James Allen (16 October 1855) was born in Wisconsin to John and Lavina Allen.

He married Jennie Belle Bloomer on 25 August 1878 in Lebanon, Kansas.

James's first known residence was in Jefferson, Green County, Wisconsin in July 1860.¹⁾ His father died the month before, and in 1863, moved with his mother to Iowa.²⁾

In 1870 he was living in Belmont, Warren County, Iowa with his mother and brother John.³⁾ In 1874 he and his mother moved to Smith County, Kansas.⁴⁾ This is where he was in 1880 with his wife, mother, and first child, Bertha.⁵⁾ He lived two houses down from his father-in-law, and next door to his cousins Marquis Lafayette Allen and Henry Bascomb Allen. In 1882, he owned the land outright through a land grant under the 1862 Homestead Act.⁶⁾

In 1900 the family lived in a rented house on First St. in Assaria, Kansas.⁷⁾ By 1910, James had moved across half of Kansas to Sherlock, Kansas (a drive of over 3 hours today).⁸⁾ He was 53 years old and his youngest child was 2.

Although no mention is made of James's education but it can be inferred that he was educated since he was literate, and in 1870 he was living with his brother John who, at that time, was a school teacher.⁹⁾ In 1905 his last year of school is listed as 1876.¹⁰⁾

James's first known employment was as a Farmer in Smith County, Kansas.¹¹⁾ In 1900 he was working in Assaria, Kansas as a minister.¹²⁾ In 1905 his employment was once again listed as farmer.¹³⁾ By 1910 he had moved across the state to work on a rented farm.¹⁴⁾ In 1915 he was listed as a minister with a home library of at least 50 volumes.¹⁵⁾

James died 6 December 1918 of influenza.¹⁶⁾ It is likely that this was the infamous Spanish Flu that first gained notice in Fort Riley, Kansas earlier that year, and likely originated¹⁷⁾ in Haskell County, just south of Finney County where James lived.