Benjamin Franklin Adair

From "History of Johnson County, Kansas" (1915) By Ed Blair (http://books.google.com/books?id=incUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA273#v=onepage&q&...)

Benjamin F. Adair, a Kansan pioneer, now a leading grocer in Olathe, was born near Logansport, Cass county, Indiana, October 18, 1843. He is a son of Benjamin and Anna (McMillian) Adair, the former a native of Maryland and the latter of Ohio. Benjamin Adair, the father, was born in Baltimore, Md., of English descent. He went to Ohio when a young man, where he was married and later removed to Indiana. At that time Indiana was almost an unbroken wilderness and Indians were plentiful in that section. In 1857 the Adair family came to Kansas. They drove the entire distance with three teams of horses and a prairie schooner. They settled on a farm three miles from Olathe where the father followed farming and stock raising until his death in 1872; the mother died in 1880. The father was a stanch Free State man and a Republican. They were the parents of eight children, as follows: Thomas, who came to Kansas in 1857, located on a claim near Bonita, where he died in 1913; Newton spent his life in Cass county, Indiana; Lorena married a Mr. McCoy and spent her life in Indiana; Rosanna married a Mr. Brandt and is now deceased; Lucinda married a Mr. Cook and after his death came to Kansas, where she died; Julia died in Colorado; Susan and Mary died in childhood, and Benjamin F., the subject of this sketch. Benjamin F. Adair attended school in Indiana and Kansas. His first school teacher, after coming to Johnson county, was B. P. Noteman and the school was held in the old Masonic Hall and he later attended school which was held just west of where the Racket store now stands on Park Street. He remained in Johnson county on his father's farm until 1873, when he went west, locating on Government land near Winfield, Kan. After remaining in that part of the State about ten years he returned to Olathe in 1883, and engaged in business as junior member of the firm of Adair, Cosgrove & Company. Later the firm became E. T. Adair & Company and at the death of E. T. Adair in 1904, B. F. became the sole owner and has since conducted the grocery store at the corner of Mahaffee and East Park streets. Mr. Adair has prospered in his business and built up a large retail grocery and produce business. He owns his store building, which is a two-story stone and brick building and is the only grocery and produce store in the east end of town. Mr. Adair is one of the old timers of Johnson county, and during the Civil war served in the Kansas State militia. They were in the line of duty when Quantrill raided Lawrence, and during the battle of Wesport. Mr. Adair is a Democrat and his fraternal affiliations are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Knights of Pythias.