Published by permission from the historical society.

Transcribed by Mrs. McElroys' MMS class.

CANADAY – Merritt D.

            Merritt Delano Canaday was born in Davis County, Missouri, April 16, 1841. He was the son of John J. Canaday and Sophia (Smith) Canaday; they were natives of North Carolina and Pennsylvania, respectively. They moved to Bloomington Ill., and Merritt was only twelve years of age when his mother passed away, in 1853. His father followed his wife in death in 1855, leaving Merritt on his own. He remained there until the winter of 1858-59, when he returned to Missouri with an uncle, Elisha Ellis. In the summer of 1860, he went to Fort Scott, Kansas, then on to northern Missouri. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in Company H., 5^th Calvary, in which, he served until 1864. He was actively engaged the greater part of the time being in the battles of Osleba, Mo., under the command of James Lane; at Morristown, Mo., where Col. Johnstone lost his life; Drywood; Curtis’s raid from Missouri; battle of Helena, July 4, 1863, where his horse was shot from under him; capture of Little Rock, Ark.; and Pine Bluff, Ark.; Steele’s raid on Camden, on the Washita River where part of the regiment was captured at Mark’s Mell, and where he had another horse shot. His enlistment up, he went to Illinois and raised another regiment of men and before they could enter the war, it was over and he returned to Clinton, Ill.

            Miss America Jane Bowles, daughter of Jessie and Maria Bowles, became his bride Nov. 4, 1868. They lived in Clinton, Ill. Until 1871, when they left for Kansas, with their year old daughter, Mary Emma, (America Canaday’s history of coming to Kansas is printed in the book.)  They came to Salem Township and preempted the southwest quarter of Section 26, where Smith Reder now lives. Their years on the farm were trying but yet rewarding. Two more children were born to this happy couple. They were Charles David Canaday, born Feb. 12, 1874, and Anna Canaday, May 13, 1878.

            The town of Mulvane was laid out in 1879 and 1881, Merritt had built a beautiful new home on Emery Street, in the Canaday Addition. He became a dealer in grain and livestock, entering into a partnership with Mr. Brown, under the firm name Brown and Canaday. In 1886, he entered into the lumber business with B. H. Ward, buying out the Chicago Lumber Company. Due to ill health, Merritt sold his interests to Mr. Ward. Regaining his health, he purchased the entire lumber interest in 1891 and continued running it under the name of M. D. Canaday Lumber until his death in 1915. He also owned a lumberyard in Gotebo, Okla. He was a stockholder and director in the Mulvane State Bank and was very active in community affairs. His wife played an active part in the development of many cultural activities in Mulvane; they were both active members of the Church of Christ.

            Their daughter Mary Emma, taught school at Haysville and married Frank Hufbauer, son of Adam Hufbauer, and lived in Haysville until they moved to Newkirk, Okla. Mr. Frank Hufbauer owned and operated a lumber yard there. They had one son, Harold. It is a note of interest that Frank Hufbauer’s Uncle John Hufbauer along with Hout Minnick laid out the town of El Paso (now Derby) on their own land.