. ▁ ▁Early ▁education ▁Ward ▁first ▁attended ▁a ▁formal ▁school ▁at ▁St . ▁Charles , ▁K ane ▁County , ▁Illinois , ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁nine ▁years ▁old . ▁He ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁Frank ▁Ward ▁to ▁his ▁class m ates ▁and ▁friends ▁and ▁showed ▁a ▁great ▁enthus ias m ▁for ▁books ▁and ▁learning , ▁liber ally ▁supp lement ing ▁his ▁education ▁with ▁outside ▁reading . ▁ ▁Four ▁years ▁after ▁Ward ▁started ▁att ending ▁school , ▁his ▁parents , ▁along ▁with ▁L ester ▁and ▁an ▁older ▁brother , ▁Er ast us , ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Iowa ▁in ▁a ▁covered ▁w agon ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁life ▁on ▁the ▁front ier . ▁Four ▁years ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁Just us ▁Ward ▁unexpected ly ▁died , ▁and ▁the ▁boys ▁returned ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁the ▁old ▁hom est ead ▁they ▁still ▁owned ▁in ▁St . ▁Charles . ▁Ward ' s ▁est r anged ▁mother , ▁who ▁lived ▁two ▁miles ▁away ▁with ▁Ward ' s ▁sister , ▁disapp ro ved ▁of ▁the ▁move , ▁and ▁wanted ▁the ▁boys ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁Iowa ▁to ▁continue ▁their ▁father ' s ▁work . ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁brothers ▁lived ▁together ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁period ▁of ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁old ▁family ▁hom est ead ▁they ▁dub bed ▁" B ach elor ' s ▁Hall ," ▁doing ▁farm ▁work ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁living , ▁and ▁encourag ed ▁each ▁other ▁to ▁purs ue ▁an ▁education ▁and ▁abandon ▁their ▁father ' s ▁life ▁of ▁physical