 Wal C. Banbury
1894 Mrs. C.G. Bergner
1892 Samuel Bloxom

Whitney John Bailey Obituary, January 1947, Pratt, Kansas

Whitney John Bailey, son of Wm. R. and Lucy E. Bailey, was born June 5th, 1872 near Danville, Ohio, and departed this life January 10th, 1947 in Pratt, Kansas. On Mat 5th, 1897 he was married to Miss Dora Culbertson. To this union nine children were born, four sons, Charles and Howard of Pratt, and Orace and Leroy of Wichita. Five daughters, Mrs. Lester (Elsie) Bloxom, Mrs. Wythe (Edna) Martin, Mrs. Billie (Bessie) Munch, all of Pratt, Mrs. George (Nellie) Martin of Byers, and Helen of the home. Fourteen grandchildren and one great grandchild also survive. He was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather and a sincere friend and neighbor. He will be greatly missed by his family and by the community in which he lived.

Funeral services were conducted by the Reverend E.M. Fly of the Pratt Methodist church assisted by the Reverend Robert Yeagy of Glendale. He was laid to rest in the Greenlawn Cemetery on January 13.

Posted by RAD at January 1, 2008 8:08 PM