Vertical File Biographies

This is an individual biography from the vertical file of biographical information, primarily newspaper clippings, created by the Kansas State Histocial Society Library and Archives division. This is a concise version--there may be more information in this or other sources.

Mrs. D.M. Valentine

Mrs. D.M. Valentine, the widow of the late Justice Valentine died on October 3, 1924. She was 88 years old at the time of her death and had been a resident of Kansas for six-five years. At that time, she was one of the last of the women who had endured the hardship and privation of settling the American frontier.
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She was born in Ohio in 1836 to a family who had pioneered in that state. The family moved to Iowa in the early 1850’s and it was there that she met and married Daniel Valentine.

In 1859, the Valentines left Iowa with their infant son for the journey to Kansas in a horse and buggy. The couple wandered around the northeastern part of the territory for a while and eventually settled in Peoria, Franklin County, a community that no longer exists.

The couple endured summer drought and bitter cold winters in the early days of the territory.

Then came the war years, reconstruction, the Indian outbreaks and all kinds of political upheaval--Franklin County being the center of a great deal of these actions.

Mr. Valentine, who had read law and was an attorney, was elected district judge in 1864. In 1868, he was elected to the Kansas Supreme court and the family eventually moved to Topeka in 1875 with their nine children. Judge Valentine died in 1907.

Mrs. Valentine had been a busy woman all of her life. Enduring the hard travel to the frontier, literally building a house by hand with her husband and raising nine children. Franklin County was a dangerous place during those years with the border and civil wars raging in the area.

Additionally, there were periods of severe weather, grasshopper invasions and her husband’s many absences for official duties. However, there were many positive memories such as meeting and entertaining most of the founders of the state, having her children grow up to be productive citizens and seeing Kansas enter the union.

Sources:
“Pioneering Has Been Her Lot Since She Was A Child,” Topeka Capital, 22 April,1922.
“Mrs. Daniel Valentine, Pioneer Kansan, Is Dead,” Topeka Capital, 4 October,1924.
“A Pioneer Dies,” Topeka Journal, 3 October, 1924.

The vertical file is on forty-three microfilm reels arranged alphabetically by name. These reels are available through interlibrary loan, or you may contact the reference staff . Please note that many of the clippings had yellowed and it may be impossible to produce a readable photocopy.

Completion of this biography was made possible by volunteer Frank Sotrines.