Source:
"Little is known of his early life, but an 1850 Census of Sperry Township, Greene County Pa, shows James Vance Evans as forty years of age and a farmer. It lists the value of his real estate as $4,000.
James Vance talked to his grandchildren about the Schuylskill River and Hedding College. Hedding College was built in Abingdon soon after the Evans went there. Peter Schrader was the chairman.
James Vance must have been quite a man, for history shows he lived through a time of panics, depressions, wars, even the greenback money time. He was credited as always having a nice home for his family, and educated his sons to be gentlemen. He also helped raise his orphan granddaughters.
The family (with eight children) lived on a farm near Mt. Morris, Pa, where all their children were born. Mt. Morris, Pa is located in southwestern Pennsylvania less than a mile from the West Virginia line. Small town, not over 100 people, unless they come in from the country.
The family left Pennsylvania and moved to Abingdon, Ill in 1855 before the Civil War. They lost 3 of their children in eight years after their move to Ill. All of them died of typhoid (Oliver, Martha and John F.) All three are buried in Abingdon.
After the family moved to Abingdon, they lived there for 20 years before making their move to Kansas in 1878. The family lived in town according to the 1860 Census, but owned land and farmed in Cedar Township. The 1860 Census of Knox County, Ill lists the family in the city of Abingdon, on August 8, 1860. Value of their real estate was listed at $10,00 and personal property of $2,000.
The 1870 Federal Illinois Census of Knox County lists James Vance Evans as 59 years old, Mehitable as 57, Homer L. as 16 and Louella (a grandchild) 6 and at home. Value of their real estate was $17,000 and their personal property as $720.
The family doesn't seem to have the exact dates, nor events of their move recorded when they came to Kansas. However, James Vance, Methitable, D.C. and his wife Katherine and their son Joseph settled on a farm in South Fork in Chase County.
James was a good cattle and sheep man, and hog farmer. He was also a little bit of a religious fanatic when they made their move to Chase County.
The Federal Chase County, Kansas Census of 1880, June 12, lists James Vance, and Mehitable. The 1885 Chase County Census taken in March, lists them as living with their son D.C., his wife and their three sons.
We know this family endured some heartaches and sufferings even though we don't know all the details. However, they must have been a hard-working family because the story of others respecting them has filtered down.
"Great grandpa James Vance Evans was a nice man and his wife a Fordyce, was a beautiful woman and well born. Great grandpa was a good stock man and raised cattle, sheep and hogs. A story is told of him being in Chicago with a shipment of hogs the day they called 'Black Friday' when the market went to pieces and they could hardly get the hogs sold. They said he came home with a trunk full of 'Green Backs' that were practically worthless. Grandad always got along without anyone helping him, until he became old and senile."
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