Francis Singer 1827-1895

The Francis Singer Family

One of the early settlers in Stohrville Township was the Francis Singer family in 1876. Francis Singer was born in Wittenburg, Germany in 1827 and emigrated to America in 1846. First settling in New Jersey where he met and married Victoria Stor in 1848, he was in business there for a time. Then he moved to Ohio and from there to Illinois and from there they came to Kansas, settling in Stohrville Township, Harper County. By pre-emption and purchase the Singers accumulated in their possession vast acres of farm lands of the best soil between Freeport and Bluff City. In 1885 Mr. Singer built one of the largest houses in this area with a full basement. This house was located three miles north and one and one-half miles east of Bluff City. All the lumber used in the building came from Illinois. It was shipped to Wellington and hauled to the building site by team and wagon. The limestone rock for the foundation came from the Winfield area. It was Eastern style and very ornate inside and out with all the doors and woodwork carved. It contained fourteen rooms and a wide open staircase led to the second floor. A crude stairway led to the attic and then a ladder extended upward to the cupola.

In those early days the homes such as this was referred to as a mansion or castle. It was quite an attraction to all the people in the community and people came for miles around to see the view from the cupola and see the countryside as far as the eye could see. Many people who came used the area along Spring Creek, which was just east of the house, for a picnic area.

Mr. and Mrs. Singer had a large family of five boys and nine girls. Francis was one of the original County Commissioners of Harper County and was appointed by the Governor of Kansas, serving that term and two more terms.

During his administration he name Stohrville Township after his wife whose maiden name was Stohr. When his wife Victoria died in 1886 she was the first person buried in Stohrville Cemetery, with the cemetery name later changed to Singer Cemetery. The land for the cemetery was donated and laid out by Victoria and Francis Singer and son, Simon Singer. The family lot is in the exact center of the cemetery marked by a tall monument.

The Singer house and land was later sold to Mrs. Sarah Croft in 1890. Mrs. Croft was the grandmother of Sam, Harold and Lloyd Croft who were born and raised in this house. In later years it was remodeled by Lloyd Croft and later on, the house burned.

Aloisa Singer, daughter of Francis and Victoria Singer, was married to Price Joyner who was the grandfather of Arthur Joyner. They made their home on a farm two miles east of the Singer home, which was settled by Price Joyner’s father, Giles Joyner in 1883.

Aloisa told of many of her experiences as a young girl. One of her chores was herding the livestock as there were no fences. She carried a small •22 caliber Derringer pistol which she used to shoot rattlesnakes that were plentiful on the prairie in those days. After her marriage she told of the time that the Jesse James gang came through the area and being hungry, asked for a meal.

They were fed and paid for the meal and went on their way. Another time a cowboy stopped with a spent horse and traded MI. Joyner for a fresh mount.

Having two guns, he traded one of the guns to boot in the trade. It was a pearl handled 44 single action Colt revolver, complete with holster and cartridge belt. This gun stayed in the Joyner family until Sterling Joyner sold it to Bim Snyder, a gun collector in Anthony.

Gertrude Singer, another daughter of Francis and Victoria Singer, married David Cooper in 1882. They resided in this area and were the grandparents of Charlsey Hoopes, Florence Adkisson and Fern Wagner.

(This article was submitted by Arthur Joyner who is the great-grandson of Francis and Victoria Singer. Arthur is a member of the Bluff City Centennial Committee.)