James Knox Polk Ranney (brother to Daniel), b. July 17, 1848, near Milwaukee, Wis.; m. Feb. 22, 1874, Paola, Kan., Ida Louise Inman, b. Feb. 20, 1857, Janesville, Wis., dau. of John Inman, b. Jan. 29, 1801, in Penna., but the first white man to settle in Rock Co., Wis., and who had been sent out early to buy and locate lands in Iowa and Wisconsin, and who spent a winter with the Indians. He owned the land on one side of the river where Janesville stands. His second wife was Hannah Sidmore, whose mother was the daughter of Judge Cory of the N.Y. Supreme Court. Mr. Inman lived to be 91 years of age. His daughter Ida was one of twelve children.

Judge Ranney was born while President Polk was in the White House, hence his name. When he was thirteen he was taken from school to fill the place made vacant by the enlistment of his brother. In 1866 the father decided to move to Kansas to take up land enough for all the boys. Their ox-team arrived in Miami Co. on June 25, 1866, and they located on the 160 acre farm now occupied by the subject of this sketch. He took an ardent interest in all debates, having decided opinions on all subjects discussed in the lyceums of that early day.

His bride was a "girl bride' of seventeen summers and he insisted on her going to school, which she did and remained a pupil until near the time of the birth of Mabel. The husband and father's love for mental culture must have found its development in this child's present success. Mr. Ranney has been a Judge of Probate for some years and in various ways has been a leader in county affairs, being at present President of Miami Co. Farmer's Institute; res. Osawatomie, Kan.

    Children:
Mabel, b. Jan. 28, 1875; m. F. B. Wheeler
Nettie, b. Jan. 11, 1877; m. Chas. E. Rossman
Ralph, b. Aug. 3, 1878
Clarence, b. Apr. 12, 1880; unm.; res. Osawatomie
Addie, b. June 24, 1883; grad. Manual Training School
Annie, b. June 24, 1883; grad. Manual Training School
Bessie, b. Mar. 17, 1888; died in a few days
Ethel May, b. Jan. 6, 1894

Adams, Charles Collard. Middletown Upper Houses: A history of the North Society of
Middletown, Connecticut from 1650 to 1800. With Genealogical and Biographical
Chapters on Early Families and a Full Genealogy of the Ranny Family. New York:
Gratton Press, 1908.


Submitted by Georgia Chirieleison