Frederick Wellhouse
Frederick Wellhouse, horticulturist, was born in Chippewa, Wayne county, Ohio, Nov. 16, 1828, where he spent his early childhood, until the family removed to a farm at Copley in Summit county, ten miles west of Akron. His father died when he was fifteen years of age and the management of the farm fell upon his eldest brother, George, and himself. He married early and settled on a farm near the home place, living there until 1853, when he removed to Christian county, Illinois, having bought prairie land one mile south of Grove City, which he improved and farmed for five years, removing in 1858 to Indianapolis, Ind., where in partnership with J. N. Ray he edited and published the Indiana Farmer for one year. In September, 1859, he came to Leavenworth, Kan. He purchased land one mile southwest of the junction of the Atchison and Fort Riley roads, eight miles west of Leavenworth, improved the same and entered into partnership with James Bosley, in the growing and sale of young fruit trees. In 1862 he removed his residence to a place called Pleasant Ridge, one mile east of the junction above mentioned, engaged in the nursery business and in raising sweet potatoes. Five years later he removed to the western suburbs of Leavenworth to a place between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets, on Kiowa street, still continuing his nursery and sweet potato business until 1875, when he began the planting of commercial orchards, and up to 1903 he had planted the following: Glenwood, Leavenworth county, 117 acres; Miami county, 160 acres; Fairmount, Leavenworth county, 160 acres; Osage county, 800 acres; and Summit, Leavenworth county, 400 acres. He owned 1,600 acres devoted exclusively to apple culture and was known as the "apple king of the world," and at one time a shipment of 80,000 bushels of fruit grown in his orchards was made from Leavenworth, requiring the use of 200 freight cars. From 1879 to 1890, Mr. Wellhouse lived at Fairmount in Leavenworth county, removing at that time to Topeka. Although he accomplished a great deal as a horticulturist and gained a wide reputation in that field he still had time to contribute some valuable public service to his community, state and county. In 1860 he was justice of the peace in Kickapoo township, Leavenworth county; was chairman of the board of county commissioners of Leavenworth county, 1861 to 1863; nominated for state senator but defeated by a small majority in 1864; elected to the legislature in 1865 and again in 1888; served in the Civil war from 1861 to 1865; was captain of Company I, Nineteenth regiment of the Kansas State Militia; helped repel the Price raid, his command following the enemy as far as Little Santa Fe. He was captured by Confederate guerrillas at Aubrey, Kan., in the summer of 1865, but was released by them after they had burned several houses and killed his traveling companion, a Mr. Armstrong. Mr. Wellhouse became a member of the Kansas Horticultural Society soon after its organization, and until the time of his death attended nearly every annual meeting; was director of the society for four years, treasurer for fifteen years and president for ten years. He was director of the State Fair Association from 1881 to 1893 and vice-president for four years. He assisted in making an exhibit of Kansas fruit at Richmond, Va., in 1871, also at Boston, Mass., at the American Institute in New York City, and the state fair at Waverly, N. J., in 1873. The Kansas exhibition of fruit at the World's fair at Chicago in 1893 was entirely under his charge, also the Kansas fruit show at the Trans-Mississippi Exposition at Omaha, Neb., in 1898, during the last six weeks of the exhibition. He served as director of-the State Historical Society continuously from 1888 till the time of his death, which occurred Jan. 10, 1910.. During the last few years of his life, Mr. Wellhouse made his home with his daughter, Mrs. C. A. Bullard, at Tonganoxie, his wife having died some years before. His two daughters, Mrs. Bullard and Mrs. M. C. Moore, and one son, Walter, secretary of the Kansas State Horticultural Society, survive him. He was one of the best known men in his section of the state and his passing on was a matter of regret among all classes of citizens.
Kansas Biography, Part 2, Vol. III, 1912