Burlington Jct’s most colorful character was Samuel Corken, who operated a sanitarium 1888 and 1920 and marketed mineral water cures from water called “Nek-Roc” (Corken spelled backwards). Here’s a 1911 profile of his early days.
Burlington Junction Post
Burlington Junction, Missouri ยท Thursday, November 02, 1911
https://www.newspapers.com/article/burlington-junction-post-samuel-corken/188056668/
800 Miles With Team and Wagon. MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL CORKEN. The above cut is used courtesy of St Joseph Gazette. In our issue of two weeks ago, we made mention of the fiftieth wedding anniversary of Samuel Corken and wife, which passed very quietly, owing to the wishes of Mr. and Mrs. Corken. Last week, the editor of the Post called on Mr. and Mrs. Corken at their beautiful farm home southwest of Burlington Junction and learned about their earlier immigration history to Nodaway County. We publish below 11 accounts of the aged couple’s carer experiences, which will be of interest to many of the Post’s readers. Samuel Corken was born near the little village of Londonderry, Ross County, Ohio. October 3, 1837. Mrs. Corken’s maiden name was Helen Westfar, and she was born in Richmondale, another Ohio village. Mr. and Mrs. Corken first met while attending the district school in Ross County. In the summer of 1860, Samuel Corken contracted with Col. John H. Davis to drive twelve thoroughbred Durham cows from Ohio to the latter’s farm in Nodaway County. The farm had been bought the previous year by Mr. Davis and was located where Burlington Junction now stands. Early in September, Mr. Corken, accompanied by W. H. Davis, a son of Col. Davis, whose home is in Burlington Junction, started on the 800-mile trip. They had a team and wagon and were supplied with the necessary outfit for cooking and sleeping. | They followed the old national highway through Ohio and Indiana. The night preceding the great Lincoln-Douglas debate, they were camped five miles west of Indianapolis and, at intervals, could hear the Lincoln Wideawakes and the Douglas! Rangers are traveling the road to Indianapolis. They amused themselves during the night by shouting at all the parties. When a party of Douglas followers passed, they would yell “Hurrah for Lincoln!” And vice versa. Mr. Corken says that several times that night, they were compelled to “back water? Or they would have received a sound thrashing from 0110 of the two factions. After leaving Indiana, the two travelers followed the old corduroy road through the Illinois swamps. This was the worst piece of road they encountered on their journey. Near Galesburg, they visited Henry Corken, a brother of Samuel, and crossed the Mississippi River on a ferry at Burlington, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Corken arrived in Nodaway County in 1860 by river on a ferry at Burlington, Iowa. In southern Iowa, they visited with Stephen Strong, an uncle of Mr. Davis, and it was at the Strong home that they were overtaken by Col. John H. Davis and family, who had started for Nodaway County with five covered wagons about September 27, 1860. With Mr. Davis and family were Helen Westfall and Sarah Corken, a sister of Sam Corken. The party reached Nodaway County early in November. Mr. Corken and Mr. Davis had spent seven weeks and one day on the road, sleeping every night in the wagon and cooking their meals. Their long trip was without incident, and the twelve heads of five cattle arrived here in good shape. These were the first thoroughbred cattle ever brought to this part of the country. Col. Davis and family located 011 his farm here, and Miss Sarah Corken returned to her home in Ohio the following spring. Miss Helen Westfall continued to live with the Davis family, and Samuel Corken was hired as a farmhand by Mr. Davis. October 12, 1871, one year after arriving here, Samuel Corken and Miss Helen Westfall were united in marriage at the Col. Davis home, with Rev. John Moorehead, then a circuit rider here, officiating. The young couple made their home with Mr. Davis and his wife until the following spring, when Mr. Ken, with his father, Thomas Corkon, who had come from Ohio, bought the 180-acre farm near Burling-| ton Junction, where Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Corken now live. During the Civil War, Samuel Corken was not connected with the regular army. Still, he was a member of the State Volunteers and saw extensive hard service assisting the company in ridding this part of the state of bushwhackers and guerrillas.
