John & Rachel Carson, From 1885-1900

Earlier I wrote about John and Rachel's home as he recorded it in 1880, then their marriage, and an overview of Rachel's life. This time I'll continue with information about John and Rachel, taking a quick look at their life from 1885 to 1900.

We know that they moved to Kansas in 1885. When the next U.S. Census was taken, in June of 1900, John, Rachel, Bernard and Chester, were living on Elm Street, in the Peabody Township of Marion County, Kansas.

John was 48 years old and worked as a Huckster. He and Rachel had been married for 24 years. Only Bernard and Chester are living with them, but they had three other living children. John Chester, now six, was born in Kansas. Bernard, now 19, was a farm laborer. Chester was attending school. They rented the house they lived in. Here is a partial extraction of data from the census record:


Twelfth Census of the United States
State: Kansas, County: Marion, Township: Peabody, Incorportated City: Peabody City
Enumerated on the First day of June, 1900, Supervisors District: 4, Enumeration District: 95, Sheet: 1
(Extracted information is from lines 38-41)

Carson, John K.; White Male; b:Oct 1851, Maryland; Age: 48; Married 24 Years; Occupation: Huckster
Carson, Rachel F.; White Female; b:Dec 1852, Pennsylvania; Age 47; Married 24 Years; 5 Births; 5 Living Children
Carson, Bernard W.; White Male; b:Aug 1880, Maryland; Age 19; Occupation: Farm Laborer
Carson, Chester C.; White Male; b:July 1892, Kansas; Age 6; At Home


Note that the recorded children's names apparently reflect what they were called at the time. We know that the son here called Bernard, is William Bernard Lloyd (W.L.) Carson, and that the son here called Chester, is John Chester Kenneth Carson.