A. PAXTON, Superintendent of the Auburn Coal Co., is one of our ablest and most popular business men. H is a son of John Paxton, who was born in West Virginia. His father was of German birth and after emigrating to this country made his home in West Virginia, where he was engaged as a stone-mason, and there he spent his last years.
The father of our subject served an apprenticeship of five years in his youth, and became a practical fine stonecutter and mason, and has been engaged in those callings nearly all his life. When a young man he went to Greene County, Tenn., and was there married. During the war he removed to Dade County, Ba., and the most of the time he was with the Union army as a spy, as he had always been a strong Abolitionist, and was in sympathy with the Federal troops. He did valuable service to the cause, and had many narrow escapes. After the war Paxton came to Champaign County, Ill., where he engaged at his trade, and was extensively interested in contracting and building in Chicago, Joliet, Bloomington and other cities. He cut the stone for the Springfield State house, and put in the abutments at Danville for the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Railroad.
In 1870 Mr. Paxton removed to Pawnee County, Kan., and took up a homestead claim near Larned. He still continued in business, while he improved his land and engaged in stock raising and farming. He has been much prospered and is now one of the wealthy men of that part of the country. He has a farm of six hundred and forty acres of finely improved land and is largely engaged in raising horses. He is a man of sound sense and well balanced intellect, and his standing is among the best people of this community. In politics he is still as in war times, a strong advocate of the Republican party. He has been twice married. The maiden name of his first wife was Isabelle Falls, and she was born near Nashville, Tenn. Her father, Frank Falls, was a native of Germany, and was a pioneer settler of Tennessee. Mrs. Paxton died in Kansas in the year 1876. She was in every respect a fine woman, was a Christian in the truest sense of the word, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She was the mother of the following six children: Al, our subject; James, who died in Kansas; William, a resident of Auburn; Jesse, who lives in Leadville, Col.; Robert, who died in Georgia when nine years old; and a child who died in infancy. The father of our subject was married a second time and has three daughters by this marriage.
He of whom we write was born in Greeneville, Tenn., February 22, 1855. The first years of his life were passed in the place of his birth, until he accompanied his parents to Georgia during the war. After that the family came to Champaign, Ill., where our subject grew to man's estate and received his education. He was a mere boy when he began working with his father at stone cutting and as a mason, and he remained with him thus employed until he was twenty-one years old. In the meantime he had gone to Pawnee County with his parents in 1870, and after he attained his majority he went to San Antonio, Tex., where he engaged in herding cattle, and driving them to the States and Territories. He thus led an active and exciting life and could round up a herd of cattle as well as any Texas cowboy of them all. In the pursuit of his calling he traveled through Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, and other States and Territories, and thus saw much of this country, and profited by his observations. He finally grew tired of his restless and wandering life and decided to marry, that he might have a home. Accordingly in February 1879, he was married in Lincoln, Neb., to Miss Lou Van, a native of Indiana.
After marriage our subject came to Auburn and began to work in this mine over which he now has control. The shaft had just been sunk, and he completed the preparations for mining the coal, and worked in various capacities. In time he came to be a practical miner with a full understanding of the best methods of working a coal mine. In 1887 he was one of the principals in forming the present company that owns the mine, and was elected its President, which position he held until 1890, when he took charge of affairs as Superintendent. Under his superior management the mine yields well, and is a great source of profit to its owners. The Auburn shaft is two hundred and seventy-six feet deep, and the vein of coal that is being worked is of a fine quality and is seven feet in thickness. Twenty-six miners are employed and an average of two hundred and fifty tons a day is mined.
Mr. Paxton has already by his energy and good business qualifications placed himself in comfortable circumstances, and has here some valuable property including his residence and some town lots. He and his wife have a charming home, which they have made the center of a genial hospitality. Their happy home circle is completed by the presence of their daughter Kittie, who is a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Paxton used to be a member and Treasurer of the Coal Miners' Union, and he is very highly thought of not only by his intimate friends, but by the men who work under him, who feel sure that he will do all that he can to protect their interests. Politically he is a Republican, and is one of the strongest supporters of his party in this vicinity. He has served on juries and has otherwise made himself useful as a citizen.