Richmond Community Museum added 3 new photos.
June 8, 2015 · 
THE CARSONS
Martin Carson and Mary Wyley were married in Bloomington, IN. Sept. 29, 1840. Both had been born in York, SC. Martin March 16, 1820 and Mary in 1822. To this union 9 children were born; Nancy M., Samuel Francis, (twins) Jonathan M. and William, John D., Elizabeth J., Sarah M., Emily E. and James M.
The Carson and Wyley families moved to Indiana around 1835. They had been driven out of South Carolina as had a number of other families that later settled at Berea, because of their abolitionist views.
Martin and Mary remained in Indiana till they moved to Iowa in 1851. Five children had been born by this time. William, one of the twins, died between 1850 and 1856, may have been during the move to Iowa. In Iowa the next three were born.
In 1855 Martin made a trip to Kansas to meet Rev. Smith and others from Pennsylvania and Indiana. This meeting was to check out the location for a Presbyterian Colony and town site for Berea. Finding it sufficient he returned to Iowa to start making preparations to move.
In the fall of 1857 the family moved to Kansas. In 1860 James, child 9, was born. They were very active in the community and the town. When they arrived Martin became part of the Berea Town Company along with Rev. Smith and Alexander Garrett. In the Spring of 1858 when the U. P. Church was started they were charter members. Martin became one of the first Elders of this church. He was Justice of the Peace for six years and from 1859 to 1862 he conducted a saw and grist mill in the area.
They were also involved with “Underground Railroad”. Many years later their son Samuel told the story of three runaway slaves that were brought to their house on a Sat. evening. It was too cold to keep them in the barn as they usually did so they were kept in the house. The next morning the church service was being held in their house. They were hide under the bed out of sight, that evening Samuel took them on to the next place. Also they provided food to help feed the 11 slaves John Brown had brought out of Missouri in Dec. 1858.
Martin and Samuel joined the Berea Militia in 1861. Martin took part in the Battle of Westport in Oct. 1864.
Martin and Mary moved to Edgerton around 1890. Mary passed away in Nov. 1895, Martin continued to live there till the fall of 1900. He then moved to Monte Vista, Colorado to live with his son John D., he died there in Dec. 1904.
Samuel Francis Carson he sometimes used Samuel and sometimes he used Frank and sometimes S. F. When studying the Berea-Richmond history you will see all three, but they are the same person.
Samuel as I mentioned before, he served with the Berea Militia till he joined the army. Mar. 1862 he joined Company C of the 10th Kansas Infantry, he was 17. He served faithfully till the end of the war. 
Samuel was born Jan. 6, 1845 in Indiana. He married Margaret Garrett on Nov. 28, 1867 at Berea, KS. She was born Feb. 19, 1849 in Perry County, PA. the daughter of Alexander and Margaret Garrett and sister of Cameron Garrett, from an earlier story.
Samuel and Margaret had five children; Celia, Fannie, Alice Jessie, Harry Martin and Arthur Ross. They farmed and lived in the area the rest of their lives. Samuel would become one of the last Elders of the U. P. Church at Berea. They then joined the Richmond U. P. Church and he became an Elder and served till his death. They lived and farmed the home place till they moved into Richmond in 1918.
Margaret passed away in Nov. 25, 1918 three days before their 51st wedding anniversary. Samuel continued to live in Richmond till his death July 5, 1935. Both are buried in the Richmond Cemetery with daughter Jessie.
Jessie Carson lived from the old to the new. As a young girl she attended the U. P. Church of Berea with her parents. When it disbanded in 1888 they joined the U. P. Church of Richmond of which she became a member. In 1953 the U. P. and the Methodist Episcopal Churches of Richmond merged forming the Methodist Community Church which she transferred into. In 1962 the new Methodist Church was built, her funeral was held there in 1964.
One other note to this story. It is mentioned in the Richmond history that the first child born in Richmond was C. W. “Curry” Kelsey son of James Kelsey. I just wanted to say he also had a mother she was James' wife, Nancy Carson, Martin and Mary's oldest daughter.https://www.facebook.com/RichmondKansasCommunityMuseum/posts/833794073378627