m <
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
^ O^
' -^
'■n^:
^-
H
t'<i ::U:
/- ifei
t- 1^^.
KANSAS
A Cyclopedia of State History, Emliracing Events,
Institutions, Inaustries, Counties, Cities,
Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc.
SUPPLEMENTARY VOLUME OF PERSONAL HISTORY
AND REMINISCENCE
WITH PORTRAITS
STANDARD PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO
r
k'!
V
I ■
,3
IISTDEX
Adams, Dr. Franklin S 443
Alexa, John M 331
Alford, William C 299
Anderson, Roland ^lax 342
Anderson, Perry 558
Armstrong, Elvvood, M. D 403
Atwater, John W 312
Auld, John B 422
Avery, Henry 410
Baker, Addison 240
Baker, Charles Edgar 125
Ballard. Alonzo 430
Bartleson, John W 86
Baxter, Marble Lane 1 54
Bean, Charles M 192
Beckner, George L 412
IJennett, Edgar 485
I'.enton, Otis L 79
1 tallard, David Ellenwood 407
I'.itler, William Sawyer 522
Blake, Albert E 588
Blue, Henry AI 579
Blume, A. C 85
Blocher, Jacob 446
Bonham, Glenn Irvin 517
Braden, William H 160
B>rady, Dr. John J 418
Braddock, James Thomas 520
lirandenberg, William Aaron 191
Breeding, Walter Raleigh, AI. D 500
Ijrewer, David J 31
Brice. Owen A 352
Brodrick, Harry M 472
Brown, John Q 249
lirown, I'^merald E 576
Burke, Richard H 291
Burnette, Howard R 236
Burns, Lewis C 269
Burns, Joseph AT 268
1\ INDEX
Burton. Tolin M 62
Bussell. belbert J 34©
Calvert. George Lee i^^
Campbell, Altes II .^U
Campbell. James \\'a.sliins:ton 2S9
Campbell. James H 286
Cam])bell, Alexander 15 475
Cam])bell. Floyd Robert 127
Campbell. James A\' 4-
Capper. Arthur 63
Carpenter. Arthur A I5'5
Carson. Caleb W 224
Caster. Herbert O log
Chambers. John 0 525
Chapman. Henry W 132
Chevraux, Richard Pierre 299
Christian. Robert O., M. D 263
Clarke, Charles W 484
Clements, Milton Higg'ins 295
Clemens, Ira 112
Coburn, Foster Dwight 20
Coffman, Treadwell C 437
Cole. Charles M 141
Coleman. Walter Allen 271
Coleman, David 270
Collelmo, U. A. D., M. D 232
Connelly, John Robert 108
Cosby. Merit M 193
Coslett. Isaac 248
Cowie. James. Jr 99
Cowie. James 98
Crandall, George B 53
Crawford, Robert M 601
Creech, John Worth 432
Crosby, Josiah 91
Cumpton. John A r62
Cummings, C. E 463
Curran, John P 163
Curran, Thomas J 2n
Curran. Hon. .\ndrevv J 242
Darby, Philip 4:^3
Darby. Asa Ray ^qg
Darlington, John W.. M. D 280
Davis. Jeptha H 25 1
INDEX V
Davis, Alexander G 4i
Dawson, Benoni J 301
Dean, Edward M 608
Delaney, Michael 480
Delaney, George 502
DeLair, Sidney A 121
Dcnman, Frank B 353
Dcnney, David B I45
Denison, Charles S 170
Dieter, John G 53^
Dillon, Alfred C., M. D 359
Dillon, Asa Brade 361
Dingman, Dr. Wilson S 524
Dorsey, John J 151
Dorsey, Robert A 153
Downs, Thomas P 336
Drake, Aaron Sampson 220
Elder, John S 89
Elledge, Lycurgus L 313
Elliott, John L 581
Ellison, Isaac B 577
Ellsworth, James 0 56
Evans, John N 594
Evans, Thomas Davis 532
Evans, Charles Clark 104
Everitt, Charles C 204
Farrell, George J 37
I'eather, William Henry 3f>3
Ferguson, Thomas T 543
Fil:e, James Xelson 327
Finley, John L 30
Fipps, Alonzo J 320
Foster, Eli G 597
Foster, Frank Sharon 94
Fox, George G 284
Fox. Edward B 395
Fox, William Harrison 148
Fox, Henry F 148
Fuest, Joseph F 591
Fulton, John Gilmore 228
Fraker, Emory T 381
Garlinghouse, Orestes L., M. D 262
Gaunt, Fernando Wood 47
Geiger, A. C. T loi
VI INDEX
Georq;c. Emmet D 3"
Gibson, J. Albert • 237
Gibson, Abraham W 614
Gillette, William P 355
Gilliland. William Albert 260
Gilman, George 543
Gould, George 287
Graham, Alvah J 226
Gramme, Julius C 4^5
Guild, William R 304
Hall, Charles Edwin 102
Hamilton, Stephen H 518
Hamm, Rev. R. P 274
Henshall, Edgar Owen, M. D 354
Harbaugh, Joseph E 142
Harbison, Weslie 34i
Harden, Charles E 146
Harrison, Latham E 90
Hawes, Charles W 45^
Hawk, David C 319
Haws, Samuel 414
Hawley. Joseph E., M. D 32
Hazen, Albert 432
Hepler, Edwin Lee 184
Helton, George H 123
Hemphill, Thomas W 396
Hensley, Joseph 1 1 1
Herington, Monroe Davis 376
Herrick, James F 619
Hcwett, Sheldon B., ]\L D 133
Hickok, Charles D 612
Hill, Ed. C 38
Hindman. Joseph H., ^L D 264'
Hinkle, Fred 196
Hinshaw, Thomas D 466
Hitz, C 177
Hobart, Frank „ 346
Hnbbs. Dr. William X 550
Hogue, Clinton 485
Hohn, August ^71
Hoisington, Roy A 538
Holmbcrg. Andrew H 398
Horn, Dr. Matthaus H 478
Hudson, James Samuel 218
INDEX VII
' H nghs. Samuel H 200
11 unter, John W " 620
Hunter, John Davis 231
Hurd. \V. J 2TJ
Hurd, Robert J 278
Hutchinson, Perry 50
Hutchinson, Wilber L 305
Hyland, James R 490
Ingalls, John James 35
Jackson, William Vonneida 195
Jeffries, John A 569
Johnson, George 356
Johnson, David C 526
Johnson. Perry A 122
Johnson, William D 459
Johnson, James Wesley 501
Jellison, Arthur Dale 95
Jones, Thomas R 139
Kackley, L. B., M. D 137
Kagey, Charles L 345
Kehoe, Peter 369
Keller, Adam P. 180
Kcll\'. John 622
Kelly, Hon. George 609
Kennedy, James 565
Kennedy, Henry \<a2
Kenney. C. S 57
Kerschen, \ichoIas S 560
Kimmel. Samuel L 290
Kimple, William Henry 135
King, Charles Lincoln 244
Klaner, J. !•" 233
Klaumann, I icrman 257
Kneciu, William Henry 189
Knight, John Jones 106
Koester. Charles F .' 508
Koster, Frederick 100
Knmm, Harrv P>rent 192
Kumm, Louis 176
Kurz, Jacob .' . . 120
Lackey, Squire Hazen t68
Ladd. Ole E 5^8
Lake, Riley 294
Landis, Charles W 348
Mil INDEX
Lanyon, Edwin \* i^7
Larkin, Arthur 9*^
I.arrick, Sevwood 59
LaShelle. Dr. Charles 0 49>
Laury, John \\'esley 296
Lees.' Dr. John \\' 487
r.ee. John 1 216
LeGrande. Benjamin 3.^4
Leonard. J. T 152
Lewis. J. Claude I97
Lightner. John Adams 227
Lindburg. John R 1/4
Lindley, Nathan 241
Linscott. George S ~7-
Little. William Cutter 2.t
Longley. Sylvanus. S 392
Lynch, Austin B 606
^IcChesnej', Leander 476
McClintock. John C. :\L D 5S9
McColloch. Robert P 307
McConnell. Edgar B 598
McCoy, Frank A 599
!McGhee. James ^^' 331
McGinley. Patrick J 173
McGregor. Alexander 390
McGrew. Milton Smyth, M. D 268
Mclntire. Davis T 136
McKee. Leonard V 457
McKown. Emery Howard 116
Mackey. Richard Fairfax 13O
MacLennan. Frank Pitts 48
Macy. Frederick S 39
Magruder. Harry W 583
Malcolm. George R 181
^fann. Joseph 316
Markiiam. Harvev :>09
Marshall. John 375
Mason. Walt 323
^^arti^. George W 34c)
Martin. John 308
^Lirtlens. John G 274
Marty. John Jacob _ji6
^[artindale. Howard F c;So
Matthews. James E 298
INDEX
IX
May, W. j -75
Mead, Anson G ^^^
AFeek, James ^ "
Messing. I'.ertrand Delman ^^^
Mevn. Fred A ■+'^9
Miers, Edward ]\I., M. D ?o5
Mitchell. William H -^21
Miller, Ellis 300
Miller. Xoah E ^^'^
Mueller, Henry M 529
Mueller, T. H. Edward 52»
Mueller. Charles J 5io
Milligan. J. A., M. D 282
Mulvane. John R 5»o
Murphv. ilontraville -°7
Moberg. Arthur. M. D 10°
Montee. Dr. Charles F '^3
Montee. James W ]^^
Moore. James M., M. D 533
Moore. William M 292
Moore, Lee E 5^^
Moore. John '
Morton. John R ~"^3
I^Iorrison. Henry R ^^4
Morrison, James ^'4
Morrow, James Calvin 44°
Nester, Michael 5o2
Nichols. Roscoe T 5^^*^
Nordstrom. John W 574
Nork, Axel A 44i
O'Brien. Daniel S.. M. D 345
O'Laughlin. John -'^5
Oliver," Francois. Sr., 3' '
Olson. Charles H ^5^
Osborn, Toll" H "55
Osterhold, Samuel T 281
Olt, Frederick 523
Page, C. G 5«
Parker, Lester M 45
Parker, Schuvler R 4^0
P.nrker, D. 6 37«
Pancoasl, Benjamin F ~^^
I'nttersnn, Moses G 544
Paulcv, Rolev S 559
X INDEX
Pavne, Edward Bell, M. D 230
Pearl. F. M 253
Peckham. John \V 17 -
Peffer, 'riiomas Clayton 515
Perdue, \\illiam Channing 344
Peterson. John E 49^
Petterson, Herman Lesley 338
Pettijohn. William R 267
Pettijohn. Johnson \\'., M. D 266
Phillips, Lewis H iji
Pierson. John J 206
Pike. Lossen Green 1 43
Pike, Nathan E i49
Pingry, Carl Oscar 169
Pine. Robert Harvey i .=i9
Piper. Dorus H., M. D 530
Piper. Hugh 279
Plumb. Preston B 364
Poore. John 535
Pomeroy, Franklin Clark 252
Potter. William A 499
Porter. Hon. Ebenezer F 234
Powell, Samuel T 557
Puckey, Walter 427
Punteney. Eli M 496
Price, Wilson C 541
Raines. V. C 324
Raines. J. 1 324
Reed. Howard 423
Reitzel. Milford 0 489
Rhodes, Theodore F 436
Richmond. Jesse P 571-
Robson. R., M. D 276
Robinson. Hardy C 428
Robinson, Sara Tappan Doolittle 23
Robinson. Charles 17
Rodgers. Isaac Kirby 153
Rogers, James L 211
Roche, David ". 380
Roche, A\'illiam Thomas 379
Rowland. Claude 158
Russ. Russell S 144
Rust. Robert 1 482
Ryan. William H 208
INDEX XI
Sanders, William Peaiiey 1 19
Sanborn, Make P 371
Schaeffer, Oscar Weimer 186
Scliilling, Jacob G 318
Scbmitt, Paul N' 562
Scholz, Robert G 414
Schilling, Capt. John 317
Scott, Ralph Warren 238
Scott, Dempster 81
Seacat, Porter 147
Seaton, John 615
Seelye, Alfred Barns 402
Seelye, John Mason 400
Sexton, Francis M 464
Shaw, George C 507
Sherman, Charles W 243
Shibley, Robert Y 512
Shiffler, Clinton R 179
Short, J. T 68
Shultz, George J 468
Simpson, Samuel S 578
Skourup, Xis H 190
Slade, Orien L 470
Sloan, Edward R 313
Smith, Solomon A 223
Smith, William H 506
Smith, Dr. Henry D 492
Smith, Robert 1 607
Smith, George S., M. D 593
Snyder, \\'illiam E 157
Snyder, Daniel 115
Soper, Stanley Livingstone 493
Solt, Clarence 1 388
Solt, L. C ." 387
Solt, Mclancthon 368
Stanley, William Eugene 71
Stark. John W 216
Stevenson, Myron G 131
Stewart, Capt. Samuel J 264
Stidham, James Emmett 33
Stol])e, Gustavas 536
Stoufer. .Abe K 582
Strong, James G 573
Sughrue, Michael 201
XII INDEX
Swenson. Eric H 6i6
Taylor, J. Luther i^^S
Taylor, Joseph P 1^4
Tholen. John Herman 284
Thomann. Frank 55-
Thompson, James \\" 473
Thompson, James A 455
Thompson. M. A 3^4
Thisler, Otis L 38-^
Tibbetts, Charles C 445
Tibbetts, Livv B 444
Tilley, J. J.. .'. 564
Tilton, Stuart E 540
Todd, John E 222
Towner, Benjamin Ulysses 205
Towner, Calvin Clermont 126
Travis, Frank L 310
Tremble, George T 93
Trigg, Thomas E 547
Travers, John L 358
Tucker, John W 367
Tudor, Herbert O : 316
Turkington, J. D 117
Turner, Guy E 215
\''ance, Hugh \V 167
Van Wey, Arthur 229
Veatch, John J 419
Vicory, Freeman 623
\\'aggener. Balie P 602
Walker, Andrew Dunham 24s
Walker, David B 566
Wallingford. Webster N 217
Wallingford. Charles Augustine 221
Wallingford. Samuel P 221
Ward, C. W 61
W^askey, Thomas P . . 182
Wasser, Elias Albert 149
Watson, Capt. ^^■illiam J 128
Wayde, John M 164
Wayland, Julius Augustus 113
Waynant, Frank 0 479
Webb. Herbert M., ^f. D '. ' 26^5
Webster, William H 335
Webster, John 35^
INDEX XIII
Wells, Charles W 362
Welsh, Charles Robert 509
Wheeler. Frederick B 1 72
Wheeler, James A 3 ' 5
Whitehair, Joseph A 373
Wicks, Wallace W 5/6
\\ieters. William : 503
Williams, Mark H 439
Williams, Walter 5^8
Williams, Henry 322
Willington, Edward Winslow 69
Wilson, Walter Everett 521
Woods, Ollie McClure 618
Woodward, Earl Cool 39i
Young, P. C 440
Young, Odus G 203
BIOORi^PHICiVL
Charles Robinson, the first governor of the State of Kansas, was
born at Hardwick, Mass., July 21, 1818. He was descended from sturdy
New England stock, the son of Jonathan and Huldah (Woodward)
Robinson. His father was a direct descendant of the John Robinson
of Plymouth Rock fame, and was a farmer and zealous anti-slavery
man. His mother came of an old New England family not prominent
in the record, but not less to be honored. The parents were of decided
religious views, and desired to give their ten children as good an edu-
cation as was possible in New England at that time. In the private
schools near his parental farm home, Charles Robinson first attended
school, and at the age of seventeen he was sent to Hadley Academy,
a year later to Amherst Academy, thence to Amherst College. At the
age of seventeen he was thrown upon his own resources owing to
the large family of his not well-to-do parents, and while pursuing his
studies he taught three terms of winter schools and otherwise employed
his time when not in the school room toward earning funds whert-
with to defray the expenses of his education. After remaining a year
and a half at Amherst College, during which his eyes failed him, he
applied to the celebrated Dr. Twitchell, of Kenne. N. H.. for medical
aid. Dr. Twitchell invited him to study medicine under his preceptor-
ship, and yielding to the invitation he took up the study of medicine
under Dr. Twitchell, with whom he remained si.x months, after which
he attended medical lectures at Pittsfield, Mass. Still later he pur-
sued his studies under Dr. Gridley at Amherst, and still later attended
medical lectures at Woodstock, Vt., finally returning to Dr. Gridley,
under whom he completed his medical education. Dr. Robinson began
the practice of medicine, in 1843, ^^ Belchertown, Mass., where he gained
a large practice, which proved to be a great strain on his not over-
rugged constitution. He, therefore, removed, in 1845, to Springfield,
Mass., where he opened a hospital practice. In the summer of 1843,
soon after he located at P.elchertown, Dr. Robinson married Miss Sarah
Adams, of Brookfield, Mass. She died at Springfield on January 17,
1846, leaving no children. Broken in spirit and health. Dr. Robinson
left Springfield and located at Fitchburg, Mass., where he practiced med-
icine until failing health prompted him to become the physician of a
company which was formed in Boston for an overland trip to Cali-
fornia. With this company he started out from Boston to the Golden
Gate, on March 19. 1849, arriving at Sacramento August 12 of that year.
Many were the tlirilliiig ads'cnlures of the trip, hut when Dr. Robin-
l8 BIOGRAPHICAL
son reached Sacramento he had changed from a slender man of 145
pounds to a robust person of 170, with every trace of his puhnonary
trouble gone. He soon abandoned mining and took up his residence in
Sacramento, where he practiced medicine, became a restaurant-keeper,
editor, and leader of a squatter rebellion. He espoused the cause of
the settlers and squatters, even to the narrow risk of losing his life
in the squatter riots of 1850, but to the extent of gaining a popularity
that resulted in his election, in 1851, to the legislature of California.
After serving with distinction in the legislature Dr. Robinson took a
steamer for Boston by way of the isthmus, reaching his New England
home September 9, 185 1. At Fitchburg he reengaged in the practice of
medicine, and also edited a newspaper, but the variety of positions that
he held in California seemed to indicate that in the future he would
have a wider sphere of usefulness than that of practicing medicine in
a countrj' town. The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill threw the
Territory of Kansas open to settlement, and the North and South vied
with each other in sending emigrants into the new territory for occupa-
tion under the law of "squatter sovereignty." The Emigrant Aid Com-
pany was formed at Boston for the purpose of colonizing Kansas with
persons who opposed slavery. It was through identification with the
Emigrant Aid Company as its agent that Dr. Robinson began his career
in Kansas. As agent for this company he started for Kansas on June
28, 1854, and in that same year the colonists sent out by the company
became the founders of Lawrence. As agent of this company Dr.
Robinson acted, as in other matters, according to his earnest convic-
tions. He opposed slavery ; believed in the settlement 01 Kansas and
the conquest of the slave power by building up homes of freemen on
a free soil, and once committed to this proposition he brought his varied
experience and his excessive energy to the support of the work. As
progress was made in the settlement of Kansas, troubles deepened and
clouds appeared on the horizon, and it was not long before the hardy-
pioneers were called upon to test their strength in adherence to the
purpose for which thej- came to Kansas. Apparently the odds wfere
against them, for the free-state men were under the shadow of the
populous State of Missouri, whose inhabitants were determined to make
Kansas a slave State and drive the abolitionists and free-state men
from the country. The attempt at territorial organization that was
now made defined the situation and precipitated the struggle. Dr.
Robinson was a valuable leader of the free-state men, and when they
had framed the Topeka constitution, looking to the admission of Kan-
sas as a State, and when it was thought best to organize and complete
a State government to be ready to go into full operation should State-
hood be granted under the Topeka constitution. Dr. Robinson was
elected governor on January 15, 1856, but under this constitution Kansas
failed of admission into the Union. It was under the Wvandotte con-
BIOGRAPHICAL I9
stitution that Kansas came into tlie Union on January 29, 1861, and Dr.
Robinson's election as the first governor of the State having taken place
over a year previous — December 6, 1859. The first free-state party had
ended in the formal organization of the Republican party, which was to
be the standard bearer of freedom in Kansas, and it was as the candidate
of the Republican party that Dr. Robinson was elected first State gov-
ernor, and in Volume II appears an account of his administration. It is
worthy of note, however, here to state that perhaps no other governor
of Kansas ever encountered so many difficulties as did Governor Rob-
inson. He met all with a calm and courageous spirit; started the ma-
chinery of the State government ; gave the new State an impulse toward
right government; in defense of the Union mustered find equipped
thirteen regiments and several battalions, and when his term of office
expired he cheerfully surrendered the office to Governor Carney, who
succeeded him on January 12, 1863. Compared with his previous expe-
riences in California, Massachusetts and Kansas, the life of Governor
Robinson, after the close of his term as governor of Kansas, was a
quiet one, yet it was a life of activity as the world goes, for he served
two terms in the State senate — elected in 1874 and 1876: was regent
of the University of Kansas, superintendent of the Haskell Institute, and
president of the State llistorical Society, and was engaged in agri-
culture.
Independent in spirit and thoroughly democratic in liis ideas, Dr.
Robinson finally rebelled against the restraint of a political regime.
From 1872 on he had followed the liberal wing of the Republican party,
but becoming gradually more and more estranged from the old party,
he was induced, in 1866, to leave it and enter upon a political campaign
as a candidate for Congress against E. II. Funston, but failed of elec-
tion. In 1890 he was induced to run for governor, supported by the
Democrats, Populists and Greenbackers, but again he failed of election.
In 1892 he helped to organize the fusion of the Democrats and Popu-
lists, which ended in the election of the Populist Governor Lewelling.
Throughout life Governor Robinson was an ardent friend of educa-
tion. From the beginning of the University of Kansas to the time of
his death, with the exception of a short interval, he was regent of
the institution. In 1889, in recognition of his eminent services to the
university and the cause of education, as well as on account of his
acknowledged ability in many directions, the board of regents conferred
upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, an unusual act for
the regents, as it was the first and last honorary degree of that kind
ever issued. Governor Robinson was not a member of the board of
regents when it was issued. Another worthy tribute to Governor Rob-
inson in recognition of his services in behalf of education was paid by
the legislature of Kansas in. 1895, when it passed an act to appropriate
$1,000 for a bust of ex-Governor Robinson to be placed in the uni-
20 BIOGRAPHICAL
versity chapel, where it now stands. An important educational work
in which ex-Governor Robinson was engaged was as the superintend-
ent of Haskell Institute, one of the prominent Indian schools of the
Federal Government, located at Lawrence. But after several years of
able conduction of this institute he was compelled to resign his trust on
account of failing health.
After the burning of Dr. Robinson's house, in May, 1856, which was
situated on the hill south of North College in Lawrence, he built his
country home, "Oakridge," about four miles north of Lawrence, and
there he spent the remainder of his days, except as he was called to and
fro in his busy life. Here he passed a quiet life, devoted largely to
the management of his extensive farming interests and to the details
of private business. He was an excellent farmer, both theoretical and
practical, not only tilling his broad acres well, but also taking an active
mierest in improved methods of agriculture. He was well known in
agricultural and horticultural circles, frequently addressing societies on
topics relating to these two industries. In addition to many other things
Governor Robinson was more or less frequently engaged in writing
for newspapers and periodicals. While he contributed much of value
concerning the historical, political and social affairs of the State and
Nation, his greatest work was "The Kansas Conflict," which book
received much favorable comment. However much men may have
differed from Governor Robinson in politics, polities, public policy, no
one who will examine his career can help admiring him as a citizen and
patriot. His whole life was an object lesson of freedom, liberty, ear-
nest conviction, and of help to those who needed help, of strength to
the strong and of support to the weak. He dealt justly with all men
in private business relations, and in the home he was an excellent and
exemplary husband.
On October 30, 1851, he married Miss Sara T. D. Lawrence, the cultured
and gifted daughter of Myron and Clarissa (Dwight) Lawrence, who
proved to be a worthy companion to her distinguished husband, and
who survived him. (Elsewhere is given a jjersonal sketch of Mrs.
Robinson.)
Governor Robinson died at "Oakridge," his country home, on .\ugust
17, 1894, at the age of seventy-six years. He met "death as bravely
as if it were an ordinar}- event in life. He had often fearlessly faced
it before, but now it came, bringing the welcome end of a well-spent
life. No citizen of Kansas has passed away amid more ardent expres-
sion of affectionate regret than Charles Robinson. The whole State
knew him and felt its loss.
Foster Dwight Coburn, secretary of the Kansas State Board of Ag-
riculture, and probably the mo.st widely known citizen of the State,
was born in Jefferson county. Wisconsin, May 7. 1846, a son of Ephraim
W. and Mary Jane (Mulks) Coburn. He was reared on a farm until the
BIOGRAPHICAL 21
age of thirteen years; received his clenientar\- education in the country
schools; served during the latter years of the great Civil war in two
Illinois regiments — first as corporal in Compan}' F, One Hundred and
Thirty-fifth infantry, and subsequently as private and sergeant-major
of the Sixty-second veteran infantry. In 1867 he came to Kansas and
located in Franklin county, where he worked as a farm laborer, taught
school, and later became a farmer and breeder of improved live stock
on his own account. In Julj^ 1880, while farming in Franklin county,
Mr. Coburn was invited to a position in the office of the State Board of
Agriculture by its secretary, Joseph K. Hudson. He accepted, which
act proved the beginning of his subsequent useful career in promoting
the agricultural interests of Kansas. Shortly after he entered the office,
Mr. Hudson resigned the office of secretary and Mr. Coburn was unani-
mously elected to fill the vacancy, remaining as secretary until January
II, 1882. For several years from that time he was editor of the Live
Stock Indicator, published at Kansas City, ]\Io., and was also president of
the Indicator Publishing Company. On January 2, 1894, he was, without
solicitation, again elected secretary of the State Hoard of Agriculture
and has held the position continuously since that date, having been
reelected without opposition and by acclamation for nine consecutive
biennial terms. At the time he came to the office, in 1894, the duties of
the position were largely of a clerical nature, but, having been actively
engaged in farming for many years, the mere collection and publica-
tion of statistics did not satisfy him. He, therefore, put new ideas into
the office b}' the gathering and distribution of such information as
would be of practical benefit to the farmers of the State in their daily
work. The result has been that the Kansas agricultural department
has become one of the most important branches of the State government,
and has, perhaps, attracted more attention and respect throughout the
country than that of any other State. His reports have been widely dis-
tributed and are regarded as authority on many subjects relating to ag-
riculture, and his books, ''Swine Husbandry" and "Swine in .\merica,"
are considered the most valuable publications on the subject of swine
raising. Since he became secretary he has devoted much attention to
the subject of alfalfa culture, being one of the first officials in the
United States to take an interest in the alfalfa plant and promote its
more general growing. Several years ago he wrote a work entitled
"Alfalfa," and still later "The Book of Alfalfa," the latter being un-
questionably the best treatise on alfalfa that has found its way into
print. Among other books written by Mr. Coburn may be mentioned
"The Helpful Hen," devoted to the poultry interests; "Corn and
Sorghums;" "Railroads and Agriculture," a discussion of the trans-
portation question; several works on different breeds of cattle; "Pork
Production," "Wheat Growing," "Forage and Fodders," "The Horse
Useful;" "Modern Dairying;" "Profitable Poultry;" "The Modern
Sheep;" as well as a number of others on kindred subjects
22 BIOGRAPHICAL
Mr. Coburn was sole judge of swine at the New Orleans exposition in
1884 ; was one of the judges of swine at the Chicago exposition in 1893 ;
was unanimously elected president of the first National corn congress
at Chicago in 1898 ; has served several terms as president and vice-
president of the board of regents of the Kansas State Agricultural Col-
lege; was chief of the department of live stock at the Louisiana Pur-
chase Exposition at St. Louis in 1904; served as treasurer of the fund
raised by the people of Kansas for the famine sufferers of India ; was
strongly recommended to President McKinley by State legislatures,
stock breeders' associations, etc., in the ^^'est for Secretary of Agri-
culture in the cabinet ; was elected president of the Kansas semi-cen-
tennial Exposition Association, but declined to serve; served four terms
as president of the State Temperance Union ; was treasurer of the same
organization for four years, and was chairman of the executive com-
mittee during the ten )'ears the union was most active in its work;
was chairman ex-officio of the Kansas State dairy commission during
the whole period of its existence in 1907-08; twice served as chairman
of committees to investigate the Kansas penitentiary ; has been chair-
man ex-officio of the Kansas State entomological commission since it
was established in 1909, and has been honored in various other ways
in connection with agricultural, industrial and educational affairs.
Politically, Mr. Coburn is an unflinching Republican, but in 1898,
after a campaign to secure his nomination as governor was well under
way, he delivered an address before the State editorial association at
Kansas City, in which he positively declined to be a candidate. Not-
withstanding this, he received over eighty votes in the convention.
Again, when Senator Joseph R. Burton resigned his seat in the L^nited
States Senate, Mr. Coburn was tendered the appointment by Governor
Hoch, but declined it, with the declaration that he preferred his ag-
ricultural work in Kansas to any other, anywhere, within the gift of '
the people. Mr. Coburn is a director and vice-president of the Pru-
dential Trust Company ; a director of the Prudential State Bank, and
vice-president and a director of the Capitol Building and Loan Asso-
ciation, all of Topeka. He is an honorary life member of the Kansas
State Horticultural Society, and an honorary member of the Kansas
State Editorial Association, and has several times been unanimously
elected a director of the Kansas State Historical Society. In June,
1909, he was honored with the degree of A. M. from Baker Univer-
sity, and the following November he received the degree of LL. D. from
the Kansas State .Xgricultural College.
In 1869 Mr. Coburn married Miss Lou Jenkins, and they have two
daughters — Mrs. Frank Davis Tomson, of Cedar Rapids. Iowa, and
Mrs. Theodore Jessup, of Chicago, 111., and a son. Dr. Clay E. Coburn,
of Kansas City, Kan.
a
Ja^^^-u^, Jo. dlc^^T^^^^yl^^'
BIOGRAPHICAL 23
Sara Tappan Doolittle Robinson was born at Belchertown. Mass.,
July 12, 1827, the eldest daughter of Myron and Clarissa (Dwight)
Lawrence. Her father was born at Middlebury, Mass., May 8, 1799,
and in 1820 graduated at the college in his native town. He studied
law under Hon. Willain Mark Doolittle, a graduate of Yale College and
an able lawyer of Middlebury. He became a member of the family of
his preceptor in the law, remaining such until his marriage, March
25, 1824, to Miss Clarissa Dwight, a daughter of Capt. Henry Dwight
and Ruth Rich. The Dwights have been prominent in the records for
many years in this countr\-, their name always recognized as a symbol
of earnest appreciation of all that is highest and best in education, re-
ligion and personal worth and industry. The mother of Mrs. Robinson
was possessed of personal charm, intellectual strength, great independ-
ence of character and marked individuality. Mrs. Robinson was given
the full name of the wife of her father's preceptor in the law — Sara
Tappan Doolittle. Myron Lawrence became an eminent lawyer and citi-
zen. At the age of twenty-seven he served as a representative in the
Massachusetts legislature, and afterward several years in the State
senate, over which body he presided as president. In June, before his
death on November 7, 1852, he was honored with the nomination for gov-
ernor of Massachusetts on the temperance ticket, but failing health pre-
vented his acceptance. At his home the distinguished people of the
times visited him. Among the most noted, Daniel Webster, Miss Har-
riet Martineau, Stephen Olin, Robert Rantoul, George Ashman and
W. B. Calhoun never passed him by. \\'hen Louis Kossuth, the great
Hungarian patriot, visited Boston, in 1850, Myron Lawrence presided at
the immense meeting in Faneuil Hall, which welcomed Kossuth to
that city.
Mrs. Robinson received an excellent education in the classical school
at Belchertown and at the Salem Academy. While attending school
she met with a severe accident by falling upon some stone steps with
such violence as to injure her spine. Tier natural vigor declined, and
a sympathetic blindness set in. At the time Dr. Charles Robinson,
afterward the first governor of the State of Kansas, was practicing
medicine at Belchertown, and one evening he was introduced in the
home of Miss Lawrence by Dr. Gridley, his preceptor iii medicine.
From that time on Dr. Robinson treated Miss Lawrence, who regained
her health under his treatment, and in after years became the wife of
her successful physician, to whom she was married on October 30. 185 1.
She came with him to Kansas, in 1854, and was of great aid to him in
his work as agent for the Emigrant Aid Society of New England. She
was admirably qualified for the responsible position as a support to
her husband in that early day of conflict against the pro-slavery fac-
tion in Kansas. She had a keen insight into affairs, a quick perception
and ready judgment, as well as a fearless and active nature, which
brought her services more than once into demand in times of critical
24 BIOGRAPHICAL
moment. Like her husband, she was entirely devoted to the cause of
freedom. She was a source of inspiration to other women of those
trying pioneer days. In 1856 she published a book of peculiar charm
and value — "Kansas, Its Interior and Exterior Life" — in which she
graphical]}' sets forth the scenes, actors and events of the struggle
between the anti-slavery and the pro-slavery factions of Kansas in that
early day. This work had a wide circulation and is today reckoned
among the most valuable productions touching that period of Kansas
history with which it deals. Mrs. Robinson was a pleasing writer and
a generous contributor to periodical literature. To the cause of free-
dom, liberty, education and church she was always an ardent friend
and generous supporter.
In 1856 Mrs. Robinson and her distinguished husband established
'"Oakridge," a beautiful rural estate near Lawrence, and from that time
on Mrs. Robinson resided there, where many prominent people of the
times visited. Here she and her husband shared the comforts and
delights of many years. Her husband died on August 17, 189-I. After
his death Mrs. Robinson lived in quiet retirement at "Oakridge" until
her death on November 15, 191 1.
. William Cutter Little. — A man's real worth to his community is best
determined b\- inquiring into the sentiment of his neighbors and fellow
citizens. Their estimate of him is found to be of more value in uncover-
ing the truth than all other sources of information. However, if there is
found in this sentiment a diversity of opinion, it is difficult to arrive at
accurate conclusions. On the other hand, if absolute harmany prevails
in it, if it is found to be a single unit, if a man's neighbors and dail}' asso-
ciates, without a single dissenter, proclaim him to be a worthy citizen
and a power for good in the community, then accuracy of conclusion is
made easy ; for no precedent exists in which perfect harmony of public
sentiment has proved to be wrong. The conclusions formed and herein
set forth with reference to the man under consideration have been
molded entirely from the sentiment of his friends and fellow citizens,
and since this sentiment had in it not a single discordant note, its accu-
racy can be fully vouchsafed and relied upon. Judge William Cutter
Little is one of the real pioneers of Wichita, as well as one of her sub-
stantial men and most highly respected citizens. Locating there in 1870,
when the place was a mere hamlet, he has resided in Wichita constantly
for more than forty years, and has been an important factor in the city's
growth from that period of its infancy to the present time. During all
these years he has helped to shape its destiny; has helped to solve its
various municipal problems ; has been a most potent factor in its de-
velopment; has had the satisfaction of seeing it become the prosperous
and important commercial city of more than 50.000 people that it is
today, and has contributed to its social, architectural, religious and edu-
cational advancement as few others have done. He has also been just
BIOGRAPHICAL 25
as active during this time in promoting the welfare and industrial better-
ment of Sedgwick county and of the State of Kansas.
Judge I^ittle was born in W'ethersfield, Henry county, Illinois, March
17, 1847, descended from good old New England Revolutionary stock
and a member of a worthy, numerous and highly representative Amer-
ican family. His father was Caleb Jewett Tenny I^ittle, who was born
at Goffstown, In^. H., July 13, 181 1, and removed to the State of Hllinois
in 1837. His mother's maiden name was liliza Ann Brooks, born at Gro-
ton, Mass., July 27, 1813. Both lived to a mature old age, the father,
who by occupation was a general merchant, dying in his eigthy-fourth
j'ear, and the mother in her eightieth year. The paternal grandfather,
Abner Bailey Little, died in his ninetieth year. The family was founded
in America by George Little, who immigrated to New England from
L'nicorn street, London Bridge, England, and located at Newbury,
Mass., in 1640. His descendants spread from Massachusetts to New
Hampshire, Maine, V'ermont, New York, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois,
and thence to other parts of the country, until today they inhabit prac-
tically every State of the American L'nion. The family has contributed
its full share toward the building up of American institutions, and, per-
haps, no other family can lay claim to a larger number of true Amer-
ican patriots. The chief characteristics of its members have been thrift,
industry, sobriety, intelligence and patriotism, together with religious
and educational tendencies of a high degree. In short, the descendants
of George Little, in America, belong to that class of citizens who have
been noted for their rugged honesty, their sturdy high character, their
activity' in the founding of schools, colleges and churches, their loyalty
and patriotism in time of war, and their industry and progressiveness in
time of peace. George Little, though he came from England, was un-
doubtedly of Scotch descent, and the high standards for which the Scotch
are noted have been worthily maintained by his American descendants.
In Judge Little's possession there is a book entitled, "Descendants of
George Little," which was published in 1882 by George Thomas Little,
A. M., of Auburn, Me., a member of the Maine Historical Society. This
volume shows George Little's descendants to be very numerous through-
out this country, there being personal accounts in it of more than 1,400
heads of families and 6,500 members, and it was published nearly thirty
years ago.
In religion the family has been altogether Protestant, and foi the most
part Congregationalists, while in occupation it has been about equally
divided among three of the principal vocations — one-third of them giv-
ing their attention to agriculture, one-third to commercial and mechan-
ical pursuits, and the remaining third to the learned professions, being
about equally divided in law, medicine and theology. There have been
five college presidents among them ; there have been representatives in
both branches of the National Congress, and statistics show that one out
26 BIOGRAPHICAL
of every twenty has served in State legislatures. The faniily has been
represented in all of the principal American wars, including the French
and Indian, the Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Civil war. Col.
Moses Little, who was officer of the daj' when Washington took com-
mand of the Continental army, and who commanded a regiment at the
battle of Bunker Hill, was one of George Little's descendants, while
others of his descendants have been prominent ag authors and publish-
ers ; and through maternal lines kinship can be traced to the poets —
Longfellow and AMiittier. Three towns of the American Union bear
the name of Littleton in honor of their founders, while the names of
members of the family appear in generous numbers on the alumni rolls
of American colleges, those of Harvard and Dartmouth predominating.
The branch of the family to which William C. Little belongs has been
noted for its remarkable longevity, his grandfather and both of his par-
ents reaching a ripe old age, as has already been noted, while five golden
weddings were celebrated by the brothers and sisters in his father's
family. It will be seen by the foregoing that William C. Little belongs
to a most worthy American family — a family which has maintained a
high standard in all matters relating to American progress, and which
represents the best sentiments and highest ideals in American life ;
and it may also be said to be a family of pioneers, for his great ancestor,
George Little, was a pioneer of Massachusetts and of the country itself,
while his father was a pioneer of the State of Illinois, and he. himself,
was a pioneer of the State of Kansas.
Judge William Cutter Little was reared to manhood in his native State
of Illinois and was educated in its public schools and in Kewanee Acad-
em}', in which he graduated in 1866. Besides the common branches,
his studies included English, Latin, Greek and German. In the fall of
1866 he entered Beloit College, but after a short time his studies there
were discontinued on account of ill health. He taught a country school
during one winter and later read law in the offices of Howe & North, at
Kewanee, 111., and was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court oi
Illinois. April 25, 1870. His attention was first attracted to Kajisas
when, as a small boy, he assisted in shelling corn which had been donated
by his father to the Kansas Immigration Aid Society. Later, when he
was older, his father pointed out to him the advantages which a new
country offered to young men of pluck, energ\', and tenacity of purpose,
and of limited means. Accordingly, soon after his admission to the bar,
and while considering the question of a location, he decided that he
would make Kansas his future home. Reaching this State September 20,
1870, he went directly to Wichita, where he has since resided. After
practicing law about fourteen years he turned his entire attention to
financial matters, and for more than twenty-five years has been promi-
nently identified with the financial, commercial and industrial history
and affairs of the city. During 1881 and 1882 he wound up the affairs
BIOGRAPHICAL 2/
of the First National Bank of \\ichita, as receiver. lie is now presi-
dent of the Wichita Loan and Trust Company, ])resident of the \\'estern
Investment and Realty Company, and is vice-president of the State Sav-
ings Bank of Wichita. Together with associates he built the first rein-
forced concrete building in the State, the present Boston Store on the
corner of Douglas and Main streets, Wichita, and is still the principal
owner of this valuable property, which is, perhaps, the largest and best
building, devoted exclusively to retail purposes, in the State of Kansas.
Judge Little has always taken an active part in the affairs of Wichita
and of Sedgwick county and has been one of the foremost men in the
city in devoting his time, attention and energies to the public weal. He
was vice-president of. the compan)- that built the first street railway *o
Fairmount; was chairman of the court-house committee which acquired
title to the ground and located the present county court house, and
he had charge of the election which voted the bonds to build it. He
was a member of the citizens' cominittee, which, in conjunction with a
committee from the city council, consulted with New York engineers
concerning a sewer system for Wichita, and as such he helped to work
out the perfect system in use today. He was an active participant in the
movement, and one of its heavy cash contributors, which led to the loca-
tion of the Dold and W^iittaker packinghouses in Wichita, the latter now
being the splendid plant of the Cudahys, and in other ways his influence
and means have contributed to the growth of W'ichita's industrial de-
velopment. He was one of the public-spirited citizens who purchased
the site of the present United States Government building in Wichita,
and was thus instrumental in bringing about its most excellent and con-
venient location. Along this line it may also be mentioned that Judge
Little took the iniatory steps in the mo\ement that led to the pur-
chase of the real estate bj- the city and the establishment of Hamilton
Park at a point only a blick and a half from Wichita's business center,
and in the transaction which conveyed the property to the municipality
he represented its Eastern owners. These are only a few of the more
important ways in which Judge Little's influence for good in his com-
munity has ben manifested. In addition to this his acts of philan-
thropy and deeds of charity have been numerous, while his sterling-
integrity and his uniform, manly, high charcter have been such as ^o
exercise a most beneficent influence upon his fellows and the rising
youth. Though not an enthusiast. Judge Little has always taken a keen
interest in manly out-door sports, was formerly a member of the Pace
Gun Club, and for many years was a member of the Waldock Lake
Fishing and Gun Club and of Wichita's country club.
In politics he has always been a Republican, casting his first Presi-
dential vote for Ulysses S. Grant. His political ideas, however, have
ever been characterized by independence of thought and action and by
consistent progressiveness. In 1871 he was appointed county super-
28 BIOGR.APHICAL
intendent of public instruction, to fill out an unexpired term, and from
1872 to 1876 served two terms as probate judge of Sedgwick county.
He is fond of literature, is a ready writer, and has the facultj^ of being
able to express his thoughts easily in both poetry and prose. In the
columns of the local press there has frequently appeared verse from
Judge Little's pen which shows him possessed of much talent as a com-
poser of well-metered, catchy and entertaining rhyme. In addition tc
being a large owner of city real estate. Judge Little has been an owner
of Kansas farms, and he has ever taken a deep interest in the most ad-
vanced methods of agriculture and in the improvement of Kansas live
stock. He has always been a strong advocate of the growing of alfalfa,
and was one among the first men in Kansas to raise it and to demon-
strate its great value and successful culture. He has ever been a lover
of high-bred domestic animals and has done much to improve the flocks
and herds of Kansas. Pedigreed Merino sheep from the finest flocks of
western Xew York and Vermont were brought in by him in car load lots,
while the herds of Kansas cattle have been improved by pedigreed Short
Horns and Herefords. which he had shipped in from the States of Alis-
souri and Illinois. This marked fondness for thoroughbred domestic
animals was in evidence even at his city home in Wichita, for his chil-
dren's pony was an imported Shetland, the family dog was a well-bred
Newfoundland, and the cows were of the best strain of Jerseys. For
many years he was secretary of the local wool growers' association,
which enabled flock masters to store and hold their wool and later
ship it in car lots to the markets of St. Louis, Boston and Philadelphia,
thus obtaining better prices for their product.
At Kewanee, Henry count}', Illinois, on June 2, 1875, Judge Little was
married to Miss Anna Louise Reed. She was born at Canandaigua, N. Y.,
August 31, 1853. daughter of William and Lucinda (Antes) Reed.
The Reed family, also, was of good New England Revolutionary stock,
many of its members becoming sturdj' and aggressive early settlers of
western New York. It was composed of good men and true, not un-
known in war, politics and religion — such famous characters as Gen.
George A. Custer, e.x-Speaker Thomas B. Reed and Episcopal Bishop
Charles Cheney, of Chicago, being among their number. Judge Little
and wife are the parents of three children, all sons, and born at Wichita,
Kan., as follows: Fred William Little, born November 16. 1877. was ed-
ucated at Leiwis Academy and Wentworth Military Academy, read law in
the offices of the late Gov. William E. Stanley, was admitted to the bar
in 1900, and now is vice-president of the Wichita Loan and Trust Com-
pany and of the Western Investment and Realty Company; married No-
vember 23, 1901. to Miss Sarah Emma, daughter of Finlay and Sarah
(Parham) Ross; one child, Fred Ross Little, born August 31, 1906.
George Reed Little, born May 3, 1880, received his preparatory education
in the Wichita public schools and at Lewis Academy, graduating in
BIOGRAPHICAL 29
1899; completed his literary work in Fairmount College and at Harvard
University ; graduated from the Northwestern University Medical School,
of Chicago, June 20, 1907, following which he completed services as resi-
dent physician in the Rockford Hospital at Rockford. 111. ; the Mil-
waukee County Hospital, of Wauwatosa, Wis., and the Chicago I.ying-in
Hospital and Dispensary at Chicago, 111., receiving diplomas from those
institutions; he is now a practicing physician and surgeon of Wichita.
Edward Antes Little, born January 20. 1889, was educated in the Wichita
public schools, Fairmount College and Leland Stanford University ; grad-
uated from the literary department of the last named institution in 1910,
and is now a student in its legal department.
Judge Little is eligible to membership in the Sons of the .\merican
Revolution and his wife is eligible to membership in the Daughters of
the .\merican Revolution, both liaving in their possession all the neces-
sary data which would admit them to those two patriotic organizations.
Ever since he located in Wichita, Judge Little has been a member and
active supporter of the First Presbyterian Church of that city, there
being no Congregational church there at an early date. During the
greater part of his forty years' membership with the First Presbyterian
Church he has served as one of its trustees, and for many years was
president of its official board. He has always taken a deep interest in
churches, schools and colleges and the work of the Young Men's Chris-
tian -Association, and has ever been a generous supporter of all of these
bulwarks of society and civilization. He was one of the founders of
Lewis Academy and Fairmount College, of Wichita, and lie and Mrs.
Little have for many }ears been liberal contributors to the cause of for-
eign missions, maintaining missionaries at their own expense in foreign
lands. Judge Little feels that of all of the investments he has ever made
outside of home and family, those that have paid the largest dividends
and yielded the higjiest happiness, arc those made by himself and wife in
supporting native pastors in foreign lands, in the education of young
men for the ministry at Chefoo. China, and in the assistance given to
the missions and to the poor of their home city. He believes the world
is growing better, is an arrlcnt su])porter of the theory of international
arbitration, and his sympathies have ever been with the weak as against
the strong. Judge Little is a well preserved man and is apparently quite
as active, and possessed of as much vigor as a man in the fullness of his
prime. His fine physical condition, no doubt, is due, in part at least, to
his regular manner of living and abstemious habits, it being a rule of his
life totally to abstain from intoxicants and narcotics of every form. In
other words, it has been his aim to adhere strictly to the principles of
the simple life, with the result that he is possessed of a clear brain, a
steady nerve and a well-fortified physique, despite his three-score and
four years. Simple in his tastes, quiet and unobtrusive in his manner,
with tenacity of purse. Judge I,ittlc has made an imjiress on the finan-
30 BIOGRAPHICAL
cial. business, religious and educational history of Wichita, as few
others have done, and has proved himself to be a creditable representa-
tive of an excellent family and a worthy descendant of his patriotic an-
cestry.
John L. Finley, a prominent attorney of St. Francis, Kan., formerly
county attorney of Cheyenne county, and legislative representative in
1907, 1908 and 1909, was born in Stark county, Illinois, December 6, 1854,
son of A. J. and M. J. Finley, natives of Ohio, who came to Illinois
in the early '30s, where the father of our subject engaged in farm-
ing and stock raising. Both parents are still living and reside in San
Diego, Cal.
John Finley was raised and attended common schools in Stark county,
later entering Heading College at Abingdon, 111., taking the degree of
Bachelor of Philosophy in that institution in 1877. After leaving col-
lege he taught school one winter and farmed one summer, when he went
to college at Ann Arbor, Mich., taking the degree of Bachelor of Laws in
the law department of that school in 1881. He first located at Hastings,
Neb., where he practiced his profession until the spring of 1886, and was
city attorney of that town for a short time. He then removed to St. Fran-
cis, Kan., arriving before the county of Cheyenne was organized. He
returned to Flastings to settle up some business matters and while he
was absent the organization of the county was effected. Mr. Finley
began practice in St. Francis, in 1893 was appointed county attorney
to fill an unexpired term, and in 1897 waS' elected to that office and
served four year*, his term expiring in 1901. In 1907 Mr. Finley was
elected representative from Cheyenne county to the State legislature
and served two terms, 1907 and 1909, and in the special session of 1908,
in which the primary law was passed. While he was a member of the
house the anti-pass bill became a law, and Mr. Finley served on the
committee on irrigation, also on the special committee to investigate
the safet}- appliances on railroads, and was chairman of the immigration
committee. He was mayor of St. Francis from 1905 to 1909, is a Repub-
lican in politics and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
In February, 1886, Mr. Finley was married to Nelly D. Holly at
Hastings, Neb. She is the daughter of Joel Holly, a native of New
York, in which State Mrs. Finley was born. Mr. Holly was a farmer
and his daughter attended the common schools and later the high school.
For several terms she taught school in Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Finley
have seven children, Floyd, Ethel, Myrtle, Holly, Clifford, Lila and
John L. Ethel is a teacher in the rural schools of Cheyenne county,
Floyd attended normal college at Salina, Kan., and is now a hardware
and implement merchant at McDonald. The other children are at home,
and the three youngest are attending school in St. Francis.
z^^^/rx
BIOGRAPHICAL 3I
David J. Brewer, jurist, was born in Smyrna, Asia Minor. June 30,
1837, son of Josiah and Amelia (Field) Brewer. His father was an
American missionary and his mother was a daughter of Rev. David
Dudley Field, of Stockbridge, Mass. During his infancy his parents
returned to America and located at Westerfield, Conn. After finishing
tiie public schools he attended the Wesleyan University at Middle-
town, Conn., later entered Yale in the junior year and graduated in
1856. He studied law with his uncle, David Dudley Field, entered the
.\lbany Law School, from which he graduated in 1858. In order to
carve out a career of his own and not be known merely as his uncle's
nephew, he came west, stopping first at St. Louis, then at Kansas Cit}^
where he contracted the gold fever and went to Pike's Peak. Return-
ing to Kansas City and not finding an opening he located at Leaven-
worth, in 1859, having but sixty-five cents left. In 1861 he was
appointed United States commissioner of the circuit court of the dis-
trict of Kansas; from 1862 to 1865 he was judge of the probate and
criminal courts of Leavenworth ; became judge of the First judicial
district in 1864, and in 1871 was elected to the supreme bench of Kan-
sas as associate justice, reelected in 1876 and again in 1882, resigning
in 1844. I" that year he was appointed by President Arthur to the
L'nited States circuit court as judge in the Eighth judicial circuit.
In December, 1889, President Harrison appointed Judge Brewer asso-
ciate justice of the United States supreme court to succeed Justice
Stanley Matthews, who was deceased. In 1890 he became a lecturer on
corporation law at the University of Columbia in New York. In 1896,
when President Cleveland made up the board of commissioners to
investigate the boundar}' troubles between Venezuela and British
Guiana, Justice Brewer was one of the members, and when the board
organized for business he was elected the presiding officer. The next
year he and Justice Fuller were arbitrators in behalf of Venezuela in
the same matter with Great Britain. He was president of the universal
congress of lawyers and jurists at the Louisiana Piirchaso lixposition at
St. Louis in 1904.
Judge Brewer made corporation law his specialty and rendered most
\aluablc service in the corporation cases in the supreme court. So
largely was his knowledge depended upon in these matters that his
death, in March, 1910, left the Government in a quandary as to how to
dispose of the Standard Oil and Tobacco cases then pending. Some of
his most important work was done in the interests of Kansas women,'
one of his decisions resulting in the establishment of the eligibility of
women to the office of county superintendent of public instruction,
another in the recognition and sustaining of the right of married women
to property belonging to them before marriage, and to the wages earned
by them after marriage. Among his literary works were: "The Pew
and the Pulpit," "The Twentieth Century from Another Viewpoint,"
"American Citizenship," and "The United States as a Christian Nation."
32 BIOGRAPHICAL
He held a great many advanced views, was an ardent advocate for
woman suffrage, and as a churchman was broad minded. The degree of
LL. D. was conferred upon liim by Washburn, Iowa and ^'ale colleges.
Judge Brewer married Louise R. Landon, of Burlington, "V't., in 1861,
who died in April, 1898. In June, 1901, he married Emma Minor Mott,
of Washington, D. C, who survived him at his death. Although he
lived in the city of Washington for many years he never ceased to
recognize Leavenworth as his home, and the people of that place always
claimed him as a resident. His body was brought back to Leavenworth
and was met at the depot by more than 1,200 citizens. Business was sus-
pended and the flag floated at half-mast. It was said that he was the
most democratic of all supreme court judges.
Joseph E. Hawley, M. D., Burr Oak, Kan., is one of the leading phy-
sicians and surgeons of the State. Dr. Hawley is a native of the State
of New York, having been born at Walton, Delaware county, June i,
1852. His parents were Edward and Angeline (Gee) Hawley, both
natives of Delaware county, Xew York, and descendants of Revolu-
tionary ancestors. Edward Hawley was a son of Harvey Hawley, whose
father was a soldier in Washington's army. Angeline Gee was a daugh-
ter of James Gee, whose father. Peter Gee, was a soldier in the
Continental army in the Revolutionary war. Soon after the Avar he
settled in Delaware county, New York, near Downsville. In 1865. Dr.
Hawley 's parents came west with their family of six children and lo-
cated in Chickasaw county, Iowa, and in 1872 they went still farther
west, this time locating in AVebster county, Nebraska, where they
homesteaded. The father died there September 17, 1879, and the mother
survived until April 26, 1896, when she, too, passed into the great
beyond.
Dr. Hawley received his early education in the public schools of
New York and Iowa and the Bradford Academy at Bradford, Iowa. He
was employed in a drug store at Bradford and read medicine with a local
physician at the same time. In 1871 he went to Spring Ranch, Clay
county, Nebraska, which was at that time the edge of the frontier settle-
ment. It was forty miles to the nearest doctor and young Hawley's
knowledge of medicine was soon appreciated. From that time on he was
known as "Doctor" and, while he did not feel competent in many casev
he was compelled to do the best he could, and on acount of the great
distance to any other doctor he had many calls and built up quite a
practice. He was well supplied with medical books and devoted all his
spare time to study and often took Druett's work on surgery with him
as a guide when called to attend a patient with a fracture or a disloca-
tion. Such were the circumstances under which Dr. Hawley began the
practice of his profession. In 1877 '^^ ^old his homestead improve-
ments in Nebraska and removed to Burr Oak, Jewell county, Kansas.
On July 25, 1879, he passed the examination before the State Board of
BIOGRAPHICAL 33
Medical Examiners and was admitted to practice under the act of 1879,
Laws of Kansas. During the years 1880, 1881 and 1882 he attended the
St. Joseph Hospital Medical College, where he was graduated, February
28, 1882. In 1901 he attended Post-Graduate' Medical College, Chicago,
111., and in 1904 he attended the Chicago Polyclinic, during which time
he spent si.x months in laboratory and hospital work in Chicago and
Kansas City. Thus Dr. Hawley commenced his professional career as
a pioneer doctor, riding over the plains in all kinds of weather, night
and day, carrying aid and comfort to the afflicted, while yet a mere
boy in his teens. He has never ceased to be a close student of the science
of medicine and surgery and his career has been one of progress. He con-
tinued the general practice until the fall of 191 1, since which time he has
devoted himself especially to surgery. He also conducts a drug' store
in P)Urr Oak, which he has owned since 1883.
Dr. Hawley has been twice married, first, November 21, 1871, to
Alice J. Stephenson, of Chickasaw county, Iowa. To this union were
forn four children, Bert A., in the mercantile business at Leedy, Okla. ;
Edward P., merchants, Traer, Kan.; Seth D., one of the leading phy-
sicians and surgeons of Oklahoma, resides at Tulsa, Okla., and Julia,
now Mrs. Charles F. Anderson, Burr Oak. Alice J. Hawley died
December 25, 1910. Dr. Hawley was married May 3, 1912, to Miss Rella
M. Lambert, of Kansas City, Mo., and former resident of Burr Oak. Not-
withstanding Dr. Hawley has alwa_VB had an extensive practice he has
at the same time taken a keen interest in the public affairs and the pro-
motion of the best interests of the community. He is now serving his
fifth term as mayor of Burr Oak; has served on the city council eighteen
years : a member of the school board nine years, and was coroner of
Jewell county one term. He was the Republican candidate for the legis-
lature, but was engulfed by the Populistic wave that swept the State.
During Harrison's administration he was appointed United States Pen-
sion E.xaminer and served six }ears, and in igio was appointed by Presi-
dent Taft to the same position, which he still holds. He is local medical
examiner for several of the largest insurance companies and has been
the local physician for the Missouri Pacific railroad for twenty years.
Dr. Hawley is a member of the American Medical Association and the
National Geographical Association. Fraternally he is a member of the
Masonic order and the Independent Order of Foresters. He is a Repub-
lican and a member of the Christian church and a strong advocate
of prohibition.
James Emmett Stidham. — If tliosc who claim that fortune has favored
certain individuals above others will but investigate the cause of success
and failure, it will be found that the former is largely due to the improve-
ment of opportunity, and the latter to the neglect of it. Fortunate envi-
ronments encompass most men at some stage in their career, but the
strong man and the successful man is he who realizes that the proper
34 IJlOCRAl'IllCAf,
moment has come, that the present and not the future holds his oppor-
tunity. The man who makes use of the Now and not the To Be is he
who passes on the highway of life others who started ahead of him,
and reaches the goal of prosperity far in advance of them. It is this
quality in Mr. Stidham that has made him a leader in the world of affairs
and won him a name that is widely known in connection with banking
interests. *
j\Ir. Stidham is now engaged as cashier of the Farmers' State Bank
at Esbon, Kan., in Jewell county, where he has been a resident since he
came to Kansas with his parents in 1872. He was born in Darke county,
Ohio, March 19. 1855, son of George W. and Eliza A. (Pitm.an) Stidham,
the former of Swiss descent, born in Delaware in 181 1, and the latter a
native of Ohio. They were the parents of two children — James E. and a
daughter, who is the widow of W. H. Bunch and resides in Beloit, Kan.
In November, 1872, the family removed to Jewell county, Kansas, where
the father spent his remaining days, passing away in 1895 at the age of
eigty-four years.
James E. Stidham is indebted to the public school system and to
Whitewater Academy at Whitewater, Ind., for the educational privileges
which he enjoyed in his youth. He has added largely to his knowledge
by experience, reading and observation. He was reared upon a farm, and
as before stated, in November, 1872. came to Kansas, with his parents, in
order to take advantage of the Government offer of cheap lands. The
family settled one mile south of the present towm of Jewell City, which
at that time was a small collection of shacks around a sod fort. The son
taught school in Jewell county six years, and in 1880 was appointed as-
sistant postmaster at Jewell Citj*. He later engaged in the book anJ
stationery business, which he followed five years, and in 1886 entered the
photograph business. He also bred and trained trotting and fancy
driving horses and was very successful in that line of endeavor. In 1896
he was again appointed assistant postmaster at Jewell City and served
four years. In 1901 he was appointed assistant postmaster at Beloit,
Kan., but in 1902 returned to Jewell City and engaged in the real estate
business. In 1904 he helped organize the Citizens' State Bank at Jewell
City and served as assistant cashier until 1907, when he removed to
Esbon, Kan., where he organized the Farmers' State Bank, of which he
has been cashier up to the present time. In addition to his banking inter-
ests he is a stockholder in the Jewell Citj- mill, and in many ways he has
advanced the material interests of Esbon. He has a quarter-section of
land — the Hutchinson homestead — in Jewell caunty, which is devoted to
farming and grazing purposes. In his business affairs he has met with
a high degree of success, being a man capable of management, with keen
discrimination and far-sighted sagacity.
In 1907 Mr. Stidham was united in marriage to Miss Flora Hutchinson,
daughter of David and Eliza Hutchinson, who homesteaded in Jewell
QcU^ .h^f^^^'-i
BIOGRAPHICAr. 35
county in 1872, where both died in the spring of 1905. Mr. and Mrs.
Hutchinson were the parents of five children. One son, Benjamin, re-
sides in Colorado, and four daughters — Mrs. Eva McAllister, Mrs. Carrie
White, Mrs. Ella Rose and Mrs. Stidham — are residents of Jewell county.
Mrs. Stidham is assistant cashier in the Farmers' State Bank at Esbon.
In his political views Mr. Stidham is an ardent and earnest Republican,
laboring untiringly for the success of the party and the adoption of its
principles. He served as a delegate to the Sixth district Republican con-
vention in 1908. Fraternally he is a Mason, having membership in the
Blue Lodge and the Chapter, and he is also a member of the Subordinate
Lodge and Encampment of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, hav-
ing served as representative in the Grand Lodge and as a member of the
committee in the Grand Encampment. His religious faith is expressed
by membership in the Methodist church.
John James Ingalls, author, lawyer and United States Senator, was
born in Middleton, Mass., December 29, 1833, a son of Elias T. and Eliza
(Chase) Ingalls. He was descended from Edmond Ingalls, who. with his
brother, Francis, founded the town of Lynn, Mass., in 1868. His father
was a first cousin of Mehitable Ingalls, the grandmother of the late
President Garfield. His mother was a descendant of Aquilla Chase, who
settled in New Hampshire in 1630. Chief Justice Chase was of this
family. After going through the public schools Ingalls attend Williams
College at Williamstown, Mass., graduating in 1855. He then studied
law and was admitttcd to the bar in 1857. The next year he came to Kan-
sas and in 1859 ^^'''■'' ^ member of the Wyandotte, Constitutional Conven-
tion. In i860 he was secretary of the Territorial council and was also
secretary of the first State senate, in 1861. The next year he was elected
State senator from Atchison county. In that year, and again in 1864, he
was nominated for lieutenant-governor on the anti-Lane ticket. During
the Civil war he ser\-e(l as judge-advocate on the staff of Gen. George
W. Deitzler with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In 1865 Mr. Ingalls
married Miss Anna Louisa Cheeseborough, a descendant of William
Cheeseborough, who came to this country with Governor Winthrop in
1630. Her father, Ellsworth Cheeseborough, was a New York importer
who came to .Xtchison, Kan., in 1859, and at the time of his death, in
i860, was an elector on the Lincoln ticket. Of this union eleven children
\vere born, six of whom were living at the time of Mr. Ingalls' death, viz. :
Ellsworth. Ethel. Ralph, Sheffield. Marion and Muriel.
In 1873, "Opportunity," of which Mr. Ingalls wrote in his declining
years, knocked at his door. He was made a candidate for Ignited States
senator at a private caucus one night, and was elected by the legislature
the next day. His career in Washington, covering a period of eighteen
years, was one of great brilliancy. He quickly acquired distinction, and
Speaker Reed remarked before he had leafned the name of new sena-
tor: "Any man who can state a proposition as that senator does is a
36 BIOGRAPHICAL
great man." As a parliamentarian he was unsurpassed. Senator Harris,
a Democrat from Tennessee, said: "Mr. Ingalls will go down upon the
records as the greatest presiding officer in the history of the Senate."
His speeches made him famous. He was the master of sarcasm and
satire, as well of eulogistic oratory. His address on John Brown, a
speech of blistering satire ; the one delivered in Atchison after his vindica-
tion in the Senate, and his eulogies of Senator Hale and Senator Wilson
are classic masterpieces, seldom, if ever, excelled in oratory. Senator
Ingalls was a strict partisan, an invincible champion of any cause, and a
bitter and persevering opponent. During his three terms in the Senate
his greatest efforts were in the advocacy of the constitutional rights of
the freedom of the South and the rights of the veterans of the Civil war.
When a wave of Populism came over Kansas it found him practically
unprepared. He had given little attention to the money question and the
tariff, and it was these things that were clamoring for solution. He
was defeated b}' the Populists for senator in 1891. Mr. Ingalls said
many times that he valued a seat in the Senate above any other honor
in the gift of the American people. As an author Mr. Ingalls won his
reputation first by a number of articles appearing in the old "Kansas
Magazine," among which were "Cat-Fish Aristocracy" and "Blue Grass."
His poem, "Opportunity," is worthy to be classed with the greatest in
the English language, and it ma}^ yet outlive his reputation as an orator
and statesman, and be his lasting monument. After leaving the Senate
Mr. Ingalls retired from active life, traveled for his health, and died in
New Mexico, August 16, 1900. In January. 1905. a statue of him was in-
stalled in Statuary Hall at Washington with fitting ceremonies, being
the first statue to be contributed by Kansas, although Ingalls during
his lifetime had urged upon the State to place one of John Brown in
this hall.
Emmet D. George, Mankato. Kan., a native Kansan who for several
years was prominent in educational work in the State. Mr. George was
born at Holton, May 3. 1873, and is a son of Hiram and Margaret (Wil-
son') George, both natives of Indiana. They lived for a time m Iowa
and in 1869 came to Kansas, locating at Holton, where they took a home-
stead and farmed. The George family consisted of nine children who
lived to maturity. The parents are both deceased, the mother departing
this life in 1909.
Emmet D. George was educated in the public schools of Smith and
Jewell counties and later attended the Salina Normal School, where he
was graduated in the class of 1893. ^^ then taught in country schools
and in 1894 was the nominee of his party for county superintendent of
schools. The next )'ear found him enrolled in Campbell College, Holton,
where he remained a year. .Mter a year or so more of teaching he entered
the State Normal School at Emporia, graduating in 1898. He began his
career as a teacher in 1890 in the district schools of Jewell county, and in
BIOGRAPHICAL 37
1899 was elected principal of the Alankato High School. At the expira-
tion of that year he was elected superintendent of the Mankato schools.
After serving in that capacity for two years he was elected superin-
tendent of the city schools of Paola, Miami county, Kansas. He filled
this responsible position to the entire satisfaction of all concerned for a
period of five jears, when he resigned to engage in the newspaper work.
During the later years of his school work he spent the summer months
in institute work, and was well and favorably known throughout the
State in that line of work. During the year 1905 he was president of the
Southeastern Kansas Teachers' Association. He was also active in the
State Teachers' Association and served one term as its vice-president,
also chairman of the auditing committee. In 1907 Mr. George purchased
the Jewell County "^Monitor," a weekly paper published at Mankato.
This uews])aper was founded in 1873 and Byron Thompson was its first
editor. It has the largest circulation of any paper in the Sixth Congres-
sional district, and its political policy has always been Republican. L"n-
der the editorial management of JMr. George the "Monitor'' maintains, a
high standard among the well conducted newspapers of western Kansas.
In February, 1911, Mr. George was appointed postmaster of Mankato,
which position he now holds. August 6, 1900, he was united in marriage
to Miss Jessie Walker, of Burlington, Kan. They have two children,
Dorothy May and Byron Lyle. Mr. and Mrs. George are members of the
Christian church. He is affiliated with the Masonic order. Modern
Woodmen of America, Red Men, Ro3'al Neighbors. Eastern -Star and the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
George J. Farrell, the ])opular sheriff of Phillips county, i< a represent-
ative of that class of substantial builders of a great commonwealth who
have served faithfully and long in Kansas. He is one of the pioneers of
this great Slate who has nobly done his duty in establishing and main-
taining the material interests and moral welfare of his community. Mr.
Farrell was born in Washington county. New York, July 22, i860, the
son of Patrick and Margaret Farrell, both of whom were born in Ire-
land. They came to America and located in New York State, where
Patrick Farrell engaged in farming. George was reared on his father's
farm and attended the common schools of Washington county until
1872, when his parents removed to Jefferson county, Nebraska, coming
west with a party known as the Plymouth Colony. Nebraska was on
the frontier at that time and this company was one of the first to locate
in the region. Mr. Farrell again engaged in farming and at the same
time raised stock, but in 1877 he came to Kansas, taking land in Phillips
county, and a year later his family joined him. They arrived in Novem-
ber, having made the trip from Nebraska in a wagon, as railroads were
few and did not run to Phillips county. The nearest railroad was at
Kearney, Neb., from which point the grain raised in the northern coun-
ties of Kansas was freighted to market. The '"'•^t li..ni,. ,,f ilio Fnrrolls
38 BIOGRAPHICAL
in Kansas was a dug-out and the first school George Farrell attended
here was also in a dug-out, furnished with rude home-made benches and
desks of Cottonwood timber. Air. Farrell went to school only one term,
as he immediately began to work on the farm, part of his time being de-
voted to herding cattle, as the country was open range. Buffalo grass
covered the rolling prairies ; there were no roads and went people went
any distance they followed divides between the streams or crossed
the creeks and rivers at fords. Crop failures were frequent and money
scarce, as the school teacher in the district where the Farrells lived re-
ceived but $io a month and boarded around among families of the
pupils. Upon attaining his majority, Mr. Farrell took a hometsead in
Prairie View township, where he built a sod house, the usual habitation
of first settlers in a country where sods were plenty and lumber scarce
and high. For some time he lived in this home and still owns the orig-
inal homestead upon which it stood, although he has since purchased
eighty acres of land adjoining the first holding. Air. Farrell engaged in
general farming and for some years has made a specialty of raising
Short Horn cattle and a high-grade of hogs, lines in which he has been
very successful, due to his own personal supervision of the farm, busi-
ness ability and hard work. Since first locating in Kansas he has taken
an active interest in all public affairs, having served as township clerk,
treasurer and trustee, and as trustee of the school board for twenty-nine
years, from 1881 to 1910. In the latter year he was elected sheriff of
Phillips county on the Democratic ticket, a position which he has filled
with great credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the men who
elected him to office. Air. Farrell is a member of the Masonic order,
being a Knight Templar. For years he has been a stanch adherent of
the Democratic party and has stood high in its councils.
On November 27, 1884, he married Ellen, the daughter of P. C. S. and
Nora O'Neill Lowe, the former a native of New Hampshire and the
latter of Ireland. The parents lived in Alinnesota before coming to
Kansas, and there Mrs. Farrell was born, November 27, 1862. The Lowe
family were among the pioneer settlers of Leavenworth county, Kansas,
and from there Mr. Lowe enlisted in the army at the outbreak of the
Civil war. Airs. Farrell was raised in Leavenworth, attending the pub-
lic schools there until 1879, when the family came to Phillips county,
where she taught school in the country for a time before her marriage.
The first school house where she taught was made of sod. There are
two children in the Farrell family: Emmit, who has charge of his
father's farm, and Nora, who teaches in Phillips county.
Ed C. Hill, the present efficient postmaster at Burr Oak, was born in
Iowa county, Wisconsin, Alay 27, 1859. He is a son of Sylvester and
Eliza (Eillington) Hill. Sylvester Hill was a native of Crawford county,
Pennsylvania, and came west with his parents when a child. He was a
son of Jonathan Hill, who was a native of Connecticut, and one of the
BIOGRAnilCAL 39
original settlers in that portion of Ohio known as the Western Reserve.
He was the first settler in what is now Hartsgrove township, Lake
county, Ohio. After a residence of several years there he went west and
while on the way to Iowa county, Wisconsin, he was taken sick, and died
at Fond du Lac, that State. The family continued on to Iowa county,
where Sylvester Hill resided for eighteen years, when he removed to
Fayette count}', Iowa, and in 1872 came to Jewell county, Kansas, with
his family, consisting of his wife and five children, namely: Elbridge
(deceased) ; W. R. (deceased) ; Maria, married Oscar Follette, Fairmont,
Minn.; Ed C, subject, and George A., Smith, Center. The father and
motiier spent the remainder of their lives in Jewell county, where the
father died in 1898, aged seventy-one, and the mother departed this life
in 1906, at a similar age. Sylvester Hill served through the Civil war
as a member of Company .\. Forty-ninth regiment, AVisconsin volun-
teer infantry. When the Ilill family settled in Highland township,
Jewell county, where the father homesteaded a claim, there were very
few settlers in the county. Like most of the early comers they endured
many hardships, common to the lot of the hardy pioneers of the times.
The plains abounded in large game, such as buffalo, deer, antelope
and elk.
Ed Hill was educated in the public schools and later took a course in
bookkeeping. He remained on the farm until he was twenty-one years
of age, when he entered the emjjloy of Mann &; Gilbert, at Burr Oak.
as a clerk, and later became their bookkeeper, remaining with them eight
years. He then went to Esbon, Jewell county, where he engaged in the
general mercantile business and was appointed postmaster during Presi-
dent Harrison's administration. When Cleveland was elected Presi-
dent, Mr. Hill resigned llie postmastership at Esbon and returning to
Burr Oak entered the employ of Gilbert Bros. He was with that con-
cern a little over a year when he resigned to close up the affairs of his
brother who had recently died, and who had been in the harness business
several years at Burr Oak. Later Mr. Hill organized the Gilbert Mer-
cantile Company, of that town. On December 24, 1897, he was again
appointed postmaster, this time at Burr Oak, and has held that position
ever since, receiving his last commission in the spring of 1912. Mr.
Hill was united in marriage, April 11, 1882, to Miss Margaret Johnson, of
Concordia, Kan. They have one son, William R., assistant postmaster
at Burr Oak. Mr. Hill has served two terms as mayor of Burr Oak and
is a Republican. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of .\mcrica.
He is one of the substantial and highly resi)ecto<l citizens of Jewell
county.
Frederick S. Macy, one of the leading members of the Seward county
bar, who lives at Liberal, is a fine example of the self-made men of Kan-
sas who have played such an important part in her development, and is
40 BIOGRAPHICAL
to be congratulated upon the rapidity with which he has worked his way
upward to a position of confidence among the men of his community and
gained a reputation which leads to a practice cov-ering several States.
Mr. Macy was born on a farm in Randolph county, Indiana, January 17,
1881, the third son of Charles C. and Elizabeth Stump Macy. The fa-
ther was born in the same county, March 20, 1857, the eldest son of Wil-
liam P. and Dimis Hoagland Macy, also natives of Indiana. John Macy,
the first American ancestor of the family, was an official in Cromwell's
army, which defeated James 11. of England. He came to this country
at an early day, being one of the original purchasers of the Island of
Nantucket. John Winchester !Macy, a great-uncle of Frederick, was cir-
cuit judge of Randolph count}-, Indiana, for fifteen years, resigning just
before his death ; he had served in the Sixtieth Indiana regiment during
the Civil war. Charles C. Macy had one brother and six sisters : Emma,
Effie, Elizabeth, Rose, Sallie and Lula (deceased), and Edward, who is
an inventor, living in Beaver county, Oklahoma. Charles Macy was an
oil operator in western Ohio and eastern Indiana for some years, being
identified with the Standard Oil Company from 1894 to 191 1, when he
removed to Bartlesville, Okla., where he is an oil and gas promoter. Mr.
Macy is a Republican in politics and is a member of the Masonic order.
In 1874 Mr. Macy married Elizabetli Stump at Farmland, Ind., w^ho died
October 3, 1912. She was born in Randolph county, Indiana. July 8,
1S59, the daughter of William Stump, a farmer, who had two sons and
three daughters, one of whom, Laura, is the wife of Dr. Joseph F. Bow-
ers, a noted specialist of Denver, Col. Frederick Macy's parents had
eight children : Walter, born August 7, 1879, is now in business at Ma-
rion, Ohio, married Edna Jones in June, 1912; Claude C, born September
13, 1880, is in the oil business with his father; Frederick S. ; Jessie Opal,
born February 28, 1883, the wife of Guy C. Roush, an automobile dealer
of Peoria, 111.; Hugh Herman, born October 30, 1888, is with his father;
Lulu Emily, born March 20, 1892, teacher, who lives at home ; Paul
Edward, born September 20, 1900, and Joseph, born October 20, 1905.
Frederick Macy was educated in the public schools of Randolph coun-
ty, Indiana, graduating from the Pennville High School with the class
of 1900. While in school the bo}' worked at different occupations to pay
his expenses, as he was ambitious, and determined to secure an education,
which he believed was the best equipment for life. Subsequently he
took a normal course and taught one year, but in 1902 he came west,
locating at Cordell, Okla., where he attended the normal school and
again taught a year. In 1894 he settled in Beaver county, Oklahoma,
on Government land, and while proving up his claim taught school one
year. Having determined upon a professional career, Mr. Macy began
to read law, but in order to make a living he opened uj) the first set of
abstract books in Beaver county, in 1905, at Beaver. A year later he
sold his business and removed to Liberal, Kan., forming a law partner-
BIOGRAPHICAL 4I
ship with Charles R. Wright, who died December i8, 1909. Mr. Macy
was admitted to practice before the Department of the Interior, Wash-
ington, D. C, in 1905, and before the Supreme Court of Kansas, January
23, 1908. His practice has grown rapidly, due to his marked ability as
an attorney, and today he practices in Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado,
New Mexico and Texas. He has cases in the Federal courts of Okla-
homa and Kansas and also before the United States Supreme Court,
being admitted to practice before it in January, 1913. Mr. Macy has a
large law library, which i.s considered the best in the Southwest, and,
considering that he is still a young man, this is unusual. On June 25,
1910, Mr. Macy married jMagdalena. the daughter of H. P. and Catha-
rine Phillips Larrabee, of Liberal. She was born at Joplin, Mo., Sep-
tember 30, 1880, although her father was a native of Canton, Ohio. He
died in 1906. Mrs. Macy is a brilliant woman, being a graduate of a
good business college, and is thoroughly proficient in stenography. She
is now the court stenographer of Texas county, Oklahoma, a difficult
position, which she fills with merit. Mrs. Macy is a typical example of
the Twentieth centur}- business woman.
Alexander G. Davis occupies a leading position in the ranks of the
medical fraternity of Phillips county, and is now enjoying a large and
growing practice in Logan and the surrounding country. He was borr.
near St. Joseph, in Buchanan county, Missouri, .August 9, 1869, the son of
Warren and Lsabel S. Glenn Davis, both natives of Buchanan county, his
grandfathers having been pioneers of that region. On the paternal side
of the family the doctor is descended from Welsh and Scotch ancestors,
while from his mother he inherits strains of pure Irish and Dutch blood,
her ancestors Inning come from Holland and located in Pennsylvania a!
an early day and later became known as Pennsylvania Dutch. W'arrcn
Davis was engaged in farming and stock raising in Missouri and sent his
son to the country schools. While still a lad he determined to study
medicine. Completing the preparatory schools when only seventeen he
entered Northwestern Medical College at St. Joseph, but as the liw
required a student of medicine to be twenty-one years old before lie
graduated. Dr. Davis was required to spend an extra year in study before
the college would confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Medicine.
He was of age in August and graduated with the class of 1S90-91. the
following February, one of the youngest men ever graduated from the
institution. Soon after leaving college the doctor located at .Amazonia,
Mo., opened an office and remained there about a year before going to
St. Joseph, where he opened an office and also engaged in the drug busi-
ness in connection with his practice, having a certificate of pha-macy in
Missouri. In 1892 Dr. Davis came to Logan as one of the pioi'cer phy-
sicians of this region, and he has been actively engaged in profcssicual
work here for over twenty years. \\'hen he first come to Phillips ccunty
the countrv was still new; the |)eople lived far apart, which necessitated
42 niOGRAPIIICAL
long drives in visiting patients, and a doctor had to be courageons <'ind
fearless to face blinding blizzards on the open prairies, or the terrible
heat of the hot summers. Many times Dr. Davis has been caPpd upon
to perform surgical operations with practically no hospital facilities, hut
has had remarkable success, gaining the confidence of the people by his
skill and care. He is registered to practice in Kansas, M's^c nri and
Oklahoma, having been engaged in professional work in all three States.
In 1910-11 Dr. Davis was ^appointed county health officer and physi-
cian ; he is now serving as president of the Phillips County Medical
Society. He is a member of the Masonic order and a Protestant.
On September 14, 1891, the doctor married Aurora Belle, the daughter
of John H. and Martha Elizabeth Thomas, natives of Buchanan county,
Missouri, where the father was engaged in farming and stock rais'ng
until he established a mercantile business at St. Joseph, Mo. hi 1891 he
came to Kansas and settled at Logan. He now lives retired at Norton.
Mr. Thomas enlisted in the Union army during the Civil war and is now
a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Mrs. Davis wis reared
in Buchanan county, Missouri, where she was educated in the public
schools. There are two children in the Davis family : Beulah Opal, born
July 9, 1892, who received her education from the Logan schools, and
is now the wife of Guy W. Presnell, living at Portis, Kan., and Alex-
ander Paul, born July 7, 1902, attending school at Logan.
James W. Campbell, farmer, banker and stockman, of Dellvale, Kan.,
and pioneer hunter and trapper of the West, was born in Lafayette coun-
t3% Missouri, November 30, 1848, son of Adam Campbell and Sarah E.
(Rankin) Campbell, the former a native of Kentucky and the 'atter of
Tennessee. James Campbell, grandfather of the subject, went to Cali-
fornia before the gold rush of 1849 and made considerable of a fortune in
gold claims. He started home in a boat, but becoming sea sick he
stopped at San Diego and bought Mexican ponies, with which he started
overland. It took him three or four )-ears to get back home, and when
he arrived he had very little monej- left. However, he started the ag-va-
tion to go to California and a party started from Missouri. It was made
up of his relatives — grandfather, father and uncles — who had been early
pioneers in Missouri. They went into winter quarters in Mills county.
Iowa. Here they located, and the father of our subject was the second
settler to receive a deed from the Council Bluffs land office. This was
about 1852. In 1865 James Campbell became a freighter, driving an ox
team over the plains.
On account of poor health our subject came to Kansas, in July. 1873,
for the purpose of buffalo hunting. His health improved and as '.he
people wanted them to locate here he and his brother-in-law, W. Ennis
Pack, put filing papers on the southwest quarter, section 20, and south-
east quarter, section 19, township 3, range 24. Mr. Campbell and Mr.
Pack filed on the land now owned by the former, and went back to Iowa
BIOGRAPHICAL 43
after their families. The Campbells started from Iowa with three mules
and a wagon, but when about forty miles from home one mule went
lame, and after delaying a week with it they were obliged to drive on
with the other two. The overland trip took about four weeks' time, and
they reached their destination October 9, 1873.
Although Mr. Campbell had been through this country only on a
buffalo hunt, he never lost his way a single time and was clever enough
to avoid the up-hill pulls for his team b}- foJlowmg the top of the divide
from a few miles west of Republican City. Xeb., to the Norton and De-
catur'county line. The night before arriving at their claim they camped
in a log house just east of their destination. In the morning Mrs.
Campbell remarked that someone lived near, as she heard turkeys. But
Mr. Campbell, know^ing that they were wild turkeys, got up and shot
several near the house before dressing. His first filing papers were
dated August i, 1873, and he settled on the southwest quarter of section
20, town 3, range 24. He paid out on this land and bought the southeast
quarter of section 19, town 3, range 24, which his brother-in-law had
filed upon before he went back to Iowa for a visit with his family. \Vhile
Mr. Pack was gone the grasshoppers came and ate up his crops. Hearing
of this he came from Iowa and took everything away, even to the doors
and windows of his sod house. Mr. Campbell met him and traded him a
cow in Iowa for his claim in Kansas.
The family lived in the house where Mr. Campbell shot the turke)'s
until he could build a dug-out on the claim. This dwelling, when com-
pleted, had but one nail in it. It was five feet under ground, with side
logs and three ridge ])oles, on which was laid sticks, over which was
hay, then sod and then fine dirt. The door was a quilt, .\fter moving his
family into it he drove to a place 130 miles away (ten miles east of Be-
loit), where he bought one hundred bushels of corn to feed teams the
next summer while breaking prairie. Having no crib he stored the corn
under the home-made beds in the dug-out. After putting in the corn
he drove 120 miles to Kearne)', Xeb., where he bought flour enough to
last a year. The first year he broke up sixty-five acres of prairie, which
he planted to corn. After trading for the claim of Mr. Pack he put a
timber file on the northeast quarter of section 30, town 3, range 24, mak-
ing three-quarters of a section of land joining together.
As a hunter Mr. Campbell was noted from Kansas to New York. He
was an accurate marksman and scientific in his methods. An old hunter,
Gill Wiley, who with his wife ofen went hunting with Mr. and Mrs.
Campbell, taught Mr. Campbell the science of buffalo huiiling. which is
to never take them by surprise (not to shoot until they have seen you),
shoot as many as you can in the abdomen, which makes them sick, and
then when others of the herd drop back to help the sick ones to shoot
them dead. In this way the herd is not stamjiedcd. Mr. Cam])bell has
often shot two buffaloes with one shot and killed eight out of a herd of
44 BIOGRAPHICAL
nine. The fall that he hiiill his dug-out he killed two buffaloes on Long
Branch, besides a few antelopes and beaver. They lived on buffalo meat
mainly, and he killed game for the whole neighborhood. The first sum-
mer he was in Kansas he went out on a hide hunt with other parties.
They killed about 200 buffaloes, from which they took two wagon loads of
hides, which they took to Wallace and sold. AVallace was 200 miles
away. On July i, about 4 o'clock in the morning, Mr. Campbell left his
companions, John Humphrey and James Maloney, at AVallace and started
for home to attend the Fourth of July dance, traveling across the coun-
try in a northeasterly direction alone and without any roads. He "went
the whole 200 miles without seeing but one person. He and his wife
often went on hunting trips together, taking their two babies with them,
and !Mrs. Campbell is probabh- the only woman now living in Kansas
who has ever shot a buffalo. She was the first person to pull over and
hold down the buffalo now mounted in the Denver, Col , museum. Her
husband had lassoed him b}- both hind legs, but did not dare trust his
horse to hold the buffalo. He was catching the buffalo for William Wil-
son, of New York. He was afraid of the buffalo, but cared for the team
and babies till Mrs. Campbell had tied the animal. They took the hides
to Trego (now Wamego).
In 1874 there was a good prospect for corn, but the grasshoppers took
everything. The first seed wheat cost $2.00 per bushel, and when they
went to thresh they broke down several times and had to go to Fort
Leavenworth for repairs, and it was six months before they finished the
job. In 1876, Mr. Campbell raised 150 acres of wheat and although the
mill offered him $1.35 per bushel for it he held it for the benefit of the
settlers who wanted seed and did not have the nione)' to bu\' it. To
them he either sold it or let it out on shares. The next year there was a
crop failure and he did not receive $100 for the 2,000 bushels he let the
settlers have. In 1877 the Indians raided this section and killed a great
many people. In 1878, Mr. Campbell started a blacksmith shop on his
place and his brother started a store. He made over a hundred ploughs,
but hard years came on and he did not make anything on his plough fac-
tor}'. In 1880 he went to Montana, renting his farm and leaving Mrs.
Campbell and the children in Kansas. He remained in Montana about
eighteen months, hunting, and working at timber cutting for the mines.
He drove a fourteen-mule team hauling ore from Clancey to Wickes
smelters, freighted from Dillon to Bozeman, and hauled 7,000 pounds of
flour and 10,000 pounds of oats from Bozeman to Wickes at one load.
The flour cost at the mill $6.35 per 100, and oats 3 cents a pound. L'pon
his return to Kansas, in 1881. his farm was all grown to weeds, and he
bought an ox team and ploughed it all summer. After this he had several
good years and raised as high as seventy-five bushels of corn to the acre.
In 1877 or 1878 Mr. Camplaell began raising Chester White hogs along
with his cattle, and had the largest drove of hogs in the countrj'. He
BIOGRAPHICAL 45
has always dealt in hop;s and cattle and has made a specialty of Durham
cattle and Poland China hogs. Mr. Campbell has 760 acres of land in his
ranch, all fenced hog-tight, and cross-fenced. In 1906 he had over i,ooo
head of pigs in his pastures. His ranch, which is known as the "Prairie
Dog \'alley Ranch," is one of the finest in the State.
.\t the time of the county seat fight between Leoti and Norton about
the year 1876, Mr. Campbell was very active in the contest, as he owned
an eighth interest in Leoti. He has always been a leader in matters of
public concern, and has helped to finance public service institutions, as
banks, electric light plants, power and cold storage plants, etc. He is a
stockholder in the Electric Light and Power Company, of Norton, and
in the First National Bank, of that city. He has not waited for the
township to build roads in his neighborhood, but has built them for him-
self, and has the finest roads in the county. Lie donated the land for the
school house, which stands on his place. Mr. Campbell was captain of
the Norton county militia, commissioned under Governor Osborne at the
time of the Indian scare in the country ; has served as township trustee
and member of the school board of his district ; has been a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in good standing since 1872, is
a member of the Grand Lodge and has a gold medal for a twenty-five-
year membership. In politics he is a Democrat. His father and mother
are both living, the former ninety-two years of age and the latter eigthy-
eight. They live with their children, but have a good farm in Norton
county, Kansas.
Mr. Campbell was married November 29, 1867, to Julia P. Pack, daugh-
ter of Rufus and Jane (Robinson) Pack, the former a native of New York
anfl the latter of Michigan. Mr. Pack was engaged in farming and stock
raising. Mrs. Campbell was born in a "prairie schooner" in Fremont
county. Iowa, and was raised in Mills county, attending the common
schools. Her father was killed by a mowing machine in Iowa, and her
mother died while in I 'tali. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have had four chil-
dren : Marry Eddie, born October 13, 1869, died December 12 of that
3'ear ; William Nelson, born June 20, 1871 ; Rosetta Ellen, born January
6, 1874, married C. L. Davis and had one child, Ray E. Davis, died De-
cember 20, 1894; Aurora Bertha, born December 25, 1887, married LTarry
Cope and lives in Norton county. They have two children, Clctus Leone
Cope and Lyle Cope.
Lester M. Parker, a |)rMniincnt attorney of Oberlin, and editor of the
leading newspaper in Decatur county, was born in Wyandot county,
Ohio, .\pril 3, 1870, son of E. L. and Martha (Harvey) Parker, natives
of Ohio, where the father of our subject was engaged in farming and
stock raising. Here young Parker was reared and began his early edu-
cation, at the same time assisting in the farm work. When he was
sixteen years of age his parents moved to Kansas and took a homestead
in Rawlins county, two miles north of the present site of .\chilles. The
46' BIOGRAPHICAL
first Kansas home was a one-room sod, with dirt roof and floor, in
marked contrast to their nine-room modern home left in the Buckeye
State. Lester broke eighty acres of sod with an ox team, along with
other work on the claim. The first school he attended in Kansas stood
on the present site of Achilles, which, too, was a soddy. with dirt floor
and roof. The seats were ash logs with wooden pins set in for legs, under
which rested the books and slates.
After completing the common school Mr. Parker came to Oberlin,
where he entered the high school, in 1889. While here his parents moved
to Cheyenne count}', Colorado, and started a stock ranch. Our subject,
without funds, relied upon his own merits and succeeded in working his
way through high school, graduating with honor in the spring of 1893.
The following fall he began his career as a teacher, as principal of
schools at Cheyenne Wells, Col. After five years' success in this school
and after establishing a high school at this place, he was elected county
assessor of the county, and while holding the position he attended Den-
ver University at Denver, Col., as a student in the law department. In
the organization of the legal fraternity of the school Lester was selected
second choice of the facult}' as a charter member of the Phi Delta Phi
from a large enrollment of students from man)' States. While in college
he was appointed clerk of the court by Judge Campbell, who, a short
time later, was made justice of the Supreme Court of Colorado. This
clerkship Mr. Parker held for three years, when he returned to Kansas
and began the practice of law, in 1903. In 1904 he was elected county
attorney of Decatur county, being reelected in 1906. This was a period
of "law enforcement"' in the State of Kansas, and Mr. Parker made an
unusual record. Of the many criminal cases brought he never lost one
in the district court, and many of them were hard-fought cases for the
violation of the prohibitory liquor law. For the first time in the history
of the count}', jointists and bootleggers were put out of business. The
following election he was selected by his party as a candidate for the
legislature. He ran far ahead of the ticket, but was defeated owing to
the Democratic landslide of that year.
After retiring from office he formed a partnership with Judge Geiger
and conducted a successful law business. In 1908 a company was
formed that bought the Oberlin" "Times" from L. G. Parker, and the
Times Publishing Company was formed, with our subject as business
manager. A short time later he bought out the other stockholders, and in
addition to his law practice, he edits and owns the Oberlin. "Times." He is
a member of the executive committee of the Sons and Daughters of Jus-
tice, which position he has held since 1909. He has always been a loyal
Republican, has served his party at various times as secretary and chair-
man of the county central committee, and has been honored by his party
on several occasions as delegate to district and State conventions.
On November 30 Mr. Parker was married to Ella Josephine Colvin,
BIOGRAPHICAL 47
daughter of II. D. and Frances (Pelton) Colvin, natives of Illinois, where
Mr. Colvin was engaged in farming and stock raising. The Colvins
came to Decatur county in 1878 and took a homestead on Ash draw, nine
miles southwest of Oberlin. Their first home was a one-room building,
made of native logs. In this building Mr. Colvin successfully defended
his family when surrounded by three hundred bloodthirsty warriors
during the murderous Indian raid. After several Indians were killed or
wounded and driven from the scene Mr. Colvin loaded his family in the
lumber wagon and started for Oberlin. Several dead neighbors were
picked up by them on the way and taken to town. The next day Mr.
Colvin, with a few assistants, went out and gathered up the rest of the
dead, thirteen in all, and returned with their bodies to town.
Mrs. Parker was born in Cook county, Illinois, June 16, 1872, and re-
ceived her education in the common and high schools of Decatur county.
She, too, graduated from the high school, in 1893, being a classmate of
Mr. Parker. They were married the year following their graduation.
Five children have been born to this union : Pearlc C, Leslie T., Francis
M. (deceased), Martha E. and Mary E. Pearle, while staying with his
grandparents, the Colvins, at St. Cloud, Fla., graduated from the public
schools at the head of a large class, while Leslie is a sixth grader in
Oberlin, Kan. Martha is three years of age and Mary, one.
Fernando Wood Gaunt, banker, capitalist, and a leading representative
of the commercial and industrial interests of Alton, has not only devel-
oped the business interests of Osborne county, but of Smith and Phillips
counties as well. Mr. Gaunt represents the type of men who are play-
ing an important part in the development of this great State, for today
tiie conquests are not of arms, but of business, of commercial prosperity
and the consequent improvements in all walks of life. The conqueror of
today is the man who successfully establishes, controls and operates ex-
tensive commercial interests, and Mr. Gaunt has become an important
factor in the business life of north central Kansas. lie was born on a
farm in Mercer county, Illinois, December 15. 1863, the son of Jonathan
and Emily Damp Gaunt. The father was born in Sheffield, England,
February 14, 1839, being descended from Lord Gaunt, of England. Jona-
than Gaunt came to the United States in 1849 a'""^' located in Mercer coun-
ty, Illinois, where he engaged in farming, living very quietly. Mr. Gaunt
is a member of the Masonic order. There were eight children in the fam-
ily, five of whom are living: Cicero B., now in business at Wichita,
Kan. ; Lorenzo D., a lumber and grain merchant at Gushing, Okla. ; Eliza,
the wife of Bert Vannatti, a farmer in Rock Island county. Illinois: Al-
bert, a farmer of Mercer county. Illinois, and Fernando W.. who was edu-
cated in the public schools of Mercer county and at the International
Business College, of Davenport, Iowa, where he graduated in 1885.
After a short time at home Mr. Gaunt came to Kansas, locating in
Warwick, where he was engaged as a bookkeeper in a grain office. A
48 BIOGRArUICAL
3-ear later he left Warwick for Alton to become the manager of an ele-
vator, and three years later bought an interest in the firm, which became
known as F. W. Gaunt & Company, of Alton. In 1905 the firm was
incorporated under the name of the F. W. Gaunt Grain Company, with
elevators in Alton, Kirwin and Claudell. Mr. Gaunt is the dominating
factor in the concern, which he has practically built up himself. As early
as 1893 Mr. Gaunt began to branch out and in that year organized the
F. \\'. Gaunt Lumber Company, of Alton, of which he is the secretary,
treasurer and manager. In April, 1906, he organized the Gaunt Imple-
ment Company, of Kirwin, Kan., which he still owns and manages.
From first locating in this State, Mr. Gaunt has been interested in all im-
provements for his community and was interested in the first and only
telephone system established in Alton, December 6, 1900. Mr. Gaunt has
believed in the future of Kansas land and is the owner of several well im-'
proved farms in Osborne county. On April 2, 1912, Mr. Gaunt became
the president of the First State Rank of Alton, in which he had been
interested for several years. In this banking business Mr. Gaunt is
carrying on the same conservative policy which he applied to his busi-
ness, and today has the confidence, not only of the community in which
he lives, but of the surrounding country. He is popular, personally, has
a host of friends and supporters, who believe in his word as in his bond.
Politically, Mr. Gaunt is a Democrat, but has never sought public office,
other than as mayor of Alton, an office which he has filled wnth merit
ten years. He is a member of the Masonic order, and today owns one
of the modern homes of Alton, Osborne county. On November 9, 1890,
Mr. Gaunt married Stella E., the daughter of Jacob O. and Caroline M.
Job Franks. Mrs. Gaunt was born at Shreve, Ohio, March 22, 1871, and
accompanied her parents v\dien they came to Kansas, in 1881. Mr.
Franks was a farmer and stockman, who died in Sulphur, Iowa, in 1901,
where his widow still resides. There are four charming girls in the Gaunt
family: Marvel, born .Vugust 11. 1891. now the wife of Frank R. Wil-
liams; Marjorie, born January 24, 1902, and Marie and Madge, twins,
born February 16, 1908.
Frank Pitts MacLennan, editor and proprietor of the Topeka "State
Journal," and one of the best known newspaper men in Kansas, is a
native of the T'.uckeye State, born in Springfield, Ohio, March i, 1855.
He began his business career in his native town by carrying papers, and
his early association with the press in this humble capacity doubtless
had some influence in shaping his subsequent career. In 1870 his par-
ents, Kenneth and Adelia M. (Bliss) MacLennan, removed to Kansas
and settled in Lyon county. After a thorough preparation he entered the
University of Kansas, at Lawrence, and in 1875 received the degree
of Bachelor of Science from that institution, and the degree of Master
of Science about a dozen years later. His active work as a newspaper
man began with the Em])oria "News," in 1877, where he was employed
BIOGRAPHICAL 49
as mailer, bookkeeper, clerk, reporter, and all-round utility man. Me
remained with the "News" for several years, becoming associate editor
and business manager. On March i, i88o, he acquired a proprietary
interest in the paper, which interest he held for five years, when he
learned that the Topcka "State Journal" was ordered to be sold by the
receivers. He disposed of his interest in the "News," and failing to se-
cure the "State Journal" property at private sale, bought the paper at
auction, assuming control on October 30, 1883. -'^t that time the entire
circulation of the "State Journal" was about 800 copies daily. Within five
years, through his diligence and executive ability, the circulation was
more than ten times that number. With an optimism born of confidence
in his ability, he recently acquired three additional lots adjoining the
"State Journal" building on the south, with the view of erecting a new
building thereon whenever the paper should outgrow its old quarters
at the southeast corner of Eighth street and Kansas avenue. His hope
has been realized, and early in 1912 plans for the new building were
completed. When the new quarters are ready for occupancy, Mr.
MacLennan will have one of the most modern and best equipped news-
paper plants in the Middle West. Concerning the "State Journal" a
recent writer saj's : "It is all his and it is all clear, and if he keeps up
for twenty years longer he will be independently rich, because he works
hard and pays as he goes, stands by his friends through thick and thin,
and does not lie or steal. If any boy will follow these rules he can be
decently well-to-do, but he will find that it is rather a harder job than it
looks."
The job may have looked hard to Mr. MacLennan, but if so he has
never shown evidences of being discouraged. Industry and determina-
tion are his chief characteristics, and by the exercise of these traits
he has overcome obstacles that to a weaker nature might have seemed
insurmountable. It may be said that he has had the financial support of
wealthy friends in emergencies, but it must be remembered that men
of high financial standing do not give support to the unwortliy, and the
friends who extended aid to him when he needed it did so with full
confidence in his ability and integrity, knowing the loan would be
appreciated and repaid. In 1903 Mr. MacLennan visited Europe and
while on his trip wrote a series of letters for his paper. These letters
were published under the caption of "Five Weeks Abroad" and were
widely read. With the true journalistic instinct he saw many things
that would have been overlooked by the average tourist, hence his let-
ters contained many interesting facts and much valuable information
not to be found in ordinary letters or books of travel.
On May 29. 1890, Mr. MacLennan married Mi.ss .Anna Goddard. of
Emporia, Kan., and they have one daughter, Mary, one of the popular
and accompli.'^hed young ladies of Topeka. Mrs. MacLennan is an
intellectual, cultured woman, thoughtful and considerate of the welfare
50 BIOGRAPHICAL
of Others, and her home is the popular center of a large circle of friends.
In addition to his property in the clt_v, Mr. MacLennan is the owner of
a farm of lOO acres on "Martin's Hill," six miles west of the city of To-
peka. On this farm, which is known as "Cedarcrest," he spends a great
deal of his time during the summer months and entertains his friends at
all seasons of the )'ear. Here he keeps cows, giving his family a supply
of pure milk, cream and butter, raises poultry and vegetables, and finds
relaxation from the busy cares of the city. On the farm is a tract of
twenty-five acres of timber, and he has constructed a fish-pond of two
acres in extent, where he raises some fine bass. Walt Mason, the Em-
poria poet, recently made "Cedarcrest" the subject of one of his rhymes,
to-wit :
"The sun was rising in the west, and shed its beams on Cedarcrest,
where pensive goat and sportive cow were perched upon the cedar
bough. There Frank MacLennan watched his flocks, and slugged the
gentle sheep with rocks, and drove his hens to lakelet's brim, that they
might dive, and bathe and swim. The pigs were climbing elms and firs,
the hired man gathered cockleburs ; a doctor passed on horse's back and
all the ducks called loudly : 'Quack !' The fruit-tree agent asked to
stay all night; the horses whinnied 'Neigh!' Peace hovered o'er the
prairied wide ; the cattle lowed, the horses highed ; and sounded through
the village smoke, the bark of watchdog, elm and oak. And he who owned
these rustic scenes had seeded down his farm to beans."
Politically, Mr. ^[acLennan classes himself as an independent Repub-
lican, and along those lines he has made the "State Journal'' a power
for good in the political affairs of the State. Notwithstanding he is
a busy man in connection with his private business, he has found time to
devote to the commonwealth and to the upbuilding of his adopted city.
He is vice-president of the Associated Press ; is a member of the Adver-
tising Commercial, Topeka and Country clubs: president of the Satur-
day Night Club and belongs to the Beta Theta Pi college fraternity.
One who knows him well has this to say of his general character : "Per-
sonally Frank MacLennan is one of the warmest-hearted men in the
world. In sickness, disaster, distress or death, the man who works on
the "State Journal" is the recipient of substantial assistance when neces-
sary, and at all times the subject of quiet, kindly interest."
Perry Hutchinson. — To the miller of Kansas the name of Perry
Hutchinson is as familiar as that of George A\"ashington to the school
boy. His is the distinction of having built the first flour mill in the
State of Kansas west of the Missouri river, and of having milled the
first roller process flour in the State. A resident of Marysville since 1859,
he has been an active participant in practically every phase of her de-
velopment. He is one of the distinctively representative men of Kansas,
and although in his eightieth year his mental and physical vigor is that
of the average man of sixty, and he still manages in person his large and
BIOGRAPHICAL 5I
varied interests. He is president of the First National Bank of Marys-
ville, is Marshall county's largest cattle feeder and operates one of the
finest farms in the State. Perry Hutchinson is a native of the Empire
State and was born at Fredonia, Chautauqua county, December 2, 1831,
a son of Calvin and Sophia (Perry) Hutchinson. His ancestors, maternal
and paternal, were among the early settlers of America, and numbered
among them all men who have achieved distinction in the town, State
and Nation. Elijah Hutchinson, grandfather of Perry, and a cousin of
Governor Hutchinson, of Massachusetts, was a pioneer settler of Che-
nango county. New York, and there was born his son, Calvin. Sophia
Perry was a daughter of Col. Sullivan Perry, who in 1812 was in com-
mand of an American ship of war which sunk a Piritish vessel off Dun-
kirk, N. Y. Colonel Perry was a first cousin of Commodore Perry, who
won the famous naval victorv at Put-in-Bay, Lake Erie, in the War
of 1812.
Perry Hutchinson was reared on his father's farm and attended the
public schools, and later the Fredonia .\cademy. On attaining his ma-
jority, in 1852, he sought an opportunity to gain his fortune in the
West. He journeyed to Wisconsin and secured employment with the
logging firm of McAdoo & Schuter, one of the largest operators of that
time. Pie was soon made foreman of their rafting crew, a position of
importance, requiring nerve, the ability to handle men, and iniative.
He drove several large rafts of logs from the Wisconsin river to St.
Louis and concluded the marketing as well, drawing a salary of $8 per
da}'. When winter made driving on the river impossible he returned
to his old home in New York, where he remained until the spring of
1853, when he went west to Iowa and purchased a farm in Linn county,
near Cedar Rapids, and engaged in farming. In 1857 he built, in Vin-
ton county, a saw and flour mill, which he operated successfully until
1859, when, through the defalcation of a partner, he was forced to give
up his entire propert,v to satisfy creditors of the firm. He purchased,
on credit, a pair of horses and a wagon and, with his wife and children,
came to Kansas. He reached Marysvillc, Marshall county, October 3,
1859, and secured employment as a harvest hand. He found time to fill
his larder with buffalo meat, his family's chief article of diet for about
five months, tea, coffee and sugar being unknown to them. The following
year he took a claim, seven miles east of Marysville, and on it built
a small cabin, which he utilized as a hotel and stage stop. While here
he made the acquaintance of the superintendent of the Holliday Stage
Line, a Mr. Lewis, and through him secured the lease of the Barrett
House at Marysville and funds to operate it. In July, 1862, he organ-
ized Company E, Thirteenth Kansas infantry, and was elected its captain.
The company was mustered into service at .Atchison in .August, 1862.
Captain Hutchinson served until the fall of 1863, when he received his
discharge on account of illness. In the spring of 1864 he secured the
52 BIOGRAPHICAL
water power rights on Blue river, one and one-half miles west of
Marysville. There he built a sawmill and in it was sawed all the lum-
ber used in the building the stations of the Holliday Stage Line, between
Marysville and Denver. Tn the fall of the same year he built, opposite
his sawmill, the first flour mill to be erected west of the Missouri river.
His product was sold as far east as Lawrence and wheat was brought
by the growers for a radius of 150 miles. His first step toward the
accumulation of a fortune occurred through his securing from Strickler
& Streator, railroad contractors of Junction City, a contract to supply
their camps with flour. He was the successful bidder, at S7.75 per sack
of ninety-eight pounds, twelve other firms contesting. This contract
covered the flour used by Strickler & Streator while building the l^'nion
Pacific railroad from Junction City to Denver, and from it Mr. Hutch-
inson realized a net profit of about $25,000. In 1881 the mill was com-
pletely remodeled and rolls were installed, the first mill in Kansas to
be so equipped. For nearly fifty years the Hutchinson mill has been
operated by one man and its products are known for the high standard
maintained. For many years the output has been sold principally to
the large baking concerns, St. Louis being the chief market, and a busi-
ness totaling $400,000 per annum is done. In 1880 Mr. Hutchinson
became interested in banking. He was one of the founders of the
Marshall County Bank, which was succeeded, in 1882, by the First Na-
tional Bank of IMarysville, of which J. A. Smalley, Samuel A. and Edgar
R. Futon and himself were the principal organizers. He became presi-
dent of the institution, in 1893, and has remained in that position since.
The bank is the leading financial institution of Marshall county. It has
a capital of $75,000, an earned surplus of $50,000, undivided profits of
$20,000, and average deposits of $450,000. While not an active execu-
tive in the administration of the business of this institution, Mr. Hutchin-
son is favorably known to the banking fraternity. He is recognized
as an able and discriminating financier and his connection with a finan-
cial institution is a guaranty of safe, sane and conservative manage-
ment. He has purchased from time to time several tracts of the choicest
farm land in Marshall county, which he operates personally, and in
this work finds his recreation. He is the most extensive cattle feeder
in the county and his 600-acre farm near his mill site is one of the best
examples of scientific agriculture to be found in the State. His political
allegiance has been given to the Republican party. He was elected
to the State senate in 1880 and served with honor and distinction. He
was a member of the committee on ways and means and was chairman
of that on State institutions. He was appointed, in 1876, by Governor
Martin one of a committee of three, which included the late Eugene
Ware, to represent Kansas at the Centennial Jubilee, held in New York
City. He was a delegate to the Republican National conventions which
nominated James '.\. Garfield and Tames G. Blaine for the Presidencv.
BIOGRAPHICAL 53
He has attained the Knight Templar degree in Masonry, and is the nestor
of the Kansas Millers' Association.
Mr. Hutchinson was married December 19, 1855, to Miss Lydia Jean-
nette, daughter of Champlin Barber, a farmer of Chautauqua county, New
York. They are the parents of three children : Frank W". is a retired
merchant at Marysville ; Wallace W. is superintendent of the Hutchin-
son mill, and Etta Viola is the wife of Harry Koetch, of Sturges, S. D.
Mr. Hutchinson is a high type of the virile, active American, diligent
in his duties and commercial affairs and conscientious in all things.
At the age of eighty, with mental and physical powers practically unim-
paired, he is one of the sturdy figures which span the time from the
pioneer days of the State to those of the present — from the days of the
Indian and the buffalo to those of the automobile and airship — and is
still on the firing land and in command. He has been a tireless and
ambitious worker and has realized a large and substantial success b}
methods clean, capable and honest. His accumulations represent th<
pluck, energy and brain of a man who has been able to know the
knock of opportunity and avail himself of it. The writer is persuaded
to believe that northern Kansas does not possess a man who can claim
as many sincere friendships or whose reputation for honesty, honor
able living and broadness of mind and heart will exceed that of Perr'
Hutchinson.
George B. Crandall, Jewell, Kan. — When Mr. Crandall. whose namo
introduces this sketch, came to Kansas, in 1869, the central and western
parts of the State were practically as the hand of the Creator had left
them. Man, except as a scout and hunter, had made few imprints upon
this vast field of nature, lying along the border of civilization. The
conditions that existed at that time, as compared with those of today, are
almost beyond the comprehension of the student of local history. The
men who pushed forward into the borderland reclaimed the prairie and
made Kansas what it is today were made of the right kind of material.
George B. Crandall has earned a rating in that class. He was born at
Perry, Wyoming county. New York, November 17, 1841, and is a son of
Peter and Lucretia (Bullock) Crandall, natives of eastern New York
and of New England ancestry. In 1858 the Crandall family removed
from Wyoming county, New York, to Van Buren county. Michigan, and
afterwards removed to St. Joseph county, Michigan, where the father
died at the age of eighty-three. The mother died in Van Buren
county, Michigan. They were the parents of four children, viz.: Ro-
mclia married Silas M. Rawson, Wyoming county, New York, both
now deceased; Leonard resides at Paw Paw, Mich.; Alferd. Mendon,
Mich., and George B. Young Crandall remained at home with his par-
ents, leading the peaceful life of the average country boy, until the great
Civil war had become a stern reality. Then in answer to his country's
call, he enlisted in Company D, Nineteenth regiment. Michigan volun-
54 BIOGRAPHICAL
teer infantry, which was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. They
did service in the western campaigns in Kentucky and Tennessee, and
at the organization of the army preparatory to Sherman's march to
the sea this regiment was assigned to the Twentieth army corps, tak-
ing part in that memorable military expedition, during which time they
were under almost constant fire for weeks at a time. Mr. Crandall
was twice taken prisoner during his period of military service, but on
both occasions had plenty of good company, which might have had a
tendency to relieve the gloom of the situation. At Thompson Station,
Tenn., his entire brigade was captured at the close of a desperate engage-
ment after their ammunition was exhausted. They were taken to Libby
military prison, but were exchanged in about a month. His next misfor-
tune of war happened while his company was engaged in guarding a
bridge across Stone river. After a fierce fight, in which this one com-
pany held out against General Wheeler's command, they were finally
taken prisoners, but were held only a few hours after being disarmed and
plundered. At the close of Sherman's march to the sea the command to
which Mr. Crandall was attached proceeded through the Carolinas and
to Washington and took part in the grand review. At the close of the
war Mr.' Crandall returned to his Michigan home very much impaired
in health, and for years was a physical wreck. In 1860 he came to
Manhattan, Ivan., where he secured employment in a drug store as
clerk for Dr. Whitehorn, having had previous experience in that line.
He soon became a partner in the business and remained there until 1872,
when he came to Jewell county and located at Jewell City, which was
still new. There were not more than a dozen buildings on the town site.
Mr. Crandall had previously located a homestead just west of the town
site, which he still owns. He opened a drug store in a small frame build-
ing on the west side of the square with a sjnall stock of drugs. This
was the first drug store in Jewell City. Shortly after he began business
here his stock was nearly all destroyed by a cyclone, but he replenished
it and started again. His business continued to grow and he prospered,
and in a short time built a larger store. Later, when the business dis-
trict began to move eastward, he bought property and moved on the
east side of the square, where the Crandall drug store is now located.
Here he continued to carry on business until 1907, when he sold out to
his son, Aretas, and L. J. Schmitt, who now conduct the business.
Mr. Crandall was married. May i, 1871. to Miss Mary C. Barker. They
have two children. Caroline married William A. Pierce, now deceased.
She resides at Jewell. The second child, Aretas, succeeded his father in
business, as above mentioned. He married Miss Bertha Cheney, of Jewell
City, a daughter of \\'il!iam Cheney, a prominent merchant of Jewell
City and a member of the firm of J. D. Robertson Mercantile Com-
pany. Mary C. Barker was born in Lovell, Ale., and is a daughter of
Col. Elden and Caroline E. (Little) Barker, natives of Maine. The Bar-
BIOGRAPHICAL 55
ker famih- came to Manhattan, Kan., from Norway, Me., in 1869, and
Colonel Barker and wife were among the pioneer settlers of Jewell coun-
ty, having located on a homestead near Jewell City in 1870. They were
the parents of eleven children. Colonel Barker was a surveyor and was
engaged on the construction of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad,
and also did considerable surveying after coming to Jewell county. He
was elected to the State senate in 1872, the first State senritor from the
county. He was a notary public and administered the official oath to the
first set of county officers of Jewell county. He died July 8, 1896, aged
eighty years, and his wife departed this life March 22, 1908, at the ripe old
age of eigty-four. George B. Crandall is one of the substantial men of
business affairs of central Kansas. The mere fact that he has sold his
drug business does not mean that he has ceased to have business inter-
ests. He is president of the Jewell Lumber Company, of which he is the
heaviest stockholder; director in the Jewell County Telephone Company;
vice-president and director in the First National Bank of Jewell, and he
is extensively interested in Kansas land, owning several hundred acres.
He is public spirited and takes a keen interest in the welfare of the com-
munity where he resides. During the last five years Mr. and Mrs. Crand-
dall have spent a great deal of time in travel, spending their winters in
Florida and California. He is a member of the S. R. Deach post. Grand
Army of the Republic, of which he is past commander. He is also a
member of the Ancient Order of L'nited Workmen. Politically he has
always been a Republican, but has never aspired to hold office.
John O'Laughlin, of Lakin. Kan., was born in County Clare, Ireland,
June 24, 1842, son of Peter and Margaret (Considine) O'Laughlin.
Peter O'Laughlin died in Ireland about 1846. He and Mrs. O'Laughlin
were the parents of four sons and one daughter — Michael, Bridget, John,
Peter and Thomas. Peter and Bridget died in Ireland. The other chil-
dren came with their mother to America in 1850, locating at Dubuque,
Iowa. In 1858 John went to Minnesota, where he drove a team for one
year, and then removed to St. Joseph, Mo., and followed the same occu-
pation until 1861, when he came to Jefferson county, Missouri. Here
he worked on a farm and was also in the employ of the Government
as teamster in the department of quartermaster at Fort Leavenworth,
and was wagonmasler for eight years. He left the Government service
at Fort Hays, Kan., December i, 1869. While doing this work he was in
many important frontier expeditions and had many interesting expe-
riences as well as meeting with many hardships. He often lived on
buffalo meat and killed a great many of these animals. In December,
1869, he opened a trading post on the military road between Fort Dodge
and Fort Hays, doing business with soldiers, buffalo hunters and freight-
ers. During the two years which he operated this store he handled a
great deal of business, but closed out when the Santa Fe railroad was
iDuilt through that part of the country, in 1872. He then went to Dodge
56 BIOGRAPHICAL
«
City, where he opened a boarding house. The next year he removed to
Lakin, just after the Santa Fe road had been completed to that point. In
a dug-out he opened the first store in town. For six years he traded with
buffalo hunters, freighters and plainsmen. The same business is now
owned by his sons, W. D. and J. C. O'Laughlin. Mr. O'Laughlin owns
much valuable city property in Lakin and a number of well improved
alfalfa farms in the Arkansas valley. He is the pioneer citizen of Kearney
county, wealthy, and prominent as a Catholic.
February 5, 1882, his marriage to Miss Mary Farrell, daughter of Den-
nis and Bridget (Gogerty) Farrell, took place. She is a cultured woman,
born of Irish parents at Xenia, Ohio, May 14, i860. Her father died
January 5, 1910, at Wilson, Kan., where her mother still lives. Seven
children were born of this union : Margaret B., born September 27, 1883,
is single and lives at home; William D., born February 3, 1885, is a
merchant at Lakin : Mary C, born 1886, lives at home ; John C, born
July 18, 1888, a merchant at Lakin; Jennie Rose, born Xoveinber 4,
1892. a teacher; Helen G., born August 21, 1897, ^nd Thomas J., born
April 12, 1900. Mr. O'Laughlin has until recently been an extensive
stock raiser. Although practically retired he is still interested in many
local enterprise?.
James O. Ellsworth. — The subject of this review, who is a prominent
farmer and stock raiser in Jewell county, an honest, honorable and pro-
gressive citizen, patriotic in his motives and straightforward in his
methods, was born in Sinclair township, Jewell county, Kansas, June 29,
1871, the son of .Albert W. and ^Liry Dudley Ellsworth. His father was
a native of Vermont and his mother of Ohio, but on the paternal side
Mr. Ellsworth traces his lineage back through Revolutionary ancestry to
France. The first American ancestors of the Ellsworth family came to
this country with Lafayette, when he came from France with aid for
the thirteen colonies, at a time when the American cause w'as in sore
need of assistance. Albert W. Ellsworth was a cabinet maker by trade.
"n 1870 he came to the Sunflower State, taking land in Jewell county,
Ivhere James was born. Kansas was the frontier in the early '70s and
the Ellsworth homestead was never quite safe from Indian depredations
and raids. Albert Ellsworth took an active part in the defense of his
home against the Indians in the fight at White Rock Creek ; he was
one of the first officers of the county and continued to take an inter-
ested and active part in public life until his death in October, 1885.
James Ellsworth began his education in the public schools of Jewell
county, subsequently graduating from the Formoso High School. For
one year he took higher academic training at the Salina Normal School
to prepare himself for a teacher, which vocation he followed eleven
years, during two of which he acted as principal of the Lovewell schools.
An open outdoor life had always appealed to Mr. Ellsworth, and having
been reared on a farm he turned to agricultural pursuits. Starting with
BIOGRAPHICAL 57
an eigln}-acre farm, by good management, ihrift and economy, he has
added to the original home until he now owns 240 acres of the finest
farming land in Jewell county. From the beginning Mr. Ellsworth spe-
cialized in thoroughbred stock, making a specialty of Diiroc hogs and
Short Horn cattle. In addition to raising stock he has traded in cattle
and hogs, but has gained such a wide reputation for the standard of his
live stock that he disposes of all at private sale. Mr. Ellsworth is a
member of the Duroc Association, holding stock in that concern, as well
as in the First National P>ank of Formoso and the telephone company, of
which he was the first secretary. For years he has been active in all
township affairs, having held the offices of clerk and treasurer. Having
been progressive in ideas and methods, working for the benefit of the
c< immunity, Mr. Ellsworth has gained many friends, and at the present
time is a candidate for county commissioner on the Democratic ticket,
at the earnest solicitations of his many friends and supporters, who per-
suaded him to make the race. He is a popular member of the following
fraternal organizations : The Masonic order. Modern W'oodmen of Amer-
ica, Eastern Star, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
On March 8, 1896, Mr. Ellsworth was united in marriage with Rosa
A., the daughter of Edgar E. and Eleanor Walker. They were natives
of Wisconsin, who came to I'Cansas in 1871, locating in Grant township,
where Mrs. Ellsworth was born, December 2, 1877. Her father, like so
iTian\- of the early settlers, engaged in farming and stock raising, so that
she grew up on the farm, attending the public schools, and later graduat-
ing from the high school at Narka. Republic county. The fathers of both
Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth enlisted in the army at the call for volunteers
at the opening of the Civil war. Mr. Ellsworth enlisted at Chicago
under Col. Elmer Ellsworth, who was his cousin, and .served during the
entire war. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth —
Xita G., Vernon, Ruth .\.. Clair E., J. Orville, Marion, Josephine O..
Milford D. and FVancis D. Nita is attending the high school, but with the
exception of Milford and Francis, all the other children are attending the
same school their father did when a boy. All the family are members
of the Methodist Episcopal church.
C. S. Kenney, of Norton, Kan., a physician of State-wide reputatinn,
and the recently appointed superintendent of the State Tuberculosis San-
atorium of Newton, was born at Saranac, Mich., April 22. 1877, son of
Alexander and Lois L. (Kimball) Kenney, the former a native of New
York and the latter of Vermont. .Alexander Kenney was a farmer and
stock raiser, and our subject attended the country schools, working
on the farm with his parents during vacations. He graduated from the
Saranac High School with the class of 1895, a^^tcr wh,ich he taught
school for two years and then took the college preparatory course at
Ferris Institute. P.ig Rapids, Mich. After five months' preparatory work
he entered the Detroit College of Medicine, in Detroit, Mich., in 1898,
58 BIOGRAPHICAL
graduating in 1902 with ihe degree of Doctor of Medicine. While at-
tending college he worked to pay half his expenses.
After leaving college Dr. Kenney came to Kansas and located at Nor-
catur, where he practiced eight years, and in 1910 located at Norton and
is enjoying a good practice in that town. He is a member of the State
and American Medical associations, of the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons, the Order of Eastern Star, the Modern Woodmen of America,
the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Court of Honor, and has
been county health officer for three years. He spent five months
studying the spread of tuberculosis for the State Board of Health, visit-
ing sixty-five counties. Having recently been appointed superintendent
of the State Tuberculosis Sanatorium at Newton, Kan., he will be located
in that city in the future.
Dr. Kenney's success in life is largely the result of strenuous early
efforts. His father died when he was two ^ears old and his mother
raised the family. He walked three miles each morning and evening
while going to high school, and was never late a single morning and
never out except on account of sickness. He worked in a wholesale
house in order to finish his education.
The marriage of Dr. Kenney to Lola M. Corns took place May 20,
1904. Mrs. Kenney was born in Indiana, January 12, 1882, daughter of
Dr. C. V. and Castillie (Le Count) Corns, natives of Indiana, who moved
to Kansas in 1886. Here Dr. Corns practiced his profession and Lola
Corns attended the common schools of Norcatur and later the Norton
County High School at Norton. Dr. and Mrs. Kenney have two chil-
dren : Grey A., born December 30, 1905, and Helen C, born July 23, 1910.
C. G. Page, a cattle dealer of Norton, Kan., was born at Monmouth,
\\'arren county, Illinois, October 8, 1852. son of A. B. and Rebecca
(Thompson) Page, the former a native of New Hampshire, and the lat-
ter of Ohio. A. B. Page was engaged in the live stock business and our
subject attended the country schools, later spending two years in the
academy at Kewanee, 111. L^pon leaving school he went to work as
brakeman on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad, beginning Oc-
tober 8, 1871, just at the time of the Chicago fire, and remaining one year,
when he went back to the farm. In the spring of 1873 he came to Kansas,
traveling as far as Lowell. Neb., by railroad, from which point he walked
and rode with freighters the rest of the way, arriving in this State with
but five cents in stamps, and a total stranger to everybody. He took the
homestead on which he now lives.
Mr. Page's early experiences in Kansas are interesting. He spent his
first night at a place where there were no beds and everybody had to
sleep on the floor. A man who had been in a shooting scrape loaned him
his overcoat and in the night Mr. Page turned over against the stove
and burned a hole in the coat. He was frightened, for the thought the
man would kill him. In those days everybody who could do so carried
BIOGRAPHICAL 59
guns, on account of there being so man}- antelope and buffalo in the
country. From April to October one couldn't look in any direction with-
out seeing thousands of buffalo, and there were plenty of Indians in this
section at that time. Mr. Page was here when the Indians massacred the
white people on the Sappa, and the settlers came into town for protec-
tion. There was but one little store in Norton, built of cotlonwood logs,
and only a few houses. The settlers had to drive sixty-five miles to the
railroad. Mr. Page was a freighter and drove a yoke of oxen. On one oc-
casion he was with a train of mules with his ox team and a load of
hides. The rest of the train went on and left him, and he was so hun-
gry that he ate some salt pork, which made him very thirst}'. He had
lost his oxen the night before, so had to walk to the Solomon river, where
he drank until he became sick. Mr. Page began buying cattle when he
first came to Kansas and seven years was a freighter. After discon-
tinuing the freighting business he still dealt in cattle, which is his busi-
ness at the present time. He was here during the county seat fight, and
in 1874 was elected sheriff, but did not serve. He now has 640 acres of
land near Norton, where he took his original homestead, and it is
equipped with feed pens for stock. He is feeding several hundred head
this year, as it is his custom to deal in cattle and hogs in large num-
bers. Mr. Page is a member of the Knights Templars, the .Ancient
Order United Workman and the Ancient Free and -Vcceptcd Masons, and
in politics is a Republican.
On April 15, 1879, Mr. Page married Miss Mary R. Jones, daughter
of Oliver L. and Margaret (Hefner) Jones, natives of Indiana. Mrs.
Page was born in Lafayette, Ind., Ajiril 17, 1861, where she was raised
and attended the common schools. Her parents moved to Kansas in
1876, locating in Norton county, where her father engaged in farming
and stock raising. Mr. and Mrs. Page have had nine children: Wilburt
O. and Welmert G., twins, born February 16, 1880; Charles G., born
March 7, 1882; Ora E., born June 29, 1884: Jesse L., born September
5, 1886; Edith O., born 1888; Mabel and Chester, twins, born May 5, 1891,
the latter being deceased ; and Earle, born December 3, 1895. Edith is
married to Harry W. Frame and now lives at Clayton, Mo. All (he chil-
dren were educated at the Norton County High School.
Seywood Larrick, of Lenora, Kan., prominent capitalist, banker, ranch
owner, and formerly a stock dealer on a large scale, was born in Guern-
sey county, Ohio, Son of Asa Larrick, of Logan, Kan. Asa Larrick
moved from Ohio to Illinois, then to Iowa, and in 1872 came to Kansas,
locating in Phillips county, on the present site of Logan. They drove
from Kearney, Neb., by team, and took a homestead on the Solomon
river. Buffaloes and other big game were plentiful in those days. In
1878 the Indians raided the country west of Logan and a stockade was
built at that place for the protection of the settlers. The first house
the Larrick family lived in was built of logs, with a dirt roof, and our
6o BIOGRAPHICAL
subject attended the common schools in Phillips county and finished at
the Logan schools. At the age of thirteen he hunted buffaloes with his
father, for hides, and the last year on the range he killed a number of
buffaloes himself. lie and his father hunted for three years, and took the
hides to \\'allace, Kan., Kit Carson, and Julesburg, Col. The freight
for Logan was hauled from Russell, and the mail came from Concordia
to Kirwin, the Logan people depending on anyone who could to bring
it over.
After hunting buffaloes three years young Larrick went to the Black
Hills, remaining there for one year, and in coming back he stopped on
the range in Nebraska for three years. In 1880 he took a homestead in
Sheridan county and started into the cattle business, which he followed,
and in 1887 entered the banking business. On May 14 of that year he,
with others, bought the Exhange Bank, of Lenora, of which he is princi-
pal stockholders, and of which he has been cashier for twenty-five years.
He remained in the cattle business until about ten years ago. In two years
his company shipped over 7,000 head of cattle from Arizona, and handled
hundreds of hogs and horses. L'pon going out of the cattle business, in
1904, he established the State Bank, of Edmond, Kan., which in 1906 was
changed to the First National Bank. He is president of this bank and
owns more than four-fifths of the stock. In 1908 he with others estab-
tablished the Hoxie State Bank, of Hoxie, Kan., of which he is president.
In that same year he with others established the Farmers' State Bank
of Speed, in which he sold his interest last year. In 1891 he organized
the Lenora Lumber Company, of which he was treasurer for twenty-one
)'ears, selling his interest last August. Mr. Larrick was one of the orig-
inal stockholders in the Osage Fire Insurance Company of Topeka. He
owns about 1,700 acres of land in Kansas. He was councilman of
Lenora for a number of years, is a member of the Congregational church,
of the Ancient Free and .Accepted Masons, of the Ancient Order of I'nited
Workmen and of the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he is
a Republican, and has been a school director for nine years.
On July 22, 1885, Mr. Larrick was married to Miss Celestia .\. Harde-
man, daughter of John M. Hardeman, a native of Missouri, who came
to Kansas in 1879, 3"^ ^^'^^ engaged in farming. They came here from
Iowa, and Mrs. Larrick attended the common schools of Graham county,
after which she taught school for two years. Mr. and Mrs. Larrick have
five children: Lottie A., married to W. L. Leidig, assistant cashier of
the E.xchange Bank, of Lenora, and is living in that town; Ollie I.. Fern
A., and Lewis L., attending Washburn College in Topeka, and Emma,
attending high school at Norton, Kan. The family arc members of the
Congregational church.
\\'hen the Larrick family first came to Logan there were no settlers
west of that point on the river and the country was covered with buffalo
grass, ehere being no hay except in the draws. The Indians camped on
BIOGRAPHICAL 6l
the river during the winter and cut down cottonvvood trees ti) allow their
horses to browse. During the first two \^ears at f.ogan they could go
out any time and kill buffaloes and antelopes. In 1873 oui subject was
on Frenchman river, in southwest Nebraska, with his father, when they
saw the main body of a herd moving southward. They estimated that
more than 200,000 buffaloes passed their camp within two days, and they
killed ten by moonlight in one night, and the next day were kept busy
skinning carcasses. As soon as one was finished another was killed. In
the summer these hides brought as low as 60 cents for cow hides, and
90 cents for bull hides. The highest robe-hide price received was $3.25.
After the county -was settled the blue joint grass came, rains were more
frequent and better crops were raised. In 1890 they sowed wheat in the
dust. It did not come up till spring, but they harvested the biggest crop
they ever had. The creeks were full of beaver dams when they located
in this country, but after all the beavers were trajiped the dams washed
out, and since that time the creeks remain dry a part of the year. In
1877. while in the Black Hills, Mr. Larrick discovered a rich mine, but
left the hills for the winter, and as there was an Indian raid, he never
returned, although the mine was successfully worked later. When they
came to Kansas the Larrick family had no money, and one winter wore
buffalo hocks for shoes, so that our subject has made all of his money
right where he lives. He is the largest individual taxpayer in Norton
county. He is interested in banks at Norton, Phillips and Sheridan coun-
ties. The capital and surplus of the Exchange Bank is $61,000, of the
First National Bank of Edmond, $32,000, and of the Hoxie State Bank,
$43,000. The Larrick residence in Lenora is the second finest in the
whole northwestern part of the State. In the same neighborhood where
he made his fortune Mr. Larrick once worked for $8.00 per month.
When he was a cattle dealer, in 1882-83, he shipped in stock from Mis-
souri for this section of the country, and at one time the settlers were
so anxious for stock that five car loads were sold by moonlight on arrival
at the station. In those days there was an abundance of range.
Mr. Larrick's father and mother still live on the original homestead,
which they took forty years ago, near Logan, the former at the age of
seventy-five and the latter past seventy-three, both active for their age.
C. W. Ward, a leading physician of Lenora. Kan., was born in Os-
borne, this State, June 16, 1883. son of David and Clara M. Ward, natives
of New York, who came to Kansas in the early '70s and settled in Mar-
shall countv, removing to Osborne county in 1878, where they took a
homestead south of the town of Osborne. After a short time David
Ward entered the mercantile business in Osborne. He later went into
the real estate business and was register of deeds of the county for
three or four terms. He was prominent in the politics in this section
of the Slate. His death occurred in O.shorne in T0n8.
The subject of our sketch was raised in the town of his birth, attend-
62 BIOGRAPHICAL
ing its public schools and graduating from the high school in 1904, after
which he taught school for two years. In 1906 he began the study of
medicine at the Kansas University, from which he graduated in 1910
with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He is a member of the Nu
Sigma Nu. After leaving college he located at Almena, Kan., remaining
there for a few months, and then located in Lenora, where he has since
practiced his profession. He is a member of the State, County and
American Medical associations, of the Ancient Free and Accepted Ma-
sons, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Eastern Star and of
the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he is a Republican. Dr.
Ward was a member of the Osborne militia and acted as guard in the
famous Dewey case, which was tried in Norton county and lasted for
forty-two consecutive days. Dr. Ward's success is the result of his own
well directed efforts. He paid his own way through college.
John M. Burton, a leading banker of Atwood Kan., was born in Mon-
roe county, Indiana, March 16, 1838. a son of Henry W. and Martha
Burton, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of North Caro-
lina. Henry W. Burton was a farmer and when his son, John, was quite
yoimg, he moved to Kankakee county, Illinois, where the boy attended
the common schools and later was for some time engaged in teaching.
Our subject then took up surveying, completed his studies in that line
and became a surveyor. For sixteen years he was deputy county sur-
veyor of Kankakee county, teaching school in the winter during fourteen
years of this time. The Burton family were among the pioneers of their
locality in Kankakee county, as the town of Kankakee had just been
started when they came.
In the spring of 1865 ^Ir. Burton enlisted in Company A of the One
Hundred and Fifty-sixth Illinois infantry, but had gone only as far as
Chattanooga,' Tenn., when Lee surrendered. He was discharged at
Memphis, Tenn., in the fall of 1865. After leaving the army he was
elected county surveyor of Iroquois county, Illinois, which office he held
for fifteen years, living in the town of Watseka. In the spring of 1887
he came to Kansas, located in Atwood, and bought the Rawlins 'County
Bank. Mr. Burton owned all the stock himself and conducted a private
banking business in the same building now occupied by him, having
made some addition to the building in the meantime. In July, 1902, he
organized his business into a State bank and it is now the Rawlins
County State Bank, of which Mr. Burton has been president since the
organization.
Aside from his banking business our subject has some 2,000 acres of
ranch property under fence, modernl}' equipped in every respect, and
stocked with several hundred head of live stock. He has served the city
of Atwood eight or ten years as mayor and at the last election was Re-
publican candiate for representative, but owing to his vast business
interests was unable to make a hard campaign, so was defeated by a few
n
<\^WuZZ^(^ij&y
BIOGRAPHICAL 63
votes by the Democratic candidate. He is a member of the Kansas
Bankers' Association and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
There was no railroad through Atwood at the time Mr. Burton located
here, the nearest station being Stratton, Neb., thirty miles away, from
which point all freight was hauled. Atwood was founded in 1880, and in
1885 it was but a small inland village with no county buildings. The
surrounding country was sparsely settled and the chief industry was
cattle raising. Mr. Burton was here during the county seat fight, in
which Atwood was victorious. In June, 1905, Mr. Burton married Sarah
L. Binning, a native of Iroquois county, Illinois. She first settled with
her husband in Nuckolls county, Nebraska, and later came to Rawlins
county, Kansas, where they took up Government land. Mr. Burton is
a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Arthur Capper, of Topeka, Kan., whose name has become familiar to
a million or more readers through the different Capper publications,
is a conspicuous example of the self-made man, having advanced, un-
aided and by his own efforts and industry, to the position of leading
publisher of the West. In this, his native State, he is recognized as one
of the builders of Kansas, and as a young man who has dedicated his
useful life to the advocacy of those principles and material things which
have made the State preeminent in the Nation. Born in Garnett, Ander-
son county, in 1865, Arthur Capper's first recollections are of the sto-
ries of the days when the settlers along the eastern border were fight-
ing for free government. He was a student at the feet of the pioneers
who had fought the good fight and started Kansas on her first half
century of history, a record in State building that is the pride and glory
of every citizen. Thus, in his boyhood, he grasped the Kansas spirit
and early became an advocate of the principles and policies which have
made it one of the most progressive commonwealths of the L'nion.
Throughout the whole of his active career he has ever been loyal to
the Stale of his borth, a Kansan whose efforts have been devoted to the
betterment of his State and its people, and who, in turn, has received
from them the inspiration of their remarkably progressive spirit. The
parents of Mr. Capper were among the first settlers of Anderson county,
and Herbert Capper, the father, a native of England, was one of the
founders of Garnett. In 1870. with several other Kansans, he organ-
ized the town of Longton, in Elk county, naming it for his birthplace
in England. He lived there only a short time, when he returned to
Garnett, where he and his wife died. They were buried in Garnett
cemetery. The surviving children are: Arthur and Mary, who reside
in Topeka, and Edith, the wife of A. L. Eustice, of Chicago. The
parents were faithful members of the Quaker church and in the family
circle the language of that religious organization was used in the daily
conversation. They were excellent people, of strong minds and
good character, and their son grew to manhood under excellent in-
64 BIOGRAPHICAL
fluences. It was in this Christian home that Arthur Capper was taught
tlie lessons of honesty, morality, industry, temperance and self-reliance,
wliich traits of character have been the foundation of his splendid suc-
cess. That those early Christian influences and teachings were indelibly
impressed upon his mind is attested by the countless articles that have
appeared in his publications in behalf of all religious move-
ments and right living. The school days of Mr. Capper were
spent in Garnett, where he received every advantage its splendid schools
afforded. His father, while not discounting the value of an education,
entertained the old-fashioned notion that a boy should carve out iiis
own destiny and reh' on his own resources, and that a knowledge of
the great schools of life was of equal importance. He, therefore, taught
him to earn his own money and to save it. A very little thing often
serves as the inspiration that shapes the destiny of men. AMiile yet
a mere lad ^Ir. Capper received as a Christmas present a little toy
printing press, which, as years have passed, remains his most cherished
and valued gift. \\'ith this little outfit he began his career as a pub-
lisher, for with it he printed cards and did other little odd jobs for mer-
chants, saving up several dollars. Before he was fourteen years of age
he entered upon an apprenticeship in the printing business in the office
of the Garnett "Journal."' his wages to begin with amounting to one
dollar per week. His first work was the job of inking the forms of
an old Washington hand press. He continued to work on the Garnett
'"Journal" until 1884, when he secured a position on the "Daily Capital"
at Topeka. Up to that time all his work had been done during spare
hours out of school, during part of the afternoons, evenings and Satur-
days. He allowed his studies to suffer no neglect, however, and always
stood at the head of his classes. He looks back to those days of train-
ing in Garnett as the most important epoch in his early life, and remem-
bers with love and gratitude the precept, example and Christian influ-
ences thrown around him by his good Quaker father and mother.
Next to the parent, the teacher who trains a boy's mind is best qualified
to speak of his real character. Prof. J. B. Robison, now living at Law-
rence at the advanced age of eighty-four, taught for many years in the
Garnett schools and was close to boyhood life of Mr Capper. From this
old teacher comes this tribute : "I knew tlie family well and I am
familiar with the principles inculcated in his mind by his parents from
childhood until he completed the high school course in Garnett in 1884.
The principles taught at home and through the bight school
course were morality, honesty, truthfulness, industry, justice to all, and
good, intelligent citizenship. As I had charge of the school for a num-
ber of years I had a good opportunity to know the foundation upon
which Mr. Capper started and built his success. I kept a private record
of the deportment and average per cent, of all my pupils in their studies
on final examination, and have that record now. He stood perfect in
BIOGRAPHICAL 65
the former and 98 per cent, in the latter. He understood the pur-
pose of schools and prepared his mind while under a tutor for intelli-
gent and active work when he entered the business world." While
'mastering the trade he had chosen, an ambition arose to become
a writer for the press, and while still a youth he twice captured a
first prize for the best letter. The first prize was won in the New
York "Tribune" and the second in the Topeka ''Capital." Such was
Mr. Capper's steady progress toward an ultimate purpose and ulti-
mate success. At the age of eighteen he started to make his own
way in the world. As stated, he went to Topeka in 1884 to work as
a typesetter for the "Dail}' Capital." The foreman found him a good
workman, always to be depended upon, and with habits of sobriety and
industry. True worth seldom fails of recognition. Mr. Capper soon
gained the notice of Major Hudson, the founder and owner of the
"Capital," who lent him ever)- possible encouragement. Ambitious to
become an all-round newspaper man he applied for and was given a
position as a reporter. It was not long until he was made city editor
of the paper, a position which full}- tested his capacity for work, and it
was during these years that the industr}-, economy and attention to
detail, taught him by his parents, were counted by his employer as his
chief asset. His first work that gave him Slate-wide acquaintance was
in 1889, when he took the job of reporting the legislative proceedings
for the "Capital." It is, perhaps, the most complete, concise and accu-
rate report of its kind ever published in a Kansas newspaper, or, for
that matter, in any other. In 1893 came his first venture in independent
newspaper work when he purchased the North Topeka "Mail" from
Frank A. Root. For two years he was his own editor, reporter, busi-
ness manager and advertising solicitor, and also had charge of all the
mechanical work on his paper. For a time he published the "Mail" as
a local i^aper, but later it was merged with the "Breeze," which he
purchased from Thomas McNeal in 1897. When he acquired the To-
peka "Daily Capital," in 1901, he had but $2,000 of the purchase price,
his remaining capital consisting of the confidence he had established in
the minds of different financiers, who had observed and weighed the
character of the man during his career in Topeka and who were ready
to assist him, having absolute confidence in his integrity and ability
to pay off the remaining indebtedness. There came discouraging times,
but he had faith in the future and believed that industry and a policy
that stood for the real spirit of Kansas and the high ideals of her peo-
ple would win. That his hopes have been fully realized is attested by
the remarkable growth of his business. Kansas is potentially an agri-
cultural State. Mr. Capper realized that and foresaw, before the agri-
cultural press of the country had attained the importance it now has,
the splendid opportunities open to the publisher of a strong agricultu'al
paper. In 1903 he followed up his judgment by converting the "Mnil
66 BIOGRAPHICAL
and Breeze," then one of the most successful and prosperous political
and practical news weeklies with more than a State-wide reputation,
into "Farmers' Mail and Breeze,"' now the leading farm and live ■stock
journal of Kansas. He made the change suddenly, and it took genius
and courage to put it through, but subsequent events have more than
justified the wisdom of it. In a class of nearly 500 agricultural publica-
tions "Farmers' Mail and Breeze" ranks as one of the twelve leading
journals of its kind in the United States. With characteristic originality
and energy he set about making it alive with interest and with real prac-
tical usefulness, and today it is welcomed as a personal friend in more
than 100,000 homes. Since then he has assumed the publication of other
farm papers, though they are not so well known in Kansas. These other
agricultural papers are the "Missouri Valley Farmer," which has over
350,000 subscribers ; "Nebraska Farm Journal," a semi-monthly, and the
"Missouri Ruralist," a weekly published in Kansas City, Mo. The
"Kansas Weekly Capital," the weekly edition of the "Daily Capital,"
with 100,000 circulation, goes chiefly into farm homes. Every month
the total issue of the several Capper publications reaches the extraordi-
nary figure of 3,000,000 copies. A carload of printed papers is put
through the Topeka postoffice every two days, and Mr. Capper pays as
postage to Uncle Sam the sum of $125,000 a year. There are over 600
people on the Capper payroll in Topeka, and next to the Santa Fe Rail-
way Company, whose shops and general offices are located there, he
pays out more rhoney to labor than any other interest in the city, if not
in the State. His capacity for work is tremendous and his master}- of
detail marvelous, for he keeps in intimate touch with ever}' department
of this immense business. One of the several Eastern writers who have
come to Topeka to inspect the methods Mr. Capper has employed in his
successful career, in discussing the fine building which housed the Cap-
per publication, said: " * * * It is five stories high, 75x130
feet, absolutely fire-proof, built of Bedford stone, terra cotta, steel and
concrete; equipped with every convenience of a modern publishing plant,
rest room, shower baths, restaurant, assembly room, etc. The total
cost of the plant and equipment was $355,000. The different depart-
ments are equipped with thoroughly modern facilities for handling the
work. * * * " ^f^ Capper is not all business. There is a per-
sonal side to his character and a very tender and sympathetic one, as
demonstrated by the many benefactions and charities bestowed by him
upon the sick and afflicted. He is not only a benefactor to those in suf-
fering and distress, but his thoughtful interest also extends to the wel-
fare of his fellows who need a cheering word, the benizon of hope, and
the sunshine that brightens their existence. No one can doubt his love
and interest in little cliildren, for one of his keenest pleasures is to con-
tribute to their happiness and development. More than 6,000 boys and
girls each year call at his office and secure a supply of free flower seeds
niOC.RAPHICAL 67
which they are to plant and cultivate with their own hands, under direc-
tions furnished them. Prizes are awarded to the most successful grow-
ers, and thus the)' are encouraged to gain a practical knowledge of the
cultivation of flowers, and at the same time a development of their
aesthetic nature takes place. To foster the spirit of unselfishness and of
kindly deeds the children are encouraged to become the co-workers of
Mr. Capper in providing flowers for the sick, in the hospitals and in their
homes, his flower automobile making many trips for that purpose, from
the middle of June until the middle of September. Another annual
event which the children in and about Topeka look forward to with
pleasure is the picnic which he gives 10,000 of them at Vinewood park.
"Whoever will may come" to these entertainments, arranged and paid
for by Mr. Capper for the little folks. He knows the longing and desire
of the childish heart, and so provides innocent games, amusements, and
music that will mark the picnic as a red-letter day in the lives of all the
children present. Among the boys and girls who are his guests at each
picnic are nearly 2,000 poor children, who, at every Christmas time, are
remembered by him with a useful present. He organized the Good
Fellows' Club and appealed to the citizens of the city to join him in dis-
tributing toys, candy and clothing to the needy children of the city. He
personally took the lead in this splendid movement and asked his friends
to go into the bjways and seek out the children of the poor, that they
might be remembered on the Christmas holidays with a substantial token
of esteem and good will. He also collects magazines and periodicals,
which are distributed to the various hospitals, orphans' homes and other
charitable institutions of the city. Very few people in Topeka know
that Mr. Capper provides an automobile every week, through the spring
and summer months, for a ride for the old ladies of Ingleside Home.
This benefaction, like all his others, is bestowed without ostentation or
display. Mr. Capper was married, in 1892, to Florence Crawford, daugh-
ter of ex-Gov. Samuel J. Crawford. His wife is also a native Kansan,
Topeka being her birthplace. Politically, Mr. Capper is a Republican
and has been allied unreservedly with the progressive element of his
party. Recognizing the unusual ability and strength of character of
the man, an army of loyal friends are urging his candidacy for governor
in 1912. During his busy life Mr. Capper has taken an active inter-
est in many National movements for civic betterment and progress. He
has been a student of all the great questions that have been advanced
in the interest of better government, and through his publications, and
personally, he has been a valued helper. Among the National organiza-
tions of which he is an active member may be mentioned the National
Municipal League, the National Conservation Association, the American
Sociological Society, the National Tariff Commission .Association, the
National Conference of Charities and Corrections, the .American Eco-
nomic .Association, (he Internationa! Tax .Association, and the National
68 BIOGRAPHICAL
Civic Federation. He is a director of the Kansas State Historical So-
ciety and has been one of its active and influential members for years.
He was president of the Kansas State Editorial Association in 1909, is
now president of the board of regents of the Kansas State Agricultural
College ; is a director of the Young Men's Christian Association of To-
peka, and a member of the executive committee of the State Association.
He was chairman of the local committee which recently raised $50,000
in ten daj's for the Young glen's Christian Association building in To-
peka. Fraternally he is a member of the Ancient Order of United
Workmen, the jNlodern ^^'oodmen of America, the Knights and Ladies
of Security and the United Commercial Travelers. In concluding this
sketch the opinion of the Eastern writer, previously quoted, is here
given : "Men are judged by their achievements. They are honored only
in a degree which is made justifiable by their ability. But when a big,
generous-hearted man has a long string of real achievements to his
credit, humanity, in its greed for personal fame, is prone to lump them
off as bargains, feeling that, well, maybe, some of it was due to luck.
Men like Arthur Capper do not travel successward by any easy road.
It takes character — truly great qualities you find in all really self-
made men.''
J. T. Short, probate judge of Rawlins county, was born December 27,
1856, at \^'iota. \\'is.. son of R. B. and Narcissia (Hale) Short, the former
a native of Kentucky and the latter of Tennessee. His father was en-
gaged in stock raising and farming. When our subject was about three
years old his parents moved to Pottawatomie county. Iowa, where he
was raised and attended the common schools. His grandfather Hale
was killed in the Black Hawk war, in 1832, and in 1886 the Government
erected a monurnent on the site where he, with several other men, was
killed. At the time of this war the people were sent to Wiota Fort
(\\'isconsin), and here in later years the subject was born, in the same
house that protected the settlers in 1832.
After leaving school Mr. Short engaged in farming and stock raising
for two years, and in 1885 came to Kansas, locating at Atwood,- where
he farmed and worked at the carpenter trade for about nine years. He
was then appointed deputy sheriff of Rawlins county and while serv-
ing in that capacity worked in a hardware and implement house. After
retiring from the office of deputy at the end of four years he continued
three years longer in the hardware and implement business. He then
engaged in contracting and built the present court house of Rawlins
county, the high school, and several other large modern buildings in
Kansas and Nebraska, retiring from the contracting business in 1912,
for the purpose of looking after his several farms in this county. In the
fall of 1912 Mr. Short was elected probate judge on the Democratic
ticket. He is a member of the Christian church, and of the .\ncient
Free and Accepted Masons and Commandery.
BIOGRAPHICAL 69
Mr. Short was married, January 24, 1876, to Miss Joannah C. Mc-
Knight, daughter of Anthony and Cynthia (Soddy) McKnight, the
motlier a native of Pennsylvania and the father of Tennessee, the latter
a minister of the Baptist church. Mrs. Short was born in Lafayette
county, Wisconsin, where she was raised and attended common schools.
Mr. and Mrs. Short have had six children : Lucy Belle (deceased) ; Ab-
bie (deceased) ; Linnie Mabel; Charles (deceased); Eugene (deceased);
and Myrtle. Linnie Mabel is married to Claude Hiltabidel and lives in
Atwood. Myrtle P. is married to Waldo Blood and lives at Mul-
len, Neb.
Edward Winslow Wellington. — The history of the Twentieth century
is a chronicle of business progress and development. Commercial pros-
perity and business conquests now fill the annals of our country and the
man who successfully establishes, operates and controls extensive com-
mercial interests is the victor of the present age. Mr. Wellington is
a representative of the class of substantial builders who have served
faithfully in the upbuilding of this great commonwealth. He is a pio-
neer of central Kansas who has nobly done his duty in establishing and
maintaining the material interests and moral welfare of his community.
Mr. \\'ellington is a native of the Bay State, born at Cambridge. Mass.,
February 4, 1853, the son of Ambrose and Lucy Jane Kent Wellington.
On both sides he is descended from Colonial stock. The Wellington fam-
ily was established in America by Roger Wellington, a Welshman, who
settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony at Watertown, now Cambridge,
in 1632. He was born in Wales in 1609 and died March 11, 1697. Ben-
jamin, his son, lived until January 8, 1709; his son, Benjamin, Jr., was
born in 1675, and was town clerk of Lexington, Mass., and lived until
October 31, 1738. Timothy, the son of Benjamin, Jr., was born July
27, 1719, and lived until 1761 ; his son, Benjamin, was born August 7,
1743. When the Revolutionary war broke out Benjamin Wellington
was one of first Continental army soldiers to meet the British scouts in
advance of the British army on their way to I^exington that memorable
morning of April, 1775. and was the first armed soldier of the Continental
army to be captured in the Revolutionary war. Benjamin O. Welling-
ton, son of Timothy, was born August 23, 1778, at Lexington, Mass.
He married Polly Hastings, whose ancestors had settled on a farm
adjoining the one Roger Wellington had located in 1632. They became
the parents of seventeen children before I'.enjamin died in 1853. The
Wellington family lot in Mount Auburn cemetery occupies a part of each
of these original forms owned by the Wellington and Hastings families
in the Colonial days.
Ambrose Wellington, the .son of Benjamin O. and father of Edward
Wellington, whose name heads this sketch, was born in Lexington,
Mass., April 11, 1819. He received an excellent education, graduating
from Harvard I'niversity with the class of 1841. After leaving college
70 BIOGRAPHICAL
he was master of a boys' school for a few years, and in 1845 founded the
first school for colored children in Boston. Ambrose Wellington was
one of the pioneer educators of his day, he was noted for his opposition
to corporal punishment. Some of the most brilliant men of his day
recognized his great worth and ability, and were his friends and asso-
ciates, among them Benjamin Butler, Charles Sumner, Wendell Phillips
and Josiah Quincy. He was a profound lawyer, a well known geologist
and educator of great ability. On May 27, 1845, he married Lucy Jane
Kent, daughter of A\'ill!am A. Kent, of Concord, N. H., and the niece
of Governor Kent, of Maine. The Kent family was one of prominence in
New England during the Colonial days, and many men of ability have
descended from it. For a number of years Colonel Kent was in the
United States customs service in Boston. Ambrose Wellington died
March 26, 1895, and his wife departed this life April 25, 1907.'
Edward Winslow Wellington received his elementary education in the
public schools. Subsequently he attended the Latin school in Boston,
Mass., then entered Harvard L'niversity, graduating from the literary
department with the class of 1874. After leaving college he began to
study law in his father's office, and was admitted to the Massachusetts
bar in 1877. Mr. Wellington came west in the spring of 1877, stopping
in Denver for a short time ; from that city he rode to Saline county, Kan-
sas, on horseback, a perilous trip at that time, as Indian raids were still
frequent along the trail. He operated a sheep ranch near Tescott. in
Ottawa county, about a year, then engaged in the same business on the
Elkhorn. Ellsworth county. Having faith in Kansas and its future, Mr.
Wellington purchased 12,000 acres of land in Ellsworth county, one of
the largest ranches in central Kansas. He named the postoffice near
this ranch Carneiro, a Portuguese word meaning mutton. He built fme
buildings on the ranch, so that it presented a thoroughly modern appear-
ance, and became one of the noted places in the county. In 1887, Mr.
Wellington located in the town of Ellsworth. He invested heavily in
town property and since that time has erected more business blocks and
residences than any other man in the town. The store buildings cover
the west side of Douglas avenue from First to Second streets, and are
the best in the city. Since locating in Ellsworth Mr. Wellington has
been greatly interested in civic improvements. At an early day he pur-
chased the old court house, opera house and Odd Fellows' hall, and at
once began tearing them down to make room for new buildings with
modern conveniences. He was the first to install steam heat in his
buildings. Following this came fine plate-glass fronts, the first in the
town, then cement sidewalks. Taking great pride in the growth of his
home city, Mr. Wellington built, owns and operates the sewerage sys-
tem of the town. No amount of time, energy or money is too great for
him to spend if it be for the betterment of the community. Mr. Wel-
lington typifies the spirit of the West. Progress and improvement are
BIOGRAPHICAL 7I
his watchwords. He is preeminently a business man and his efforts
have been crowned with well-deserved success. In addition to his large
laud holdings he has a business concern handling loans and insurance
under the firm name of E. W. Wellington & Son. They also have an
abstract office.
Mr. Wellington has not confined his energies to business alone, but is
one of the most prominent Masons in Kansas. He is a past grand mas-
ter of Kansas, past grand high priest, past grand commander, past
grand master of Council, past potentate Isis temple, Temple Ancient
Arabic Order Mystic Shrine. .Mr. Wellington is a Republican. On
September 23, 1879, he married Clara, the daughter of Maj. George Ed-
wards, United States arm}', retired, of Boston, who was a classmate of
Gen. U. S. Grant. Mrs. Wellington was a niece of Milne Edwards, the
well known naturalist of Paris. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs.
Wellington — Waldo Forster — born September 26. 1884, and is asso-
ciated with his father in business in F.llsworth. Mrs. Wellington occu-
pies a prominent place in the social life of Ellsworth and central Kan-
sas. The Wellington home is one of the largest and finest in Ellsworth,
with beautiful grounds and is known for the hospitality of its hostess,
who has many friends.
William Eugene Stanley. — There is no quality in man that contributes
so much toward his success or failure in life as that great fundamental
in his make-up which we call character. It should be the ambition of
every one to so shape his character that it may be classified under the
one general head — good ; and, perhaps, no man ever lived who better
succeeded in that laudable ambition than the late William Eugene Stan-
ley, of Wichita, ex-governor of Kansas, distinguished lav/yer, honored
citizen, and true Christian gentleman.
Governor Stanley was a Buckeye by birth, born near Danville, Knox
county, Ohio, December 28, 1844, son of a physician. He was reared on
a farm, was educated in the common schools of Hardin county, Ohio,
and in the Ohio Wesleyan University. In his early manhood he stud-
ied law in Kenton and Dayton, Ohio, and was admitted to the bar at the
former place in 1868. He came to Kansas in 1870, and for two years re-
sided in Jefferson county, teaching school at Perry, and later serving
as county attorney, which office he resigned in 1872 and removed to
Wichita. This city becoming his permanent residing place in the Sun-
flower State, he resided here continuously from 1872 to the date of his
death, a period of nearly forty years, barring the four years he served as
governor of the State, during which he necessarily resided in Topcka.
But during that time regarded Wichita as his home. At the time he
located there Wichita was a hamlet, a mere speck, so to speak, upon the
great unsettled plains of southern Kansas, its population consisting, for
the most part, of cowboys, ranchmen and adventurers, together with a
generous supply of that undesirable element who derived their living
•J2 BIOGRAPHICAL
from a game of chance, and whose wits were taxed to their utmost
in the hatching and baiting of schemes which would enable them to en-
trap and fleece the unsuspecting, faith-laden settler. For a man who
possessed the habits, tastes and tendencies of young Stanley, and who
had been brought up in the atmosphere and environment that attended
his early life, it must have required a herculean courage for him to
locate there at all. But he did so, and instead of sinking to the level
of his new environment, as many another would have done, and instead
of becoming a part of the great homogenous mass of fleecers, fakers,
and law-breakers, which obtained here then, the inborn, high-bred,
manly character of William Eugene Stanley and a few other men of the
same t3'pe was such as to enable them to stand firm for the right ; to
blaze the way, by precept and example, for order and good ; to fertilize
the \\'ichita soil in such a manner that, where only weeds of wickedness
and sin grew before, there would take root and spring up the massive
oaks of religion, education and civilization. Slow, but sure was the
metamorphosis. But in time it came. Right triumphed, and today
Wichita is one of the most orderly and law-abiding cities in the land;
thanks to William E. Stanley and those who had the moral courage to
stand with him.
As soon as Mr. Stanley located in Wichita he entered upon the pur-
suit of his profession, and, barring the time he occupied the guberna-
torial chair, was a practicing lawyer at the bar throughout the full
period of his residence there, and this record as a lawyer forms a large
part of the legal history of Sedgwick and adjoining counties during that
time, and it is, also, stamped upon the jurisprudence of the State, as
well. In the court records of several Kansas counties, including Sedg-
wick, the name of William E. Stanley appears far more frequently than
that of any other lawyer, showing conclusively that he was the fore-
most and most successful legal advocate in his section of the State.
However, while Mr. Stanley was a great lawyer, it is not his legal
talent alone that entitles him to go down in the State's history as one
of the "great men of his time. In truth there were other qualities and
accomplishments in his make-up which would, doubtless, completely
overshadow his legal attainments, great as they were. He was twice
honored by the highest gift which the people of his State had it in their
power to bestow, and in the estimation of the commonwealtlrs historian
this fact, together with his official accomplishments, would undoubtedly
outweigh all of his achievements at the bar, brilliant though they were.
But there was one other grand quality in Mr. Stanley's personality
which completely overshadows both of these; a quality beside which
his legal talent was as an ant hill to a mountain ; a quality to which,
when we liken the matchless triumphs of the great office he held, it is
like comparing the importance of a brooklet to that of a mighty stream.
This one paramount quality in the man was his true, manly, inbred, irre-
BIOGRAPHICAL 73
proachable good character — a character which to him was the first
consideration of his life; a character that was so steadfast in him that
every other consideration was subordinated to it, and made to occupy
a minor place. This one great factor in his life ever and at all times
occupied the main track, and had full right-of-way over and above every
other alternative. It was the cornerstone of his ver}' existence, and
buildcd, as it was, upon bedrock, it was as unshakable and as immovable
as Gibraltar itself. It was this priceless quality in Mr. Stanley's make-
up, more than an\- other, that was responsible for his great success in
life, both at the bar and in politics. He not only possessed a character
of the highest order, but it was of that superlative kind which we call
Christian character, and a more splendid specimen of it was, perhaps,
never exemplified by the life of anyone. Always a God-fearing man,
and a devout adherent of Christianity, he was for twenty-five years one
of the pillars of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Wichita, and
for the same length of time was superintendent of its Sabbath school.
Furthermore, Governor Stanley's religion was not merely a Sunday re-
ligion. He wore it seven days in each week. In his law office and
home, in the court room and in the executive chair of the State, his
Christianity and religion were constantly at his elbow, ready to guide,
aid and influence his every thought and act. This, therefore, was his
one supreme quality, and while there were many others that were ex-
cellent, this one sterling asset in the storehouse of his manly talents
should have first place and should occupy the post of honor, for a beau-
tiful Christian character is of more real value to a man iliaii riches — yea,
of more value even than mountains of pure gold.
While Mr. Stanley had always taken a keen interest in political mat-
ters and was an ardent member of the Republican party, vet he was in
no sense a politician, and barring three terms of service as attorney for
Sedgwick county, shortly after locating in Wichita; also as police com-
missioner for a time, under the metropolitan system, together with one
term in the State legislature, he had never held nor been a candidate
for office up to the year 1898, devoting himself energetically to his law
practice, which pursuit was more congenial to his tastes and inclinations.
However, in 1898, when the Kei)ublican party, smarting under the sting
of defeat at the hands of the Populists and Democrats in the previous
election, fairly ransacked the State in search of a standard bearer for
governor on whom all factions of the party could unite, the trend of
political sentiment spontaneously cemented itself in favor of William
E. Stanley, and at the convention held at Hutchinson, in June of that
year, he received the nomination for the highest office in the State, and
at the election which followed was triumphantly elected to the office of
governor. His first administration having been a most brilliant suc-
cess, in the vear igoo he was renominated for the office by acclamation
and was reelected to it bv even a larger majority than he had received
74 BIOGRAPHICAL
the first time, in spite of the most strenuous efforts the fusion ticket
could put forth. He served out the two full terms and undoubtedly
made one of the best governors the State of Kansas ever had. It is
not the purpose of the writer to enter upon an exhaustive discussion of
his official acts in this brief sketch, for all of that will be fully covered
in another department of this work. Suffice it to say, however, that th,e
two administrations of Gov. William E. Stanley will go down in his-
tory as two of the most successful administrations the State ever had,
and his fame as a splendid chief executive now permeates every part
of Kansas and is admitted by all exponents of public opinion, regardless
of political sentiments and affiliations. At the close of his second term
as governor he returned to Wichita and resumed the practice of law,
and was thus engaged at the time of his death, being the senior mem-
ber of the firm of Stanley, Vermillion & Evans, composed of himself,
R. R. Vermillion and Earl W. Evans. Four years after Mr. Stanley
first located in Wichita, or on May 30, 1876, he was united in marriage
to Miss Emma Lenora Hills, the daughter and only child of Henry
James Hills, a dry goods merchant of Wichita. Her mother's maiden
name was W^illampy Du Bois. Mrs. Stanley Was born in Covington,
Ind., April 4, 1858. Both of her parents were born in Franklin county,
Ohio. She came to Wichita with them, in 1871, from the State of Iowa,
whither they had removed from Indiana when she was a small child.
For several years her father was engaged as a merchant, in both Keokuk
and Prairie City, of the Hawkeye State. Henry James Hills had been
partly reared in Ohio and at Crawfordsville, Ind. He had learned the
dry goods business at Delaware, Ohio. He became one of the pioneer
dr}- goods merchants of Wichita and built on the corner of Second and
Main streets the first brick store in the city, which building still stands.
He followed mercantile pursuits there for many years and made a name
for himself as a man of sterling habits, inflexible honesty and unim-
peachable integrity. He died on June 20, 1908, having celebrated his
golden wedding in the previous year, an occasion which was attended
by several brothers and sisters of himself and wife from other States,
as well as by two attendants at their marriage fifty years before. His
widow, the mother of Mrs. Stanley, still survives, and she resides near
the home of her daughter in Riverside, Wichita.
Mrs. William E. Stanley is one of the most prominent women in the
State, and is scarcely less prominent than her distinguished husband.
In Wichita, her home, she easily occupies the post of honor as the first
lady of the city. Having finished her education at the Atheneum of
Jacksonville, III., she has throughout all her life taken an active interest
in all movements inaugurated and conducted by the patriotic women
of the land ; and she has been particularly active in those two superb
organizations — the Society of Colonial Dames and the Daughters of the
American Revolution — being one of the foremost women in Kansas in
BIOGRAPHICAL 75
the work of both. Her membership in the Colonial Dames was secured
through her relationship to Gov. Thomas Wells, of Connecticut, who
was one of her paternal ancestors, while her admission to the Daugh-
ters was brought about through her descent from Joseph Allen, of her
maternal ancestry. However, her eligibility to become a Dame came
through ten different lines of descent, and to become a Daughter through
five different lines of descent. She served for two years as the regent
of Eunice Sterling chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, of
Wichita, resigning it to become State regent in 1903, and serving as
such for five years. She is now vice-president-general of the National
Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, having been elected as
such in 1908, and reelected in 1910, being one of twenty such vice-presi-
dents in the United States, as well as the only Kansas woman who has
ever been thus honored. In 1910 she was made an honorary State regent
by the National Society. She was one of the charter members of the
Society of Colonial Dames, of Kansas, and is prominent in its work.
Besides her work in these National organizations, Mrs. Stanley takes
prominent part in the social and religious life of \\'ichita, being deeply
interested in the local chapters of the two organizations mentioned
above and a prominent and active member of the First Methodist
Episcopal Church : and she is the honored and central figure at a large
number of the exclusive social functions of the city.
During the four years that Mrs. Stanley was in the social limelight
as mistress of the governor's home in Topeka she wore her honors with
becoming modesty and discharged the trying duties of the "first lady of
the State" in such a manner as to win the plaudits of the most exacting
critics. It was the universal acclaim of everyone who was in a position
to observe and to know something of the social side of Governor Stan-
ley's two terms that as the presiding head of the State's "white house"
she honored herself and the State as few governor's wives have done, and
though she, herself, would make no such claims, she undoubtedly de-
serves a large share of the credit for the splendid success of Governor
Stanley's two administrations. She akso has the honor of being the first
mistress of the new executive residence in Topeka. She now occupies
the old Stanley homestead in Riverside, one of Wichita's most fashion-
able residence suburbs. It is one of the most picturesque and delightful
homes of the city, and has been the scene of many of Wichita's most
exclusive society gatherings. Her marriage to Governor Stanley resulted
in the birth of four children : Charles Albert died at the age of twenty
months ; Harry Wilbur is a general agent of the Equitable Life Insurance
Company with headquarters at Wichita ; Miss Harriet Eugenia, after
studying at Welleslcy, graduated at Baker I'niversity and is a former
teacher in the Wichita High School ; and William Eugene. Jr., is a stu-
dent at the University of Chicago.
Though Governor Stanley was twice the recipient of the highest po-
76 mOGRAPHICAL
litical honor it was possible for the people of the State to confer his high
character and splendid qualifications were such that he received many
other honors in the course of his career, some of them being of a National
character. On November 6, 1899, President William McKinley appointed
him a member of the committee on the National celebration of the es-
tablishment of the seat of government in the District of Columbia, and
his commission as such, signed by both President McKinley and John
Hay, Secretary of State, is one of the cherished possessions of the Stanley
family. Again, on February 16, 1903, he was appointed by President
Theodore Roosevelt a commissioner to negotiate with the Indians of
the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muskogee and Seminole nations,
and this commission, bearing the signature of Theodore Roosevelt, is
likewise a cherished heirloom of the famil_y. Another honor he received
was that of Doctor of Laws, conferred on him by Bethany College.
It is fitting that a biography in a work of this description should con-
tain, to some extent, the ancestry of those whose biographies appear.
Governor Stanley was descended from an ancestry that played a very
prominent part in the early history of this country. In direct line his
ancestor, Thomas Stanley, came to this country in 1634 and removed to
Hartford in 1636, in which locality the activities of the family were con-
fined for the next century. His son, Nathaniel, married Sarah Boosey ;
their son, Nathaniel, married Anna ^^'hiting; their son was Nathaniel,
a Yale graduate of 1726, who married Mary Marshall, and their son was
Marshall; hi3 son, Nathaniel, married Mary Moore; their son, William
Lytle, married Eliza Fleming; and their son, Alman Fleming, father of
Governor Stanley, married Angelina Sapp, daughter of John Sapp and
Elizabeth Myers. Three of Governor Stanley's ancestors — John Flem-
ing, Lieut. Robert King and Lieut. William Moore — fought in the Rev-
olution, from Pennsylvania. Nathaniel Stanley, son of Thomas, was
one of the members of the body which acted as the supreme court, from
1690 until his death in 1712. His son occupied the same position and
was treasurer of Connecticut from 1725 to 1755. He was preceded in the
office of treasurer of his father-in-law, Joseph WHiiting, who held the
place from 1679 to 1718, and was preceded by his father, William Whit-
ing, who, in addition to being treasurer, was a supreme judge and a mem-
ber of the first house of representatives in Connecticut, in 1637. The
grandfather of Nathaniel Stanley (3) was John Allyn, who was secretary
of the colony from 1657 to 1695, supreme judge for many years, and a
member of the council of Sir Edmund Andros. His father, Matthews
Allj'n, likewise a representative and supreme judge, from 1658 to 1667,
was a commissioner of the United Colonies in 1660 and 1664. The line
also runs back to William P3'ncheon, one of the original patentees of Mas-
sachusetts, under the charter of Charles I., granted in 1629. Pyncheon
came over with Winthrop in 1630 and founded and governed Springfield,
Mass., to 1652, when he returned to England. Possibly the most distin-
BIOGRAPHICAL -J^
guished man among all these was William Leete, a graduate of Cam-
bridge, who came to America in 1638 and was a magistrate of Guilford,
deputy and governor of New Haven colony from 1658 to 1664; deputy
governor of Connecticut from 1609 to 1676, and governor from 1676 until
his death in 1683. Governor Leete was one of Connecticut's greatest
early statesmen and it is through him that Governor Stanley became a
member of the society, "Sons and Daughters of Colonial Governors."
Governor Stanley was proud of his parentage, but it made no change in
his demeanor, as his belief was in the individual building of character
and not in its inheritance.
It was not destined that Governor Stanley should be permitted to
enjoy a long span of life after he retired from public office, though the
seven years which intervened between the close of his second term as
governor and his death formed, perhaps, the happiest epoch in his career.
In the full enjoyment of private life he devoted himself to the law, to
his church and to his family and home; and it may also.be said, to his
neighbors, for one of the marked traits of his character was to do little
acts of kindness and to drop a flower here and there in the pathways of
those with w^hom he came in daily contact. But it was not the Supreme
will that he should be spared to his neighbors and family very long,
and on October 13, 1910, yielding to the ravages of an ailment which had
annoyed him for some time, the great heart of William Eusfene Stanley
ceased to beat and his spirit joined the hosts in the great bex'ond.
The death of Governor Stanley, though not wholly unexpected, proved
a shock to the whole community and to the entire State. The people of
^\'ichita and of Kansas, as one great unit, bowed their heads, and, for
the time being, became mourners. Messages of condolences from Gov-
ernor Stanley's friends in both Kansas and other States poured in on his
surviving helpmeet, and these served, to some extent, to soften the blow
and to lessen the pangs which ever attend the great sting of death. Many
were the personal letters she received from prominent friends of the gov-
ernor throughout the State. Numerous associations, societies and other
organized bodies hastened to meet and pass resolutions of sorrow and re-
spect. The Sedgwick County Bar Association, of which he had been an
honored member ever since its organization, was among these and as an
additional mark of respect it presented its resolutions to Mrs. Stanley in
the form of a handsomely printed morocco bound volume. Since these
resolutions were drafted and adopted by his colleagues at the bar it is
thought to be most appropriate to reproduce them herein, in full. They
are as follows :
"By sudden death, which came as a shock to our city and State, there
has been removed from our midst Hon. William E. Stanley, one of the
most gifted, honorable, high-minded and able members of our profession.
Brother Stanley was for nearly forty years one of the leaders of the Sedg-
wick county bar and was accorded a place in the legal profession through-
78 BIOGRAPHICAL
out the State as a trial lawyer, counsellor and jurist. His life is worthy
of emulation by the members of the bar and merits a recorded tribute.
Therefore, be it
"Resolved by the Sedgwick County Bar Association that the following
resolutions be adopted, and that the committee from this association
present a copy of the same to the Supreme Court of Kansas, the Circuit
Court of the United States for the district of Kansas, sitting at Wichita,
and the District Court of Sedgwick county, Kansas, with a request that
the same be entered on the journals and made a permanent record in the
said several courts :
"In view of the services of Brother Stanley as a citizen Qf Wichita
and one of the great factors in its upbuilding, his services as county at-
torney, as a member of the State legislature, and as governor of the State,
his high character and noble attributes as a man, rare gifts as a compre-
hensive and ever-ready public speaker and orator, integrity and ability
as a lawyer, and sound judgment as a jurist, we, the members of the
Sedgwick County Bar Association, as a memorial to the high esteem in
which he was held by his brethren of the bar,. bear testimony of and attest
the good humor, ability, integrity and industry with which he discharged
his obligations and fulfilled his duties in every public and private station
in life; that his private character and life were without reproach, his
public acts without blemish or stain; his official life was honorable,
marked by fidelity, distinguished by learning, honesty of purpose and
uprightness ; that his professional courtesy, his generous bearing toward
the members of the profession, ready to help the younger members of
the bar, hearty submission to the verdict or decision against him, sincere
faith in the honesty and integrity of judges and juries, generous for-
bearance in victory, endear his memory to this bar, and will cause it to
recall him, not only so long as the members frequent this room in the
practice of the law, but until they follow him.
"We recognize that in the period of time that has elapsed since Wichita
was a struggling town on the border of civilization down until yester-
day Governor Stanley stood in the front rank as a citizen in promoting
everything tending to upbuild or advance the city of Wichita, freely
giving his energy, time, money, voice and brains; ever encouraging the
building of the common schools and higher institutions of learning or
morality, helping to promote all these things to our general good, and
at all times striving to raise the standard of our citizenship; ever eager
and anxious to witness the crystalization of the moral sentiment of the
city. He was an intellectual force and moral power of the city toward
a hi,gher plane. His death leaves his place vacant in Wichita. His man-
tle has fallen and there is none to wear it. He was looked upon as a
leader by all classes in whatever engaged his time and sympathies.
"He possessed moral and phj'sical courage, self-reliance, talent (at
times amounting to genius), absolute faith in his cause, and the confi-
BIOGRAPHICAL 79
dence of liis co-workers; all of whicli go to make up those rare and in-
definable qualities in a man. which, united, arc at once recognized under
the one word, 'leadership.'
"Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to the
family of our dead brother and to the Wichita 'Beacon and Eagle' for
publication. Signed: Kos Harris, Henry C. Sluss, D. M. Dale, Thomas
C. Wilson, E. B. Jewett, and Earl W. Evans."
No sketch of Governor Stanley, however long, would be complete if it
did not have something to say concerning his domestic and private life,
for it is this mirror which more clearh' reflects a man's true likeness than
any other. A loving husband, a kind, patient and indulgent father, his
home life was one perpetual session of domestic felicity and happiness.
It was among the treasures of his' private life that the real gems of his
character were most abundant, and it was within the sacred precincts of
his home that the great polar star of his being shone most brightly. In
the close proximity of his family, neighbors and friends the sunlight of
his nature gave forth its most radiant light. Possessing a warm heart
and an unfailing tendency to do good his pathway was strewn with flow-
ers of kindness and his associations were decorated with deeds of love.
To the widow and daughter, to the sons and to his friends, his life sho'.ild
ever be an inspiration ; and to the rising youth it should ever be a worthy
object of emulation.
Otis L. Benton, banker and capitalist of Oberlin, Kan., and the recently
appointed supervisor of Indian funds, is a native Kansan, having been
born in Pottawatomie county, July 31, 1866, son of Almon and Betsey
F. Benton, natives of New York, who came to Pottawatomie county as
pioneers in 1859. Here Almon Benton was engaged in farming and stock
business, and here his son, Otis L., was born and raised and received his
early education. Later he went to the city schools of Louisville, Kan.,
Washburn College in Topeka and Elliott's Business College, of Bur-
lington, Iowa.
At the age of nineteen years Mr. Benton came to Oberlin, where he
was employed as bookkeeper in the Oberlin State Bank, holding that
position for two years, when he was made cashier. He remained with
this bank as cashier and vice-president until 1891, when he organized the
Oberlin National Bank, of which he was the first cashier, and the twen-
ty-one years he has been connected with this institution saw him rise
from cashier to vice-president and then to president. Mr. Benton also
organized the First National Bank of Norcatur, the First State Bank of
Cedar Bluffs, and the First Bank of Dresden, and many other financial
institutions, notably among which is the Decatur County .Abstract Com-
panv, which concern has the most complete records of any abstract com-
pany in the State. Not only has he been interested in financial concerns,
but has dealt more heavily in cattle than any other man in the north-
western section of the State, handling from three to five thousand head
80' BIOGRAPHICAL
of Stock, per year. He is a member of the Benton & Hopkins firm, which
deals exclusively in cattle.
The banks which he has organized are not the only ones in which
Mr. Benton is interested. He is a member of the firm of Benton &
Douglas, bankers, also organized the largest corporation in western
Kansas, known as the Benton & Hopkins Investment Company, with a
capitalization of $200,000, of which he is president. This company is
doing perhaps the largest business in northern Kansas and one of the
largest in the whole State. Mr. Benton, of the firm of Benton & Steele,
caused the consolidation of five telephone companies, and the new com-
pany is known as the Consolidated Telephone Company, with general
offices at Oberlin, Kan., and paid-up capital of $150,000, thereby giving
its patrons better service at greatly reduced rates.
Mr. Benton has accumulated a comfortable fortune and won the afflu-
ence it brings, yet he has not hoarded up in the neighborhood of half a
million dollars and overlooked any opportunity to assist in the welfare,
happiness and prosperity of the people of Kansas. He has always con-
tributed liberally to the churches and colleges of his home county, as
well as in different parts of the State, and any benevolent society has
alwa^'S found him a ready and liberal contributor. Nor has he confined
his liberality to societies and institutions, but has sought other waj'S of
being of assistance to the people of the State. In 1910, in order to put
the farmers of this section of the country in better circumstances he
distributed 8,000 bushels of a new variety of seed wheat among them
and in 1911 distributed 6,000 bushels. Besides assisting the farmers in
wheat raising he has tried to encourage diversified farming, by offering
prizes for the best colts, corn, Kaffir corn, Indian corn, milo maize, cane
and other farm products, in the wa}- of round-trip tickets to Topeka, and
coupon tickets to the State fair, of which he is a director. At the award-
ing of these prizes a great deal of enthusiasm was displayed by the farm-
ers and the town was full of people. Some of the finest colts and farm
products ever seen in this section were on exhibit. The contest was con-
ducted for Mr. Benton by the officers of the farmers' institr.te of Decatur
county in a manner satisfactory to all. Mr. Benton takes great interest
in educational matters, and is at present one of the trustees of Wash-
burn College. He has a number of ranches in this part of the country,
10,000 acres in all. each ranch managed by competent men, and all under
his supervision. His residence in Oberlin is one of the finest in the
State.
While Mr. Benton has taken an active part in politics he has never
permitted his name to be used as candidate for any position. He was
chairman of the Republican senatorial committee in 1896, and has also
been chairman of the Republican central committee. He was a delegate
to the Chicago National Republican convention in 1908, and has been
prominent'v mentioned several times for congressman. lie is a lift
BIOGRAPHICAL 8l
member and director of the Kansas State Historical Society; is a mem-
ber of the Kansas Bankers' Association, and at the Wichita meeting,
May 17 to 19, 1904, delivered an address on "The Country Banker and
Cattle Paper in the Light of History ;" is a member of the State Agricul-
tural Association, and in 1903 delivered an address before that body on
"The Live Stock and Agriculture Feature of Northwest Kansas." Be-
sides various addresses before the different associations of Kansas, Mr.
Benton has written articles for papers and magazines on various sub-
jects. Five years ago he toured England with his family, and on his
return wrote an article for the newspapers on "European Cathedrals and
Abbeys as Twentieth Century Monuments to Biblical History," which
received wide and favorable press notices. Mr. Benton has just been
appointed by President Taft as supervisor of Indian funds, and took the
office January 2, 1913, his duties being to maintain supervision of these
funds and recommend the manner in which to handle this vast property.
He is a member of the Presbyterian church, of the Ancient Order Ignited
Workmen, Modern Woodmen of America, Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Sons and Daughters of
Justice.
Dempster Scott was born in Lapeer count)', Michigan, March 24, 1853.
He was the only child of Orcn and Susan (Hungerford) Scott. His
father was born and grew to manhood in Vermont and his mother was
born and raised in New York. He father was one of those sturdy front-
iersmen who pioneered in New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa
and Kansas. lie worked many years of his .life at the carpenter trade,
helping to build the first capitol at Madison, Wis.
In the spring of i860 he sold his property in Lapeer county, Michigan,
and with his wife, Susan, and son, Dempster, started with a team for
Kansas. In Appanoose county, Iowa, he met people returning from
Kansas, who said that the crops were killed by drought; that the streams
and wells were going dry ; that stock was dying from want of water, and
that everyone was leaving the Territory of Kansas. He decided to re-
main in Appanoose county that summer, and in the fall moved to Ma-
quokcta, Iowa. In the spring of 1861 he moved from there to Clreen
county, Wisconsin, where the family lived till the spring of 1871, when
he again loaded an emigrant wagon and started for Kansas with his wife
and son. In the latter part of May of that year he arrived at Clyde,
Kan., where they camped while he looke(k around for a homestead. On
June I he located on the watershed, where the water runs north to
Five Creeks and south to Chapman creek, being three miles east of
where Miltonvale is now located. Junction City, forty-five miles away,
was the nearest railroad point. The terminal of the Central Branch was
then at Watervillc, which was forty-eight miles distant. Oak Hill, ten
miles away, was the nearest postoffice. During that summer there were
many antelopes in the country and one could sec them nearly every day,
82 BIOGRAPHICAL
and the deer also were numerous. That fall a band of Indians camped
at the head of Five Creeks and killed many deer. Oren Scott's home
was only one-half mile from the Texas cattle trail, over which thou-
sands and thousands of Texas cattle were driven north from Abilene,
where \\'ild Bill was city marshal. In 1872 a star route was established
from Concordia to Oak Hill. The Zahnesville postoffice was established
at the home of Oren Scott and he was postmaster for six years. Oren
and Susan Scott died in Miltonvale.
In the spring of 1874 Dempster Scott, having attained his majority,
began work for himself. He bought two yoke of cattle and commenced
breaking prairie. That was the famous grasshopper year. During the
latter part of July the hoppers came down in showers and ate whole
fields of corn in a single night. In a few weeks they had eaten all the
vegetation except the prairie grass. In September of that year Demp-
ster Scott went to Illinois and worked in Mason county until the next
February, when he returned home. In that month he took a homestead
of 160 acres, one-half mile north of his father's place. He built a dug-
out and a stone stable, and broke 120 acres of prairie. In 1876 and 1877
he broke prairie with his oxen for T. C. Henr}-, the Union Pacific land
agent at Abilene, who was then the wheat king of Kansas.
On December 10, 1878, Dempster Scott was united in marriage to ^liss
Clara Dunn, the daughter of James B. and Isabella Dunn, both of whom
were born and raised in Pennsylvania. James B. Dunn enlisted in Com-
pany M, Second regiment, Pennsylvania volunteer heavy artillery, on
February 8, 1864, and served two years. He was in a number of hard-
fought battles of the war. Clara Dunn was born in Mercer county,
Pennsylvania, on December i, 1861, and after the war removed with her
parents to Monroe county, Iowa, afterwards coming to Sullivan county,
Missouri. In the spring of 1877 the family came to Cloud county, taking
a homestead two miles east of ^^liltonvale, and on that place Mr. and Mrs.
Scott were united in marriage. James B. Dunn died in Atwood in 1902
and his wife died in the same city in 1900.
Dempster Scott and his wife lived on their homestead until the spring
of 1880. Their eldest son, Charley E. Scott, was born in the old dug-
out on October 18, 1879. In the spring of 1880 they made proof o;i their
claim and moved to Burr Oak, where Mr. Scott and Dr. Monnahan
engaged in the drug business for three months. He then returned with
his family to Zahnesville. which is now located close to the southwest
corner of the homestead which they had recently left. They started a
small drug store. In the spring of 1881 Dud Hathway, of Clay Center,
and W. T. Mathews, of Zahnesville, who now lives at Miltonvale, erected
a new store building, 24 x 60, two stories, one mile east of Miltonvale,
anticipating the arrival of the Kansas Central railroad (narrow gauge),
for which Star township, in Cloud count)', had voted $10,000 in bonds.
In 1882 Dempster Scott secured six yoke of cattle, hitched them to his
BIOGRAPHICAL 83
Store, which was 14 x 28, ten feet being partitioned off of the rear for a
residence, and hauled it to the new location. Shortly afterwards the
Zahnesville postoffice was moved to that place. In 1881 the railroad
built the grade and in April, 1882, laid the track to Miltonvale, which
derived its name from Milton Tootle, late of St. Joseph, Mo., he owning
the land on which the town was built. Mr. Scott bought one of the first
lots sold and built one of the first buildings, moving his store to the new
town within two da%-s after the first train ran into Miltonvale. On the
night of July 9, 1883, a disastrous fire visited Miltonvale and Scott's
drug store and residence, in the rear, were destroyed, but owing to the
energ}' of an insurance agent he had $1,000 insurance, and within two
weeks bought out his former competitor. Dr. S. V. Fairchild, and for
several months had the only drug store in the thriving town of Milton-
vale. On July 29, 1881, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Scott and
was christened Jessie Belle Scott, and on August 7, 1884, Oren Dempster
Scott, their third child, was born.
On December 24, 1884, Mr. Scott sold the drug store and l>egan reading
li.A in the office of A. J. Blackwood at Miltonvale. lie was admitted to
practice in the district court of Cloud county at Concordia on August 18,
1886. In Septem1)er he left Miltonvale with a team and bus^gy and drove
to Concordia, thence to Mankato, Smith Center, Phillipsburg, Xorton,
Oberlin, Atwood and Bird City, and decided to locate at Atwood. In
November he and his wife and three children left Miltonvale and went
by rail and stage to Stratton, Neb., from which point they drove thirty
miles southeast to Atwood, arriving on November 25, 1886, that being
Thanksgiving day. There were about 200 inhabitants at that time.
Within sixty days G. \V. Holdrege and other officers of the Burling-
ton railroad came to Atwood and explained that they were .going to
build a railroad up the Beaver valley, and that Atwood, nestling in the
beautiful valley, which is unsurpassed by any in the State, was unfor-
tunate for the reason that it was not a practical place for the company
to build a roundhouse and machine shops. This they were going to do
at Blakcman, five miles west of Atwood. The town fight was on and
raged all through the year 1887, the railroad company moving houses
and buildings to Blakeinan, free of charge, and giving the owners of the
buildings lots in Blakeman, Dempster Scott cast his lot with .\twood,
and in company with S. T. Lloyd, Albert Hemming. S. H. Tindell. John
M. Burton, M. A. Wilson, F. R. Morgan, J. C. Arbuckle, Frank E. Robin-
son and others put up the strongest town fight that the Burlington peo-
ple ever experienced, and which lasted for three years. For years the
railroad company had moved towns here and there in Nbraska, always
locating them on their own town sites, and county seats were like pawns
on a chessboard in their hands. To the west of .\twood they moved
Celia to McDonald, three miles. In Cheyenne county they moved Wano
to St. Francis, two and one-half miles, and moved the county scat from
84 niOGRAPHICAL
Bird City to St. Francis. In Rawlins county thej' spent thousands of
dollars circulating a petition calling for a county seat election, accom-
panying the petition through the county with a four-horse load of flour,
and giving every signer a sack of flour. Atwood partisans followed on
their trail with a remonstrance and strike-off, which remonstrated against
the calling of an election, and asked that the signer's name be stricken
from any petition that he may have signed in favor of having the elec-
tion called. Fully sixty per cent, of all who signed the first petition
signed the remonstrance and strike-off, and finally at the trial in the
supreme court Atwood was victorious and no election was called. The
victory was celebrated at Atwood by a barbecue and a day of speech-
making and general rejoicing. Dviring the fight employees of the rail-
road openly boasted that they owned the courts in Nebraska and would
in Kansas before the fight was over. The company refused to put a
depot at Atwood until so ordered by the State Board of Railroad Com-
missioners, and then set off a boxcar to be used as a station. This is
history, and Blakeman is now deserted, being a whistling station.
In 1887, 1888, 1889 and 1890 farm loans were promiscuously nego-
tiated throughout the country and a heavy crop of mortgages were har-
vested in Rawlins county, many of the settlers leaving as soon as they
got their farm loan. In 1890 there was a complete crop failure. In 1891
and 1892 there were good crops, but many of the people had left. In
1893, 1894, 1895 and 1896 the crops were failures and hundreds of the.
remaining settlers left, but Scott stayed and struggled on with his law
practice. In April, 1903, he and his son. Charley, who attended the
Kansas University in 1898 and 1899, bought the Republican "Citizen"
newspaper, which was founded here in 188 1, and published the paper
until October, 1909, when they sold it.
Dempster Scott lived on a farm until 1880 and his school advantages
were meager. .-Mthough thus handicapped he has persevered with zeal
and untiring industry in the practice of law, until now he is ranked
as one of the ablest lawyers in northwest Kansas, and enjoys a large
practice, extending into Cheyenne, Sherman and Thomas counties, and
he and his wife are happily located in one of the best residencs of At-
wood, surrounded with forest and fruit trees over a foot in diameter,
which they planted years ago. Their son. Charley, lives just across the
street, and his little boys, Dempster and Beverly, are at Grandpa's every
day. Charley was admitted to the practice of law years ago and is in
partnership with his father, the firm being Dempster Scott & Son.
Mr. Scott's daughter, Jessie, married C. C. Blood, of Illinois, and they
and their daughter, Lois, are located at McDonald, twenty miles west of
Atwood. Orcn Dempster is a jeweler and optician, and with his wife
and son, Hayes, lives at St. Francis, fifty miles west of .\twood, where
he has a good business.
Dempster Scott was a charter member of Atwood Lodge No. 164.
BIOGRAPHICAL Sj
Ancient Free and Accepted ^lasons, and became a member of Atwood
Chapter No. 84, Royal Arch Masons, shortly after its organization, on
June 20, 1902. He was also made a Knight Templar in Atwood Com-
mandery. Knights Templar, No. 54, shortly after its institution, which
was on May 30, 1910. Mr. Scott has always been an active and energetic
man and has been closely identified with all movements for the upbuild-
ing of Atwood and Rawlins county.
A. C. Blume, the first settler and first postmaster, first school teacher
and first county commissioner in Rawlins county, Kansas, was born in
the Province of Hanover, in Germany, May 21, 1842, son of C. A. Blume,
who was a judge in the court of Germany. After attending school for
a short time our subject was engaged as a traveling salesman for an
umbrella and jjarasol house, traveling all over Germany.
In August, 1865, Mr. Blume came to America, landing the 28th of
that month, after two months on the ocean. He first settled at Buckeye,
Iowa, where he was employed as a section hand on the railroad. Here
he worked about three and a half years, and in 1869 went to ^lichigan
and was employed as foreman of a construction gang on the Fort Wayne,
Jackson & Saginaw railroad. From there he went to Detroit and
secured a position as roadmaster of the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michi-
gan railroad. After one year with this company he was taken sick
and had very poor health for two or three years, in which time he went
to Angola, Ind., where he was for soine time under the care of physi-
cians, who at last advised him to come west. Accordingly, in 1873,
he came to Crete, Neb., where he remained for some time under the care
of phvsicians, and after s])cnding all his money was at last cured by
a simple remedy recommended by the neighbors. In 1875 he started
for Kansas in a wagon, looking for a home, and in May of that year
settled on the land where his home is now located. The Indians came
through the country frightening the settlers, and for a day and a half
Mr. Blume lay behind a bank o-f earth on his place, afraid to build a fire
or to be seen. He then went to Kirwin, Kan., where he took out home-
stead papers, and continued on to Crete, Neb.
In the spring of 1S76 Mr. Blume brought his wife to Kansas, and
they I'lved in the dug-out which he had made when he first came to the
State. As there was not very much here to do for a living, Mr. Rhime
left his wife in Kansas and returned to Crete, Neb., to work. After
working there all summer he started to Kansas, and as his team was
mortgaged, he walk'ed all the way, taking seven days for the trip. Tliey
had but $58.00 to provide themselves with food and clothing for a year.
The next spring he walked back to Crete, worked all summer and re-
turned on foot in the fall. In the spring of 1878 he again walked to
Crete and in May returned with two parties to locate land, and when
this was done drove back to the same town, remaining there until the
raid of 1878, when he took the train to Kc.-iiiic\ . Xrh . from which pl.ice
86 ^ BIOGRAPHICAL
he went b}' the Union Pacific to Plum Creek, walking from that place
to his home. It was two weeks after the raid before he heard of it,
but when the news reached him he made the trip as hurriedly as possible.
On his return he found some cattlemen in his neighborhood, and worked
for them at 75 cents per day, which enabled him to live.
Mr. Blume then engaged in farming and stock raising. On December
16, 1876, he was appointed postmaster of Prag, now Ludell, Kan., and the
signers of the petition for postmaster were secured at Hardy, Neb. In
1881 the county of Rawlins was organized and Mr. Blume was on the
first board of county commissioners. The board met in June 1881, and
ordered the election for July 6 of that year to organize the county
and locate the county seat. He was elected commissioner at this election
and served continuously until 1889. He has been township trustee five
times, having been elected for the fifth time at the last election. He
also organized and taught the first school,, which was a private institu-
tion, so that he was the" first teacher, first settler, first postmaster and
first county commissioner of his county. At the time Mr. Blume was
postmaster he had to bring the mail from Cannerville, in Decatur county,
making the trip on foot. The nearest railroad station was on the Kan-
sas Pacific, sixty-six miles south. During all of the intervening years
our subject has been farming and raising stock, and has added to his
original homestead until he now has 520 acres of land in his farm on
Beaver creek, near Ludell. He is a member of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows.
On September 17, 1870, Mr. Blume was married, in .Angola, Ind., to
Miss Ella S. Miner, daughter of Milo Miner, a native of Indiana, and a
descendant of early Pilgrims, to whom he can trace his ancestry. ]\[r.
Miner was a farmer, but had retired at the time of his daughter's mar-
riage to Mr. Blume. Mrs. Blume was born and raised in Indiana, where
she attended the common schools and later graduated from college. Mr.
and ^Irs. Blume have had six children : William A., now located in
Idaho ; Ollie, married to IMartin F. Akers, and living in New ]\Iexico ;
Carl M., located in Oregon, a carpenter by trade ; Henry died in infancy ;
Rexford R. and George A., now farming the homestead. Rexford at-
tended the Grand Island Business and Normal College for one year.
Mrs. Blume died August 26, 1909.
John W. Bartleson, president of the Beloit State Bank, of Beloit,
Kan., is a striking example of what ability, coupled with industry and
close application to business, will do for the average poor boy who has
the determination to win. John W. Bartleson is a native of Illinois,
and was born at Grand Chain, August 16, 1846. He is a son of John and
IMary ^^^ (Chapman) Bartleson. The father was a native of Virginia,
born in 1801, and in 1843 removed to southern Illinois. He was a
tailor by occupation and worked at his trade until the breaking out of
the war with Mexico, when he, together with two sons, Edwin and
BIOGRAPHICAL 87
Augustus C, enlisted in an Illinois com])any, and upon its organization
was elected lieutenant of the company, which was assigned to the
Second Illinois infantry, and was killed at the battle of Buena Vista, to-
gether with all the officers of his company. Our subject's mother was
a native of Stark county, Ohio, and was born in 1809 of New England
parents. John W. Barlleson was one of a family of thirteen children,
twelve of whom grew to maturity and reared families, one dying in
infanc}'. Their names are as follows in the order of birth : Edwin, born
in 1826, deceased; Augustus, born in 1827, retired farmer and stockman,
Muskogee, Okla. ; Robert B. and William W. (twins), born in 1829,
both deceased; Amanda, born in 1830, deceased; Eliza S., born in 1832,
now the widow of N. P. Tarr, Alound City, 111.; James, born in 1834,
now a farmer and stockman at Olmsted, 111. ; Warren K., born in 1835,
wholesale grocer, Jacksonville, Fla. ; .\ratus, born in J838, deceased;
Mary Jane, born in 1839, deceased ; .\Ionzo, born in 1844, deceased, and
John W'., the subject. Eight of the brothers served in the late Civil
war, all returning to their homes at the close of the war except .Alonzo,
who was a member of the Eighteenth Illinois infantry, who died while
in camp at Cairo, 111. The mother died January 4, 1868. at Grand Chain,
111. She lived to see all her children grown up and married. They all
lived near the old homestead and in her declining years the mother took
much pleasure and satisfaction in visiting among them. She was a de-
vout Christian woman and a lifelong member of the Christian church.
Mr. Bartleson was educated in the common schools of Pulaski county,
working on the farm in the summer and attending school in the winter
terms.
About the time that young Bartleson was approaching the age of
manhood the country was absorbed in the greatest struggle of its exist-
ence for the preservation of the Union, and while yet a mere boy he
enlisted October 9, 1863, in Company I, Eighty-first Illinois volunteer in-
fantry. His brother, James, was captain of the company. The regiment
operated with the Army of the Tennessee and participated in many
important expeditions and engagements. .Xt the battle of Guntown,
Miss., June 10, 1864, one hundred and twenty-five members of this
regiment were taken prisoners and private John ^^^ Bartleson was one
of the number. He was confined in the Confederate prisons at Ander-
sonville, Milan, and Savannah until November 26, when he was paroled
and sent to Annapolis, Md. From there he went home on a furlough,
where he remained for a time, when he went to Benton Barracks, St.
Louis, Mo., where he was exchanged, in .\pril, 1865. and returned to his
regiment at Montgomery, /\la., remaining in the service until July 14,
1865, when he received an honorable discharge. Thus closed a military
career of which any man might be justly proud. He endured the many
hardships incident to soldier life, on the march, in camp and on the field
of battle, but the supreme test of Ininian endurance was life in the Con-
88 BIOGRAPHICAL
federate prisons, and Mr. Bartleson had his full share of this feature of
war. He was slightl}- wounded at Guntown, Miss. At the close of the
war he returned to his Illinois home, where he remained until 1872,
when he came to Kansas, locating a soldier's claim in Center township,
Mitchell county. During the first five years in Kansas he lived in a
dug-out and in 1878 built a frame house, which was his home until
1886, when he removed to Beloit, where he has since resided. Mr.
Bartleson has prospered in all his undertakings and has acquired a
great deal of land. He owns several well improved and valuable farms
in Mitchell county.
Mr. Bartleson was first married February 28, 1867, in Massac county,
Illinois, to Miss Melissa C. Copeland. She died March' 19, 1870, at
Grand Chain, 111. To this union were born two children, both of whom
died in infancy. On February 8, 1872, Mr. Bartleson was united in mar-
riage to Miss Mary L. Anderson, of Aliens Spring. 111. They became the
parents of ten children, seven of whom are living, as follows : Clarence
P., born March 16, 1875, now cashier of the Beloit State Bank, Beloit,
Kan. ; Maurice W., born October 10, 1876, salesman, Kansas City, Mo. ;
Silas L., born February 10, 1878, farmer, i\Iitchell county ; Elsie L., born
May 26, 1879, married Ray L. IMcClelland, bookkeeper, Pittsburgh, Pa. ;
Maud E., born December 19, 1882, now the wife of Ralph E. Boyles, elec-
tric engineer, Montreal, Canada ; John H., born March 22, 1884, building
contractor, Denver, Col. ; and Mary B., born June 16, 1888, attending
college at Pittsburgh, Pa. The wife and mother departed this life De-
cember 31, 1902, and on October 5, 1910, our subject was married to
Miss Ida M., daughter of William C. and Mary A. (Piper) Cochran, of
Beloit, Kan., the former a native of Monmouth, 111., where he was born
November 13, 1838, and the latter was a native of Glasgow, Ky. They
now reside in Beloit Kan. W'illiam C. Cochran is a veteran of the Civil
war, having served in Company D, Thirteenth Iowa volunteer infantry,
and was discharged on account of physical disabilities. In 1870 he came
to Mitchell county and farmed until within the last few j'ears, when he
came to Beloit, where he has since lived a retired life. For j-ears.John
W. Bartleson has been a prominent figure in central Kansas finance. In
1887 the Beloit State Bank, one of the pioneer banking institutions of
Mitchell county, was organized and he became one of the directors. He
became its president in 1898 and has since that time been a dominant
factor and the active head of this institution, which is considered one of
the substantial banking houses of the State. Mr. Bartleson is also inter-
ested in the insurance and loan business and has other extensive business
interests in addition to these. He has had an active and successful career
and is one of the progressive and prominent business men of the State.
Politically he has always been an active Republican and served as regis-
ter of deeds of Mitchell county from 1886 to 1890, which has been the
extent of his office holding career, as he has been primarily a business
BIOGRAPHICAL 89
man and not a politician. He is a member of the Christian church at
Beloit, Kan., and also a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 145, Ancient
Free and Accepted Masons; Beloit Chapter No. 47, Royal Arch Masons;
Gyrene Commandery No. 23, Knights Templar, Beloit ; a Noble of the
Mystic Shrine, of Isis Temple. Salina, Kan., and is a Thirty-second
degree Scottish Rite Mason, lie is also a member of the Grand Army
of the Republic, Beloit Post No. 147; the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Sons and
Daughters of Justice.
John S. Elder, clerk of Rawlins county, was born in ^Montgomery
count}-, Illinnis, June i, 1852, son of John M. and Roseau (Webber)
Elder, the former a native of Kentucky, of English descent, and the latter
a native of Switzerland, who came to America in 1833. John M. Elder
was a farmer and stock raiser in IMontgomery county, Illinois, where
the subject of our sketch was born and raised. He attended the common
schools and later the Hillsboro Academy at Hillsboro, 111.
After leaving school Mr. Elder taught in the rui^al districts of Bond
and Montgomery counties for two years. In 1873 he went to Fairfield,
Clay county, Nebraska, w'here he taught school for one year, after
which he attended the law department of the Kentucky University for
six months, and then for five years taught school in Dj'cusburg, Ky.,
during which time he continued to read law. Returning at the end of
this time to Clay county, Nebraska, Mr. Elder taught at Spring Ranch
for two j'ears. In 1879 he came to Kansas and took a hometsead in
Rawlins county, where he was the teacher of the first public school,
the school house of the only district in the county being located at At-
wood. He had no pupils the first term. After teaching two terms he
was elected county superintendent of public instruction for Rawlins
county in the fall of 1885, and served one term, in which time he or-
ganized fifty districts and also ran a store at Celia, Kan. The first
school house at Atwood was part dug-out and part log, but during Mr.
Elder's second term a frame building was put up and it is now the
Baptist church building at Atwood.
Mr. Elder put up the first building at Celia. but when the railroad
came through McDonald he moved to that town. He then taught
school for two years, after which he removed to Blakeman, Kan., and
after teaching school for one year at that place he became manager
of the Howard Lumber Company at Blakeman. He held this position
for three years, and in 1896 was appointed mine officer of the Kansas
State penitentiary, .serving two years in this capacity. Mr. Elder re-
turned to Rawlins county and taught school for several terms, at the
end of which time he received the appointment as .shipping clerk of the
Kansas State penitentiary, his duty being to ship out all the products
manufactured in the institution. This position he held for ten years and
three months. In 1910 Mr. I'^lder went to TuIIeride, Col., where he was
90 BIOGRAPHICAL
employed for eighteen months as manager of the Ionia Mining Com-
pany. In August, 191 1, he came back to Rawlins county and made the
race for the office of county clerk on the Republican ticket, and was
elected, taking the office January i, 1913. Mr. Elder is a member of the
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
On December 25, 1878, Mr. Elder was married in Crittenden county,
Kentucky, to Miss Mattie Hildreth, daughter of William and Sarah
(Fleming) Hildreth, natives of Kentucky, where she was born and raised,
and attended the common schools. They had two children : Ollie P.,
who married Nelson \^ezina, and now lives in Lansing, Kan. ; Guy W.,
who is now agent for the Missouri Pacific railroad at Kelly, Kan. The
wife and mother died in June, 1885.
Mr. Elder was married the second time on November 27, 1887, to
Miss Maggie E. Hill, daughter of Ephraim and Elizabeth (Alexander)
Hill, natives of Ohio, Mrs. Elder having been born in Darke county of
that State, where she was raised till the age of sixteen, attending the
common schools. The Hill family came to Kansas, locating in Rawlins
county, where Mr. Hill engaged in farming, and the wife of the subject of
this sketch taught school ten terms and was editor of the Blakeman
"Register" one 3'ear before her marriage. They had one child, Mabel
E., who died in January, 191 1. Mrs. Elder died June 22, 1912, leaving
her husband and one adopted son, Donald.
Latham E. Harrison, banker, of St. Francis, and one of its foremost
citizens, having been the first mayor of the town, a pioneer merchant,
and legislator from Cheyenne county, was born August 5, 1866, in Tama
county, Iowa, near Marshalltown, son of Rev. David and Margaret
(Adair) Harrison, natives of Ohio, who came to Iowa in 1853, where
Rev. Harrison was engaged as a minister of the Methodist Episcopal
church. In 1878 the Harrison family came to Kansas and located in
Jewell county, at Jewell Center, now the town of Mankato. The piece
of ground where the subject's sister once lived in a sod house is now in
the center of Mankato, and his father's house now occupies the same
site.
Rev. Harrison preached in sod churches and dug-outs in the early
days ; is a veteran of the Civil war, and at present still lives in Mankato.
The name of the town was changed from Jewell Center to Mankato
about three years after the Harrisons located here, and our subject re-
ceived his education in the schools of that city.
After leaving school Mr. Harrison went to work on the Mankato
"Jewellite," a newspaper of Mankato, and later was with the Burr Oak
"Herald," Jewell County "Review," and "Monitor," a paper still pub-
lished in Mankato. After two years in newspaper work, he traveled one
year for his brother, who owned a music house in Mankato. He was
then employed in the general mercantile business of L. M. Butts, where
he remained until the winter of 1888. At this time he removed to Cam-
inOGRAPHICAL 9I
bridge, Neb., continuing in the mercantile line for a short time, until his
brother, who had located in St. Francis, called him to this town on pre-
tended sickness in order to induce him to locate here. He was prevailed
upon to handle a stock of goods that had been taken over by a bank, and
for that purpose located in St. Francis in 1889. lie worked one year as
manager of the store for the bank, at the end of which time he and his
brother bought out the party who had bought the stock and embarked in
the mercantile business under the firm name of Harrison Bros. They
remained in partnership until 1S96, when Latham Harrison bouglit his
brother out. He continued in business and today he is the leading mer-
chant of St. Francis. Two years ago Mr. Harrison took his two sons
into the business, which is now known as the Harrison Mercantile Com-
pany.
In 1896 Mr. Harrison organized the Cheyenne County State Bank,
and has been its president since the organization. He was the first
mayor of St. Francis and for nine years was president of the Cheyenne
County High School. In 1904 he was elected representative of Cheyenne
county to the legislature, in which body he served on the following com-
mittees : Count}' lines and county seats, penal institutions, banks and
banking, and irrigation. He introduced House Bill No. 123, relating to
sugar beet bounty, and Bill No. 599, relating to the city of St. Francis.
Mr. Harrison is a member of the Bankers' Association of Kansas, of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of l"nited Work-
men, the Modern Woodmen of America, and of the Methodist Episco-
pal church.
Mr. Harrison was married June 27, 1888, to Cora Tippin. daughter of
G. M. and Jennie (Montgomery) Tippin, of Mankato. Kan. Her father
was a native of Indiana and her mother of Ohio, and llicy took a home-
stead in Jewell county, near Mankato, in i88c5. Here Mr. Tippin engaged
in farming and stock raising. Mrs. Harrison was born in Page county,
Iowa, where she began her education, finishing in the schools of Jewell
county. She was a teacher before her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Ilarrison
have four children : Benjamin G., Harry D., Ilollis and Manette. I'en-
jamin G. and Harry D. graduated from the county high school and at-
tended the Kansas A\'csleyan L'niversity, after which they engaged in
business with their father. Hollis is now attending the Kansas Wes-
leyan University and Manette is a graduate of the county high school,
in the class of 191,^. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church and all take an active part in church work.
Josiah Crosby, of St. Francis, Kan., president of the St. Francis Tele-
phone Company, and a dealer in grain and broom corn, was horn in Bel-
mont county, Ohio, August 12. 1856. son of Oliver IT. P. and Margaret
(Trott) Crosby, of Maryland, the former being a farmer and stockman
of that State.
Josiah Crosbj- was raised in Belmont county, Ohio, and received his
92 BIOGRAPHICAL
early education in the common schools. His father died when the boy
was but ten j-ears of age, and immediately he started in life for himself.
He farmed and raised stock until twenty-six years of age. In 1884 he
left Ohio and came to Kansas, locating in Jewell county in the spring
of 1885, where he purchased a farm and remained two years. In 1887
he removed to Cheyenne county, took a homestead and farmed until the
spring of 1892. In the fall of 1891 he was elected sheriff of Cheyenne
county and served two terms. He then purchased a ranch and engaged
in stock raising, continuing in this business until 1907.
In 1896 Mr. Crosby was elected representative from Cheyenne county
to the State legislature, and served three successive terms, during all of
which time he was a member of the educational committee and was a
member of that body at the time the textbook law was drafted. During
his first term he was chairman of the claims and accounts committee. In
1904 ]\Ir. Crosby was elected county attorney, and served two years,
after which he devoted his entire time to his ranch, until 1907, when he
sold it and removed to St. Francis. Since 1892 he has been engaged in
broomcorn buying and shipping. For five years Cheyenne county was
the banner county of Kansas for broomcorn. Since moving to St. Fran-
cis Mr. Crosb}' has added grain and hay to his broomcorn business,
and has three warehouses on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy tracks.
The firm is known as Josiah Crosby & Son. In 1904 Mr. Crosby,
with other local parties, bought the St. Francis Telephone Company,
which at that time had a very small system. He has since extended
its lines to connect with, the Bell system and with the Consolidated
systems, but the St. Francis Telephone Company still is an independent
concern, owned and operated by local capital, Mr. Crosby being its
president. He is also a stockholder in the St. Francis "Herald,'" a local
newspaper. Mr. Crosby is a Democrat, a member of the Ancient Free
and Accepted Masons and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
In October, 1877, ^'Ir. Crosby was married to Malinda Miller, daugh-
ter of A. J. and Margaret (Shuman) Miller, of Batesville. Ohio. Both
her parents were born in Ohio, but the family came from Pennsylvania,
and is of German origin. Mr. Miller was engaged in farming and stock
raising. Mrs. Crosby was born in Batesville, Ohio, raised on a farm
with her parents and attended common schools. Mr. and Mrs. Crosby
have nine children : Homer M., Clarence M., Laura, Margaret, Elizabeth,
Florida, Gail, Theda and Marie. Laura is married to William Linning;
Margaret married R. R. Turner; Florida is married to Fred Hammers;
Elizabeth is married to Frank Confer, and they all live in Cheyenne
county. Clarence M. is married to Minnie Lockard. Gail is now in the
high school at St. Francis and Theda and Marie are attending the com-
mon schools. Mr. Crosby has always been identified with educational
affairs, serving on the school board of his district, also having organized
a number of districts.
BIOGRAPHICAL 93
George T. Tremble. — Honored and respected by all, there is no man
in Ellsworth county who occupies a more enviable position in banking
and financial circles than the man whose name heads this review. It is
not alone because of the brilliant success he has achieved, but on account
of the straightforward business policy he has ever followed that places
Mr. Tremble among the leading bankers of Kansas. He was born near
Green Bay, Brown county, Wisconsin, February 12, 1870, the son of Mar-
tin E. and Saram M. (Cook) Tremble. The elder Tremble was a native
of Keysville, Clinton county, New York, a lumberman who owned mills
at Big Suamico, Wis., with wholesale and retail lumber yards at Racine,
Wis. He also owned a line of lumber schooners and was regarded as
one of the successful and wealthy lumbermen in a notable lumber coun-
try, until his death in 1882. Mrs. Tremble passed away in 1875, when
George Tremble was still a child and upon the death of his father he
went to live with an uncle, David S. Beach, of Marshall, Mich. The
boy received his early education in the public schools of Marsall, grad-
uating from the high school in 1888. That summer he came to Kansas
determined to cast his lot with the .Sunflower State and make his for-
tune in the West. Locating at Wilson, Ellsworth county, he accepted a
position as bookkeeper in the Wilson State Bank, but in 1889 returned
to Michigan on account of the death of his uncle. 1 lavinsr come to see
that a good education was the best equipment for the battle of life Mr.
Tremble entered the literary department of the L'niversity of Michigan,
graduating with the class of 1894. The same year he returned to Kan-
sas and was elected the cashier of the Central National Bank of Ells-
worth in July, and served in this capacity until 1908, when he was
elected president of the institution, succeeding B. S. Westfall, and is
still serving as the executive head of the bank.
The Central National Bank is one of the strong banking houses of
Kansas. Money could not buy the place it holds on the roll of honor.
It stands first in the city of Ellsworth ; fir^t in the county of Ellsworth;
fifth in the State of Kansas; and 357th among the 7,500 National banks
in the United States; and of the 300 National banks within the State
onlv twenty-three are in such condition and so substantial as to be
entitled to positions on the roll of honor, where this bank has been
placed by the determination and executive ability of its officers. In 1912
the bank had a capital of $50,000; surplus of $125,000, and deposits of
■$625,000. It was established in 1885 as the Farmers' and Mechanics'
Bank, the princijial owners being C. F. McGrew, president ; J. W.
Powers, cashier, and G. W. Clawson. A year later a National charter
was taken out, under which the bank still operates. The presidents of
the bank have been as follows: C. F. McGrew, January to July, 1886;
G. \y. Clawson, July, 1886, to January, 1889; M. P. Westfall, January.
1889, to May, 1891 ; II. Ranimelsberg. 1891 to 1894; B. S. Westfall, 1894
to 1908 and George T. Tremble since that date. The cashiers during
94 BIOGR.\PHICAL
this period have been: J. W. Powers, 1886 to 1887: E. H. Tenney, 1887
to 1888: M. K. Brundage, 1888 to 1889; B. S. Westfall, 1889 to 1894;
G. T. Tremble, 1894 to 1908, and B. L. Gardiner since 1908. From the
first opening of its door the bank has been regarded as a substantial in-
stitution, having some of the strongest and best residents of the county
on the board of directors, who are as follows : G. F. Tremble, president ;
E. D. Schermerhorn, vice-president ; B. L. Gardiner, cashier ; Frederick
Melchert, of Lorraine, Kan., a retired farmer; F. A. Meryweather, cap-
italist ; J. R. McLavrin. capitalist, and Joseph Kalina, St.. a retired man
of Ellsworth. Mr. Tremble is also president of the Frederick State
Bank, vice-president of the Bank of Holyrood, and a director in the Wil-
son State Bank and Citizens' State Bank, of Dorrance, Kan. He is
president of the Ellsworth Oil and Development Company, and treas-
uerer of the Ellsworth Salt Company. In politics he is an Independent,
but has served three terms as mayor of Ellsworth, and during his term
in office was instrumental in securing the refunding of the bonded in-
debtedness of the city, amounting to about $130,000. While he was
mayor the new water works and pumping plant were constructed at a
cost of $12,000. Mr. Tremble is a very capable business man and
banker ; he is a large landowner and one of the progressive and enthu-
siastic boosters of Ellsworth and Kansas. In ^lasonry he has attained
the Knight Templar and Scottish Rite degrees; is a member of Aide-
mar Commandery of Ellsworth, ^^'ichita Consistory and Isis Temple
Shrine, of Salina. On June i, 1904, Mr. Tremble married ^lary, the
daughter of the late Col. Edward C. Culp, one of Salina's prominent citi-
zens. The family consists of three children : Edward Culp, born April
21. 1906; Martin Eggleston, born ^lay 3, 1907, and George T., Jr., born
May 3, igo8.
Frank Sharon Foster. — In the progress and development of this great
commonwealth, no factor has exercised more influence than the press,
which not only reflects public opinion but forms it and plays an im-
portant part in the politics of the State. Ellsworth county has been for-
tunate in the character of its newspapers, which are progressive, ever
advancing the interests of central Kansas and endeavoring to uphold
justice in the community. Prominent among the men who control the.
journalistic interests of central Kansas is Frank Sharon Foster, who
was born at Birmingham, Van Buren count}', Iowa, November 12, 1862.
He received his elementary education in the public schools of Bloomfield.
Iowa, but while still a lad realized that a good education was essential
to a man who would become a successful journalist. With this end in
view he entered the literary department of the University of Kansas,
graduating with the class of 1885. During the summer following the
completion of his college course Mr. Foster came to Ellsworth and pur-
chased a half interest in the Ellsworth "Xews," which was founded in
1880 by Z. Jackson. The firm name of the new concern was Collett &
BIOGKAI'MICAL 95
Foster. Tliey changed the name of the paper to the Ellsworth "Demo-
crat," and in 1891 renamed it the Ellsworth "Messenger." Three years
later Mr. Foster purchased his partner's interest in the publication, since
which time he has been the sole owner and editor. The "Messenger" is
a weekly, with a circulation of over 1,700. It reaches homes all over the
county and exerts an influence that cannot be measured. In connection
with the "Messenger" Mr. Foster has a job printing establishment, the
largest in Ellsworth county, which has proved a most profitable invest-
ment under his able management. In politics Mr. Foster is an ardent
supporter of the Democratic party. He was elected county clerk in 1892,
but refused renomination. In 1896 he was a delegate to the Democratic
State convention, and for many years has been secretary of the Ells-
worth county central committee. Since 1894 he has served as city clerk
of Ellsworth, a position which his training well qualifies him to fill. Mr.
Foster's fraternal associations are with the Masonic order and the An-
cient Order of United Workmen. He is a Knight Templar Mason and is
a past commander of St. Aldemar Commandery No. 33. On June 8,
1891, Mr. Foster married MoUie B., the daughter of Alexander Sheriff,
a pioneer resident of Ellsworth. There are two children in the famil}'.
Xorman McLeod, born December 5, 1894, and Frank Sharon, Jr., born
August 8, 1906. The family are members of the Presbyterian church.
Arthur Dale Jellison, banker and one of the leading representatives
of business interests in Ellsworth county, was born at Wilson, Kan.,
June 18, 1876, a son of Asa Adams and Catherine Ann Stahl Jellison.
Asa Adams Jellison was a native of the State of New York, and his
mother was a descendant of John Quincy Adams, of Massachusetts.
Asa Adams Jellison's early life was spent in New York, Ohio and Illi-
nois. In 1872 he came to Kansas and located in Ellsworth county, being
one of the founders of Wilson. He was a natural progressive in all
matters, was one of the pioneer merchants and a ])rominent stockman
of that section. In politics he was a Republican and took an active part
in politics, but would not accept public office, though he served several
terms as ma3'or of Wilson. Mr. Jellison was the chief organizer of the
first church in Wilson — the Presbyterian, and a large contributor to the
building fund, which he raised. He was one of the organizers of the
Wilson State Bank and the Rank of Holyrood. Ever working for the
benefit and improvement of the community in which he lived, he con-
tributed largely to the growth and prosperity of Wilson. In 1896 he
passed away, being survived by his widow, who died May 23, 1912. The
lollowing children survive: .\lbert C, of Portland. Ore., an extensive
timber and land owner; William C, of Portland, Ore., the president of
the Estacoda National Bank, of Estacoda, Ore., and who is interested in
lumber and various other enterprises; Charles R., assistant cashier of the
Wilson State Dank, and Arthur Dale, who was reared in Wilson.
Arthur Dale Jellison received his preliminary educatimi in tlie ])ul)lic
96 BIOGRAPHICAL
schools of his native town and then graduated from the Kansas Wes-
leyan Business College, of Salina, in the fall of 1893. Soon after leaving
college he entered the Wilson State Bank in a minor capacity, but
showed such ability in the banking business that he was rapidly pro-
moted, successively filling the positions of assistant cashier, cashier and
president, succeeding Benjamin Westfall, who died in 1908.
The ^^'ilson State Bank ranks among the first five of the Kansas insti-
tutions. It was organized in 1886 and has a capital of $40,000, surplus
of $80,000, undivided profits of $20,000, and deposits of 8400.000. The
bank has the finest of modern furnishings and equipment ; the offices
are the finest of any State bank in Kansas, as all the wood is mahogany
and the metal work bronze. Mr. Jellison is regarded as one of the able
and most substantial bankers in central Kansas. In addition to his
interests at Wilson he is president of the Bank of Holyrood, vice-presi-
dent of the Citizens" State Bank, of Dorrance, a director of the Sylvan
State Bank of Sylvan Grove, of the First National Bank of Luray, and
of the Frederick State Bank ; and the present treasurer of the Kansas'
Bankers' Association. He is also a director of the Farmers' and Bankers'
Life Insurance Compan}-, of Wichita, of the Ellsworth Salt Company,
and owns about 1,000 acres of fine farming land near Wilson. He is
heavily interested in a 14,000-acre tract of land at Hill City, and in the
Page City Irrigation Company. For many years he was a member of
the firm of Jellison Brothers, founded by his elder brother, which con-
ducted an extensive lumber business at Wilson. Mr. Jellison is a stanch
supporter of the Republican party ; and for fifteen years has served as
township treasurer ; he has been mayor of Wilson and has been clerk of
the school board for several years. He takes a deep interest in educa-
tional affairs or any movement which tends toward the development of
the town or its institutions. In 1910 he gave the high school play-
ground to the town. He is a Knight Templar and Scottish Rite Mason,
member of the Isis Temple Shrine of Salina, and a member of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a trustee of the Presbyterian
church, giving liberally to the building fund for the new edifice and -it
was due largely to his activity that the new building was secured. On
December 20, 1899, Mr. Jellison married Maude S., the daughter of Rich-
ard Gifford, a pioneer farmer of Wilson. Mrs. Jellison is very popular
socially and is one of the leaders of Wilson and Ellsworth county. Mr.
Jellison is an energetic man, fond of outdoor sports and athletics, being
one of the most popular men of Wilson.
Arthur Larkin, dece'ased, one of the honored pioneers of this great
commonwealth, served faithfully and long in the West. He was one
of the founders of the city of Ellsworth, and one of its most active and
prominent builders. Mr. Larkin was born in Dublin Ireland, August 20,
1832. When a mere lad of sixteen he landed in New York, a poor boy,
determined to make his fortune in the new world. He landed in this
BIOGRAPHICAL 97
country in 1848, and for a few months remained in Kew York, when he
went to Fort Clark, Texas, and enlisted in the United States service
in the Mexican war, in Captain Ford's company of Texas Rangers, and
at the close of that war he enlisted in the regular army service until 1861,
when he was honorably discharged on account of disability at Fort
Leavenworth. Me was first sergeant of his company at the time. After
leaving the army he engaged in freighting by team to Denver, Col., but
in the fall of 1866 gave that up to open a restaurant in Junction City,
Kan., at the same time freighting to Salina. In 1867 he located at Ells-
worth and soon built the Larkinf House, the first hotel, which was one
of the first buildings in the town. It was burned in 1869, and in 1872
Mr. Larkin erected the White House, which he operated until 1905. He
also built the American House in 1878, known today as the Baker
House, and the Rogers House. Mr. Larkin was one of the pioneer mer-
chants of Ellsworth, opening a general store there in 1868: subsequently
he established branch stores at Lincoln Center and Little River. All his
life Mr. Larkin was imbued with the spirit of progress, and was one of
the few men who had the courage of his convictions to carry out projects
that seemed ahead of his time. An example of this spirit was his erec-
tion of the first flour mil! at Ellsworth and the first elevator. In 1876
he erected the first fine store building on Douglas avenue. This was a
two-story stone structure, where he conducted a mercantile business
until 1895. f^^'s sons subsequently carried on business operations there
under the firm name of Larkins' Sons. Several other good pieces of
business property were owned by Mr. Larkin, who operated his home
farm of 200 acres south of the town ; a 480-acre tract near Frederick and
a 720-acre ranch southeast of Ellsworth. For many years he was a
breeder of Flereford cattle and an extensive feeder. He kept a fine train-
ing stable for the high-bred driving horses which he raised, which had a
wide reputation. In 1883 Mr. Larkin erected a large and elegant home
on a raise of ground south of Ellsworth overlooking the town. It
was fitted out with all modern conveniences, with private water plant,
gas well, lighting and heating systems. In addition to the beautiful
stone house there is a fine barn on the premises with every convenience
for horses and automobiles. Mr. Larkin's time was not devoted entirely
to personal affairs, as he served as county commissioner and county
treasurer of Ellsworth county. He was a member of the Grand .\riny
of the Republic and contributed liberally to the Catholic church, of
which he was a member.
In 1861 Mr. Larkin was married, at Fort Leavenworth, to Alice Beard,
who was a native of Indiana. On November 4, 191 1, Mr. Larkin passed
away, being survived by his wife and two sons: Francis Larkin, born
June 3, 1875. the manager of the .American Woodwork Manufacturing
Company, of Evansville, Ind., and Charles Larkin, who is the active
manager of the estate. Arthur Larkin, the eldest son, horn Februarv 28,
98 BIOGRAPHICAL
1871, died in 1910. He married Miss Rose Pressney, and they had three
children : Alice Verlin, born January 26, 1900, a student at Mt. Carmel
Academy, Wichita; Lawrence Pressney and Arthur 3d at home. Thomas,
Mary Ann, Edward and Hubert, children of Arthur Larkin and Alice
Beard, all died in childhood. During his life Mr. Larkin built up a name
for honesty, fair dealing and integrity, gaining for himself a place of
honor and confidence in the minds and hearts of his friends. In the
early days of frontier life he became the fast friend of William F. Cody,
better known as Buffalo Bill, and they had agreed that whenever one of
them died, the survivor was to attend the funearl of his friend, but Mr.
Cody could not be located at the time Mr. Larkin was laid away, and
the fact was deeply regretted.
James Cowie, deceased, mining engineer, and pioneer salt manufac-
turer of Kansas, was a representative of that class of substantial builders
of this great commonwealth who did his full share in establishing and
maintaining the material interests of the State. He was born February
22, 1840, at Camsland, Lenarkshire, Scotland, the son of George Cowie,
a coal mine manager, and his wife, Jennie Campbell Cowie. Reared in
Scotland, the land of hills and heather, Mr. Cowie entered a mine at
the tender age of nine, attending school at night that he might gain an
education. With the passing years his Scotch thrift, perseverance and
diligence enabled him- to w^ork up and become manager of mines, having
charge of twenty-one shafts at Kilsyth. In 1883 Mr. Cowie left his
native land for America to seek a wider field for his professional work.
One of the first pieces of engineering he undertook in this country was
the sinking of the first coal shaft at Streator, III., for Congressman
Plumb. Following this he entered the employ of the H. C. Frick Coal
and Coke Company at Mt. Pleasant, Pa., in 1885. During his connection
with this firm he sunk four shafts and put them in operation. Five
years later he became associated with the Connellsville Coke and Iron
Company at Leisenring, Pa., but after sinking three shafts became inter-
ested with S. E. Baker and P. S. Crowell, of Springfield, Ohio, and J.
M. Phelps, of Dayton, Ohio, in organizing the Royal Salt Company, of
which Mr. Cowie was made manager. The company secured 2,000 acres
of land at Kanopolis, Kan., where a vein of salt 200 feet thick was
opened 800 feet below the surface, the first salt shaft to be sunk in the
State. Over $100,000 was spent on the plant ; twenty-two tenement
houses were erected for the employes. When Mr. Cowie came to Kan-
opolis the town had only about fifty inhabitants, while he employed over
a hundred men. The project was remarkably successful, due to the
excellent management of Mr. Cowie, and became a paying proposition
from the first. He remained with the firm until 1906, when he became
associated with Paul Lanius. John McNeal and a Mr. Hummell, of Den-
ver, in the\irganization of the Crystal Salt Company, which secured a
700-acre tract of land at Kanopolis, over the same vein that the Royal
BIOGRAPHICAL 99
Salt Company's tract covers. Here a $100,000 plant was erected and put
into operation, of which Mr. Cowie was manager until his death, June 5,
191 1. Mr. Cowie owned a large interest in the plant, which has eight
tenement houses near it for the use of the employes, who number about
one hundred. Due to the large salt industry Kanopolis has the largest
freight tonnage of any station on the I'nion Pacific railroad between
Kansas City and Denver, as the output of the two plants is about 2,000
cars a year. A town of 600 population has grown up at Kanopolis, due
to the salt plants and the business they brought. Mr. Cowie is re-
garded as the real builder of the town, as he assisted with time and
money and project for civic improvements. He was a Republican in
politics and served as mayor of the town two terms. His religious affil-
iations were with the Presbyterian church, in which he was an active
worker and trustee.
Mr. Cowie married Elizabeth Barrownian, of Boness Linlithgowshire,
Scotland, who survives him. To this union were born the following
children : George Cowie, the manager of the Standard Salt Company,
Little River, Kan.; James Cowie, Jr., president of the Exchange State
Bank and manager of the Royal Salt Company, of Kanopolis, Kan. ;
Daniel Cowie, manager of the Detroit Salt Works, Detroit, Mich. ;
Jeanette, the wife of Samuel H. Hogsett, a real estate dealer of Kansas
City, Mo.; and Elizabeth, the wife of George P. Kelley, a coal and salt
operator, of Kansas City, Mo. Mr. Cowie was one of the canny Scotch-
men whose natural ability, business training and ancestral traits made
him a mining engineer of the first class, a good citizen and markedly
successful business man, although he was modest and unassuming in
manner and appearance, leaving others to learn his worth and merits
from others than himself.
James Cowie, Jr., president of the Exchange State Bank, manager of
the Royal Salt Com])any, and well known business man of Kanopolis,
Kan., was born September 9, 1865. at Kilsyth, Stirlingshire. Scotland, a
son of James and Elizabeth Barrowman Cowie, both of whom were na-
tives of Scotland. He received his early education in the schools of his
native country, and then entered the engineering school of Glasgow I'ni-
versity, where he graduated with the class i)f 1883. The same year he
came to the I'nited States with his parents, locating at Strealor, 111.,
where he compiled a map of that city. In 1885 he entered the engineering
department of the If. C. Frick Coal and Coke Company, of Mt. Pleasant,
Pa. .After being associated with this concern five years Mr. Cowie re-
signed to become superintendent of the Conncllsville Coke and Iron
Company, but in 1892 severed his connections with it to go to Dolomite,
Ala., as sui)erintendent of the mines of the Woodward Iron Company,
located there. For two years he held this position, then for ten years was
superintendent at I'.luc Creek, Ala., for the Tennessee Coal and Iron
Company. In 1902 Mr. Cowie came to Kanopolis as assistant superin-
lOO BIOGRAPHICAL
tendent of the Royal Salt Company, and four years later, when his
father resigned as superintendent, he succeeded to that position. In igo6,
with his father and W. AI. Benton, Mr. Cowie organized the Exchange
State Bank of Kanopolis, with a capital of $10,000. He became the first
president of the institution, which position he still holds. From the first
the bank prospered under the careful guidance given it by Mr. Cowie,
who has keen business insight and is regarded as one of the most con-
servative and prosperous bankers of central Kansas. In 1912 the bank
had surplus of $3,600 and deposits of $50,000. Politically, Mr. Cowie is
a supporter of the Republican party. He is a Blue Lodge Mason and a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. For some time he
has served as president of the board of trustee of the Presbyterian
church, of which he is a member.
In 1892 Mr. Cowie married Jennie, the daughter of Richard Thomp-
son, a mine superintendent, of Cumberland county, Maryland. They
have three children: James Cowie III, a student of Emporia College;
Richard and Martha. Mr. Cowie is a gentleman of genuine worth who
has many warm personal friends and stands high in the regard of his
business associates.
Frederick Koster has had an active and successful business career and
ranks as one of the extensive property owners of the State. He is a native
of jMassachusetts and was born in Middlefield, that State, March 28,
1852. He is a son of \\'ill!am and Elizabeth .\nn (Greenlief) Koster,
who were the parents of seven children, viz. : John S., William H., Eliz-
abeth A., George. Isabel, Frederick and Franklin, all of whom are liv-
ing with the exception of William H., who died January 20, i860. Wil-
liam Koster, the father, was born in New York City. Alay 22, 1811. and
died at Bondsville, Mass., January 3, 1858. He was a paper manufacturer
and had had a very successful career. Frederick Koster was educated
in the public schools of Bondsville, Mass., and Monson -A.cademy at
Monson, of the same State. In 1869 he went to Wisconsin, where he
worked in the pine woods of that State one year. In 1870 he and a
brother fitted themselves out with a team of oxen and a wagon and
drove to Kansas. They located on Government land in Ottawa county,
where our subject farmed for twenty-one years. He added to his orig-
inal holdings until he now owns over thirt3--three hundred acres of land.
He has been an extensive dealer in cattle and has been very successful
in that business. In 1891 he removed to Miltonvale, where he has since
made his home. Mr. Koster was married December 25, 1874, to Miss
Clara C. daughter of John B. McCoy, of Lamar. To this union six chil-
dren have been born, as follows: Cora May, born February 15, 1877,
married J. Brooks Johnson May 29, 1902. and they have one child. Brooks
Koster; Jessie Rosella, born January 31. 1880. married W. H. Shroyer,
January i, 1901, and four children have been born to them — Eva May,
born October 11, 1901 ; Ella Grace, born July 20, 1903; James Frederick,
BIOGRAPHICAL lOI
born April i8, 1904, and J. Austin, born August 18, 1909; Ella Myrtle,
born September 14, 1881. married John Hauscrman July 4, 1906; Viola
Belle, born January 23, 1884, married Eli Walker June 18, 1906, and two
children have been born to them — Oueena Esther, born August 3, 1906,
and Clifford .\ustin, born April 8, 1908; John Frederick, born January 13,
1886, married Irma Austin in 1908 and the)' have one child, John F., Jr.,
born October 25, 1909; and George Melvin, born December 27, 1898. Mr.
Koster is one of the substantial and influential citizens of central Kan-
sas, and while he has led a very active business life, devoted to private
enterprises, in which he has been eminently successful, he has also taken
an active part in all movements tending to the betterment of the commu-
nity. He has served as township treasurer and has been mayor of Mil-
tonvale, but has never aspired to hold public office. He is a stanch
Republican, a member of the time-honored Masonic fraternity and be-
longs to the Christian church.
A. C. T. Geiger, a prominent attorney of Oberlin, Kan., and a well
known public speaker and orator, was born in Cedar county, Iowa, Jan-
uary 19, 1858, son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Lichtenwaltey) Geiger, the
former a native of Germany, who came to .Xmerica with his parents when
eight years old. Jacob Geiger was an educated man, having attended
college at ilarietta, Ohio, and at one time was a candidate for Congress
of the Second Iowa district, in which he lived. He was a farmer. His
wife, and mother of our subject, was a native of Maryland, of German
and English descent.
The subject of this sketch was raised on his father's farm,, where he
helped with the work and attended the country schools. After fin-
ishing the common school course he attended school at Carthage, 111.,
taking the Bachelor of .\rts degree in 1882, and received his Master of
.Arts degree in 1885 on his record as a student and by reason of having
taken up law. While in college he won the junior oratorical contest
and received a medal. Ilis father owned several farms and wanted the
boy to remain at home, but as he was determined to learn a profession
he went to college. His father soon had reason to be ^■ery proud of
him and wanted him to finish, .\fter leaving college he returned to
Cedar county, Iowa, and taught school, at the same time reading law
from books loaned him by his brother, who was practicing that profes-
sion at the time. Two of his three brothers are lawyers.
In 1885, Mr. Geiger was admitted to the bar of Iowa at Tipton, in
that State, Judge Hedges presiding on the bench. After working for a
few months in his brother's office at Tipton he started west, in January,
1886, and located at Oberlin, Kan., February 25 of that year, where he
began the practice of his profession. In the fall of 1886 he was elected
county attorney and served two years, after which he practiced law for
about eighteen months, when he was appointed county attorney by the
district judge, and in the fall was elected without opposition. He was
I02 BIOGRAPHICAL
reelected, but did not complete his term, resigning within one year after
his second election to become district judge, to which office he was
elected in 1893, and served eight 3'ears. The biennial election law was
then introduced and for one year he was not on the bench, but after
that time he was elected again and served one term of four years. He
was judge at the time of the most celebrated case ever tried in Kansas,
that of the State vs. Dewey, which lasted for seven weeks, and there
has never been any adverse criticism on his judicial management of that
case. The Ellen Lunney murder trial, which lasted one week, was also
tried before him. After leaving the bench he resumed the practice of
law in Oberlin and has continued ever since. Mr. Geiger is retained
as attorney by several large corporations. He is a member of the Knights
of Pythias and the Masons in all branches, and is a Pregressive Re-
publican.
Mr. Geiger was married November 2, 1887, to Frances P. Hopp, daugh-
ter of Adam and Louise C. Hopp, both of German descent, of Carthage,
111., where Mr. Hopp was engaged in the leather business. Here Mrs.
Geiger was raised and attended the public schools and the Carthage Col-
lege, where she and Mr. Geiger were classmates, graduating together.
They had five children: Marie L., now the wife of D. C. ^Vatkins, of
Ellis, Kan.; Elizabeth V., now located in Madison, Neb.; Carl E., a
senior in the high school at Oberlin ; Eunice F. and Willard T. attending
the Oberlin High School. Mr. Geiger's first wife died August 15, 1900.
Mr. Geiger was married the second time on November 9, 1901, to Miss
M. R. Borin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Borin, of Stockton, Kan.,
where she was born and raised. Mr. Borin was for a number of years
instructor in the State Reform School at Pontiac, 111., and later was in
the implement business. He is now farming. Mrs. Geiger was educated
in the schools of Stockton and in the Stockton Academy. They have one'
child, Robert A. Geiger.
When Lwellyn was running for governor Mr. Geiger campaigned in
his behalf, making speeches, and for some time relieved him in his speak-
ing. Our subject is a well known speaker and orator of note.
Charles Edwin Hall is a man who has worked his way upward to
a position among the substantial men of the community in which he
lives. He has, by industry and perseverance, won the support' and con-
fidence of many men, who honor him for his high standard and pro-
gressive ideas. Mr. Hall was born in Rosendale township, Foun du Lac
county, Wisconsin, February 26, 1852, the son of Dr. Storrs and Eliza-
beth Scribner Hall. Dr. Hall was born in Washington county. New
York, and received his early education in New England. Subsequently he
graduated from the literary department of Rutland College. Vermont,
before taking up the study of medicine at Yale University. After com-
pleting his professional course the doctor located in Wisconsin, where
he became a popular and well known physician and prominent citizen.
BIOGRAPHICAL IO3
He died in 1905, at the a.s;e of ninety-one years. Four sons survive him:
Sidney S., a physician of Ripen, Wis., who graduated from the medical
department of Harvard I'niversity and served as assistant surgeon in
the United States Navy during the Civil war; William S., of Denver,
Col., who has large dair}- interests ; Ira S., of Minneapolis, Minn., and
Charles Edwin, who was reared in Wisconsin. He received the educa-
tional advantages afforded by the excellent public schools of Wisconsin
and completed a two-year course at Ripon College, Ripon, Wis., but was
compelled to leave college because of ill health and take up out-door life.
He devoted the years from 1869 to 1877 to regaining his health and the
latter year came to Kansas, locating at Russell for the purpose of engag-
ing in the banking business, but his health again failing, he returned
home. The lure of the West held with Mr. Hall, who had great faith
in Kansas, and in 1885 '^^ returned to establish a drug business, which
he conducted until 1889. He then became register of deeds of Russell
count}', having been elected to that office on the Republican ticket the
year previous. He was reelected in 1891 and again in 1893 and 1895.
During the four terms Mr. Hall was in office he made a fine record, gain-
ing the confidence of the voters by his honesty and ability, becoming
one of the most popular men in the county offices. During President
McKinley's administration, in 1898, he was apixiinted postmaster of
Russell, serving four years. In 1890 Mr. Hall purchased the abstract
books of the county and upon retiring as postmaster he added to this
business bj' handling real estate and insurance. At the same time he
handled a growing mortgage and loan and abstract office, becoming the
leading man in this line west of Ellsworth. Mr. Hall has always taken
a keen interest in public affairs and has been liberal in the expenditure
of his time and energy for the public. He is chairman of the Russell
County Republican Central Committee; has been a delegate a number
,of times to the Republican State conventions and to the National con-
vention in 1904. He is secretary of the Russell Commercial Club. For
some years he has been a director of the Russell State Rank and is a
large owner of both business and residence properly. Progress has been
Mr. Hall's watchword and he has consistently urged and stood for civic
improvements. He is popular as a friend and highly respected as a
business man by his man\ friends and acquaintances. Fraternally he
is a member of St. Aldemar Commandery, Knights Templar, of Ells-
worth, of Isis Temple Shrine, of Salina, and of the Modern Woodmen
of America. On December 23. 1874, Mr. Hail married Emma M., the
daughter of Henry I. Ackerman, a merchant of Fond du Lac, Wis., and a
sister of Theodore Ackerman. one of the founders of Russell. Two chil-
dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hall — Winifred R., who owns the
American College of Dressmaking at Russell, and Henry Storrs, who
died in 1892, aged twenty-two. He was educated at Washburn College
and was studying medicine at Ripon, Wis., at the time of his death.
104 BIOGRAPHICAL
Mrs. Hall is a prominent church worker at Russell, takes a leading part
socially and is helping build up the public library in connection with
other civic improvements.
Charles Clark Evans. — In the development of the agricultural re-
sources of Kansas, which has placed her in this respect in the front
rank among her sister States of the L'nion, opportunity has been offered
to many men not only to cause the wilderness to bloom, to realize
substantial returns in a financial way, but to become leaders and teach-
ers among their fellow men. Among those who have been of potential
value in the upbuilding of northwestern Kansas is numbered the subject
of this article. As a stockman and farmer he has been successful, as
receiver of the United States Land Office at Colby and as treasurer of
Sheridan county he served with credit, and to his pluck, energy and
enterprise Sherman county is indebted for her first irrigation project.
Charles Clark Evans was born at West Liberty, Iowa, on July 9,
1839, a son of William C. and Mary Ann (Winslow) Evans. His an-
cestors, paternal and maternal, were among the early settlers of Amer-
ica and numbered among them are men who achieved distinction in the
frontier life of those early days, in the commercial era which followed,
in the French and Indian wars and later in the w'ar of the Revolution.
The Evans family orinigated on the Isle of Man and was founded in
America during the early settlement of the Connecticut Colony. John
Evans, paternal great-grandfather of our subject, served in the war of
the Revolution with the Colonial forces. He was a farmer and lived at
Schodack, N. Y. His son, Simeon, grandfather of our subject, was a sol-
dier in the War of 1812. His earl}' life was spent in farming in Dela-
ware and Otsego counties. New York. In 1830 he sought opportunity
in the West and became a pioneer of Geauga county, Ohio, first opened
to settlement as the Western Reserve. He married Polly Kelly, a
daughter of Stephen Kelly, born in Rhode Island. He served with the
Continentals throughout the war for independence. William C. Evans,
father of our subject and the son of Stephen, was born in Otsego county.
New York, in 1822. His early years were spent in farming, first in
Ohio, where he came with his parents in 1830, then at Port B3'ron, 111..
where he removed in 1850. In 1855 ^^^ became a resident of West Lib-
erty, Iowa, where he filled the position of local agent for the Mississippi
& Missouri railroad, at that time recently completed and now a part
of the Rock Island lines. After a few years' service in this capacity
he resigned from the company's employ to resume agricultural pur-
suits. He developed one of the best farming enterprises and stock breed-
ing establishments in that section of the State. As a breeder he had the
distinction of introducing the Short Horn strain into the State. The
last years of his life were spent in Sheridan county, to which State he
had removed in 1884. On the formation of the Republican party he
became a consistent advocate of and supporter of its principles. Iowa
BIOGRAPHICAL I05
honored him with public office, in wliich he served with credit. He
was twice elected to its State legislature and was active and influential
in the passing of legislation of importance. He was a member of the
recruiting board of his district during the Civil war and was detailed on
special service in the South. He married Miss Mary Ann Winslow,
a descendant of Kenelen Winslow, a native of England, who came to
the Massachusetts Colony in 1629, of which a brother. Robert Winslow,
was one of the early governors. Her grandfather, Stephen Winslow,
was a soldier of the Continental line in the War of the Revolution, who
late in life located in Windsor, Lake county, Ohio, where he died, aged
eighty-five. Her inother was a daughter of Jonathan Nye, also a soldier
in the War of the Revolution. He was a sergeant in Captain John
Granger's company of ^Minute Men and his command was known as the
Lexington Alarm Roll. His residence was in New Braintree, Mass.
Mary .Ann (Winslow) Evans was born in 1830 and died in 1908. Eight
children were born to \\'illiani C. and Mary Ann Evans, all of whom sur-
vive. Lucy D., a graduate of Iowa University, is a teacher in the Moline
nilinois) public schools, a position she has occupied for the past thirty
years. Wilma A. is the wife of W. H. Shipman, an extensive manufac-
turer of harness and racing materials, of W'est Libert}-, Iowa. Ella is the
wife of Grant Nichols, a well known bandmaster of the same city. Sarah
R. is county superintendent of schools of Yellowstone county, Montana.
\\'arren A. is an expert accountant of Billings, Mont. Hugh S. is in the
lumber business at Tacoma, W'ash. Roy W. is an electrician of Deer
I-odge, Mont. The subject of this article completes the family.
Charles Clark Evans was reared on his father's farm at West Liberty,
Iowa, and received his education in the public schools of that city. In
1879 he came to Kansas and engaged in sheep ranching in Chase county.
From 1882 to 1884 he followed the cattle business and in the latter year
removed to Sheridan county, where he took a homestead fifteen miles
west of Lenora. Here he established a successful stock business and
added to his grazing lands, until he became the owner of 1,000 acres.
In 1933 he was persuaded by G. L. Calvert, of Goodland, to purchase a
tract of land in X'oltaire township, Sherman county. On this ])roperty
was placed the first irrigating plant in northwestern Kansas, which is
now in successful operation. He has added to his original holdings
until he now has 1,760 acres. About ten per cent, is in alfalfa and the
rest in wheat and corn. This venture required not only a large invest-
ment, but pluck and energy to nurse it along to profitable production.
.As a pioneer in this character of farming in his section of the State,
Mr. Evans has evidenced the possession of far-sightedness and enter-
prise which have not only produced satisfactory financial returns for
his investment, but have been of incalculable benefit to Sherman county.
In connection with public affairs of his section of the State he has
become well and favorably known. He has been a life-long Republican
Io6 BIOGRAPHICAL
and has taken an active part in the affairs of this organization. In
1887 he was elected commissioner of Sheridan county and served one
term, refusing to accept nomination for a second. He was elected treas-
urer in 1895 and reelected in 1897. In February, 1892, he was appointed
receiver of the United States Land Office at Colby and reappointed in
1902. He served in this capacity until the abolition of the office on
March 31, 1909. On conclusion of his government service he became a
resident of Goodland, his present home. He has served as chairman of
the senatorial committee of the thirty-ninth district for the past eight
years and has been a delegate to several State and congressional con-
ventions of his party. Mr. Evans has attained to the Knights Templar
degree in Masonry.
On December 28, 1882, Mr. Evans married Miss Isabella Kelly, daugh-
ter of John Kelly, a prominent stockman of Chase county, Kansas.
Mr. Kelly was born in Ireland, for a time was a resident of Illinois,
and his daughter was born in Pittsfield. that State. Mr. and Mrs. Evans
are the parents of four children : William Kelly Evans, born January
27, 1884, a graduate of Kansas Agricultural College, class of 1905. now
superintendent of his father's ranch in Sherman county. He married
in 1912 Miss Elsie Rosenbrough, of Cheyenne county, Kansas. Mary
A. Evans, a teacher in the Colby, Kan., schools, was born March 15,
1887, and is a graduate of Thomas County High School and for a time a
student in Washburn College ; Wilma D. Evans, born January 3, 1889,
a graduate of the Domestic Science Department of Kansas Agricultural
College, class of 1909, and now a teacher in the United States Govern-
ment School for Indian Girls, at Tuskahoma, Okla., and Jessie B. Evans,
horn February 2, 1898. Mrs. Evans is a woman of broad culture and
refinement and popular in the social circles of Sheridan and Sherman
counties, in which she is a leader. She is president of the Round Table
Club of Goodland and a member of the Presbyterian church. As a man
among men, bearing his due share in connection with the practical
activities and responsibilities of a work-a-day world, j\Ir. Evans has been
successful ; but over all and above all, he is rich in the possession of a
well earned popularity and in the esteem which comes from honorable
living. Progressiveness and energy have marked the management of
his commercial affairs and his methods have been clean, capable and
honest. As a public official, he served with honor and distinction. His
close associates have always been men who have had the welfare of
the community at heart and who have been ready to assist, with time
and money, any enterprise or measure which had for its object commer-
cial, civic or social betterment.
John Jones Knight. — A publication of this nature e.xercises its most
important function when it takes cognizance of the life and labors of
those citizens who have risen to prominence and prosperity through
their own well directed efforts, and who have been of material value in
BIOGRAPHICAL IO7
furthering the advancement and development of the commonwealth.
Mr. Knight has become well known to the citizens of northwestern
Kansas as a breeder of pedigreed cattle, and successful agriculturist,
and to the citizens of Sherman county through his ten years' service as
register of deeds.
John Jones Knight was born in the city of Hereford, England, on
December 5, i86r, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Jones) Knight.
The family is of Welsh origin. The firm of Knight & Rogers, of Here-
ford, of which Thomas Knight was a member, were noted breeders of
Hereford cattle and among the first to export j)edigreed stock of this
strain to the Lnited States, their operations in this line beginning as early
as 1865. Thomas Knight brought his family to American in rSSi and
located in Racine, \\'is., where he resumed his stock breeding and en-
gaged in farming. In 1885 he again sought a new home and located in
Sherman county, Kansas. .Five homesteads adjoining each other were
taken up by the family — his mother, Mary Knight, two sons, John
Jones and Thomas, and a daughter, Mary, being the homesteaders.
These properties were situated in township 6, range 38, and comprised
some of the choicest bottom land in the county. As a potent factor
in the early development of Sherman county Mr. Knight became well
and favorably known and he was held in the highest esteem b}- its
citizens. He retired from active pursuits in 1899 and became a resi-
dent of Colorado Springs, Colo., where he died in 1901. He married,
in early life. Miss Mary Jones, who died at Hereford, England, in 1880.
They were the parents of si.x children, four of whom survive : John J.,
the eldest, is the subject of this article; Thomas Knight is vice-president
of the Lake County State Bank at Chase, Mich. : Susanah is the wife
of Irving Everett, sheriff of Pitkin county, Colorado, who was recently
elected for a fourth consecutive term and was the only Republican
receiving a majority in the 1912 election ; Sarah is the wife of H. M.
Sherrod, a prominent ranch owner and breeder of Hereford cattle, of
Sherman county ; Mary J. married E. M. Portner, a contractor and
builder, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and died in 1897 '< Hannah, the young-
est child, died at Colorado Springs in 1904, aged 31.
John Jones Knight attended the schools of his native city, those of
Racine, Wis., and took a course in Phillips Preparatory School at Mad-
ison. Wis. Subsequently he learned the carpenter trade. On the removal
of the Knight family to Kan.sas. in 1885, he became one of the five to
take up a homestead and engaged in work incident to changing the
prairie into a productive farming enterprise. The love of fine cattle,
inbred in him. accounts for his extensively engaging in the breeding of
registered Hereford stock, of which he is one of the most prominent
and successful in his section of the State. His land holdings total
1.320 acres and are devoted to alfalfa, wheat and corn raising. He
maintains a herd of Herefords averaging 150 head, and has sold breeding
I08 BIOGRAPHICAL
animals over a large section of the State. In the political affairs of his
county he has for many years taken an active part. He is a Democrat
and one of influence. He held various township offices previous to 1903,
when he entered the office of register of deeds, to which he had been
elected in 1902. He has served five successive terms, having been re-
elected in 1904, 1906, 1908 and 1910. In 1912 he was elected county com-
missioner, in which capacity he is serving at the present time. He has
the distinction of having served a longer time than any county official
of Sherman county and his incumbency of the office of register of deeds
was marked by fidelity and courtesy to his fellow citizens, while the
administration of the business of the office was of the highest standard
of excellence, which is evidenced by his numerous reelections at the hands
of a satisfied constituency. He has served as a member of the Board
of Education of the city of Goodland since 1903 and has been a dele-
gate to several State and congressional conventions of his party. He
has attained to the Knights Templars degree in Masonry and is a mem-
ber of Sparks Lodge, No. 170, Knights of Pythias, df Goodland.
Mr. Knight married, on August 16. 1886, Miss Rosa A. Collier, daugh-
ter of Joseph and Caroline (Brechner) Collier. Mr. Collier was a farmer
and surveyor and the first actual settler of Sherman county. A large
part of the original surveying was done by him and he also located
fully half of the settlers. He became one of the county's most influ-
ential men and was an active worker in the Democratic party. Five
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Knight, two of whom are
living: Myrtle C, born January 31, 1888, is assistant register of deeds;
she entered the office under her father in 1903 and remained with his suc-
cessor: Nellie S., born December 8, 1892, graduated from Goodland High
School with the class of 1911. Joseph F., born May 11. 1889, died De-
cember II, 1906; Mamie I., born March 9, 1895, and Maggie M., born
December 23, 1902, died within a day of each other in 1904. of scarlet
fever.
The family residence in Goodland is one of the city's social centers.
The family have long been known for their hospitality, and Mrs. Knight
and her daughters are active in the work of the Methodist church, of
which they are members. Mr. Knight is one of the progressive men of
his section of the State, loyal and public spirited as a citizen, and enjoys
to the full the confidence and esteem of his fellow men. He has been
successful in the things which he has undertaken and possesses initiative
and executive ability of high order.
John Robert Connelly, editor and publisher, member of Congress from
the Sixth Kansas district, was born at Mt. Sterling, 111., February 27,
1870, a son of Arthur and Sarah J. CManar) Connelly. His father was
born near Greencastle. Ind.. September 16, 1834, and his mother in Ken-
tuck^•, ]\Iarch 4, 1844. Arthur Connelly farmed in Illinois from 1861 to
1883. when he went to Nebraska, remaining until 1887, and then came to
BIOGKAPHICAL IO9
Kansas, taking a homestead in Thomas county, near Colby. He died
there January 2. 1912. and his wife died November 2. 1899. He was a
Democrat, a member of the Methodist churcli, and of the Butler. Mo.,
Lodge of Ancient Free and .\ccepted Masons. They had five children,
ail living at present: Dora A., wife of Thomas J. Upchurch, a farmer,
of Meriden, Kan. ; William E., a veterinary surgeon, of Medical Lake.
\\'ash.; Laura B., wife of John Garden, a farmer, of Meriden, Kan.;
John R., our subject, and James A., an employe of the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific railroad at Gem, Kan.
John R. Connelly was educated in the public schools of Nebraska and
graduated from the Salina Normal L^nivcrsity at Salina in 1894. In
the fall of that year he was elected superintendent of schools of Thomas
county, and was reelected in 1896. L'pon retiring from this office Jan-
uary I. 1899, he bought the Colby "Free Press," which paper he has
published and edited ever since. He has a good, modern brick building,
first class equipment, a paying business, a subscription list of r,20O.
The paper is Democratic. In 1908 he was a candidate for Congress
from the Sixth district, but was defeated by Mr. Reeder. the Republican
candidate, .\gain, in 1912, he was a candidate and defeated I. D. Young.
He has been a delegate to numerous State and congressional conventions
of his party, is a member of Colby Lodge, No. 306, Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons, and of Colby Lodge, No. 29, Knights of Pythias, hav-
ing gone through all the chairs of the latter, and is a member of the
Christian church. While he was superintendent of public instruction
Mr. Connelly secured the establishment of the Colby High School, which
was the first one in the Sixth district. For the past twelve years he
has I)een a member of the Colby board of education.
On June 17, 1896, Mr. Connelly married Miss Lilian Soudcrs. daughter
of Richard Souders, a farmer of Colby. She is a member of the Christian
church, active and prominent in tlie social life of Thomas county. Mr.
and Mrs. Connelly are the parents of six children: John Vernon, born
.^pril 18. 1897; Arthur Richard, born .September 17, 1898; James Lloyd,
born December 29, 1900; Inez Catherine, born January 25, 1904; Dorotha
May, born February 23, 1907, and .\nnie Laurie, born .'Vpril 15, 1912.
Herbert O. Caster, of Oberliii. Kan., a prominent attorney of north-
west Kansas, formerly a schoolman and superintendent of public instruc-
tion of Decatur county, was born in Meigs county, Ohio, .\ugust 28.
187;, son of Dan and Jane Turner Caster, natives of Ohio, where the
father was engaged in farming and stock raising. In 1878 they came
to Kansas and took a homestead in Decatur county. In 1881 Dan Caster
w?s elected chairman of the board of county commissioners and in 1891
and 1S93 represented his county in the State legislature.
There was not a frame house in the county at the time the Caster
family came here and their first home was part sod house and part
dug-out. Here the subject of our sketch was raised and attended com-
no BIOGRAPHICAL
men schools in a sod school house with dirt floor, working with his
parents on the farm during vacations. His parents were progressive
and soon had a fine ranch. After leaving common schools he went to
the Oberlin High School, graduating in 1891, after which he taught
school in Decatur county for one year and then attended the Ottawa
I'niversity, at Ottawa, Kan., where he took the degree of Bachelor of
Philosophy in 1898. While in college he was president of the State
Oratorical Association, business manager of the college paper, and repre-
sented his college in several debates, in all of which Ottawa was the
winner.
After leaving college Mr. Caster was appointed superintendent of the
Oberlin city schools, which position he held for three years, and organ-
ized the first accredited high school course. In the fall of 1900 he was
elected superintendent of public instruction in Decatur county, and
reelected in 1902, during which time he was reading law. In the fall
of 1903 he drafted a petition to the legislature for a county high school,
secured three-fourths of the signers to this petition and went down to
Topeka to assist in getting the measure through, in which he was suc-
cessful. He was on the high school board for eight years, six years
of which he was treasurer. All of his brothers and sisters have been
teachers in Decatur county, and Mr. Caster organized the first lecture
course in the county, and also in 1907 organized the first chautauqua
in Oberlin and managed it for five years. In 1904 he was Democratic
candidate for Congress for the Sixth district, but was defeated by Con-
gressman Reeder, the Republican nominee. The next year he was a
member of the legislative committee of the State Teachers' Association.
In June, 1906, he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of
law with Judge Langmade, now judge in this district. In 1908 Mr.
Caster was elected county attorney, serving one term, after which he
has been devoting his entire time to the practice of law and he now has
a large clientage over all the northwestern part of the State. Mr. Caster
is a Democrat, a member of the Baptist church, for eleven years has
been superintendent of the Sunday school, is a member of the board
of the Baptist State Convention, secretary of the board of trustees and
the teacher of a men's Bible class. Mr. Caster's father was in the county
at the time of the Indian raid and has the tassel from an Indian bridle
which he picked up the next morning while out bringing in the dead.
On August 23, 1900, Mr. Caster married Miss Maud Van Grundy,
daughter of Samuel and Sarah Van Grundy, natives of Ohio who settled
in Kansas in i8go. Mrs. Caster was born and raised in Missouri, where
she attended the common schools and later was a student at Tarkio
College, in Tarkio, Mo. After leaving college she taught common
schools in Decatur county six years and in the Oberlin schools four
years. Mr. and Mrs. Caster have three children, all attending school in
Oberlin: Ethel, born October 10, 1901 ; Mary, born April 19, 1905, and
Robert, born September 7, 1907.
BIOGRAPHICAL III
Joseph Hensley, who has been prominently identified witii the devel-
opment of southwestern Kansas, is a native of Germany, lie was Ijorn
at Baden-Baden, Fehriiar}- i8, 1845, and is a son of Andrew and Barbara
(Welte) Hensley, both natives of Germany, who spent their lives in
the fatherland. The mother died in i860, and the father passed away
in 1890. They were the parents of eight children, all of whom re-
mained in Germany except Joseph, whose name introduces this sketch.
In 1872 he, in company with Casper Hensley, a first cousin, immigrated
to America and located at Richmond, Iowa. Joseph Hensley was with-
out capital, but he had the determination to succeed, and he went
about it in a way that made but one result possible, and that was suc-
cess. He first went to work with a railroad construction gang, then
as a farm hand, and in 1883 he learned of the great possibilities in Kan-
sas for young, ambitions men with little capital, and he came directly
to this state, locating on government land in Clark county. His claim
was located near the present town of Ashland, and, in fact, a ])art of
the town now occupies a portion of his original homestead. lie settled
there before Ashland was thought of, and three years before Clark
county was organized. His early days in Clark county were real pioneer
days. He was prominent in the organization of the count}- and has
been an active and progressive business man all his life. \\'lien a
proposition looked good to him, he has always been willing to take a
chance. He has accumulated two fortunes and has met with heavy
losses through crop failures' and reverses of various characters, and is
now in comfortable circumstances and owns a fine ranch of 780 acres,
all under cultivation with substantial improvements, situated two miles
south of .Ashland. Mr. Hensley was united in marriage June 8, 1877,
at Riverside. Iowa, to Miss .Mary, daughter of James and Mary
(Hocsarch) Podrial. She was a native of Bohemia, born June 3, 1855,
and wlien nine year.s old immigrated to America with licv jiarents, who
located at Riverside, Iowa, where the father was engaged in farming
until his dealli in 18^7; the mother died in 11)07. They had seven
children: Stephen, deceased; .Anna. Josejih, deceased; liarbara, James,
Charles, deceased, and Mary. To Mr. and Mrs. Hensley have been
born ten children, the oldest of whom is Anna Barbara, born October
17, 1879. She was educated in the Ashland High School, and the
Kansas \\'esleyan Business College at Salina. She was then emjiloyed
as a stenographer and bookkeeper until 1904. Miss Hensley then en-
gaged in the millinery and ladies' furnishing goods business at .\shland,
in partnership with her sister, Mary Klizabcth. under the firm name
of the Hensley Millinery Compaii}-. The Hensley sisters are capable
business women and have met with well merited success in their com-
mercial enter])risc. The other children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hensley
are: Mary Elizabeth, born November 6, 1881. married .Mbert I,. IMun-
sey, December 11, 1912; Frank Joseph, born November 6, 1883, married
112 UK.T.RArillCAL
Annie Hiiey, Angust lo, 191 1, and tliey have one child. Joseph Hiiey,
born Septeml)er 26, 1912; Dora Ottihi, born February 2. nSSs. was the
first white child born in Clark count}', married Edward lohn .Myers,
December 17, 1906, and they ha\c two children, T'^rancis lulward, born
October 13, 1907, and Paul Joseph, born September 12, 1914; Katherine
Antoinette and Andrew Anthony, twins, born May" 17. 1887; Mar\'
Magdalene, born July 29. 1890: Ludwig Charles, born September (>.
1893; Paul Jdhn. born December 17. 1895. and Edward Albert, born
July 4. 1897. The family are members of the Catholic church and
prominent in Clark count}'. Politically Mr. Hensley is a Democrat,
but has never had time nor inclination to hold public office.
Ira Clemens, president of the Clemens Coal Company, Pittsburg,
Kans.. is one of the prominent factors in the development of the coal in-
dustry of the southwestern part of the State. He began life in the coal
business as a boy. Mr. Clemens is a native of Missouri, born in Clay
cotmty. r)ctober 2-j. 1873, and is a son of John II. and Julia (Pollard)
Clemens, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Missouri.
The Clemens family came to Kansas in 1882 and located in Cherokee
county, where the father worked in various capacities in c<innection with
coal mining, and later became a contractor, stripping coal and sinking
shafts, and also did some railroad construction work. He retired in
1910. and now resides at W'ier. Ira Clemens, whose name introduces
this sketch, attended the public schools and his first work was at the
mines near Scammon. When he was ten years old he secured employ-
ment wheeling ashes away from the engine room at 10 cents per day.
He later worked in the engine room and received 35 cents per day for
wheeling in coal and in a short time went to work down in the mines
at 30 cents per day. Shortly afterwards he went to work with his
father, who was then engaged in contracting and worked in \aricius capa-
cities with his father, until 1902. with the exception of two years when
he was employed as brakeman on the St. I.ouis & San Francisco rail-
road. His first work, of an independent nature, was in 1902 when he
took a contract of stripping coal with teams, and began this venture by
loading about 2,000 tons of coal per month. He then ojierated with a
small gin shaft, which consisted of a drum ])ower. operated by one horse,
and later he equipped a small steam shaft and was successful from
the start. About this time he began to bu}- and lease coal land and
operate on a large scale and his company now operates eight mines in
the coal fields of Cherokee and Crawford counties. They operate strip
jiit mines, as well as the undergrciund nicthud of mining with shafts, and
are operating mines on all the railroads in that mining district. Tn con-
nection with their strip ])it mining, the Clemens Coal Company o])erates
three large steam shovels that are in themselves mechanical wonders,
being among the largest steam shovels in use. Some idea of the scope
and extent can be gained of the Clemens Coal Company's operations
BIOGRAPHICAL II3
when one reflects w liat it means, in an indnstrial way, in tlic employment
of from 1,000 to 1,200 men, as ajipears on 'the pay roll of this company.
The Clemens Coal Com])any was organized in 1906 by Mr. Clemens and
he is also interested in the Mackie-Clemens Fuel Com|)any, Empire Coal
Company and the Canal Fuel Company. Ira Clemens was united in
marriai^e January 10, 1898, to Miss Julia Ryan, of Cherokee county,
and they have four children: Mamie, John, William and Lavan. Mr.
Clemens, while yet a younj:;^ man, has met with phenomenal success in his
unflertaking, and his career is a true exemplification oi the theory that
there are no accidents. Throughout his business history there have
been certain dominant rules of action governing his l)usiness and every-
day life. His policy is strictly square dealing and he has established a
reputation for honesty and integrity that is well and widely known.
Those in his emjiloy are treated with fairness and consideration and he
ha*; had ver\- little labor trouble of any account. Mr. Clemens is strictly
temperate in his habits and expects the same rule of temjierance to
apply to his employes that he observes himself, lie is a member of
the Catholic church.
Julius Augustus Wayland was, no doubt, the greatest ])ropagandist of
Socialism of his time. To the work of making others see what he, him-
self, l)elicved. he gave his unswerxing devotion, and many laborious
years of his life, lie was born at X'ersailles, hid., .\pril 26, 1854, of
\'irginia jiarentage. His parents moved to Indiana, from Kentucky,
when they were yoimg. There were seven children in the Wayland
family, four of whom, and the father, died diu'ing the scourge of cholera
that swept over Indiana in 1854. At the time of his death, the father
was a well-to-do grocer, but owing to the mother's lack of business exjie-
licnce, the administrator dissi])ated the estate, with the excejMion of
a four-room house, which was the only haven between absolute destitu-
tion and the hel])less family. The mother sewed, washed, and labored
hard to keep the little family together. J. A., the yoimgest, a sister
five \ears of age, and a brother ten years older, constituted the
family. Wayland's first im])ression in childhood was the struggle to
live, for the family suffered- extreme poverty, especially diu-ing the Civil
war, in which the older brother enlisted. The straits through which he
passefl as a boy, had much to do in forming that comprehension of life
and its jiroblems, which shaped his career in later life, lie attended the
village school, but when old enough to do chores, lost much time in
the effort to earn a few cents, to keep the wolf from the door. His
total school days were less than two years, and this time was chielly
de\()tcd to the three R's. He did odd jobs around the town of Ver-
sailles, and finally secured a position in a printing office. This was the
beginning of his remarkable joiunalistic career. This was in the office
of the \'ersailles "Ciazette," at a salary of two dollars jier week, .\fter
six months his salary had been gradually ad\anced to nine dollars i)er
114 BIOGRAPHICAL
week, but at this time he was discharged for trying to collect it. He
worked in various places as a printer, and, February 6. 1873. bought
the "Gazette." and changed its name to the "Ripley Index." After
conducting- this paper about four years, he disposed of it. and in Xovem-
ber. 1877, went to Harrison\ille. AIo.. and bought an interest in the Har-
risonville "Register," and shortly afterwards sold his interest in that
paper, and began the publication of the Cass "News." About that time
he was appointed postmaster by President Hayes, but resigned the office
after several months, sold the "Xews," and returned to Indiana, and
bought back the old newspaper which he had previously published. He
conducted this about a year when he disposed of it, and in the spring
of 1882 went to Pueblo, Colo., and started a weekly newspaper. He
added a job printing department, and was soon doing a thriving business,
and prospered. He also invested extensively in Pueblo real estate,
which was a profitable business during the boom time of Pueblo. He
forsaw the panic of 1893 ^'i"^' proceeded to dispose of his real estate
holdings, and quit Pueblo with approximately $80,000, in gold and gov-
ernment bonds. In 1893, he returned to Indiana locating at Greensburg,
where he founded the "Coming Nation." He successfully conducted
this paper for about a year and met with remarkable success, and in
1894 the Ruskin colony was organized, near Tennessee City, Tenn., and
the "Coming Nation" was moved to the colony quarters, where it was
published as a part of the business of the colony. This venture proved
a failure, and on July 22, 1895. ^^^- ^^'ayland withdrew from that organ-
ization, Avith considerable financial loss. Pie then went to Kansas City.
Mo., where on .\ugust 31. 1895. he published the first edition of the
"Appeal to Reason," and in 1897 moved his plant to Girard. Kans., and
on February 6th of that year, the first edition of the "Appeal" was
published at Girard which has since been its home. The story of the
progress and vast circulation, and far-reaching influence of this paper is
so well known that a detailed review of it here would be superfluous.
While Mr. \\'ayland was primarily a newspaper man, and his great suc-
cess in life is attributed to that field of endeavor, he was also the mov-
ing spirit in many other commercial enterprises, and showed unusual
business ability in various projects. He did many things to promote
the welfare and development of Girard, after locating there. He was
one of the organizers, and a strong financial backer of the Girard Coal
Belt Railway, and was a member of the board of directors of tiiat com-
pany. He organized the Girard Mutual Telephone Company, which af-
forded, perhaps, the cheapest telephone service in the state. He was
also a strong factor in giving Girard a municipal light plant. He was a
member of the Girard Commercial Club, and at all times favored local
public improvements, and often contributed his own funds for the
furtherance of public improvements. Besides owning considerable
property in Girard. Mr. ^^'ayland invested heavily in city property at
BIOGRAPHICAL II5
Amarillo. Texas, and was a very wealthy man at the time of his death,
which occurred November lo. 1912, and since tliat time his sons, Jon
G. and A\'alter ?I., have continued the management of the large interests
of the estate in a way that reflect great credit on them. Mr. \\'a\lan(l
was united in marriage in 1877 to Miss Etta licvan of Osgood, Ind.
She died October 5. 1898, leaving five children, as follows: Jon G.,
real estate and insurance, Girard, Kans. ; Olive ?>., married Amadee
Soudry and is now deceased; Walter II.. publisher of the ".Appeal to
Reason,"- Girard. Kans.; Julia R. and Edith M. both reside at Girard,
Kans. Walter H. W'ayland. publisher of the "Appeal to Reason," was
born at Pueblo, Colo., February 12, 1884. He received his education
in the public schools of Girard, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
Mich., and the University of Indiana, Bloomington. Ind.^ He had been
associated with his father during the lifetime of the latter in connec-
tion with the "Appeal" and in July, 1914, became the publisher of that
paper. He was united in marriage October 9, 1908. to Miss Edna M.
Little of Girard, Kans. Mr. W'ayland is a cajiable young man and
possesses the natural executive qualifications which go to make a suc-
cessful career.
Daniel Snyder, a Kansas pioneer and Civil war veteran, w'ho has
been a cons])icuous figure in public life in Clark county for a number
of years, is a native of the lUickeye Slate. He was born at lUicyru-^,
Ohio, December 20, 1838, a son of John and Mary Ann Catherine ( Eeir-
ing) Schneider (the spelling of the name having been changed to Snyder
in recent years), both natives of Prussia, the former born in 1808. and
the latter in 1806. The parents of Daniel Snyder immigrated to .America
in 1834, and located at P>ucyrus, where the father was a contractor and
builder until 1864. when they removed to Olney. 111., and two years
later returned \(> liucyrus, Ohio, where the father spent the remainder
of his life in retirement. He died in 1874 and his wife de])artcd this life
at Houston, Texas, in 1898. They were the parents of six children, as
follows : Catherine, deceased ; Louisa, deceased ; a son, who died in
infancy; Daniel, the subject of this sketch; Mary and John Emanuel.
Daniel Snvder spent his boyhood days in I'ucyrus, Ohio, and attended
the public schools. In early life he learned the carpenter's trade with
his father, and followed that vocation until 1886. He then came to
Kansas, locating on government land in Liberty township, Clark
coimty, and was an early settler of that section. He experienced the many
hardships and discouragements common to the lot of the early settlers
on the plains, and for the first three years in Clark county, lived in a
dugout, but finally after years of persistence and hard work, things
began to come his way, and he has prospered and is one of the success-
ful farmers and stock raisers of the county. Mr. Snyder has taken an
active part in j)ublic affairs since coming to Clark coimty. In 1892
he was elected register of deeds of Clark count)' on the E.inncr-^ \IIi,iiu-e
Il6 BIOGRAPHICAL
ticket, and in 1894 was re-elected on the Democratic ticket. In 1898
he received the Democratic nomination for probate judge of Clark county,
and was elected by a satisfactory majority and re-elected to that office
in 1900. When the Civil war broke out, Mr. Snyder enlisted in Com-
pany C, Forty-ninth regiment, Ohio infantry, and ser\ed three vears.
He participated in manj- important engagements, including the battles of
Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. He was never wounded, nor
in a hospital. Mr. Snyder was united in marriage Xovember 29. i860,
at I'lucyrus, Ohio, to iliss Lettie M. Kester, a native of Shavers Creek.
Pennsylvania, her parents being natives of that state. To Mr. and Mrs.
Snyder have been born four children, as follows : Raymond, born Jan-
uary 24, 1862, died in 1865; Edgar, born in 1866, died in 1870; ^\'illiam
Kester, born in 1868 and Alice, born in 1870, married to J. G. Skelton.
^Ir. Snyder is a member of the ^Masonic lodge, the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, and he and family are members of the Methodist Epis-
copal church.
Emery Howard McKown, county treasurer of Clark county, is a
native of Missouri. He was born on a farm in Dallas county. October
30. 1870. and is a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Barkhurst) McKown.
The father was a native of New York, born July 27, 1832, of Irish par-
ents, who immigrated to .America, in 1830. Alexander ilcKown worked
at blacksmithing in early life and later removed to Ohio and from there
to Iowa, following farming. From Iowa he removed to Ohio and later
to Dallas county. Missouri, in 1869 and came to Kansas in 1880, settling
in Cowley coimty and bought land, fifteen miles north of Winfield.
where he remained four years. When Clark county began to settle up
in 1884. he took up government land in that county, adjoining the pres-
ent town of Ashland. This was about a year before Clark county was
organized. He was a Republican but never cared to hold political
office. However, he took an active part in the organization of the county
and was active in every movement tending to the upbuilding of the new
country. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and
one of the substantial pioneers of Clark county. He died January 20.
1896. His wife. Elizabeth Barkhurst. was a native of Coshocton county,
Ohio, born July 20, 1838, and died Xovember 27, 1895. They were the
parents of ten children, as follows : The first born, a daughter, died in
infancy; Elizabeth Ann. James Francis. Robert Allen. John Hamilton.
Matilda Jane. Elmer Grant. Mary Melissa. William Sherman and Emery
Howard. Emery Howard McKown received his education in the pub-
lic schools of Cowley and Clark counties and graduated from the Ash-
land High School in the class of 1889. He then taught school in Clark
county for four years, and in 1895 was elected county clerk of Clark
county, and in 1897 re-elected to that office, serving two terms. He
then engaged in the mercantile business at Ashland until 1912, when he
was elected countv treasurer of Clark countv and re-elected to that
BIOGRAPHICAL
"7
office in 1914, and is now capably filling that responsible office, ilr.
McKown was married at Ashland, Kans., July 2, 1893, to Miss Martha
Isabelle, daughter of Isaac B. and Mary Ann (Cogginsj Lawhan. the
former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Mississijjpi. They settled
in Doniphan county. Kansas, at a very early day, where Mrs. McKown
was born. May 8, 1876. The Lawhan family removed from D(Miiphan
to Clark county in 1884. To Mr. and Mrs. McKown liave been born
seven children, the first born being a daughter who died in infancy, and
the others are as follows: Francis Hugh, Ixirn IJccember 13, 1898;
Olive I'ay, born October 5, 1900; Isaac iVlerritt, born February 2, 1903;
Mary Thelma, born May n, 1905; Emery Howard. Jr., Ixirn January
18. 1907, and Martha, born March 10, 1912. Mr. and Mrs, McKown are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is a member of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Modern Woodmen of
America. Politically he is a Democrat and takes a luoniiuLiit jiart in
the political affairs of Comanche count\ .
J. D. Turkington, sheriff of Crawford county, is pcrha])s the best
known puljlic ollicer in southeastern Kansas. Sheriff Turkington is a
native of Ohio, born in Greene county, March 21, 1862. He is a son
of John and l-'liza (McCreary) Turkington, both natives of Ireland and
Kansas pioneers. The Turkington family settled in Crawford county,
Kansas, near where the town of Monmouth now stands, in 1866, and
were among the first settlers in that section. Here the father bought
railroad land and engaged in farming, lie became an extensive land
owner and was very successful. He is now deceased and iiis wife,
the mother of Sheriff Turkington, resides at Cherokee. Kans. J. D.
Turkington was one of a family of ten children, seven of wiiom are now
living. He was only four years old when his parents settled in Kansas.
He received his education in the public schools and began life as a
farmer and stock raiser. He later drifted into the cattle business and
sot)n became one of the most extensive cattle dealers in that section of
the country, with headquarters at McCune. For a number of years
he Iiandlcd as liigh as a quarter million dollars' worth of cattle an-
nually, vvliich he sliipped to Kansas City and other markets. In tlie
fall of 1912 he was elected sheriff of Crawford county, assuming. the office
January 13, 1913. The large industrial development which has taken
place in Crawford county in recent years, and the many unusu;il con-
ditions which have develo])ed from that fact, all tend to make the office
of sJieriff one wliicii eml)races many duties of difficult detail. There
are many mining camjjs that sjjrang up, as it were, o\er night and these
usually have no regular peace officers, and the duty of law enforcement
of every form devolves ujion the sheriff of the county, so tlic position
of the sheriff of Crawford county in many ways is similar to that of
the sheriff of the early days in the West. Rut Sheriff Turkington did
his duty so thoroughly and well, without fear or favor, during bis first
Il8 BIOGRAPHICAL
term in office that in the fall of 1914 he was re-elected bv a very satis-
factory majority. He is a man who takes special pride in doing any-
thing well which he undertakes, and the electors of Crawford county
have made no mistake in their selection. Mr. Turkington was united in
marriage, May 18, 1891, to Miss Ida Brown, of Monmouth, Kans. She
was born near Springfield, 111. To Mr. and Mrs. Turkington have been
born two children: Eva, a teacher, and Frank, attending school.
Sheriff Turkington is a Socialist, and his fraternal affiliations are with
the Modern Woodmen of America, Sons and Daughters of Justice and
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs to the Anti-
Horse Thief's Association.
Bertrand Delman Messing, a Kansas pioneer, who has spent nearly a
half century in the Sunflower state, is a native of Pennsylvania. He
was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, February 17, 1866, and is
a son of Delman and Viola Gertrude (Allen) ]\Iessing. The father was
born in Germany, January 15, 1841, and immigrated to America with his
parents, when he was thirteen years of age. They located in Bradford
county, Pennsylvania, where the parents spent the remainder of their
lives. They were the parents of six children : Delman. Andrew, Mar-
garet, William, John, and Frederick, all deceased except Margaret and
John. Viola Gertrude Allen, the wife of Delman Messing, was born in
Bradford county, Pennsylvania, April 13, 1845. She was a daughter
of Warren and Mary Allen, natives of Pennsylvania. To Delman and
Viola Gertrude (Allen) Messing were born four children, as follows :
'Warren, born October 10, 1863, married Ora Pedrick in 1895, and died
March 20, 1904; Bertrand Delman, the subject of this sketch; Maggie,
born October 19, 1871, died August 20, 1873, and Edith, liorn Jan-
uary 29, 1874, married Jesse A. Kinman, in 1894, and they have three
children, Gertrude, Roy and Katherine. Delman Messing left his
Pennsylvania home in 1868 and took up his journey for the West, lie
finally located on government land in Chase county, Kansas, and in that
early day proceeded to make a home for his family on the frontier plains
of the then far west. He engaged in the cattle business and also fol-
lowed farming in which he was very successfttl. He died in Chase
county, in 1876. Bertrand Delman Messing was only two years old
when the family located in Chase coimtj-, Kansas. Therefore, his
earliest childhood recollections are of the broad, unbroken plains of Kan-
sas. That was a time when it was said of Kansas that one could see
farther and see less than in any other place on earth, but Mr. Messing
has lived to see all this changed and is still a young man. Young
Messing grew to manhood and attended the public schools in Chase
county and in 1884 he went to Clark county and in partnership with his
brother, W'arren, bought 15,000 acres of land in Bluff creek valley in
the northeastern part of the county. He engaged in the cattle
business on an extensive scale and prospered, becoming one of the larg-
BIOGRAPHICAL Hg
est cattle men in the county. Warren died in 1904 and Bertrand Delman
continued to operate the Messing- cattle ranch until 1908 when he dis-
posed of it and retired, lie now resides at Ashland and is living re-
tired. Mr. Messing is a Republican and takes an active part in jiublic
affairs of his town and county. lie has been a member of the board
of county commissioners of Clark county since 1908, and is one of the
influential citizens of Clark county. Mr. Messing was married Jan-
uar\- 8, 1893, at Ashland, Kans., to Miss Minnie M., daughter of Charles
W. and Lydia (Wilson) Raymond. Mrs. Messing is a native of Craw-
ford county, Kansas, born September 26, 1871. ller father is a native
of Illinois, born July 21, 1840, and came to Kansas with his parents,
who located on government land in Crawford county at an early day
in the settlement of that section of the state. In 1885 he went to
Clark county and is now engaged in business at Bucklin, Kans. Charles
\V. and Lydia (A\'ilson) Raymond were the parents of two children:
Minnie, now Mrs. Messing, and Etta May, who died at the age of
eight. The mother died in 1875 and the father married Harriet Hoover
and to this union were born five children: William, Jose, Sallie, Frances
and Robbie. To Mr. and Mrs. Messing have been born three children:
Alma \'iola, born January 15, 1897, a graduate of the .Ashland High
School ; Raymond Bertrand. l)orn January 28, 1899, and Warren Charles,
born Xiiveml)er 8, 190^^
William Pearley Sanders, sheriff of (.'omanche count}-, who for years
has been a successful farmer and stockman of southern Kansas, is a
native of the Buckeye stale. He was born in Perry county, Ohio, March
15, 1869. and is a son of Camm Thomas and Mary Ellen (Immel)
Sanders, natives of Ohio. Camm Thomas Sanders was I)orn in Perry
county, a son of Benjan-iin and Ejjsey (Battinj Sanders, the former a
native of Georgia and the latter of Ohio. Camm T. Sanders remained
in liis native state until 1885, when he came west with his family, lo-
cating in Marion county, Kansas, where he now resides. He is a
veteran of the Civil war. iiaving served as a private in Comjiany B,
Tenth regiment, Ohio cavalry. He served three years, and was with
General Sherman on his march to the sea and i)articii)aied in most of
the engagements incident to that great military expedition. He has
been a lifelong Repul)lican and is a member of the Grand .\rmy of the
Republic. He was married to Miss Mary E. Immel, November 22, 1865.
She was Ijorn in CJliio, I""ebruary 10, 1846, and died at Poabody. Kans..
August 22. 1906. She was intensely religious and a liigli t>l>e of Amer-
ican womanhood. They were the i)arenls of eleven cliildren. all of
whom are living: Benjamin l-Vanklin, born March 9, 1867; William
Pearley, subject of this sketch; Emma Belle, born December 30, 1870,
married J. A. Sowers; Charles, born February 20, 1872; Bartlett. born
May 20, 1874; Harley D.. born May 20. 1876; .Sarah Effie. born May
20, 1878, married Clement .Smith ; Ollie .Susan, born .\ugust 7. 1880,
120 BIOGRAPHICAL
married Jesse J. Edmonston ; Josie Viola, born January 6, 1885, married
Arthur Shriver; Lawrence, born March 13. iHSj. and Leota, born Octo-
ber 20, 1889, married llarvey W'ehry. Sheriff Sanders was educated
in the ptiblic schools of Perry county, Ohio, and came to Marion county,
Kansas, with his parents in 1885, and in 1901 located in Comanche
ci^iunty, and bought a farm in Kiowa creek valley, which is now one of
the Ijest improved farms in the county. He is extensively engaged in
raising horses, cattle, swine and sheep and produces large quantities of
alfalfa, wheat and corn. Mr. Sanders is a Republican, and since coming
to Comanche county has taken an active part in local politics. In
1914, he was nominated for sheriff, and elected November 3d, and is
now capably filling that office. He was united in marriage Novemljer
26, 1892. to Miss Florence Weldy, daughter of Samuel P. and Jennie
G. (Dugan) Roberts of Perry coimty, Ohio, where Mrs. Sanders was
born December 16, 1874. Her father was a native of England, l^orn
October 31, 1832, died December 15, 1912. Her mother was born in
New York, December 13, 1837. They were the parents of seven
children, as follows: Mary Jane, born September 10, 1859; Elmer
Anderson, born May 25, 1861, died May 24, 1S63 ; Lucy Van Lora, born
October 13, 1863, died February 27, 1866; Mertie Leona, born August
23, 1868; Samuel Edw^ard, born March 3, 1871 ; Forest Wilbert, I)orn
December 16, 1874, and Florence Weldy, born December 16, 1874, twins.
To Mr. and Airs. Sanders have been born five children, as follows:
Georgiana Doris, born July 8, 1894, married Arthur 11. Schrock, Xovem-
ber 10, 191 1, and they have tw'o children, Dorothy Lavonne and Leona
E. ; Clemmie Clifford, Ijorn June 19, 1896; Forest Dewey, l)orn August
29, 1898; Audrey May, born May 15, 1903, and Zelma Leis, born June
23. 1905. Mr. Sanders is a Mason, and well and favorably knnwn
throughout southwestern Kansas.
Jacob Kurz, a prominent farmer and well known cattleman of
Comanche county, residing near Mayo, Kans., is a native of Wisconsin.
He was born on a farm in Brown county, November 2, 1S62, and is a
son of Peter P. and Katherine (Bibelhousen) Kurz, natives of Germany.
The father was born November 2, 1820, and at the age of thirty-two
vears immigrated to America from the fatherland and first located al
Milwaukee, Wis., where he was employed as a butcher for two years.
He then took up government land in Brown coimty, where he followed
farming successfully and prospered to the time of his death, which oc-
curred in Octoljer, 1898. His wife was born in (lermany in 1833. and
came to America with her parents wlien she was a child of eight years.
Peter P. and Katherine (Bibelhousen) Kurz were the parents of ten
children, as follows: Philip, Joseph, John, Katherine (deceased), Jacob,
the subject of this sketch, Frona, Antone, Peter, Josephine, Henry and
\'incencc. Jacob Kurz s])ent his boyhood da\s on his father's farm in
Wisconsin and attended the public schools. In 1885 he came to Kansas,
BIOGRAPHICAL 121
locating on government land in Rumsey township, Comanche county.
His was the lot CDnimon tn tlie pioneer uf western Kansas in Ihose eaiiv
days ; he endured the hardships of primitive life on the plains, and for
the first five years in Comanche county lived in a dugout. Crop failures
and droughts overthrew his efforts, one after another, but he persisted,
and by industry and sticktoitiveness finally began to win. and
as prosperity came he added to his original holdings and now owns
5.400 acres of land, and is one of the I)ig cattle men of the -Southwest an<l
one of the wealthy men of his community. He makes a specialty of rais-
ing Hereford cattle and raises lots of them. He has one of the finest
herds in' the county. Mr. Kurz is a Democrat and lias held various local
offices of trust and responsibility, but has never aspired to political fame.
He was united in marriage November 2, 1892, in Comanche coimty. to
Miss Rosa Deubler, a native of Warsaw, 111., born March 20, 1874. To
Mr. and Mrs. Kurz have been Ijorn six children, as follows: Clara, born
August b, 1894, died July 21, 1907; Maljcl, born June 5, 1896; Charles
Jacob, born January 18, 1900, died July 21, 1907; Rosa, born July 16,
1904; the fifth child, a daughter, died in infancy, and Ethel, the youngest,
was born May 10, 1913. One of the great bereavements of this life en-
tered the Kurz family in the tragic death of their two children, Clara
and Charles. They were lost in the wreck of the Steamship "Columbia,"
which went down off the Pacific coast, July 21, 1907, while on a voyage
from San Francisco, Calif, to Portland, Ore., in which one hundred pas-
sengers perisjied. Mr. Kurz was a ])assengcr on tlie ill-fated \essel. but
fortunately, numbered among the survivors. The bodies of the children
were never recovered.
Sidney A. DeLair, Coldwater. Kans, — To Sidney A. Dclair belongs
the credit of being ])ro])rietor of one of the largest and best equipped
stock ranches in the state of Kansas. The "Ideal Stock Ranch," con-
sisting of 5,900 acres, is located fourteen miles southeast of Coldwatei
It is a model in every detail and every convenience for handling cattle
on a large scale is provided; tlie l)uildings are modern and inchulc a
large modern ranch residence. The place is supplied with water works
and electric liglit i)lant, and every convenience usually found in a modern
city is here duplicated. Mr. DeLair is a native of Canada, born May
10, 1864, and is a son of Silas S. and .\lmira (Thayer) DeLair, both also
natives of Canada. The father was born in 1839 and the mother in
1846. They were married April 29, 1863, and in 1870 the family came
to Kansas, locating in Harvey county. Here the father took up govern-
ment land and remained about two years when he removed to Platte
coimty, Missouri. However, lie remained there but a short time, when
he returned to Kansas, locating this time in Sedgwick county, where
he followed farming six years and in 1886 located in Comanche county,
wiiere he also followed farming until 1893, when he went to Sumac,
Wash., making his home there until his death, which occurred Feb-
122 BIOGRAPHICAL
ruary 22. 191 3. His wife died March 20, 1902. They were the par-
ents of eight children. Sidney A., whose name introduces this sketch,
being the oldest. The others, in order of birth, are as follows : IMaud
M.. born June 20, 1866; Elsie G., born June 18, 1869; Musa M., born
November 12, i8'76, died November 24, 1880; Edith V.. born October
24, 1882 ; Thomas J., born May 26, 1885 ; Ida E., born February 25,
1888. and Leslie Paul, born April 16, 1890. Sidney A. DeLair was
united in marriage April 14. 1892. in Comanche county, Kansas, to Miss
Grace Fretz, a native of Denton County, Iowa, born December 2;^. 1872.
She is a daughter of Henrj- and Julia F. (Agnew) Fretz, the former a
native of Pennsylvania, born December 13, 1829, and died in Comanche
county, Kansas, November 11, 1900. and the mother was a native of
Peoria, 111., born July 7, 1844. They were married April 26. 1868, in
Illinois, and to this union two children were born : Alta, now the wife
of Cyrus Shimer. Watervliet. Mich., and Grace, the wife of Sidney
A. DeLair. To Mr. and ]Mrs. DeLair have been born four children :
Wayne Ambrose, born December 14, 1893 ; Henry Roy, born September
7, 1895; Ralph Emerson, born November 4. 1897, and Myrtle Jewel, born
November 2, 1899. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church and Mr. DeLair is a member of the Masonic Lodge. Mr. DeLair
is one of the leading citizens of Comanche county, and takes a deep in-
terest in all matters touching the welfare of his community and state.
He served four years on the board of county commissioners of Comanche
county, but his vast private interests have so engrossed his time that
he has thus far been imable to devote any great amount of his time to
politics.
Perry A. Johnston. Coldwater. Kans.. is a pioneer settler of Comanche
county, and one of the extensive men of affairs of that section. Mr.
Johnston is a native of Ohio, born in Trumbull county, October 25, 1862,
a son of Thomas and Mary ( Whaley) Johnston. The parents were also
natives of Ohio, the father being born in 1832 and followed farming
in Ohio, where he died in 1902. His wife was born in 1843 ^"d now re-
sides at Seattle, Wash. They were the parents of nine children, as
follows: George, (deceased); Perry A., the subject of this sketch;
Lizzie M., unmarried, resides in Cleveland. Ohio ; Mary, widow of George
Stewart, resides in Seattle, Wash.; Frank W'., a farmer and stockman
in Trumbull county. Ohio; Thomas A\.. farmer in Trumbull county,
Ohio; llattie, married Louis Selover, Seattle, Wash.; William. Redlands,
Calif., and Ella, unmarried, resides with her mother in Seattle, W'ash.
Perry A. Johnston received his education in the public schools of Trum-
bull county, Ohio, and after teaching a few years in his native state
came to Comanche county. Kansas, in 1884. He settled on government
land and engaged in the feed business at Coldwater. opening the first
feed store in that town. Since coming to Coldwater, he has been
actively identified with the business development of that town and
BIOGRAPHICAL 1 23
Comanche county. He conducted a hardware store for a time in Cold-
water and also a lumber yard and bought and sold grain extensively for
a number of years, and still owns a grain elevator at Coldwater. He
owns a well improved ranch of 6,000 acres, located three miles west of
Coldwater, where he is an extensive breeder of blooded horses, registered
short horned cattle and blooded swine. He raises wheat and alfalfa on a
large scale, and since coming to Kansas success has crowned his well
directed efforts. He owns property in Coldwater and in Wichita and is
one of the largest individual tax payers in Comanche county. He is a
staunch advocate of the policies and ])rinciples of the Democratic partv
but has never sought political preferment, preferring to devote his entire
time and energy to his private business. Mr. Johnston was united in
marriage in 1890 at Protection, Kans., to Aliss Mary M. Vance, daughter
of Hugh and Margaret Vance, residents of Protection. Mrs. Johnston
is a native of Iowa and came to Kansas with her parents when a child.
To Mr. and Mrs. Johnston have been born seven children : Walter R.,
Etna Hazel, George P., Earl, Hugh, Edgar and Edith. The Johnston
family is well known and highly respected in the community.
George H. Helton is a successful farmer of Comanche county, and in
addition to farming is interested in a number of im]K)rtant commercial
enterprises at Coldwater. He is a native of Iowa, born in Des Moines,
December 12, 1876. He is a son of Joseph A. and Eliza Isabelle (Barn-
grover) Helton. Joseph A. Helton, the father, was born in Indiana in
1854 of Virginia parents. The family removed to Iowa some time in
the fifties and located at Des Moines, where J(iseph A. Helton's father
took a prominent part in the early development and organization of that
section of Iowa. He is a veteran of the Civil war. and served as
sheriff of Polk county; he died in 1864, and his wife departed this life
one year later. Joseph A. Helton came to Kansas with his family in
1884, and was successfully engaged in farming for a number of years,
and is now living retired at Chase, Kans. (ieorge H. Helton is one of
a family of seven children, four of whom are living, as follows: George
H., Nellie B., born in 1878, married Erank Helmcr, farmer, Geneseo,
Kans.; Mabel M., born in 1880, married George W. .Smith, Chase. Kans.,
and Xancy E., born in 1885. married Walter Layton. farmer. Pollard,
Kans. George H. Helton received his educational training in the public
schools of Chase, Kans., and was graduated from the Chase High. School
in the class of 1897. and engaged in the stock business, handling horses
and cattle extensi\ely at Ciiase. Kans., until 1904, when he removed to
Comanche county, and bought a ranch, seven miles northeast of Cold-
water, where he has since resided. His place consists of 640 acres of
well improved land, all under a high state of cultivation and very pro-
ductive. In additi(m to his farming operations, Mr. Helton carries on
an extensive business in buying and selling horses and mules. He is
a director of the Peoples State Bank of Coldwater, the Platte-Gilchrist
124 BIOGRAPHICAL
Lumber Companj- of Coldwater and the Coldwater Hardware & Imple-
ment Company, and is also interested in a number of grain elevators.
He is a Republican and has taken a prominent part in political affairs
since coming to Comanche county. He was a member of the board of
county commissioners from 1908 to 191 1, and in 1912 was elected to
represent Comanche county in the legislature and re-elected to that
office in 1914. During the session of 1913 he was an active member of
a number of legislative committees and took a prominent part in that
session, and the best evidence that he satisfactorily represented his con-
stituents is that he was re-elected to succeed himself. Mr. Helton was
married ^larch 23. 1901, at McPherson, Kans., to Miss ^Myrtle B., dnugh-
ter of Theodore and Martha E. (Calfee) Mullenix of Chase county. Kan-
sas. Mrs. Helton was born January- 11. 1883. at Greencastle, Ind. To Mr.
and Mrs. Helton have been born three children: Xira Mae, born De-
cember 5. 1901 ; \"elda Grace, born June 9. 1903, died August 23, 1904,
and Alma Pearl, born March 12, 1905. Mr. Helton is a Thirty-second
degree Scottish Rite Mason.
Joseph P. Taylor, the popular and capable clerk of the District Court
of Comanche county, is a native of Illinois. He was born on a farm in
■McLean county, March 23, 1873, and is a son of \\'illiam ]M. and
Elizabeth (Policy) Taylor, the former also a native of McLean
county, Illinois, born October 30, 1850, and the latter a native of In-
diana, born June 6. 1854. The Taylor family came to Kansas in 1875
and followed farming for two years in Cowley county and five years
in Sumner county, the father proving up on government land in the lat-
ter county, where he remained until 1884, when he removed to Comanche
county and bought a ranch of 600 acres, two miles south of Protection,
where he was extensively engaged in the cattle business. He took a
prominent part in the early development of the county, and is a Demo-
crat and prominent in the local councils of the party. In 1890 he was
elected to the office of sheriff of Comanche county, serving four
years and made a good record. In 1903 he sold his ranch and has since
resided in Coldwater. He is widely and favorably known throughout
southern Kansas, and a pul)lic spirited man who is ever ready to sup-
port a worthy cause. Joseph P. Taylor is one of a family of five
children, as follows: Joseph P., whose name introduces this review;
David "Elmer, born in McLean county, Illinois, June 5, 1875. married
Rose Holderby, a daughter of H. O. Holderby, a Comanche county
pioneer, and to them have been born two children. Clyde and Richard;
Cora, born in 1879. married Frank M. Mclntyre and they have five
children, Glesson, Millard, Xorma, Herman and Morris, the last two
twins : Gladys, born in 1893. ^ .graduate of the Coldwater High School, re-
sides with her parents, and William Jennings Bryan, born June 20, 1896.
Joseph P. Taylor spent his boyhood days on his father's ranch in
Comanche county and attended the public schools. In early life he
BIOGRAPIIICAI, 125
engaged in stock raising for liinisclf and was \-ery successful in that
line of endeavor, and in 1908 engaged in the cement contracting lousiness,
which he followed for two years. About the time he engaged in con-
tracting he was elected district clerk of Comanche county on the Demo-
cratic ticket and re-elected to that office in 1910 and in 1912 and again
in 1914 and is now ser\ing in that capacity. Mis repeated re-election
to that office is the best evidence of the satisfactory wa\ in which he
has discharged the duties which have de\olved upon him. lie is well
known throughout tJie county and his conscientious methods and
courteous manner have won many friends. 'Mr. Taylor was united in
marriage December 28. 1900. to Miss Marie, daughter of William P..
Cummins, a prominent Woods county, Oklahoma, farmer. Mrs.
Taylor was born on a farm in Miami county, Kansas. To Mr. and
Mrs. Taylor have been born five children, as follows: Spencer Curtis,
born October 12. 1901 ; Bernice Elizabeth, born September 11, 1903;
MtuMand Cummins, born October 5, 1908; I'liili]) Irving, born June 24.
1912, and Gordon L. W'illson, born June 4, 1914. Mr. Taylor is a mem-
ber of the Knights of P\thias and the lndc])endent ( )r(ler of (Hid
Fellows.
Charles Edgar Baker, a well known successful attorney of Coldwater.
Kans.. and count\ attorney of Comanche county, was born on a farm
in Lawrence county, Missouri, December 29, 1873. Ills ])arents.
Andrew II. and Martha E. (Eads) I'aker, are both natives of Wayne
county, Kentucky, where the former was born June 12, 1841, and the
latter March 21, 1851. Andrew 11. liaker, the father, is a ])ioneer of
southern Kansas and for a number of years was a prt)minent factor in
the banking world of that section. He first came to Kansas in 1868,
settling in Montgomery county, being one of the very first settlers of
that part of the state. He remained there, however, only one year,
when he removed to Lawrence county, Missouri, and was engaged in
farming aliout six years, and in 1876 returned to the Sunflower State,
this time taking u]) his residence in Cowler county, and followed farm-
ing and stock raising there until 1884. .Abonl this time Comanche
county began to settle u\) rapidly, and op]iortnnities seemed favorable
there, and Mr. Uaker disjjosed of his interests in Cowley county and
joined the western bound homeseekers, and took up goxernment land in
Comanche county, near where the present town of Protection is located.
Here he engaged in farming and stock raising and met with tuiusual
success. In 1904, he, with a few other local capitalists, organized the
Protection State IJank and he was president of that institution for two
years when he disposed of his interest in that bank and invested in the
Peoples' State I'ank of Coldwater, and became its i)resident. He has
many financial interests in the county and during his long career of
business enterjirise. he may well be classed as one of the builders of
Comanche county. He retired from strenuous business life in kii^. and
126 BIOGRAPHICAL
is now livinLT. practically, in retirement at Coldwater. He has been a
lifelong Republican, but has never aspired to political honors, although
he has always taken a keen interest in public affairs and is an ardent
supporter of any policy or principle for the upbuilding and betterment
of his county and state. Charles Edgar Baker, whose name introduces
this sketch, is one of a family of eleven children, as follows: Fannie,
Ella, Charles Edgar, Alice. Emma, Estella. Frank, Frederick, Grace and
Jessie (twins), and Hallie. all of whom are living and enjoying good
health. Charles Edgar was educated in the public schools of Cowley
and Comanche counties and the state normal school, at Emporia, and
afterwards tpok a course in the A\'ichita Business College. In 1901 he
received the appointment as journal stenographer in the state legisla-
ture, serving in that capacity through that session, and in 1903 was
stenographer for the senate judicial committee, and at the close of that
session, in 1903, was appointed official court stenographer for the
thirty-first judicial district, serving in that capacity eight years. In
the meantime, he read law and passed the bar examination and was
admitted to the bar of Kansas in igio. He engaged in the practice of
his profession at Coldwater and has built up a large paying practice.
In 1912 he was elected county attorney of Comanche county, and re-
elected in 1914, and now holds that office. Mr. Baker was united in
marriage, January 31, 1901, to ]\Iiss Lulu Boyd, of Burden. Kans. She
was born at Eugene City. Ore., July 30, 1876. and is a daughter of
Samuel and Delila Boyd. To Mr. and Mrs. Baker have been born three
children. Elsie, born September 16. 1904; Irene, born October 7, 1906,
and Charles Edgar, Jr., born December 24, 1914. Mr. Baker is a member
of the Masonic lodge, and he and his wife are members of the Aletho-
dist Episcopal church and active in the work of the church in their
home town.
Calvin Clermont Towner, Protection. Kans., came to this state in
1873, when he was a lad of twelve years of age. Mr. Towner is a
native of the Buckej-e State, born in Pike county, Ohio. May 27, 1861,
and is a son of William H. and Xancy (McCray) Towner. The father
was also born in Pike county, Ohio, in 1840, and followed farming in
that state until 1884. when he came to Kansas, locating on government
land in Clark county. He was a Republican and active in the early
life of the county, having been a member of the board of county commis-
sioners six rears. He was one of the founders of the town of Lexing-
ton, which was one of the hustling frontier towns in the 8o's, but is
now extinct. In 1893 when the "Cherokee Strip" was opened up to
settlement, he took up government land in Garfield county, Oklahoma,
where he died in 1899. He was a veteran of the Civil war, having
served three years as a non-commissioned officer, and was clerk on the
staff of Gen. George H. Thomas. \\'illiam H. Towner was twice mar-
ried, his first wife, Nancy McCray, was a daughter of Archibald A. and
BIOGRAPHICAL I 27
Leatha (Ward) McCray, natives of \'ir!4-inia. Xancv McCray was one
of a family of ten children. Her seven brothers, llarvey, W'illiam, Sam-
uel, Washington, Charles J., Calvin A\'., and Archibald, served in the
Union army during the Civil war, \\'ashington being a lieutenant. The
two daughters died in infancy. To William II. and Xancy (McCrav)
Towner was born one child. Calvin Clermont, the subject of this sketch.
The mother died when Calvin was two years old, in 1863. and about
seven years later the father married Miss Margaret Smith, and to this
imion were born six children: John R., lienjamin U.. a sketch of whom
appears in this volume, William H., Harry, Lyda and Sallie. Calvin C.
Towner came to Kansas in 1873 with two uncles, who located in
Mcl^herson county, where the boy attended school. He went to liar-
ber coimty and settled on government land and after proving up went
to Clark county, and bought school land, where he ninv owns over 1,000
acres of land and has since been extensively engaged in the cattle
business and is one of the successful stock men in that section. Mr.
Towner resides in the town of Protection and directs his stock and farm-
ing operations from there. He has been active in other fields of enter-
prise as well as in farming. In 1910 he built a plant and installed an
electric system in the town of Protection, which he later sold to the
town. Mr. Towner was first married, .April 16, 1890, to IMiss Ella M.
Gilchrist, a native of PennsyKania, born .\pril 10, 1868, and came to
Kansas with her parents in 1886. She died April 10, 1906. She was a
member of the Christian church and a woman of noble Christian char-
acter. Mr. Towner's second marriage occurred January 16, 1908, to
Miss Leola 15., daughter of 1!. P.. and Mary (Davenjiort) Denney. Mrs.
Towner was born in .Sumner county, Kansas. October i. 1884. They
have two children. Uutli l*".\-cl_\n, born August 5, 1910, and David Cler- '
nioiii, born ( )ctobcr jS, 191 1. Mr. Towner is a member of the Masonic
lodge and the Independent Order of Odd I-'ellows, and is one of the sub-
stantial citizens of Comanche county.
Floyd Robert Campbell, registrar of deeds of Comanche county, is a
native son of Kansas. ;ind belongs to the younger class of men who are
doing things and taking a i)r(>minent i)art in the affairs of the state. Mr.
Campbell was born in Rei)ublic county, January 21. 1884. and is a son
of John M. and Sarah (Glascow) Campbell. The f.ither w.ms a iiatixe of
Springfield. Mo., born in 1838. and. when a child his parents removed
to Illinois, where he was reared on a farm, and was engaged in farming
when the Civil war broke out. In answer to the President's call for
volunteers, he enlisted in the Xinety-ninth Illinois infantry, and wa ;
in the service for three years and three months. He i)articii)ated in
many important battles and was at the siege at \'icksburg and wriS
wotuided once. .At the close of the war he returned to his Illinois home,
where he remained a few years, and in 1869 c.imc to Kansas, locating
in Republic county. That was an early day in the settlement of that
128 BIOGRAPHICAL
section of the state, which was considerably west of what might be
termed the border line of civilization and there was considerable Indian
trouble in that section after that time. Here John Campbell, the pioneer,
took up government land and was one of the first to file a claim in
Republic county. He took an active part in the organizing of the
county. He was a lifelong Republican, and active in the
affairs of his party, and at one time was a member of the board of county
commissioners of Republic county. He was successfuU}- engaged in
farming and stock raising there until 1900. when he bought 2,500 acres
of land in Comanche county, where he removed, and established a cattle
ranch, and was engaged in the cattle business on an extensive scale and
prospered until he was overtaken by death. He passed away June 19,
1907. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a well known and highly
respected citizen. His wife was a native of Pike county, Illinois, born
in 1842 ; she died at Clay Center, Kans.. March 10. 1910. She was a
member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Floyd Robert Campbell is
one of a family of ten children, as follows : Belle, now the wife of
William M. Morley, Coldwater, Kans.; John H., farmer, Republn-
county, Kansas ; Mary, the wife of Daniel Bowersook, farmer. South
Dakota ; Sadie, the wife of Leroy Donaldson, farmer and merchant, St.
Francis. Kans.: Fannie." the wife of Samuel Bush, farmer. South Dakota;
Millie, wife of Joseph Jantzen, farmer, Colorado; Delia, the wife of
Benton Craig, farmer. Oklahoma ; Ethel, wife of Albert Mc\"ey. farmer.
Clay county, Kansas; Floyd Robert, the subject of this sketch, and
Chester A., born November 11. 1887, ranchman, Comanche county,
Kansas, married Maggie McLaughlin. Floyd Robert Campbell received
his education in the public scliools of Republic county, Kansas, and
the W'esleyan Business College, graduating in the class of 1903, and
was associated with liis father on their cattle ranch in Comanche county
until 1912, when he was elected registrar of deeds of Comanche county,
and in 1914 was re-elected to that office. Mr. Campbell is a Republican
and has taken an active part in politics, and his genial manner and ef-
ficient public service have made him one of the popular coimt}- officials
of Comanche county. He is a Thirty-second Degree Scottish Rite
Mason. He was united in marriage June 4, 1913. at Hubbell, Xeb., to
Miss Marie, daughter of L, P. Luce, a retired farmer of that place. Mrs.
Campbell was born at Hubbell. Xeb., March 20, i88g, and .she is a grad-
uate of the Hubbell High School.
Capt. William J. Watson, postmaster of Pittsburg, Kans., is a native
son of Kansas, and the second generation of a family of soldiers and
prominent citizens whose endeavors have contributed much to the up-
building and progress of the Sunflower State. Although born after
the storm and stress period of Kansas history, he found outlet for the
traditional family patriotism in the Spanish-.\merican war, in which
Uyoio
UiUM
VtA4
TIKIGRAI'IIICAL 129
lie was an officer in the famims Twenlicth Kansas re.e^'iment. and tlic
wiHtnds which he received while in the service of the flaj:;- in distant
lands will he lifelong' marks of his valorous conduct. Captain Watson
was born on a farm in Crawford count}', near Cato, Deceml)er 31. 1871.
and is a son of Capt. Alexander M. and Sarah Jane (Hadley) Watson.
Alexander M. Watson was born in F.dinburgh. Scotland, in 1836. a son
of Matthew and F.lixia (Macartney) Watson. Matthew Watson, with
his family, immigrated from Scotland to Canada in 1S42. and a year
later removed to Rochester, X. Y., where they remained until 1852, when
the family removed to Michigan, and shortly afterward to Livingston
county. Illinois. In 1859 the family, with the exception of .\lexander M.,
came to the territory of Kansas, locating on the tlien "neutral" lands, near
where Cato now stands. Here the family bought land, which later be-
came a productive and valuable farm, consisting of one section of land.
When they settled here the country was in a i)rimiti\e condition. Indians
still roamed oxer the plains, range was free and unfenced. Matthew
Watson resided on that ])lace until 1872, when he removed to Cherokee
county, where he developed another fine farm and resided there until
his death in 1895. "'^ wife died in 1882. Alexander M. Watson re-
mained in Illinois after the other members of the family came to Kansas,
and on December 10, 1861, enlisted at Geneva. 111., as a private in Com-
panv 1). I'ifty-second regiment. Illinois infantry, and was attached to
the Army of the Tennessee, under Grant. He fought at Fort Donelson,
Shiloh. tlie siege at C'orinth, Missionary Ridge and numerous skirmishes.
On December 25. 1863. his term of enlistment having expired, he re-
enlisted at I'ulaski. 'Penn.. in the same regiment. On May 5, 1864, his
regiment joined Sherman's army at Chattanoo.ga and participated in all
the battles of Sherman's march to the sea. November 19, 1804, he was
promoted to captain, and after lire march to the sea, went north through
the Carolinas to Goldsboro, and after Johnson's surrender accom])anied
Sherman's victorious army to Washington, and was with his company in
the grand re\iew. lie was mustered out at Louisville, Ky., July 12.
i8('i5. At the close of the w;ir he came to Kansas to join his wife, who
had ])receded him to this State, and had remained with the Watson
family during the \\;ir. .\fter remaining for a short time in liourbon
county, he came to Crawfcjrd coimty, and on I'"ebruary 1, i8f)(), took nj) a
claim in Osage township, and has the distinction of being one of the
oldest settlers in the county, in .idditinn to his farming operations lie
was also engaged as a railroad contractor for a time. In i8Sn he took
up his residence in Pittsburg and has lived there ever since. He was
foreman for the Kansas & Texas Coal Company for a number of years.
His wife died at Fmporia, Kans.. in 1876. Capt. William J. Watson,
whose name introduces this sketch, was educated in the public schools
of Pittsburg and graduated from the high school. He then took up
the study of law in the office of John Randoli>h. of Pittsburg, and later
130 BIOGRAPHICAL
entered the law department of Kansas University, at Lawrence, where
he was graduated in the class of 1896, and w-as admitted to the supreme
court and immediately engaged in the practice of law at Pittsburg, and
in April, 1897, was elected to the office of justice of the peace, being the
youngest man ever elected to that office in Crawford county. Up to
the time of his election he had been a member of the law firm of Fuller,
Randolph & Watson, but after election, the duties of his office took all
his time and attention. On April 27, 1898, two days after the formal
declaration of war against Spain, Mr. Watson left his office and went
to the recruiting headquarters in Pittsburg, enlisting as a private in
Compan}- D, Twentieth Kansas regiment. This was the first day that
volunteer enlistments were received in Kansas. Almost immediately
upon the organization of his company he was elected first lieutenant,
and the regiment shortly afterwards was sent to San Francisco, where
they remained in camp about six months, when they sailed for the
Philippine Islands to engage in active service. Captain W^atson was
with his company in many weary marches and hard-fought battles and
skirmishes that fell to the lot of his regiment of brave Kansans. On
March 23, 1899, he was promoted to a captaincy and assigned to the
command of Company E, and six days later was wounded in the breast
bv a Remington bullet at the battle of Guiguinto, Luzon, and still carries
that gruesome souvenir in his body. He was carried from the field and
at the time was not expected to survive his wound. However, in time
he recovered sufficiently to be sent to San Francisco on the hospital
ship, Relief, arriving there August 29. After spending some time in
the states and recovering from his wound, he was offered a commission
in the Fortieth United States infantry, dating from August 17, 1899.
Shortly after joining his new regiment he was offered a detail as aide-
de-camp on the staff of General Funston, but preferring to remain in the
line command a captain, refused this offer. He was accordingly given
command of Company 'M, Fortieth United States regiment, and again
sailed for the Philippines, November 17, 1899. At the siege at Cagayan,
in Mindinao. .-Vpril 7, 1900, Captain Watson was again wounded by a
rifle ball in the foot, the wound being of such a serious nature that
blood poison resulted. After being sent to the hospital at Manila, nearly
a thousand miles distant, it was found necessary to amputate his leg just
below the knee. Being permanently disabled for active field service, he
. returned home and received his honorable discharge, July i, 1901, after
three j'ears and three months of service. Captain Watson spent some
time in recuperating his health and then resumed his law practice in
Pittsburg and was building up a profitable practice when he was ap-
pointed postmaster of Pittsburg, April i. 1902. and has served in that
capacity to the present time. He has been a painstaking and efficient
public officer and his administration of the affairs of the office has been
of a high standard. On November 11, 1899, before sailing the second
BIOGRAPHICAL I3I
time to the Philippines, Captain \\'atson was united in marriage at Pitts-
burg to Miss Lotta. daughter of John R. Lindburg, a prominent citizen
of Pittsburg, a personal sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this
volume. Mrs. Watson was educated in the public schools of Pittsburg
and the Monticello \\'oman's College, Monticello, Mo. Captain Watson
takes an active part in public affairs, and for six years has been a
member of the State Miliary Board, and has received the appointment
of Judge Advocate General with rank of Colonel. lie is president of
the Pittsburg Public Library Board, vice president of the Chamber of
Commerce, a director and vice president of the First National Bank of
Pittsburg, and a director of the Kansas Life Insurance Comi)any of
Topeka. He is a member of the Masonic lodge. Ancient Order of
United \\'orkmen, Knights and Ladies of Security, Fraternal .Aid, the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Beta Theta Phi.
Myron G. Stevenson, a respected resident and a well known business
man n{ Ashland. Kans., has been closely identified with the public and
business life of that town almost since its organization, and has been a
potential factor in its growth and development. Mr. .Stevenson is an
Ohio man. born in Youngstown, October i6, 1862. His father. Matthew
Stevenson was born in Ireland, January 4. 1834, and was educated for
the ministry. In 1856. however, he immigrated to the United States and
located at Youngstown. Ohio, where he engaged in the mercantile
business until 1872. There he married Miss Sarah Patton, in 1859. In
1872 he removed lo Indiana, where he ])rosi)ected as a coal operator and
for several years engaged in the mercantile business, at V'eedersburg.
He was similarily engaged at different points uj) to 1906, when the loss
of his eyesight compelled him to close a long and active business career.
He was a member of the Masonic order, and he and his wife resided
at Ashland until his death, October 16, 1913. Of their union, four
children were born: Miranda, born in i860, dicil in infancy; Myron
(j. ; Carrie E.. born October 3, i8('i4. married W. L. Livengood, at
Yeedersburg, Ind.. in 1885. and died in liope, Ark,. .SeiJtember 3. 1914.
and Warren I!., born July 2. 1869, died at N'eedersburg, Ind.. Sei)teniber
20. 1884.
Myron (i. Stexenson received his education in tiie pnlilic schools at
.Attica and N'eedersburg. Ind. ilis in(le|)en(lenl career began as a sales-
man and bookkeeper, in which cajjacities he served eight years. In 1884
he began the printer's trade at \'eedersburg. Ind.. and in 1886 came to
Ashland. Kans.. where he became foreman in the office of the Ashland
"Herald." in 1SS8 lie became editor and part owner of the .Ashland
"Journal." which he conducted until i8(/). It was a i)rogressivc Rei)ubli-
can paper and was discontiiuied in 1897. .\fter severing his newspaper
connections Mr. Stevenson entered the furniture business and conducted
a store in .\shland until 1907. In the nie.intinie he became a licensed
embaimer and funeral director, which l)usiness he still carries on.
132 BIOGRAPHICAL
In 1907 he gave up his furniture business and opened an insurance,
loan and abstract office, Kj which he has since given his attention in
connection with the undertaking business. In 1910 he was elected a
justice of the peace. In 1912 he was elected clerk of the district court
of Clark county, and in 1914 was re-elected by a large increased majority.
In his political views Mr. Stevenson is a Reiniblican and has always
been a very active and prominent worker in behalf of his party. For
eighteen years he was a member of the Clark County Republican Cen-
tral Committee, of which he has served as chairman and secretary. He
also has been at different times a memljer of the state, senatorial, con-
gressional and judiciary committees, and is an influential factor in both
local and state politics. He served as clerk of the judiciary committee
in the Kansas house of representatives during the session of 1895.
Fraternally he is a member nf the time-honored Jtlasonic order, and
numerous others.
On October 5, 1890, Mr. Stevenson and Miss Delia C. Curtis of Ash-
land, were united in marriage. Mrs. Stevenson was born August 25,
1864, at Bushnell, 111., a daughter of George W. Curtis, a pioneer farmer
of Clark county, Kansas, and a native of Kentucky. He is a veteran of
both the Mexican and Civil wars and now alternately resides with his
daughters, Mrs. Stevenson of Ashland, and Mrs. Pearson of Emporia,
Kans. Mrs. Stevenson came to Kansas with her parents in 1885. and for
several years prior to her marriage was a teacher in Clark county. She
is a member of the Baptist church. To Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson have
been born two children : Chester A., born at Topeka, Kans., October
10, 1891, is a student in a business school, at Wichita. Kans. ; Miss Xaida
Z., born at Ashland, August 20. 1893. is a teacher of kindergarten, at
present specializing in her work at the state normal school, Emporia,
Kans.
Henry W. Chapman, now serving his second term as county treasurer
lit L'cimanche cnunt}'. is widely and favorably known throughout tliat
section of the state. He was born June 27, 1872, on a farm in Macon
county, Missouri, and is a son of Harry and Lucy Ann (Brown) Chap-
man. The father was a native of Connecticut, born at Winstead in
1836, and when a young man was engaged in the manufacturing of
pocket cutlery for a number of years. In 1872 he came west with his
familv, locating at Macon county, Missouri, where he bought land and
was engaged in farming until 1884. He then came to Comanche county,
Kansas, and was one of the founders of Coldwater, being a member of
the original Coldwater Townsite Company. At one time he owned a
claim adjoining the townsite, for which he refused an offer of $75,000.
Shortly afterwards during a period of depression this .same property
was sold for taxes, but has become \-aluable property again. In 1889,
he took part in the original opening of and settlement of Oklahoma,
where he spent the latter i)art of his days. He died at llobart. ( )kla.,
BIOGUAIMIICAL
133
July 4. 19;)8. :ind liis wife passed away December 2, of the same year.
Tlicy were the parents of five children: Florence. L., born in i860,
unmarried, a teacher in the public schools of Indianapolis, Ind. ;
Charles, Immmi in 1862. resides at Trinidad. Colo.; Henry W.. the subject
of this re\ iew ; Katherine. born in 1874. now the wife of Irving H. Staf-
ford, (Jklahoma City. Okla., and .Mace, born in 1879. resides at llol)art,
Cjkla. Henry W. Chapman, while a young man, has had a broad expe-
rience and varied career. He received his education in the public schools
of Macon county, and Fort Scott. Kans. 1 le was a pioneer school teacher
of Comanche county, and for eleven years was engaged in educational
work in that cnunly. In i8<j3 he was at the opening of the Cherokee
strip, and ]>ro\ed up on a claim in Crant county, Oklahoma. In U)Oj
his health failed, and. on account of a paralytic stroke he has not been
active in business affairs since that time. He has taken a prominent
part in politics and is a consistent advocate of the policies and principles
of the Democratic party, and in 1912 was elected county treasurer of
Comanche county and his conduct of the affairs of that office was satis-
factory to the electors of Comanche county and he was re-elected to
succeed himself in 1914. Mr. Chai)man was married December 29,
1901, at Wichita, Kans., to Miss May, daughter of lliram ( ). and Anna
(Collett) Ilolderb)-, of Coldwater. The Holderby family are pioneer
settlers of Coldwater, where the father has been iirominem in the affairs
of Comanche county, serving one term as county treasurer. Mrs. Ciiap-
man was born in 1877. To Mr. and Mrs. Cha])man have been born three
children : i-'rancis, Floann and William Hull. Mr. Cha])man is a mem-
ber of the Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of Odd I'-ellows,
Modern Woodmen and has been a delegate to the head camp two ses-
sions, at Milwaukee and Toledo, and belongs to the Presbyterian church
and takes an active ])art in the work of the congregation.
Sheldon B. Hewett, M. D., a leading physician and surgeon of Girard,
Kans.. is a native son of Kansas. He was born in Crawford comity,
seven miles west of Cirard, January i, 1878, and is a son of James ^\.
and Jennie (Brown) Hewett. The father was a native of Pennsylvania,
born February 12, 1841, a son of Collins .A. and Martha (Moore)
Hewett. natives of New York and Pennsylvania, respectively. Collins
.\. Hewett was a I'.aplist minister, and came to Crawford county, Kansas,
in 1871. He assisted in building the first ISaptist church in Girard. and
preached there for a time. He was also active in his work as a minister
in other ])arts of Crawford county, preaching at Cherokee and Lightning
Creek churciies for a time. He died in i87(). and his wife departed tliis
life the following year. James M. Hewett left his native state when a
\oung man and went to Illinois, but returned to i'ennsyhania in a short
time. Later he removed to Macon. Mo., and shortly afterwards came
to Kansas and l)oiinhi a farm consisting of iC>o acres of railroad
134 BICGRAPHICAL
land, seven miles west of Girard. He added to this from time to time,
and at the time of his death owned 320 acres. He came to Crawford
county in 1870, which was an early day in the settlement of that section
of the state. Girard had hardly attained the rank of a country village,
but even then the village contained a cosmopolitan population, as the
institutions of the place consisted of a store, a church and a saloon, but
there appears to be no record of which received the largest patronage.
James AI. Hewett was married March 22, 1870, to Miss Jennie Brown, a
native of Dublin, Ireland. She was a daughter of Alexander and
Katherine M. Brown, both now deceased. Alexander Brown was a
prominent newspaper man in Dublin in early life. He immigrated to
America with his family, first locating in Saybrook. Mass., and from
there removed to Xorristown, Penn., and died shortly after locating at
that place. His wife died about the same time and thus their daughter,
Jennie, afterwards Mrs. Hewett, became an orphan at an early age.
She was reared to womanhood in Pennsylvania by a family named Whit-
ing. To James M. and Jennie ( Brown ) Hewett, were born five children,
four of whom grew to maturity, as follows: Collins A., Girard. Kans. ;
Katie, married John 'SI. Carlisle, Butte, Mont.; Jue, widow of Alfred Mal-
lette. Butte, Alont., and Sheldon B., the subject of this sketch. Dr.
Hewett spent his boyhood daj's on his father's farm in Crawford county
and attended the district schools and later attended the Girard High
School. He then entered the University Medical College. Kansas City,
and was graduated with the class of 1904 with a degree of Doctor of
Medicine. He immediately engaged in the practice of his profession at
Redfield. Kans., where he remained until 1908, when he removed to
Girard, wdiich has since been the scene of his professional activities.
In 1912 he founded the Girard Hospital, and in addition to his practice
conducted that institution until July, 1914, when he sold it to the Girard
Commercial Club. However, he still retains an interest in that in-
stitution and is president of the board of directors. Dr. Hewett has
been eminently successful in the practice of his profession, which has
been principally along the lines of general practice, although he has
specialized extensively in the treatment of liquor and morphine habits
and has met with unusual success in that field of professional endeavor.
Dr. Hewett was married August 14, 1907, to Miss Bessie Jobe, of
Uniontown, Kans. Dr. Hewett is a member of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows. Knights of Pythias, .\ncient Order of United Workmen.
Modern Woodman of .\merica, Kansas Fraternal Citizens, Fraternal
Union and the County, State and American Medical Associations. Polit-
ically he is a Democrat and is secretary of the local board of United
States Pension Examiners, and served as county physician of Crawford
county during the year of 191 1. He holds membership in the Metho-
dist Episcopal church.
BIOGRAPHICAL I35
William Henry Kimple, pioneer and \eteran of the Civil war, lias for
over thirty years been an active factor in the life of Comanche coiint>-.
He is a native of the Keystone state, and was born in Philadelphia,
October 3, 1844. His parents were William and Christiana (Miller)
Kimple, The father was born in New Jersey in 1813. of .Scotch parent-
age. They were farmers, and the father died in Philadelphia, Pa., in
1858, and the mother passed away in Xew Jersey in 1889. They were
the parents of three children, as follows : Lorenzo Dow, was a physi-
cian and served as an army surg;eon in a Pennsylvania res^inient diirins:;
the Civil war and died at Philadeljihia, in 1875 ; William Henry, the sub-
ject of this sketch, and Sylvester, who was a silk manufacturer in New
York city, died in 1877. William Henry Kimple received his education
in the ])ublic schools of I'ennsylvania. and in 1856 went to Iowa to live
with relatives in Wayne county, making- his home there until 1862, when,
at the age of eighteen years he enlisted as a private in Company M,
Third regiment. Iowa cavalry. He served three years in the Civil war
and particii)ated in many hard-fought and important engagements, and.
like many others, fortunately, escaped any serious wound. At the close
of the war, and after receiving an honorable discharge from the service
he returned to Wayne county, Iowa, and engaged in agricultural pur-
suits until 1878, when he sold his farm and removed to Alacon, Mo. He
then engaged in railroad construction work until 1884. when the future
possibilities of Comanche county were brought to his attention. He
came west and located at Coldwater, and engaged in the livery business.
Coldwater was then a new town and his was the first business of the
kind there. He also took up government land at the same time, and
for twenty-four years conducted a livery business at Coldwater. Ik-
took an active part in the development of the new county, .ind has
taken a keen interest in the business devclo])ment and welfare of the
community since locating there. Mr. Kimple has been twice mar-
ried. His first wife, to whom he was married December 25, 1867. was
Miss Miss Jennie Rogers, daughter of I'^lijah and Mary Rogers, of
Wayne county, Iowa. Three children were born to this imion, as fol-
lows: Estella, l)orn Deceml)er 20, 1868, married .\ll)crt Kyle. 'I'rivoli,
111.: Frank Albert, born X'ovcmber 18, 1870, married F.va L. Halliday,
and they ha\e three children, John W'.. P'rank .\. and denevieve Lyle,
and Warren, born .Se|)tember 20, 1873, died in i8Sq. Tlie wife and
mother of these children died February 20, 1878, and on November 19,
1879. Mr. Kim|)lc was married at Macon, Mo., to Miss Kate, daughter
of Charles M. and Cathc'rine Delia (I'niey) Mclntyre, the father a na-
tive of Massachusetts and the nvithci- of Ireland. The former died in
1880. at the age of fifty-three, and the latter passed away. Ma\- 7.
1914, at the age of seventy-nine. They were the parents of nine children.
as follows: William. John H., Kate, Mamie. Anii.i J.. Josejih 1'., Mar-
garet W., Charles M., and l-'rancis M. The l;itter is one of the editors
136 BIOGRAPHICAL
and owners of "The Talisman," a weekly newspaper ]niblished at Cold-
water. To William H. Kimple and Kate Mclntyre were born two
children, Jennie Winifred, born Angust 13, 1880, at Macon, Mo.,
graduated at Friends University, Wichita, in the class of 1903, where
she specialized in music. On October 11, 1905, she married Roy Clar-
ence Coles, a native of Kentucky, born April 24, 1880, and came to Cold-
w-ater, Kans.. with his parents in 1885. He is now engaged in the live-
stock business at Coldwater, Kans. Harry Sylvester, the second child,
was born November 18, 1882. in Macon county, Missouri, and is now en-
gaged in the livery business at Coldwater, Kans. He was married April
I, 1903, to Miss IMayme Powell, a native of Iowa, born May 30, 1882.
^Ir. Kimple is a Republican and has been a life-long supporter of the
policies and principles of that part\". and has held various city offices
at times. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Davis T. Mclntire, ex-sheriff of Comanche county, has been actively
identified with the development of Kansas for forty-five years. He was
born in Mercer county, Kentucky. January n, 1847, and comes from old
Kentucky stock. He is a son of John C. and Xancy Jane (Bottom) Mc-
lntire; the father was born on the same place that our subject was. He
was prominent in the public life of his county and for a number of years
was a member of the county court. During the Civil war he served in
the Eleventh Kentucky cavalry (Union), for three years, and made an
honorable military record. 1 Ic was wounded at the battle of Atlanta,
from the effect of which he never fully recovered. He was a prominent
^lason and a member of the Ilaptist church. He died at Rose Hill. Ky.,
in 1892, and his wife passed away in 1861. They were the parents of
seven children, as follows: Davis T.. the subject of this sketch; Dud-
ley A., burn in 1849, resides at Arkansas City, Kans.; Elizabeth, born
in 1851. now the wife of "Dock" De\'ine, Houston, Te.x. ; Xanc\- C. born
in 1853. the wife of W. V. Craves, retired farmer. Harrodsburg. Ky. ;
Perlina lillen, born in 1855. married Thomas Board, farmer, Perryvil'e,
Ky. ; John W.. died in 1904 at Rose Hill. Ky., and Katherine Belle,
died in 1861. Davis T. Mclntire spent his boyhood days on his father's
farm in Kentucky, and was reared midst the surroundings of those early
days, which offered very little opportunity for an education to the aver-
age bov. However, he was quick to grasp things, and learned easily, and
even under the conditions of the lime acquired a fairly goi>d education,
and during his entire life has ever been a close oliserver and a student
of men and events, and is one of the best posted men in Comanche
county. His first occupation after leaving the home farm was driving
stage in Missouri. He followed this about a year and in 1870, he, with
some associates, drove a herd of sheep west, as far as Ellsworth. Kans.,
which was then one broad, o])en range of wild and unsettled country.
Here he bought an ox-train outfit, and engaged in freighting across the
plains. He hauled the material for the first building that was erected
IIIOGRAI'HICAL
13;
at F.llinwood. lie was at Dodge City wlien the first house was erected
there. When he went to western Kansas, biiftalii were ])lentiful and
marauding bands of hostile Indians were not unusual. He came in
contact with Indians at times and hunted buffalo frequentl>, and, in
fact, made buffalo hunting his business for about two years and killed
hundreds of them for their hides. He then located ])crmaneutly at
Ellinwood, where he was engaged in the cattle business a few years, and
in 1877 came to Comanche county and established a cattle ranch on Mule
creek, where he has been successfully engaged in the cattle business and
has met with very good success. In 18S5. when Comanche countv was
organized, he was appointed a member of the first board of county com-
missioners, and two years later was elected sheriff of the county, serv-
ing for four years in that capacity. That was a time when a man who
held the office of sheriff in a frontier Kansas county was a sheriff in
fact as well as in naiue. He had conditions to meet that took courage
and endurance, and Siieriff ;\lclntire's lot was no exception. In 1902
he was elected to the legislature, and during that session was a mem-
ber of se\eral im])ortant committees and was influential in the legisla-
tion of that session. In 18S7 he was again elected sheriff of Comanche
county, serving two years; re-elected, serving two years; out four years;
re-elected twice; being elected four times and serving a total of eight
years. Mr. Mclntire has been a lifelong Democrat, and stands high in
the councils of his party in the state. He is a member of the Christian
church. On October 6. 1876, Davis T. Mclntire :md Miss .\ceniih C.
Bailey were united in marriage. She was ]>'<vn in Indiana, in 1861, a
daughter of Thomas and Kathcrine (I'lummer) Uailew both natives
of Indiana. To .Mr. and .Mrs. Mclntire have been born three children:
Frank M.. born at I^llinwood. Kans., in 1880, married .Mice l>aker, in
IQ02, and the\- have one child, .\udra. Frank M. is now a farmer and
stockman in Comanche county. The second child, Thomas j.. civil
engineer. Den\er, born in 1S88, married Margaret I'.ooler. in i';o8, and
Florence, the youngest, died in infancy.
L. B. Kackley, M. D., a |)rominent jihysician and surgeon of Parsons,
Kans., is a native of the liuckcye State. Dr. Kackley was born in
Noble county, Ohio, May 2, 1852. and is a son of Dr. j. j. and Margaret
(Keller) Kackley, natives of Ohio and of (Jerman <lescent. The Kackley
family first settled in America, at a place which later became known as
Kackley's Mills, near Capron Springs, Va. Dr. J. J. Kackley removed
to Iowa in 1855, and settled at Mt. .\yr, Ringgold county. He took up
a homestead in that section of Iowa, and practiced medicine at Mt.
Ayr about two years, when he removed to (nithrie county, Iowa, where
he was engaged in the jjractice of his profession twelve years. He then
went to lienton county, Arkansas, where he was also engaged in tiie
l^ractice of medicine about a year. In April, 1874, he came to Kansas,
locatinir at Chetopa, where he was successfully cngai^a-d in the i)racticc
138 BIOGRAPHICAL
of his profession until his retirement about six years ago. He and his
wife now reside at Chetopa, where they are enjoying the sunset of their
lives. He is eighty-nine years old and his wife is eighty-five. They
are both in the best of health and live alone and maintain their own
home, just as they did a half century ago. They are the parents of two
children: Dr. L. B. Kackley, whose name introduces this sketch, and
Capitola, now the wife of C. B. Carpenter, Bartlesville, Okla. Dr. L. B.
Kackley was educated in the public schools of Iowa, and at the age of
eighteen engaged in teaching, and followed that profession four years,
and in 1874 went to Arkansas with his parents, where he engaged in the
drug business. In 1875, when the family removed to Chetopa, Kans.,
he brought his stock of drugs with him, and opened a drug store at
Chetopa, and conducted a drug store there for three years. In the mean-
time he read medicine under the preceptorship of his father and prac-
ticed medicine under his father's supervision until 1880, when he entered
the Keokuk ^^ledical College. Keokuk, Iiiwa. and in 1881 returned to
Chetopa, and engaged in the practice of medicine with his father again,
remaining there until the fall of 1890. Dr. Kackley then entered the
University Medical College, Kansas City, Mo., \vhere he was graduated
March 17, 1891, with a degree of Doctor of Medicine. He then returned
to Chetopa and resumed the practice, where he. remained until 1900,
when he located at Parsons, where he has since been engaged in the
practice. \\'hile Dr. Kackley's practice is of a general nature, he gives
special attention to gynecology. Dr. Kackley was married December
24. 1876, to Miss Lillie F. Reamer of Stonyman, Va. To Dr. and Mrs.
Kackley have been born three children : Cleo, resides in South America ;
Vivian, a graduate of the Chetopa and Parsons High Schools, and for
a time was a student at the Kansas University, is now a teacher in the
Eastman Business College, Poughkeepsie, X. Y., and Walter J., consult-
ing engineer and superintendent of construction for the Everglade Land
Sales Company, Miami, Fla. He was educated in the public .'schools of
Chetopa and Parsons, graduating from the Parsons High School in the
class of 1904. and later entered the University of Kansas, Lawrence,
Kans., where he took the civil engineering course, and was graduated at
the head of his class in 1909. He has had an unusually successful
career in his chosen field of work, having held a number of responsible
positions in connection with various kinds of engineering and construc-
tion work. He accepted his present position in igii. He was married
November 7, 1914. to Miss Hilda Marie Baile, of Miami, Fla. Dr.
Kackley is a member of the County, State and American Medical Asso-
ciations, and has served as president of the County Association. He
is president of the Local Board of United States Pension Examiners.
He is a Knights Templar Mason. Dr. Kackley has met with a high
degree of success in his chosen profession and has a large practice. He
is a close student of the science of medicine and surger}-, and keeps
BIOGRAPHICAL I 39
well posted in the advance of this most important sphere of science,
which means so much to the welfare of the human race.
Thomas R. Jones, i)ostmaster, Girard. Kans., has figured conspicuously
in iJK- affairs of southeastern Kansas for nearly forty years. He is a
native of \^'alcs, horn March 24, 1858, and was brought to America by
his parents, Richard E. and Ellen (Griffith) Jones, when he was less
than a year old. The family located in the coal regions of Pennsylvania,
where the father was engaged as a miner, and later followed that voca-
tion in Ohio until 1875, when they removed to Illinois, and a year later
went to Missouri. In 1877 Thomas R. Jones came to Kansas and was
employed in sinking the first shaft in the coal fields of Crawford county.
He worked as a miner until 1885, when he became foreman fur the
Pittsburgh & Midway Coal Mining Company, continuing in that
capacity until 1903. In 1902 he was elected jjrobate judge of Crawford
county on the Republican ticket, and re-elected in 1904 and very cajiably
filled that office for two terms. He then engaged in the flour and feed
business at Girard, for a time, and on April i, 1908, was appointed
postmaster at Girard and in the management of that office has showed
the same capalilc business ability which had characterized his i)ri\'ate
and public career. The (iirard postoffice was a second class office
when he became postmaster, and on July, 1913, it became a first class
office. However, it was returned to its former classification as a second
class office a year later. Few towns, if any, in the United States, of
the size of Girard has ever reached as high a classification in the postal
department. Mr. Jones was married December 25, 1880, to Miss Eliza-
beth, daughter of James and Mary (Bishop) Tanyge, natives of Corn-
wall, luigland. Mrs. Jones was born in Maryland and came to Kansas
with lier parents in 1877. To Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been boni si.\
children: Harry, resides in Arizona; i'Uhei. married Dr. i'lank J.
McXaught, Girard, Kans.; Thomas, Jr., James R., .\rthur 1 ). and Grace.
Mr. Jones is a Republican and has been active in the affairs of his party,
both locally and in state i)olitics. He is a member of the Ancient Free
and Accepted Masons, Knights of Pythias, independent Order of Odd
Fellows and the Benevolent and I'rotective Order of I-'lks. The family
are members of the E])iscoiial church.
Richard Fairfax Mackey, county surveyor of Comanche county, has
been an active factor in the development of southern Kansas and
Oklahoma for over thirty years. Mr. Mackey was born in Cattaraugus
county. New York, January 20, 1867. and is a son of Oscar J. and .Avis
W. (brew) Mackey. The father comes from an old New York State
family, and was born October 17. 1841. in Cattaraugus counly. lie was
engaged in farming and operated a sawmill in his nali\e county until
1874, when he came to Kansas, locating on governmeiil land in Edwards
county. He was one of the organizers of that county, and was suc-
cessfully engaged in farming and stock raising there until 1902, when he
140 BIOGKAI'HICAL
removed to I'.entonville, Ark., where he is now living retired. He is a
veteran of the Ci\il war, having served as a private in Company ],
'rhirty-se\-enth regiment. New York A-olunteer infantry, and at tlie ex-
piration of about one year was discharged on account of disabilitx". He
is a Repubhcan, and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows. His wife, Avis W. Drew, was also a native of New York, born
in 1842. She was a daughter of Xoah Drew, also a native of the Empire
State. She died at Bentonville, Ark., November 20, 1907. To Oscar
J. and Avis W. JMackey were born six children, as follows: Isa, born
September 16, 1863, died September 20, 1912; Richard F., the subject of
this sketch ; Ada, born November 20. 1870, married A. J. Henninger,
farmer, \\'oodward county, Oklahoma; Emma, born ]\Iay 20, 1872, died
May 20, 1877; Gilbert E., born January 26, 1874. and Frank Odtll, burn
October 20, 1879. Richard F. Mackey was educated in the puljlic
schools of New York, and was graduated from the engineering depart-
ment of Chamberlain Institute, Randolph, N. Y., in the class of 1884.
The following year he came to Kansas and located in Kiowa county,
and for about two years was engaged as a ci\il engineer on the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific railroad. He then went to "No Man's Land"
and was a cowboy until 1891, when he received the appointment of clerk
of the United States District Court at Beaver, Okla., and held that office
three years. During that time he also published a newspaper there
known as the "Territorial Advocate," which was one of the pioneer
newspapers of Oklahoma. In 1893, when the Cherokee strip was opened
to settlement, he took a claim in \\'oodward county and engaged in
the cattle business, remaining there nine years. During this time he
also served two terms as deputy county surveyor of Woodward county,
and was postmaster at Cupid for., eight years. By the way, it might
be mentioned here, that he gave the town its name. In 1904 he re-
turned to Kansas, locating at Ashland, and served as county surveyor
of Clark county six years. In 1907 he compiled the published the first,
and t)nly atlas ever published of Clark county. It contains accurate
and complete maps of the thirty-five geographical townships, giving the
name of each landholder and showing the amount of his holdings. It
also shows school houses, highways, railroads, etc. In 1910 Mr. Mackey
moved to Protection, Kans., and was elected county surveyor of
Comanche county, and has held that office to the present time. He was
united in marriage, April 28, 1896, at Cupid, Okla., to Miss Pearl Irene,'
daughter of James M. and Jennie (Stadley) Valentine. Mrs. Mackey
was born in Morgan county, Illinois, l-'eln-uary 20, 1880, and came to
Kansas with her parents, who located at Madison, in 1S84. In 1885
they removed to Clark cciunty locating on governnicnl land, where the
father took an active part in the early organization and development of
the county and was successfully engaged in farming until 1903, when
he engaged in business at .\shland. He and his wife were both natives
BIOGRAPHICAL I4I
of Illinois. They were the parents of seven children, as follows: Pearl
Irene, the wife of Richard F. Mackey of this review; Cloyd John, horn
June 12, 1881 ; Grace lilton, born November 29, 1883; Ciuy Standley, born
October 19, 1885; Edna May, born October 9, 1887; Bertha Elmira, born
October 9, 1889, and Roy Edwards, born Septemlier 19, 1891. Mr. and
Mrs. Mackey have one child. Avis Isabella, born June 7, 1907. at Ash-
land, Kans. Mr. Mackey is a Thirty-second decree Scottish Rite Alason
and his wife is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. They are
well known throu,q;hout southwestern Kansas and prominent in the
community where they reside.
Charles M. Cole, a well known farmer and stockman of Cnldwatei".
Kans.. is a pioneer settler of Comanche county. He was born on a
farm in Moniteau county, Missouri, February 25, i860, and is a son of
Parmenas B. and Fannie (Schutlar) Cole, both natives of Missouri. The
father was born in Cooper county, Missouri, in 1840, and was a son of
Samuel Cole, who was a very early settler of Missouri and froin whom
Cole county, Missouri, got its name. Parmenas Cole is now a prominent
farmer and stockman near Medicine Lodfje, Kans. Charles M. Cole is
one of a family of eight children, as follows: Sallie, married Will haul-
ier in i8g6, and died in 1904; Samuel J., born in 1862, merchant, Sharon,
Kans.; Ilolbert, born in 1864, farmer in Cheyenne county, Oklahoma;
Fannie, born in 1866, married Ed. Goff in 1885, and resides at Medicine
Lodge, Kans.; P. P>risco, born in 1868, farmer, I'.arber county. Kansas,
Mamie, born in 1870, now the wife of J. M. iUisJieai;, Medicine Lodge.
Kans., and James Mtmroe, born in 1872, farmer, .\nderson count}-,
Kansas. Charles M. Cole received his education in the i)ul)lic schools
of Moniteau county, Missouri, and remained on the farm with his father
until 1881, when they came to Barber county, Kansas, and brought with
them 2,500 head of cattle. Barber county at that time was open range,
and sparsely settled. Here Charles M. and his father bought land and
esla1)lished a cattle ranch, and carried on an extensive c;>ttle business
until 1884, when Charles M. came to Comanche coimty and established
a cattle ranch of his own in the southern part of the coiuity. lie bouglit
land, engaged extensively in tlie cattle business and ])rospore<l and now
owns a splendid ranch of 3,500 acres, all fenced and well improved and
is one of the ideal stock ranches of southern Kansas. He makes a
specialty of Hereford cattle and blooded horses, and through his in-
dustry and ca]ial)le business management has become one of the
wealthy men of Comanche county. He now resides in Coldwater, where
he has one of the best modern residences in the county. Mr. Cole was
united in marriage December 25, 1878, in Moniteau county. Missouri,
to Miss Minnie Barbour, the marriage ceremony taking place in tiie
same house in which the groom was born. Mrs. Cole was a daughter
of W. H. and Jane (Compton) Barbour, residents of Moniteau county,
Missouri, where Mrs. Cole was born August 24, 1862. Her parents
142 BIOGR-XPHICAL
came to Missouri from Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Cole have two
children: Myrtle May, born January 2^. 1880, married George ^IcDon-
ald. Coldwater, Kans. ; Parmenas Marshall, born January 20. 1882, mar-
ried Alice Clutz. and they have four children, Mildred, Hallie, Herman
and James Lloyd. The Cole famih- are well known and highly respected
and have many friends in Comanche county. Mr. Cole is a Democrat,
but so far in life has had neitlier time nor inclination to aspire to hold
political office.
Joseph E. Harbaugh, county clerk of Comanche county, is a Kansas
pioneer. He was born in Washington county, Iowa, January 18. 1859,
and is a son of Eli and Catherine ( Engle ) Harbaugh. Eli Harbaugh
was a native of Ohio, born August 2^, 1825, and a pioneer of Iowa, as
well as of Kansas. He was a descendant of Maryland parents and in
early life worked at the cabinet makers' trade in Ohio. In 1849 '^^
went to Iowa and settled in Washington county, which was then in
the far \\'est. He remained there and followed farming until 1883,
when he came to Kansas, and in 1884 located in Comanche county and
was one of the first settlers in that section of the state. He located
on government land, remaining about two years when he removed to
Barber county and bought a ranch about eight miles south of ^ledicine
Lodge, where he was successfulh- engaged in farming until his death,
March 17. 1910. His wife. Catherine Engle, was a daughter of Nicholas
Engle. She was a native of Germany, and came to this country with
her parents, when four years of age. She died in 1865. Joseph E. Har-
baugh is one of a family of nine children, as follows : Henry Ford,
^^'ellington, Kans.; Rufus O. (deceased); Mary A., married U. S. Lan-
dis. Kiowa, Kans.; Joseph E., the subject of this review; Peter F., re-
sides in Scott county, Arkansas; Jacob B., county commissioner of Bar-
ber county, Kansas; Julia (deceased); \\'illiam Nicholas (deceased);
George A., miller and banker. Alva, Okla. Joseph E. Harbaugh was
reared to manhood in Washington county, Iowa, where he attended the
public schools, and in 1878 came to Kansas with his brother, Rufus,
and worked on a farm in Sumner county until 1884. He then went to
Comanche county and located on government land in \^alley township.
He bought additional land, from time to time, and is nmv an extensive
land owner in both Comanche and Harper counties, and in addition to
his farming operations he operated a general mercantile store at Cold-
water for some time. Mr. Harbaugh is a Democrat and has always
taken a keen interest in political and public affairs. In 1896 he was
elected county clerk of Comanche county, serving four years. He
served as county commissioner from 1901 to 1904, one year of which
he was chairman of the board. In 1907 he was elected sheriff, and in
1912 received the nomination for county clerk and was elected and in
1914 he was re-elected to that office, and is now serving in that capacity.
Throughout his long public career, Mr. Harbaugh has ever been faithful
BIOGRAPHICAL I43
to the trust imposed in liini and has always given the puljlic the best
service of which he was capaljle, and the number (if times tliat he has
been called to public office in Comanche ccnmty bears testimony of the
esteem in which he is held by his fellow citizens. lie is probably the
best known man in Comanche county. Mr. Ilarbaugh was married May
4, 1890, at Medicine Lodge, Kans., to Miss Belle Moore, a native of Chase
count}', Kansas, born October 20. 1868, of pioneer Kansas parents, who
were among the very first settlers of that section of the state. To Mr.
and Mrs. Harbaugh have been born eight children: Myrtle A., mar-
ried A. L. Becley. farmer, Comanche county ; Edward 1'.. married Mabel
T. Guyer, Comanche county; Fred R., deputy county clerk, Coldwatcr,
Kans.; Ada M., married II. j. .Settle, farmer. Lane county, Kansas;
Mayme I'aye, Ned \\ ., (iaile C. and Lillie M. The family are members
of the Christian church and well and favorably known in the community.
Mr. Ilarbaugh is a Thirty-second degree Mason, being a member of
Wichita Consistory.
Lessen Green Pike, a Kansan pioneer, now a progressive and pros-
])erous farmer and stockman of Clark county, is a native of North Caro-
lina, lie was born in Chatham county, that state, January 11, 1851. and
is a son of Jesse and Mary ( Hodgin ) I'ike, both natives of .Vorth Caro-
lina, and of English ancestry. The father died in 1898 and the mother
departed this life in 1904. Lessen Green Pike is one of a family of
eight children: Louise, deceased; Sarah, deceased; Lossen G., the sub-
ject of this sketch ; William M., Solomon, Nathan V.., a sketch of whom
appears elsewhere in this volume; .\manda and Jnhn. Lossen (J. Pike
removed from his native state to Ilamiltun cnunty, Indiana, in 1871.
and followed farming there until 1880. He then came to Kansas, locat-
ing in Butler county, where he bought an improved farm and remained
on it for five years. In 1885 he sold his Butler county property and
remo\ed to Clark county, w here he settled on government land in Lex-
ington township, lie still owns his original homestead, to which he has
added 500 acres of valuable farm land, where he is extensively engaged
in stock business and diversified farming. He is one nf the progressive
and up-to-date farmers and stockmen of Clark county. Mr. Pike is a
Republican and jirominent in the local councils of his ])arty, and takes
a keen interest in public affairs. He has served seven years as a mem-
ber of the board of county commissioners of Clark county. He was
united in marriage January 24, 1873, to Miss Martha, daughter of James
and Kisuh Slaley, a native of North Carolina, born July 26. 1852.
Four children were born to this union, as follows: Charles, born Decem-
ber 3, 1873; Lizzie, born December 22, 1874, died in infancy; William
Clarence, born August 26, 1878, died January 6. 1883. and Rose .Altha, born
January 4. 1882. a graduate of the .Xshland High School, married John
D. Denney, March 31, 1906. He is a son of David B. Denney, a sketch
of whom appears in this volume. To Mr. and Mrs. Denney have been
144 I!I(-r,R.\PHICAL
born one cliild. John Paul, liorn February to. 1908. Mrs. Pike died
January 16, 191 1. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church all her life, and was an exemplary Christian woman. Mr. Pike
is also a member of the IMethodist Episcopal church, and is a conscien-
tious worker in the cause of Christianity.
Russell S. Russ, vice-president and treasurer of The Graves l""arm
Loan Investment Company. Pittsburg. Kans.. was born near Hillsboro.
Ohio. February 9. 1864, and is a son of Dr. Matthew C. and Mary
E. ( Huftord I Russ. The father was a practisin;^- physician at Hillsboro.
Ohio, and died in the prime of manhood when Russell S. was a child
of three years of age. Russell S. Russ attended the district schools
and the Hillsboro High School. In 1882 he came to Kansas and taught
in district schools about seven years, and in the meantime continued
to improve his education by self-study. In 1889 he entered the Emporia
State Normal College, w'here he was graduated in the class of 1892.
After serving as superintendent of public schools at Madison. Kans..
and Osawatomie. he came to Pittsburg as superintendent of the
Pittsburg public schools in 1S97. AN'hile engaged as superintendent of
the city schools of Pittsburg he introduced the first industrial work in the
public schools of Kansas, and out of that developed the State Manual
Training Normal School, He was the founder of the State ^lanual
Training Normal School and was its first president. The administration
building of the institution. "Russ Hall," was named in honor of him.
He was active in the organization and development of that institution
until his resignation in 191 1, The State Manual Training Normal School
is the first institution of the kind in the United States, and its growth
has been phenomenal — over twent\-five hundred students being enrolled
this year. 1914, Students from all parts of the United States are in
attendance, and teachers have gone forth from this institution to all
parts of the country. As an educator and an organizer Mr. Russ has
few peers in the country. He left his imprint on practical education as
well as in the broader field of organized educational systems and in-
stitutions. In 1911 he became vice-president and treasurer of the
Graves Farm Loan Investment Company, and since that time has de-
voted himself to accomplishing things in the financial and commercial
world rather than unselfish devotion to the cause of education. While
engaged in educational work Mr. Russ was very active in teachers' in-
stitute work and delivered many lectures throughout the State on In-
dustrial Education, conducting many institutes. He is a pleasing and
forceable orator and his services on the platform arc in great demand
throughout the State in connection with educational conventions. For
a time he served as president of the Teachers" District A.ssociation. Mr.
Russ was united in marriage October 7, 1886, to Miss Lillian May
Denison. a native daughter of Kansas, She was educated in the public
schools and the state normal school at Emporia, and was a successful
BIOGRAPHICAL I45
teacher for seven years. .Mr. and Mrs. Russ have one child, Dr. C. M.
Russ, a well known dental surgeon of Pittsburg, Kans. He is a graduate
of the Pittsburg High School and \N'asliington University, St. Louis.
Mr. Russ takes an active interest in educational matters and is a pro-
found student of social and industrial progress. He is a inemlier
of the Pittsburg I,ibrary P.oard and has been superintendent of Sunday
school of the Presbyterian church, of which he and Mrs. Russ are
members. He is a member of the Pittsburg Masonic Lodge, No. 187,
Pittsburg Chapter, Xo. 59. R. A. M., Mt. Joie Commandry, No. 29, K. T.
of Pittsburg, of which he is past eminent commander. He also holds
membership in the Modern W'oodmen of America, the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks and the Pioneer Home Protective Society, of
\vhich he is a director.
David B. Denney, of Protection, has been a resident f)f the Sunllower
State for nearly thirty-five years and is one of the pioneers of Kansas.
He is a native of Indiana, born in Monroe county. May 15, 1847, and
is a son of Dawson and Rebecca (McNealey) Denney. The father was
a native of Kentucky, b(irn January 13, 1808, of North Carolina parents.
He went to Indiana in 1825, when the State of Indiana was less than
ten years old. Ho reinained in the wilderness of Indiana until 1855
when he went west and made a home on the plains of Iowa, settling
in Clark county on government land, and was one of the very first
settlers in that part of Iowa. He remained there until 1885, when he
came to Kansas and located in P~dwards county, where he spent the
remainder of his life. He died March 20, 1889, at the advanced age
of eighty-one. His wife, Reliecca McNealey, was a daughter of \\'illiam
and Susan McNealey. They were natives of Tennessee, where she was
born in 1814, and died October 26, i860. Dawson and Rebecca McNealey
Denney ware the ])arents of eleven children : William McNealey. liorn
in 1835, died in 1862; James, born in 1841, was a sergeant in Company
D, Thirty-ninth regiment, Iowa infantry, was taken ])risoner and died
in ]jrison ; the third born was a son, who died in infancy; David P>.,
subject of this sketch; Samuel Dawson, born in 1853; John T.., born in
1854; Susan Margaret (deceased); Sarah (deceased); Mary E. (de-
ceased); Rebecca E. (deceased), and Eliza E. (deceased). David B.
Denney was a lad of eight years when his ])arents went to Iowa, and
here he attended the pioneer schools of those days and grew In manhood
in the midst "i the jjrimitive surrounding of the new country; he was
still a mere boy when the Civil war came on, and in response to the
call for voltinteers he enlisted in Conijiany H. Xinth Iowa cavalry, and
served for two and ;i half years. He had an active military career and
saw a great deal of hard service, but escajied unwounded. However, his
horse was shot from under him on one occasion and he had several
narrow escaj^es common to the lot of a soldier in active service. .\t the
close of the war he returned to his Iowa home, where he fcillowod farming
146 BIOGRAPHICAL
until 1881 when he came to Kansas, locating in Sumner county, where
he remained until 1885 when he went to Comanche county and took up
government land seven miles north of Protection. He sold that place
in 1894 and bought land in Bluff creek valley. Clark county, where he
now has a splendid farm of 1.300 acres, all well improved and under
a high state of cultivation. He is one of the extensive alfalfa growers
of that section of the state, and is an all-around twentieth century farmer
and stock raiser. Mr. Denney was married September 11. 1874, to ^liss
Mary C, daughter of John and Catherine (Joy) Davenport. Mrs. Denney
was born in Iowa June 11. 1846; her parents Avere natives of Pennsyl-
vania and very early Ipwa settlers. To Mr. and Mrs. Denney have been
born ten children, as follows ; Ina, born April 9, 1876, died April 10, 1881 ;
Munford E.. born September 11, 1877; John Dawson, born October 26,
1879; the fourth, a son. died in infancy; INIary C. born October 9, 1883,
died July 11. 1884; Blanche L., born October i, 1884, now the wife of C.
C. Towner ; the seventh and eighth born were sons, who died in infancy ;
Sarah lola, born October 8. 1890, and William Garfield, born February
19, 1892. Mr. Denney is a Republican and one of the substantial citizens
of Clark cnunty. The family are members of the Christian church.
Charles E. Harden, a pioneer and prosperous farmer and stockman
of Clark county, is a native of Indiana, born in Clay county. August 26.
1863. He is a son of Nathan and Emeretta (Arnold) Harden. Nathan
Harden was born in Knox county, Ohio, of Pennsylvania parentage,
March i, 1831. He removed to Indiana in an early day and from there
to Iowa in 1869. In 1884 he came to Kansas and located on government
land in Bluff creek valley, Clark county, being one of the first settlers
of that section of Kansas. He was active and influential in Clark county
and in 1895 removed to Oklahoma, locating at Shawnee, where he died
the same year. He was a Republican and a member of the Christian
church. He was married three times, his first wife being Miss Emeretta
Arnold, to whom nine children were born, as follows : Mary Ella, de-
ceased; Jennie ^lay. deceased; Lusetta. deceased; Charles E., the sub-
ject of this sketch; Sue M.. married F. E. Lewis, farmer, Clark county;
Sarah Belle, married ^^'m. \'an Sittert, merchant, Cleveland. Ohio;
Henry L.. farmer, Comanche county, Kansas, and a daughter who died
in infancy. The wife and mother of these children died December 19,
1873. and two years later the father married Ella Hammond, who died
in 1877. no children being Ijorn to this union. In 1878 he married \'iola
J. McDonald and one child was born to this union. Nathan. Charles
E. Harden was a child of six years when his parents removed from
Indiana to Iowa. He attended school in the Hawkeye state and re-
mained on the farm of his father until 1884. when the family came to
Kansas, locating in Clark county. Young Harden located on govern-
ment land and began farming and stock raising for himself. For the
first few years he lived in a sod house and as a pioneer did his part
BIOGRAPHICAL 1 47
towards sulKhiing Ihe unhrnkcn plains of llic Soiuhwest, and is re-
warded by the ownership of 2,000 acres of some of the finest land in
Clark county. lie is one of the successful stockmen of that section.
He raises cattle, horses and blooded swine, and has been unusually
successful in this line of endeavor. Mr. Harden was united in marriage
February 11, 1890, at Coldwater, Kans., to Miss .\gnes, daughter of
William .\. and Margaret (Richardson) Gilchrist. Mrs. Harden is a
native of Pennsylvania, born in Mercer county, March 4, 1863, and was
a teacher for six years prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Harden
liave been born four children, as follows: Chester X., born November 23,
1890; Laura Ethel, born December 27, 1892; Clarence James, born Feb-
ruary 23, 1895. and Paul Robert, born March 14, 1897. Mr. Harden is
a member of tlie Modern Woodmen of America and is a Republican.
Porter Seacat, Ashland, Kans. — Over forty years have passed since
this pioneer farmer and stockman first set foot on the green rolling
prairies of the Sunflower State. He was born in Harrison county. In-
diana, June 10. 1858, and is a son of Peter and Catherine Ann (Himes)
Seacat. The father was also a native of Indiana, born in Harrison county,
l-"el)ruary 26, 1821, a son of Peter Seacat, a native of (lermany and an
Indiana pioneer. Catherine Ann Himes, the mother of our subject, was
a native of Pennsylvania, born April i, 1828. In 1872 Peter Seacat re-
moved to Kansas with his family and settled in Cowley county, where
he followed farming until his death, September 18, 1896. his wife having
passed away April 18, 1882. They were the parents of ten children,
Charles, born October 2^^, 1847, died February 22, 1883; Harden, born
August 31, 1849, died November 20, 1873; Penelo])e. 1)orn September 8.
1851. married John Devore. farmer. Winfield. Kans.; Decter, born Oc-
tober 12, 1853, married John Marks, farmer, Winfield, Kans.; Thornton,
born December i, 1855, died September 21, 1896; Porter, the sultject of
this sketch; Fountain, born July 27. i860; Cassius M., l)"rn July 29,
1862; P.lanche, born January 22, 1866, married W. J. Mosler, farmer,
Winfield, Kans., and I'lorcnce, born .August 7, 1868, now the widow of
M. M. N'andiver. Porter Seacat came to Kansas with his parents in
1872 ;iud s])cnt tJie first twelve years in this state in Cowley county.
In 1884 he came to Clark county and located on government land in
I'lutT creek valley, fourteen miles northeast of Ashland. This was the
year beffire Clark county was organized. Mr. Seacat took a prominent
part in the early day organization, and since coming to this section of
Kansas has been a ])rominent fact(}r in its developiueiit and welfare. He
has devoted himself to farming and stock raising and has succeeded to
a marked degree, and is one of the prosperous men of Clark county. He
has added to his original homestead and now owns over 3,000 acres of
.some of the finest land in the county, all well improved and adapted to
his purposes, Mr. Seacat was united in marriage at Winfield, Kans.,
July 5, i88(). lo Miss Kisiah, daughter of John and Cynthia ( LaswellJ
148 BIOGRAPHICAL
Bookwalter. She is a native of Indiana, born December 17, 1862. To
Mr. and Mrs. Seacat have been born four children, as follows: Gracia,
born in Clark county July 15, 1887, a graduate of the state normal
school at Emporia. Kans.. class of 1913; Robert, born April 28, 1889.
graduated from the Kansas Wesleyan Business College in the class of
1910; Fred, born October 10. 1890, and Dona, born January 29, 1895,
educated at the State Xormal School of Emporia. Kans. Mr. Seacat is
a Republican, but has never aspired to hold political office. He is well
known in his county, where he is highly respected and has the confidence
of his many friends and neighbors.
Henry F. Fox, a pioneer farmer and stockman of Clark county, is a
native of Xorth Carolina. He was born in Chatham county, that state,
March 4, 185 1, and is a son of William H. and Alvira (Dixon) Fox,
natives of Xorth Carolina. Henry F. Fox remained in his native state
until he was nineteen years of age. when, in 1870. the family removed
to Saline county, Illinois, and four 3-ears later to Putnam count}', Indiana,
where he remained until 1879, when he came to Kansas, locating in
Butler county and followed farming there until 1887. He then removed
to Clark county, and located on government land in Blutt creek valley.
^^'hen he settled in Clark county the country was new and he passed
through the many hardships and discouragements incident to the life of
the early pioneer on the plains of Kansas. He lived in a sod house
for a number of years, and finally success came to him after many trials
and disappointments, and he is now one of the substantial farmers and
stockmen of the count}'. ]Mr. Fox is a Republican, and has served as
justice of the peace for one year. He was united in marriage March
24, 1872. to Miss Lydia. daughter of Harrison and Mary (Johnson)
Crater, a native of Indiana, born in Morgan county, March 24. 1857. To
]\Ir. and Mrs. Fox have been born six children, as follows: William
Harrison, a sketch of whom follows this article ; Anna Jane, born in
1876; John .\lbert. born in 1878; Charles Gideon, born in 1880; Preston
Garfield, deceased, and a son. who died in infancy.
William Harrison Fox, a well known farmer and stockman of Lexing-
ton township, Clark county, is a native of Indiana. He was born on
a farm in Morgan county, January 17, 1874, and is a son of Henry F.
Fox. a sketch of whom precedes this article. AN'illiam Harrison Fox
came to Kansas with his parents, who settled in Butler county, when
he was five years old, and in 1887 they removed to Clark county. Young
Fox attended the public schools in Butler and Clark counties and later
^took a course in the Wichita Business College. He then taught school
in Clark county for six 3'ears, and in 1905 was elected county clerk of
Clark county, and re-elected to that office in 1907. He has invested
in land from time to time, and now owns a well improved farm of 560
acres in Bluff creek valley, where he is successfully engaged in farming
and stock raising. Mr. Fox was married April 12. 1905. to ]\Iiss Anna
BIOGRAPHICAL I49
Josephine, daughter of C. B. D. and Agnes (Snow) Austin. Mis. Fox
is a native of Indiana, born April 21, 1874, and was a teacher in Clark
county for four years prior to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Fox are
members of the Presbyterian church and are prominent in the com-
munity. Mr. Fox is a Repul)lican and active in the pcilitical affairs
of the county.
Nathan E. Pike, one of the first settlers of Clark county, who has been
identified with the development of that section of the state for over
thirty years, is a native of North Carolina. He was born in Chatham
county, February 14, 1S63, a son of Jesse and Mary (Hodgin) Pike, both
members of old North Carolina families, of English descent. The
father died April 11, 1898, and the mother, April 22, 1904. They were
the parents of eight children: Louise (deceased); Sarah (deceased);
I^ossen G.. a sketch of whom appears in this volume; William M.,
Solomon. Nathan E., the subject of this sketch, Amanda and John, In
1882, Nathan E. Pike removed from his North Carolina home to Indiana,
where he followed farming one year, and in 1883 came to Kansas and
for two years lived in Lyon. Marion and Butler counties. In 18S5 he
located on government land in Clark county and showed his good judg-
ment in the selection of a homestead in the fertile Buffalo creek valley,
where he has since been engaged in farming and stock raising. During
his first ten years in Clark county he met with many of the discouraging
features which invariably confronted the pioneers of the ])lains ; he lived
in a dugout and exi)erienced many inconveniences and privations, but
has been amply rewarded for his early day sacrifices, and now owns
one of the best farms in the county, and is one of the prosperous farmers
and stock raisers of that section. Mr. I 'ike was married ()ctober 4,
1885. in r.utler county, Kansas, to Miss Nancy Jane, daughter of Isaac
and Mary (Wood) Lamb. Mrs. Pike was born in Clay county. Illinois.
October 26, 1868. Her father was a native of Indiana and her mother of
Tennessee. They were the parents of eleven children: Martha Ann
(deceased) ; Nancy Jane, Alfred Grant, Charles A., Priscilla May, Hattie
W., Minnie, Bartlcy, Henry, George and Norah. To Mr. and Mrs.
Pike have been born nine children. Charles Harrison, born October 5,
1886; Ethel Flora, born June 21, 1888; Mary Alice, born October 11.
1889; Lydia Ella, born October 28, 1893; Rose Hattie, born March 5,
1895; Nina May. born March 25, 1897; Henry Clay, born December 12,
1900; Jennie Amanda, born April i, 1904, and Cecil Eugene, born De-
cember 9. I90f'). Mr. Pike is a Democrat, and one of the substantial
citizens of Clark county.
Elias Albert Wasser, the veteran editor of tJie Girard "Press." has
wielded the editor's i)en in the Sunflower State for nearly a half cen-
tury, and fifty-four years of his life has been spent in the newspaper
business. He is a native of the Keystone State, born in Schuylkill
countv. Pcnnsvlvania. Mav 12. 1848. His parents were Elias C. and
150 BIOGRAPHICAL
Catherine (Moser) W'asser, both natives of Penns3lvania, and of pioneer
Pennsylvania stock. The father died in his native state in the prime
of manhood, and the mother came west, making her home with the sub-
ject of this sketch until her death. The Wasser family consisted of four
children : Lucy R.. married Adam Krape, Lena, 111. ; Elias A., the sub-
ject of this review; Kate A. (deceased), and Philip H. Elias Albert
Wasser attended the public schools until thirteen years of age, and
then took a course in Penn Hall Academy, Penn Hall. Pa. He then
entered the office of the "Reporter,'' at Aaronsburg, Pa., and began the
printer's trade. This paper was published partly in English and partly
in German, andyoung \\'asser soon learned to set type as readily in one
language as in the other. He remained with that paper about three
years. He then went to Bellefonte, Pa., and worked as a journeyman
printer about two years, when he went to Oil City, Pa. This was at
the time of the great oil excitement in that section, and he worked at
his trade there until 1868, when he came to Kansas. He first located
at Crawfordsville, now an extinct town, and remained there but a few
months, when he went to Fort Scott and became a member of the
firm of Warner, Winter & ^^'asser, publishers of the Fort Scott "Press."
In 1869 he and Mr. Warner bought their partner's interest and moved
their equipment to Girard. This was just before the railroad was built
to that point, and here they founded the Girard "Press," of which Mr.
Wasser has since been editor. This was the first permanent newspaper
in Crawford county, however, there had been an issue or two of another
paper at Girard a few weeks before the "Press" was founded there.
Later Mr. A\'arner sold his interest to Mr. A. P. Riddle, who afterwards
became lieutenant governor of the state. This partnership existed for
a period of about twelve years, when Riddle sold his interest to D. C.
Flint, and eleven years later, the latter sold out to Mr. Wasser, who then
took his son, Albert M. \\'asser, into partnership, under the firm name
of Wasser & Son. This partnership continued until the death of the
son, April 30. 1912. and since that time his widow has been Mr. Wasser's
partner in the paper. The policy of the "Press" has been consistently
Republican since its founding, and Mr. Wasser has ever been an advo-
cate of the policies and princii^les of the grand old party. The entire
plant was destroyed by fire, April 14. 1871. However, the paper did not
miss an issue. Mr. Wasser is today the oldest newspaper editor in the
state of Kansas, and is still as active in the publication of his paper as
ever. His newspaper plant is well equipped, and he does a large job
printing business, as well as publishing the paper. He has perhaps the
best collection of newspaper files to be found in" any newspaper office
in the state. He has on file, and well bound, copies of every newspaper
published in Crawford county, ^^'hen the "Press'' office was destroyed
by fire, his newspaper files were in the bindery and thus escaped the
fate of the |>lant. ^Ir. Wasser was appointed postmaster of Girard by
BIOGRAPHICAL 15!
President Arthur, and served eight years under tliat ai)pointment and
was reaijpointed after a lai)se of four years, by President McKinley and
served until 1902. Mr. Wasser was united in marriage March 15, 1874,
to Miss Mary Olive Poole, and to this union were born four children :
Albert M.. who was his father's partner in business, and died April 30,
iyi2; Ida May, general deliver}- clerk in the Girard postoffice ; Claude P.,
who was killed February 24, 1913, at the age oi thirty-four, while per-
forming his duty as a member of the fire dejjartment of Oklahoma City,
Okla.. and Louise, who resides at home. Mr. Wasser is a member of
the Independent Order of Odd P'ellows and belongs to the Lutheran
church. During his career he has been a staunch supporter of the
policy of prohibition and women's suffrage, and has lived to see many
of the measul'es which he has supported with his time, talent and
mone\-. brought to a practical and successful realization.
John J. Dorsey, a substantial farmer and stockman of Clark county,
is a Kenluckian. lie was born on a farm in Larue coimty, March 20,
1848. The birthplace of Alu-aham Lincoln is only eighteen miles from
where Mr. Dorsey was born. John J. Dorsey is a .son of .Anderson J.
and Polly ( I lerrington ) Dorsey, the former a native of Washington
county. Kentucky, born March if), 181 1, of Virginia parents. He was a
])lanter all his life and owned slaves before the war. Tie died at his
Kentucky home in 1895. His wife, Polly Herrington. was a daughter
of David and Sarah Cioodman Herrington. .She was born in Harden
county. Kentucky. May 20, 1822, and died February 23, 1909. To .An-
derson J. and Polly ( i lerrington) Dorsey were born nine children: John
J., the sul)ject of this sketcli ; Charles, born Scptcm1)cr 20. 1849; Jnella,
married C. C. l-ieesor ; Mary Thomas, married Charles Dougherty; James
.\.; W'ildora. married Lloyd Bland, farmer, Sumner county, Kansas;
Julia .\.. now the widow of Jacob IViguc ; Walter W., and Magnolia,
married William Patterson. John J. Dorsey was reared to manhood i?i
his native State and educated in the ])ul)lic schools. In 1884 he came
to Kansas, driving the entire distance from Kentucky with a team and
wagon. He remained in Sumner and Kingman counties about three
years and in 1887 located on government land in Clark county, about
fi\c miles north of .\shland. In i(jo6 he bought a farm one and one-half
miles north of .Sitka, where he has since been successfully engaged in
farming and stock raising. He has a well improved farm and is one of
the i)rosperous agriculturists of the county. Mr. Dorsey is a Democrat,
and since coming to Clark county has figured conspicuously in the local
councils of his i)arty. In 1895 he was elected register of deeds of
Clark county and re-elected to succeed himself in 1897, and cajiably
held that ofiice for four years. On .August 14. 1870. Mr. Dorsey was
united in marriage to Miss Lucy, daughler of (labriel ,ind l'"lizabeth
Duvall. Mrs. Dorsey was born in llardin county, Kentucky, December
I, 1852, and they have live children, as follows: Robert .\., a sketch of
152 BIOGRAPHICAL
whom follows this article; Gabriel Duvall, born February 22, 1874;
Aldora. born January 21. 1876; Thomas Martin, born August 25. 1878,
and Ama Ilynds, born ^March 11, 1881. Mr. Dorsey is a member of the
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and is a Presbyterian.
J. T. Leonard, president of the First National Bank, Girard, Kans., is
a prominent factor in the financial affairs of southeastern Kansas. Al-
though apparently a young man, in the prime of life, Mr. Leonard has
been identified in a commercial and financial way with Crawford county
for over forty-two years. He was born at Beardstown, Cass county,
Illinois, January 12. 1854, and is a son of E. B. and Mary R. (Miller)
Leonard, the former a native of Illinois and of pioneer Illinois parents,
who came from Bergen. X. J., and located in Illinois at an early day. in
the settlement of that state. I\Iary R. Miller, the mother, was a native
of Covington, Ky., and a descendant of old \'irginia stock. E. B. Leon-
ard was a successful business man and interested in various enterprises
during his career, in which he was uniformly successful. He removed
to Joplin, Mo., in 1876, and was successfully engaged in business there
during the remainder of his life ; his wife is also now deceased. The
Leonard family consisted of seven children, six of whom are now li\ing,
as follows: Anna, now the wife of H. P. Grund, a pioneer merchant of
Girard; J. M.. resides at Joplin; J. T., whose name introduces this
sketch ; Maria, now the wife of C. M. Spring, wholesale druggist, Joplin,
Mo. ; Lizzie, married Edward Porter, Joplin, ^lo.. and is now de-
ceased ; Arthur E.. resides at Kansas City, Mo., and Susie C, the wife of
Arthur H. W'aite, president of the Joplin Xational Bank, Joplin, Mo.
J. T. Leonard received his education in the public schools of Illinois, and
at the age of fifteen became a member of an engineer corps, as chain
man and was engaged in railroad survey work in various parts of Illiiniis
and Indiana. He was promoted to rodman and remained in this work
for two years. He resigned while his party was engaged in work at
Fort Wayne, Ind., and returned to Beardstown and engaged in work
in a merchant tailoring store, in which his father had purchased an in-
terest. In 1872 he received the appointment to the Annapolis Xaval
Academy, but was a few months past the maximum age, and was unable
to enter that institution, and in the fall of that year came to Kansas,
locating at Girard, and entered the employ of H. P. Grund, a merchant
of that place, who had been a former clerk of young Leonard's father
back in Illinois. In 1877 young Leonard became a partner in business
with Mr. Grund. .\ugust 2. 1877, when the Merchants & Farmers Bank
of Girard was organized. Mr. Leonard became cashier of that insti-
tution. However, he retained his interest in the mercantile business
with Mr-. Grund until 1878, when he engaged in the mercantile business
in partnership with George Kincaid, under the firm name of Kincaid &
BIOGRAPHICAL 1 53
Leonard. This business arrangement continued until October 6, i8Si,
when he purcliased Mr. Kincaid's interest in the business and conducted
the business in his own name for ten days, when a fire started in an ad-
joining building and destroyed his stock, causing almost a total loss,
which was only partially covered by insurance. February 9. 1882. when
the Citizens' liank was organized, Mr. Leonard became cashier of that
institution. This bank grew out of the reorganization of thi; banking
house of James H. Booth. On May 8. 1884, the Citizens' Bank was re-
organized and became the First National Bank of Girard. and is today
one of liie substantia! national banks of the state. It was organized with
a paid-up capital stock of $50,000 under national bank charter No. 3216,
and Mr. Leonard continued as cashier of this institution imtil January
I, 1913. when he became president to succeed J. E. Raymond. Since his
connection with the First National Bank Mr. Leonard has been a
dominant factor in directing the policy of that institution and the sub-
stantial growth and development of the bank is the best evidence of its
capable and conservative management. The bank has a surplus of
$40,000. and the report to the comptroller of the currency, December 31,
1914, showed deposits of $418,664.00. Mr. Leonard has vast and varied
interests in addition to his banking interests. He has invested exten-
sively in oil lands and in the zinc mining district, and his investments
have proven very profitable. He was united in marriage Sei)tember
II, 1878, at Whitby, Ontario, to Miss Anna M. Carpenter, of that place.
The\- have two children: Howard, of the Leonard-Cole Lumber Co.,
Ciirard. lie is a graduate of Kansas University, and married Cora
Moore, of Holton, Kans., and .Vlice married R. G. Thorn, secretary of
the Hanlon-Shelp Mercantile Co., Newton, Kans. Mr. Leonard is a
Democrat and all these years in Kansas has taken a keen interest in the
welfare of his party, and has frequently served as a member of the
I)emocratic county and state committees and has served as a member
of the council of Girard for a number of years. He is a Tliirty-second
degree Knights Templar Mason, and a mcmlK'r of the Shrine. The
family arc members of the Episcojjal church.
Robert A. Dorsey, a prosjierous farmer and stockman of Clark county,
is a nati\e of Kentucky, ])ut has s])enl the greater i)art of his life in
the Sunflower State. He was born in Larue co\uity, Kentucky, April i,
1872, and came to Kansas w hen twelve years old w ith his i)arents. He is
a son of John J. and Lucy .\. ( Duvall) Dorsey; ;i sketch of John J.
Dorsey precedes this article. Robert .A. Dorsey attended the public
schools of Kentucky and Kansas and obtained a good education, and for
five years was engaged in teaching in Clark county. He later engaged
in farming and stock raising in Lexington township, Clark county, where
he now has a well improved farm and ranks among the progressive
farmers and stockmen of that section. Mr. Dorsey was united in
marriage at .Ashland. Kans., November 20, 1893, to Miss Laura, daughter
154 BIOGRAPHICAL
of Henry R. and Belle (Metcalf) ^lorrison. IMrs. Dorsey is a native
of Indiana, born July 5, 1873. To Mr. and Mrs. Dorsey have been born
six children, as follows: Lillian E.. born September 20, 1894; Henry L..
born September 20. 1895; John F.. born September 20. 1896; Sybil
Gladys, born September 20, 1901 ; Sidney Bryan, born September 20,
1907. and Lula Belle. Mr. Dorsey is a Democrat, a member of the
^lasonic lodge and the family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church.
Marble Lane Baxter, Protection. Kans.. is a pioneer and early-day
schcKil teacher ni Comanche county, where he has made his home for
over thirty years. Mr. Baxter was born in Sharpsville. Ind.. November
7, 1862. He is a son of Dr. Josiah K. and Ellen (\\'alker) Baxter. Dr.
Josiah K. Baxter is also a native of the Hoosier State, born October 19.
1830. His parents were both natives of Ohio and settled in Indiana at
a very early date. Dr. Baxter is a graduate of the Louisville Medical
College, Louisville. Ky.. and DePauw Universitj . He began the practice
of medicine at Sharpsville in 1842 and during the Civil war was surgeon
in the One Hundred and Fortieth regiment. Indiana infantry. .\t the
close of the war he returned to Sharpsville and resumed the practice
of his profession, and is now living retired there at the ripe old age
of eighty-four years, and spending the sunset of his life in peace and
comfort at the close of an active and successful professional career.
Dr. Baxter was one of a family of ten boys and one girl ; all of the
boys served in the union army during the Civil war. and their names,
in the order of birth, are as follows: James (deceased) ; Dr. Josiah K. :
Daniel; O. H. P. (deceased); William (deceased); Haden; Hiram;
George ; Edward ; Alonzo. and one sister, Vanna, now the widow of
Robert Williams, ^Madison, Ind. Dr. Baxter's wife. Ellenor Walker,
was also a native of Indiana, born at \"ernon March 20. 1829, she died
at Sharpsville ^larch 20, 1912. She was a lifelong member of the
Methodist Episco]>al church and lived an exemplary Christian life. Dr.
Josiah K. and Ellenor (Walker) Baxter were the parents of nine children:
Ida. born in i8(X). now the widow of J. F. Lindsey, who died in 1910
leaving four children : Louis. Blanche, Madge and Lowie ; Marble L..
whose name introduces this sketch ; William Wallace, born December
18, 1863, retired. Protection, Kans.; Elva Walker, born in i8(56. married
L. S. Ulrich. Sharpsville, Ind., and they have one child, Mary; Fannie,
born in 1868 and died at Kokomo, Ind., in 1908; Jennie Cleo. born in 1870.
married James Thompson. .Shar])sville. Ind.. and they have one child.
Melvin,; Josiah K., born in 1872 and died at the age of sixteen, and two
children who died in infancy. Marble L. Baxter was reared on the
home farm in Indiana and received his education in the public schools
of that state. In 1885 he came to Kansas and located in Comanche
county. He took up government land in Protection township, about
three and one-half miles southwest of where the town of Protection is
now located. He taught district schools in connection with his farm-
BIOGRAPHICAL 155
ing during the first six j-ears of life in the new country. For the first
three years on the plains lie lived in a sikI house and accustomed liim-
self to the many inconveniences and hardships incident to the life of
those who formed the vanguard of the builders of any new country.
He still owns his original homestead, to which he has added a large
acreage, and now ranks as one of the successful farmers of Comanche
county. Mr. Baxter is a Re])ublican. and has taken an active part in
the political life of his township and county. He has held various town-
shij) offices and was a member of the board of county commissioners
of Comanche county for seven years, three years of which he was
chairman. He is prominent in the councils of the Republican party
and has been a delegate to count}- and state conventions a number of
times. Mr. Ha-xtcr retired from active participation in business in
1910. He has been a student all his life and is one of the best posted
men in the community. He was married at Oakford, Ind., December 21.
1883, to Miss Lillie Alay, daughter of Samuel A. and Matilda L. (Thomas)
Lowry. Mrs. I'axter was born at Oakford, Tnd., May 12. 1869. To
Mr. and Mrs. Daxter have been born six children : Xellie F.llen, born
.Ajiril 8, 1885, married Theron A. Myers, May i, 1904. and they have
one child. Lane M., born May 8, 1906; Fred L., born April 3, 1887.
married (Jertrude l]ootii l'"ebruary 8, 1907, and they have three children.
Booth. Boyd and Elenora ; Pearl Cleo, born March 17, 1893, married
John Beddinger May 7, 1910, and they have three children. Geneva and
Jenevia (twins), and John, Jr.; Louis Francis, born March 8, iS(X>, and
Earl McKinley, born Se])tember 20, 1897. Mr. liaxter is widely known
throughout southern Kansas and is one of the highlv rcsjiected and
substantial men of Comanche county. The family arc members of the
Methodist Episcopal chinxh.
Isaac Kirby Rodgers, a Kansas pioneer who is now a prominent factor
in the business affairs of Protection, Kans., is a native of the Buckeye
State. He was born in Washington count}-, Ohio, December 8, 1855,
and is a son of Lewis and Mary Ann (Teeples) Rodgers. Lewis Rodgers
was a nati\e of Pennsylvania and removed to Ohio at an earl}- age;
he was a wheelwright in early life but later followed farn-iing. He died
in Ohio in 1888. His wife, Mary Ann Teeples, was a daughter of John
and Mary (Kirby) Teeples, natives of Xew Jersey and of Quaker
stock. Isaac Kirby Rodgers was one of a family of thirteen children,
as follows: Louisa (deceased); Rebecca; Mary I-'llen (deceased); .\lvin
Tcnn}son ; Joshua Wood; TlK)mas ; i^lwood; Isaac Kirby; Lyda F. ;
John W. (deceased) ; Eva (deceased) ; Fremont Jeffer.son (deceased),
and Joseph (deceased). Mr. Rodgers, whose name introduces this re-
view, s])ent his boyhood days on his father's farm in Washington count\',
Ohio, and attended the jiublic schools, hi 1874. when nineteen vears
of age he came to Kansas and located in (ieary county. For the first
few years he li\-e(l in a dugout and broke i)rairie with ox teams. He
156 BI0GR.\PH1CAL
was one of tlie very early settlers of Geary county, where he remained
until 1890. when he removed to Comanche county and bought a 3.000
acre ranch, where he has since been successfully engaged in the slock
business and is one of the prosperous farmers and stockmen of that
section. He also has a general store at Protection and does an ex-
tensive merchantile business. On September 30, 1900, Mr. Rodgers
was united in marriage to Miss Laura M.. daughter of Chauncey Cook,
of Illinois. Mr. Rodgers is a Republican and takes a prominent part
in any movement for the betterment of his town and county.
Arthur A. Carpenter, cashier of the Farmers' State Bank of Protec-
tion. Kans.. is a prominent factor in the financial affairs of southern
Kansas. He is a native of the Sunflower State, born in Marshall county
November 21. 1878, of pioneer parents. He is a son of Hugh A. and
Martha J. (Inman) Carpenter. The father was born in Fremont county
.August 26. 1858. a son of an Iowa pioneer, George W. Carpenter, who
was one of the very earh- settlers of Fremont county. Hugh A. Car-
penter's mother died when he was six years of age, and at the early
age of fourteen he was thrown on his own resources and compelled
to make his own way in the world. He came to Kansas in 1875 and
for a few years worked as a farm laborer in Marshall county. He
bought land at an early day and has accumulated considerable property,
now being one of the substantial citizens of Marshall county. He was
married January 20. 1878, to Miss Martha Jane, daughter of Jacob and
Alatilda ( Stinson ) Inman. She was born in Missouri Xovember 14.
1862, and was brought to Kansas by her parents, who settled in Marshall
county when she was an infant. Her father was one of the prosperous
and influential farmers of that section of the State. He died in 1885
and was followed by his wife in 1890. They were devout members of
the Christian church and noted for their Christian spirit. To Hugh A.
and Martha J. (Inman) Carpenter w^ere born ten children, four of whom
died in infancy. The others are as follows : Arthur A., the subject of this
sketch : Retta \\'., born September 8. 1880. married Howard B. Heilig,
cashier of the Rozel State Bank. Rozel. Kans. ; May Vance, born July
10, 1888, married Albert J. Koelling. farmer. Harper county, and they
have one child, Verla ; George Gaylord, born October 12, 1890, farmer,
Marshall county, married Zela Fairchild and they have one child. Hugh,
born December 4. 1908; A'elma Grace, born June 24, 1892. married Albert
Hunt, farmer, Marshall count}-, and John Dewe)-, born January 29,
1899. Arthur A. Carpenter was educated in the public schools and
Marysville College, where he graduated in the class of 1899, and for
ten years followed the profession of teaching, two years of which time
he was superintendent of the public schools at Bigelow, Kans.. and
for four years held a similar position in the Bluff City schools. In 1908
he began his financial career by accepting the cashiership of the Blufi^
City State Bank and held that position four years. Through his capable
BIOGRAPHICAL 157
manaiiement of the affairs of that institution the vahie of its stock in-
creased over thirty per cent., in addition to paying the usual dividends.
In 1912 he bought a controlling interest in the Farmers" State Bank
of Protection, becoming cashier of that bank, lie is the leading spirit
in directing the affairs of that institution, which has also had a rapid
growth and development under his administration. During the two years
that he has been connected with that bank the deposits have increased
from $30,000 to over $100,000. The undivided profits amount to over
$10,000, and it is one of the substantial banks of Comanche county
and does a general banking business. Mr. Carpenter was married June
13, 1909, to Miss Maud Leona, daughter of Peter \V. and Sarah (Buis-
land) Mesmer, of Marshall county, where she was born November 8,
1878. Mrs. Carpenter is a graduate of Marysville College and taught
school nine years in Marshall, Smith and Sedgwick counties before her
marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter hold membership in the Christian
church and he is a member of the Masonic lodge.
William E. Snyder, manager of the Home Lumber & Supply Com-
pany. I'nileclion, Kans., and present mayor of that thriving town, is
one of the progressive business men of southern Kansas. Mr. Snyder
was born in Piatt county, Illinois, March 29, 1869, and is a son of Mark
V. and Hannah Mary (Winn) Snyder. The father is a native of Ohio,
born January 24. 1840. of \'irginia jjarcnts. Mark \'. Snyder is a i)ioneor
of southern Kansas. He came tt) this state in 1873 and located on
government land in Xeosho county, and took an active part in the
early development of that section of the State. He followed farming
until 1880, and was one of the pioneer promoters and early developers
of the oil interests of southern Kansas. In 1880 he engaged in the grain
business at Erie, Kans., and successfully followed that business for
a number of years. He still resides at Erie, having retired a few years
ago. His wife, Hannah Mary Winn, was a native of Ohio, btjrn in
March, 1845, of Virginia parentage. To Mark V. and Hannah Mary
(Winn) Snyder were born six children, as follows: William E., the
subject of this sketch; Charles R., born April 21, 1871, was a locomotive
engineer and was killed in an accident in Texas, April 16, 191 1, leaving
a wife and one child; Ida May, born February 20, 1873, died at the age
of two years; Oscar E., born September Ci, T876, married Stella Ouacke'n-
l)ush and now resides at Erie, Kans.; Henrietta, born March K). 1880,
married Shirley \\'right, a farmer in Xeosho county, and Mark, born
September 20. 1885, resides with his parents at Erie, Kans. William E.
Snyder came to Kansas with his parents when four years of age, in 1873 ;
he received his education in the public schools of Erie, Kans., graduating
from the high school at that place in the class of 1888. He worked in
his father's office at Erie until he was twenty-one years of age, when
he entered the emjiloy of an agricidtural implement company of Kansas
City, Mo., as traveling salesman and was engaged in that business until
158 Bior.RArnicAL
1905 when he accepted a position as manager for a lumber company at
Marquette, Kans. In 1910 he came to Protection. Kans.. as manager
for the Home Lumber & Supply Company, one of the large lumber
cnmi)anies of southern Kansas and Oklahoma, having a chain of fifteen
lumber yards in the two states. Mr. Snyder is a keen, capable business
man. and by his straightforward methods has won the confidence of the
commercial world. Since coming to Protection he has taken a promi-
nent part in public aft'airs and has been one of the most enthusiastic
boosters of his adopted city. In 1912 he was elected mayor of Protection,
and during his administration of public affairs in that office much
progress has been made by that municipality. He is a strong advocate
of public ownership of public utilities, and was one of the chief promoters
of the plan whereby the town of Protection has become the owner of
its own electric light plant and water works. Mr. Snyder was united
in marriage November 26, 1896, to Miss Aliram A., daughter of Edwin
B. and ]\Iary X. (Harland) Roll, pioneers of Kansas. They settled in
Bourbon count}- in 1868 and Mrs. Snyder was born at Hiattvillc, Kans..
March 21, 1874. To Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have been born five children,
as follows: Robert Roll, born February 7. 1900; Alton Paul, born
October 5. 1902; Edwin, born January 12, 1908; Pearl, born December
24, 1910. and Mary, born Octol^er 3. 1912. Mr. Snyder is a member of
the Masonic lodge and he and his wife huld membership in the Christian
churcli.
Claude Rowland, the po]ndar and efficient postmaster of Protection,
Kans., is a native of England, born in the city of London. February 21.
1884, of English parents. He is a son of Sidney and Carrie (Keene)
Rowland. The father was a native of London, born March 16, i860, and
the youngest of a family of twelve children, seven sons and four daugh-
ters; three of the sons served in the British navy and are now deceased,
two having died in the service. .Sidney Rowland immigrated from the
mother country to America in 1888, locating at Mulvane, Kans., wTiere
he has since been engaged in the hotel business. His wife, Carrie
Keene, was born in Exeter, England, May 28, 1865, a daughter of
Thomas and Mary (James) Keene. To Sidney and Carrie Keene Row-
land were burn ten children, as follows: Claude, the subject of this
sketch ; I'"rank Edward, born May 22, 1886, a graduate of the Mulvane
High School class of 1904 and Kansas University, class 191 1, drug in-
spector for the State of Kansas, married Estella Adams, and resides
at Topeka ; Victor, born in 1888, died in infancy; Cecil, born in 1890,
died in infancy; Roy, born in 1892, died in infancy; Ethel, born February
12. 1888; Violet, born May 14, 1900; Gladys, born .April Ti. i8()4; Rose,
born May 28, 1896, now assistant ])ostmaster. Protection, Kans., and
Cliffie. born February 24. 1902. Claude Rowland was educated in the
public schools of Mulvane. Kans.. and has spent most of his life in the
mercantile business. He went to work in a store in Mulvane at the
BIOGRAPHICAL I59
age of seventeen, in 1904 he Ijecame commissary clerk for. a construc-
tion company, and for three years held that position. In 1907, he re-
moved to Protection, Kans.. and was salesman in a mercantile establish-
ment tiiere for six years, and on July i. 1913. he was appointed postmas-
ter of Protection by President Wilson, and has since capably filled that
responsible position. Mr. Rowland was married at Coldwater, Sep-
tember 5. 1908, to Miss Mattie. daughter of B. B. and Maggie (Bush)
Daugherty. of Cherokee, Okla. Mrs. Rowland was born at Sharon,
Kans.. and educated in the public schools and St. Rose Academy, Dan-
ville. Kans., graduating in the class of 1906. To Mr. and Mrs. Row-
land have been born four children, as follows: /Vrline. born August
17, 1909; Doris, born October 25. 191 1 ; Dornea, born September i, 1912,
and Caroline Keene, born September 14, 1914. Mr. Rowland has
taken a prominent part in public affairs since coming to Protection, and
in 1909 was elected police judge, serving one term. He is a member of
the Masonic lodge.
Robert Harvey Pine, a j^rominent Kansas pioneer, died at his home
at Protection. Kans., August 12, 1914. He was born in Westmoreland
county. Virginia. December 29, 1834, near the birthplace of Gen. Robert
E. Lee. His father. Robert Harvey Pine, was the youngest son of an
English nobleman. Robert Harvey Pine, whose name introduces this
sketch, attended the ])ublic schools of \'irginia until he was si.xteen years
old, when he removed to Wisconsin with his parents, and about ten
years later, Robert H. and his brother, Anderson, went to Iowa, locat-
ing in Page county. He was engaged in farming there until the out-
break of the Civil war, when he enlisted in Company G, Thirty-second
regiment, Wisconsin infantry. He enlisted as a private and during the
l)erio(l of his serxice was promoted to sergeant. He took part in many
important campaigns, among which was the seige at Vicksburg. He
was seriously wounded at the battle of Tupelo, Miss., from the effect
of which he never fully recovered. .After having been discharged from
the army he returned to his Towa home, where he was engaged in farm-
ing for a few years. In 1884 he came to Kansas and bought land in
Pawnee county, and was engaged in farming there and in l-ldwards
county until 1904. when he came to Comanche cotuity and bought a
(>oo-acre ranch in lUuff creek valley, where he was successfully engaged
in farming and stock raising until the time of his death. He was a life-
long Republican and was elected to local offices on numerous occasions.
He was a prominent member of the Masonic lodge, and held member-
ship in the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Pine- was twice married,
his first wife being Elmira Turk, who died in 18S4, leaving one child,
Morton Harvey, who died in 1903. ( )n .\pril 3. 1913, Mr. Pine was
united in marriage to Miss Beulah Estella, daughter of Samuel M. and
Jessie I.. (Price) Everette. Samuel M. Everette was a native of Jack-
son county, Arkansas, Ixirn .August 16, 1846. He was iirominent in
l6o BIOGRAPHICAL
the Southwest and served as sheriff of Hunt county. Texas. He died at
Ardmore. Okla.. February 23, 1899. His wife was a native of Alabama,
born on a plantation in Butler county. November 2. 1850. ol South
Carolina parents. She died February 29. 1908. Mrs. Pine is one of a
family of eight children, as follows: Sarah. Elizabeth, Effie. Ethel,
Sammie, Beulah. Lela and Alonzo. Mrs. Pine was educated in the
State Masonic Home of Texas, at F"ort Worth, where she was graduated
in the class of 1906, and for a number of years was a teacher at Gates-
ville. Texas, and Colgate, Okla. She is a member of the Presbyterian
church, and prominent in the work of the congregation. She has one
adopted child, a niece. Genevieve Blanche, born at Colgate. Okla.. Xo-
vember 2t,. 1909.
Arthur Moberg, M. D., a prominent j^hysician and surgeon of south-
eastern Kansas, who is engaged in the practice of his profession at Pitts-
burg, is a native of Illinois. Dr. Moberg was born at Eloomington.
111.. July 13. 1870. He is a son of Gustave and Anna (Seaberg) Moberg.
both natives of Sweden, and pioneer settlers of McLean county. Illinois,
wb.ere the father died in 1908 and the mother passed away in 1910. Dr.
Moberg was reared in Bloomington and received his educational
discipline in the public schools of that city. He then entered the
pharmacy department of the Northwestern University. Chicago, where
he was graduated in the class of 1890. He was employed in the capacity
of a pharmacist in a drug store at Bloomington about four years when
he determined upon a medical career for himself. He then entered the
medical department of St. Louis University, where he was graduated
in the class of 1897, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He was en-
gaged in hospital work in St. Louis during the years of 1897 ^nd 1898,
and then located at Pittsburg. Kans.. where he has since been engaged
in the practice of his profession. Dr. Moberg is a skilled surgeon and
physician. He does not specialize in any particular branch of medicine
or surgery, preferring a general line of practice. He was united in mar-
riage December 21, 1892. to Miss Ovanda M. Kays, of Bloomington.
Ills. They have two children : Jack, aged nine, and Marylois, aged two.
Dr. Moberg is a member of the County. State and American Medical
Associations and the City Hospital Medical Society of St. Louis. He
is a Knights Templar Mason and member of the Mystic Shrine.
William H. Braden, who is now serving his seventeenth consecutive
year as a member of the board of count)- commissioners, is one of the
real pioneers of southeastern Kansas, and for nearly a half a century
has been a prominent factor in the affairs of Crawford county. He has
been a part of the development of that county from an uncertain be-
ginning to the greatest industrial district of the state, now with its
mines, mills, factories and fertile and well kept farms. William H.
Braden is a native of the Buckeye State, born in Richland county. Ohio,
August 21. 1844, a son of Samuel and Susan ( Bidingcr) Braden, the
BIOGRAPHIC A[. l6l
former a native of l'enns\lvania, and the latter of (Germany. The
mother died in Ohio in 1852, and shortly after her death the family re-
mo\ed to Indiana, and settled in Xoble count}-, where the father was
en^-aj^ed in farming- and spent the remainder of his life there. Me died
in 1899. William H. Braden received a good common school education
in the district schools of those pioneer days, and was just arriving at
the age of manhood when the Civil war broke out. In October, 1862,
when he was just past eighteen, he enlisted at Ligonier. Ind., in Com-
pany B, First regiment Indiana cavalry, an independent regiment, the
volunteers furnishing their own horses. His troop was assigned to
duty in Missouri, and was at Pilot Knob and Iron Mountain. He re-
ceived his baptism of fire at Fredericktown. and his next engagement
was at Cottonplant. He then participated in numerous skirmishes as
they made their way into Arkansas. His troop was General Steele's es-
cort when Little Rock was taken. Later, at Pine Bluff, he was in the
fiercest fight of his experience, w-hen Price and Alarmaduke attacked
the Union position at that place. He also participated in the battle of
Helena, Ark., and subsequently did service in Tennessee and Mississippi.
He was honorably discharged at Duval's Bluff, Ark., in July, i'S65. He
then returned to his home in Xoble county, Indiana, where he remained
but a short time, when he went to McLean county, Illinois, and worked
as a farm laborer about two years. He was married in October. i8()8,
to Miss Wealthy Elizabeth Lott, a native of McLean county. Illinois,
and t<i this union two sons were born, Samuel Burr, now a rancher at
Mabton. Wash., and \\'illiam Orr, of Pittsburg, Kans. Mrs. Braden
died Jul}- 9, 1907. After his marriage Mr. Braden worked rented land
in McLean county about a year when, as he says, "he packed his belong-
ings in a prairie schooner, whistled for the dogs and started for Kansas."
He drove the entire distance, and was twenty-eight days enroute. He
located in Crawford township, Crawford county, where he bought rail-
road land. .At this time there was a great deal of contention between
some of the early settlers and the railroad coni]Kmies, who owned large
tracts of land in the "neutral lands," and when Mr. Braden settled on
the place which he had bought from the railroad company, the league
ordered him to leave, but up to the present time Mr. Braden has not
complied with the order. He engaged in farming and stock raising. At
that time the city of I'ittsburg had not been thought of, and Gir.-ird.
the county seat, consisted of only four or five houses. In 1874 Mr.
Braden was elected trustee of Crawford township and in 1878 was elected
sheriff of Crawford county, and served one term, when he engaged in the
livery and feed business at Girard, and in 1882 was again elected sheriff
and re-elected in 1884. In 1886, at the expiration of his terqi, he went
to Utah for the benefit of his wife's health. The family remained there
tw'o years, but Mr. Braden never relinquished his residence in Crawford
county, always returning there to vote and took an active part in the
l62 BIOGRAPHICAL
political affairs of the county. In the early part of 1889, the family
returned to Kansas and took up their residence in Pittsburg, and Mr.
Braden engaged in the livery business there, which he conducted until
August 5, 191 1. He was very successful in his business undertakings
and built the largest livery barn in Pittsburg, constructed of brick
and stone. In 1898 he was elected county commissioner of Crawford
county, and has continuoush- held that office to the present time, which
is the best evidence that any man could have of his capability and con-
scientiousness in transacting public business. He is a director of the
First Xational Bank of Pittsburg, having served on that board a
number of years. Politically he is a Republican and since locating in
Kansas has taken an active part in the organization of that party, and
has been an unceasing worker for the success of the policies and prin-
ciples of his party. He is a member of the county central committee
and has been treasurer of that organization for over twenty years, and
bears the unusual distinction of having been elected a delegate to every
Republican State convention for thirty years, or more, and the same
may be said of his attendance to the congressional conventions of his
district. Mr. Braden has served on the Pittsburg city council four
years. His fraternal affiliations are with the Ancient Free and Ac-
cepted Masons, Ancient Order of United ^^'orkmen and Knights and
Ladies of Security.
John A. Cumpton, one of the very early settlers of Comanche county,
now living retired at Protection, Kans., was born in Montgomery county,
Illinois, August 7, 1853. He is a son of Greenberry and Mary ( Evans)
Cumpton. The father was also a native of Illinois and spent his life there
engaged in farming. He died in 1879. He was twice married, his first
wife being Miss Mary Evans, to whom seven children were born as
follows: \\'illiam T.. Margaret, Sarah E., James ^\'.. Alonzo, John A.,
the subject of this sketch, and George, all of whom are deceased except
John A., the subject of this sketch. After the death of his wife and
mother of these children the father married Mrs. Lurinda Merryman,
to whom two children were born, Philena and \'ictoria. John A. Cump-
ton came to Kansas in 1884 and located on government land in \'alley
township, Comanche county, where he engaged in farming and stock
raising. He still owns his original homestead, and is one of the pros-
perous and substantial farmers of the county. He has taken an active
part in the political and material development of his county and has held
various local offices of trust. In politics he is a Socialist. Mr. Cumpton
was united in marriage June 16, 1880. to Miss Rebecca Jane Steidley,
daughter of Frederick and Mary C. (Martin) Steidley. Mrs. Cumpton
was born in Macoupin county. Illinois, May 4, i860, her parents being
natives of \'irginia and early settlers in Illinois. They had eleven
children : Joseph F., Martin C., James A.. Annie, Mary £., George D..
Rebecca J.. Rachael C, John C. Charles II.. and Minnie M. To Mr.
BIOGRAPHICAL 163
and Mrs. Cumpton have been born five children, as follows : Goldie K.,
born April 24. 1887, married R. A. Alexander in 1907 and died I-'ebruary
16, 1913, leaving two children, Rula E. and Henry A.; Jerry Peffer, born
January 28, i8gi, now a banker at Protection, Kans., married Etna H.,
daughter of Perry A. Johnston, April 22, 1914; Dora Flossie, born Feb-
ruary 25. 1894, graduated from the Protection High School in the class
of 1915; Alary S., born March 6, 1896, and the youngest, a boy, was born
October 11, 1903. died February 25, 1904. Mr. Cumpton retired from
active business life in 1912, and is now living retired after an active life
of enter]5rise and well directed energy.
John P. Curran, one of the best known and most successful attorneys
of Crawford county, is a native of Michigan. He was born at South
Haven. He is a son of John and Eliza (Judge) Curran, the ftjrmer a
native of County Down. Ireland, and the latter of Hastings. Province of
Ontario. Canada. In 1871 the Curran family, with the exception of
John P., of this review, and Hon. Andrew J., a sketch of whom appears
elsewhere in this volume, came to Kansas and located near Mulberry,
Crawford county, where the parents permanently settled. In 1875 John
P. and his brother came t<i Kansas. lie had attended school in Michigan
and was well aclvanced in an educational way, and continued his scJiool
work after coming to Kansas and later entered the Kansas Normal
College at Fort Scott, where he was graduated in the class of 1889 with
the degree of Piachelor of Arts. He then devoted himself to educational
work, and for ten years was a professional teacher, and for three years
was superintendent of public schools at Columbus, Kans. He was also
devoted to the broader field of educational work and his influence was
by no means confined to the school room. He was active in institute
work and during his educational career conducted sixteen normal in-
stitutes. He was also mindful of the future and did not cast his lot
altogether with educational work, which, unfortunately, offers too few
op])ortunities for advancement in this great country of ours. During
the time that he was teaching he also took up the study of law. and
after having qualified thoroughly, was admitted to the bar of Kansas
in 1895, when he engaged in the practice of law in partnership with
his brother at Pittsl)urg, Kans.. under the firm name of Curran & Curran.
This arrangement continued until January i. 191 1. when Andrew J. w-as
elected District Judge of the Thirty-eighth Judicial District, and since
that time John P., of this review, has been engaged in the practice of
his profession alone. Mr. Curran has been eminently successful in his
chosen jirofession and as a trial lawyer, or counselor, has few ])eers in
the State. In addition to his extensive law practice Mr. Curran takes
an active part in local ])olitical and business affairs. Politically lu' is
a Republican and has served as president of the Pittsburg school board
two terms. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the
Crawford County Law Library Association and has been identified with
164 BIOGRAPHICAL
the electric railway project of southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri
for a number of years. He began with this company long before it
became the Joplin & Pittsburg Railway Company, having been identified
with that enterprise when they had only seven miles of trackage as
compared with the 114 miles which the company now operates. Mr.
Curran is legal adviser for a great many industrial corporations operat-
ing in Crawford county, prominent among which might be mentioned
the Clemens Coal Company, The Standard Ice and Fuel and others which
he was instrumental in organizing. Mr. Curran was united in marriage
October 16, 1890, to Miss Alice Mary, daughter of John Cook, of Cold-
water, Kans. Her father was an early settler in southwestern Kansas,
locating in that section in 1886. Mrs. Curran was born in Louisville,
Kv., and, after attending school in her native city, cempleted her educa-
tion at Cottey College. Nevada, ^lo., where she was graduated in the
class of 1899 and taught school for a time prior to her marriage. To
Mr. and Mrs. Curran has been born one child, John Halliday. a graduate
of the Pittsburg High School and later attended the Kansas State Manual
Training Normal College, the Kansas State University and Cumberland
College. Lebanon, Tenn., graduating at the latter institution. He took
the law course at Kansas University and was admitted to the Kansas
bar June 25, 1914. Mr. Curran is probably one of the best known lawyers
in southeastern Kansas, and has justly won the confidence of a large
clientage.
John M. Wayde, a leading meml:)er of the Kansas bar. has practised
law in Crawford county for a quarter of a century. He was born in
Bedford county, Pennsylvania, May 7, 1862. a son of John and Martha
(Connelly) Wayde. natives of Pennsylvania, where the father was a
merchant and farmer. John M. Wayde attended the district schools of
his native State and later entered the Central State Normal School at
Lock Haven. Pa., where he was graduated in the class of 1886. He
then taught school two years and at the same time read law under
the preceptorship of Aleck King. Esq., of Bedford. Pa. During the
summer of 1888 he took a special law course in the Indiana University,
Valparaiso, Ind.. and in the fall of that year entered the senior law
class of Kansas University, graduating in 1889 with the degree of
Bachelor of Laws. He then was admitted to the Kansas bar and located
at LeRoy, Kans., where he was engaged in the practice of his profession
until 1890 when he came to Pittsburg, where he has since been actively
engaged in his profession. Mr. Wayde has an extensive practice and is
recognized as one of the capable lawyers of southeastern Kansas. Aluch
of his practice in recent years has been devoted to important litigation
which has reached the higher courts, and he has had many cases in
the supreme court of Kansas, and has frequently appeared in the
United States Supreme Court. Mr. Wayde is a Republican and has
taken an active and conspicuous part in both local and State politics.
BIOGRAPHICAL 165
having served as a member of the Republican County Central Committee,
and has been a delegate to numerous county and State conventions. In
1902 he was elected county attorney of Crawford county and re-elected
to that office in 1904, and his two terms in that responsible position
were marked by capable and conscientious law enforcement. Mr. W'ayde
was united in marriage September 5, 1894, to Miss Margaret Pettigrew,
a native of Pennsylvania, where she was reared and educated, and
taught school for a number of years prior to her marriage. Mrs. \\'ayde
dejiarted this life .August 25, 1906, leaving one child, Hugh Donald, who
is now a student in the State Manual Training School, Pittsburg, Kans.
Mr. Wayde is a member of the Crawford County and State Bar Associa-
tions, and is a Thirty-second degree Mason and a member of the
Bene\olent and Protective Order of Elks.
J. Luther Taylor, president of the Pittsburg Mortgage Investment
Company, is a prominent factor in the financial and commercial affairs
of Crawford county. He is a native of the Sunflower State, born in
Crawford county, July 24, 1872. His parents. Joseph I. and Mary S.
(Miller) Taylor, were natives of Kentucky and pioneers of Crawford
county, Kansas. The Taylor family came to Kansas in 1870, driving
the entire distance from Kentucky in a prairie schooner, a tedious trip
that required thirty days. The father settled on a claim in Lincoln
townshi]) and proceeded to make a home for the family, and this property
is still in their possession. Here J. Luther Taylor was born and his
early life was spent amidst these surroundings. He attended the district
school and in the fall of 1888 entered the preparatory department of
Baker University, and after s])cnding three years in the preparatory
department, entered the University proper, where he was graduated in
the class of 1895 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. At the fiftieth
anniversary of the University the degree of Master of Arts was con-
ferred u])on him. After completing his course in llaker L'niversity he
entered the Xorthwestern Law School, Chicago, lUinnis, and was grad-
uated in 1878 with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He then engaged in
the practice of his i)rofession at Pittsburg, Kans. lie had a large
clientage, which was more on the financial side of the practice of a
loan and investment nature, and, finding that this line of work was taking
the larger part of his time, he finally drifted into that line of practice
exclusively, and in 1903 organized the Pittsburg Mortgage Investment
Company, which was the reorganization of The Taylor-Wheeler & Co.,
a partnership which was succeeded by the cori)oration. The first officers
of the Pittsburg Mortgage Investment Comp.iny were Joseph I. Taylor,
president; F. P,. Collins, vice-president, and j. Luther Taylor, secretary
and treasurer. In 1910, at the death of Joseph I. TayK)r, J. Luther
Taylor succeeded to the presidency. This comjjany has had a rapid
and substantial growth since its organization, their capital stock is
$90,000, paid up. During the last ten years preceding January, 1914,
l66 BIOGRAPHICAL
their deposits for investment for the months of Janiiar}' alone have grown
from $31,937-15 to $220,123.4(5. They are the financial correspondents
for the Aetna Life Insurance Company, of Hartford, Conn., for
the State of Kansas and have loaned several million dollars on im-
proved farms without the loss of a single dollar of principal or interest.
Thev have clients in twenty-five ditiferent states, and their stock of
loans is seldom less than $100,000. Their loans are personally selected
and therefore safe and conservative. \\'hile the mortgage investment
business practically occupies all of Mr. Taylor's time, he is interested
in many other local enterprises of importance. He is a director of the
First Xational Bank of Pittsburg and was one of the organizers of The
Home Heat, Light & Power Company. Mr. Taylor was united in mar-
riage November 2, 189S, to Miss Ethel, daughter of J. M. and Mary
(Swallow) Cavaness, the former a native of North Carolina and the
latter of Texas. J. M. Cavaness came to Kansas in the early 6o's and
attended Baker University, being the first graduate of that institution.
He was a pioneer newspaper man of Kansas, being editor of the Chetopa
'"Advance" for a number of years, and later removed to Chanute and
bought the Chanute Tribune, and now resides in that city. Mrs. Taylor
was born in Labette county and after attending the public schools of
Chetopa, entered Baker University, where she was graduated in the
class of 1897 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts and taught school at
Chetopa for a year prior to her marriage. To ]Mr. and Mrs. Taylor
have been born four children: Joseph, died in infancy; John Irven, Mary
Elizabeth and Katherine, all students at the Manual Training Normal
Model School, Pittsburg. ^Ir. and Mrs. Taylor are members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is President of the Board of
Trustees and was Chairman of the Building Committee during the
construction of the magnificent Methodist Episcopal Church of Pittsburg.
Mr. Taylor is a liberal contributor to the church and church work and is
a member of tiie (jeneral Committee of the Methodist Church and has
been a delegate to several General Conferences. He is also prominent
in the work of the Young Men's Christian Association and has been
President of that thriving organization since it was founded in Pittsburg.
He is also a member of the State Board of the Young Men's Christian
Association of Kansas. He is a Trustee of Baker University and of
Bethany Hospital. Politically he is a Republican.
John Moore, now deceased, was a Kansas pioneer and Civil war
veteran and was one of the first four settlers composing the vanguard
of the hardy pioneers who took up their homes in Comanche county
in the early eighties. He was born in Belmont county, Ohio, June 2.
1840, and was a son of Aser and Sarah ( Dawson) Moore. He was
one of a family of seven children, as follows: Lucinda, Mary. Jolin,
Moses, Sarah. Luman and Lydia Ann, only two of whom are now
living, Moses and Luman. John Moore spent his boyhood days on the
BIOGUAI'lIICAL 167
Ohio farm and lived the peaceful life of the average farm boy until
the Civil war broke out, when, in answer to the President's first call
for volunteers, he enlisted in Company A, Fifty-third regiment, Ohio
infantry, and at the expiration of his term of service re-enlisted, and
served until the close of the war, four years in all. He had an active
military career and took part in many important battles, weary marches
and tiresome vigils, but fortunateh- thrcnighout his long military career
he escajied without a scar of war. .Vt the close of the war he returned
to Ohio, where he remained until 1876 when he came to Kansas and en-
gaged in farming in Llourbon county, remaining there three years; he
then went to Sumner county, where he was similarly engaged five
years. In 1883 he went to Comanche county; this was sometime before
the county was organized, and he was one of the first to take u]) gov-
ernment land in that section. He located on the place which now
adjoins the town of Protection on the south and that property still be-
longs to his heirs. He was active and prominent in the organization
of Comanche county and likewise a promoter of the town of Protection.
He was a lifelong Republican, but never pushed himself forward for
pdliiical preferment. He was a modest, unassuming man and preferred
to a\oid publicity. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Re-
public but belonged to no other lodges. He was united in marriage
August 16, 1866, to j\Iiss Isabelle Victoria, daughter of James A. and
Mary A. (Uanks) Miller, the former a native of Ohio born in 182 1, and
died in 191 2, and the latter a native of Maryland born in 1821, and died
in 1900. Mrs. Moore was born Sei)tember 3, 1847 '" Perry county, Ohio,
and was one of a family of six children, as follows : Isabelle Victoria,
Mar}' Catherine, Leah Rebecca, Samuel F., William Banks and Cornelia
Ann, all lixing except Leah Rebecca and Cornelia Ann. To Mr. and
Mrs. Moore were born six children: Charles Warfield, born July 10,
1808; Clara Eva. born March 7. 1871; Liilie Ma_\'. born September 2.
1874, died Xovemljer 19, 1910; Sarah .Ann, Ixnn l-'ebruary 14, 187'); 1 lomer
Eugene, born Xovember 16, 1881, in I'.durlxin cnunly, Kansas, and Edgar
Francis, born in Sumner county, Kansas, June 10, 1883. John Moore
died at his home in Protection October 26. 1894. and his wife, an esti-
mable vvdinan. nnw resides at Prulectinn. where she is well knnwn and
has many friend^.
Hugh W. Vance, nnw deceased, was a Kansas ])i(ineer and an honnred
citizen whcj took a ])ruminent jjart in the earl}' development of Comanche
county. To such men as Hugh W. \'ance Kansas owes the beginning
of its greatness. He was born on a farm in Roane county, Tennessee,
December zj. 1838; his ])arents were Hugh and Rachel ( lilair) Vance,
natives of Tennessee. They were theparents of the following children:
John. William, James. Lucinda, Hannah and Hugh, all of whom are now
deceased except William, wiio resides at Las .\nimas, Colo. Hugh W.
\'ance received his education in the |inblic schools of '{"ennessee, ;ni(l
l68 BIOGRAPHICAL
in 1857. when nineteen years of age, removed with his mother and the
other members of the family, except the father who died in Tennessee,
to Decatur county, Iowa, where the mother died March 10, 1874. Here
the young man followed farming until 1885 when he came to Kansas,
locating on government land in Comanche county, near Protection.
Here he followed farming and stock raising and added a large acreage
to his original homestead, and become one of the prosperous and suc-
cessful citizens of Comanche county. He was a Democrat and took
a keen interest in public affairs, cooperating with every movement for
the development and betterment of the community, but never aspired
to hold political office. He preferred to be a good citizen rather than
an office holder. On September 9, 1867, he was united in marriage at
Knoxville, Iowa, to Miss Xancy Emeline, daughter of Jacob and Eliza-
beth (Fronk) Xoftsger. Mrs. \'ance was born at Knoxville, Iowa,
July 15, 1848, and educated in the public schools of that town. Her
parents were pioneers of Iowa, and among the very first settlers in the
vicinity of Knoxville. To Mr. and Mrs. Vance were born nine children,
as follows: Rachael Elizabeth, born March 17, i86q. married Chester \\'.
Hungerford, farmer. Alfalfa county. Oklahoma; Mary Margaret married
Perry A. Johnston, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; \\'illiam
Beda, born May 13. 1874, farmer. Alfalfa county, Oklahoma; James
Lloj-d, born March 9. 1881. farmer. P.eaver cotmty. Oklahoma; Frank
Edvvin and Fred Irwin (twins), born January 21. 1885. the former
residing at Protection and the latter at \\'ilmore. Kans. Since the death
of her husband Mrs. Vance has sold the home ranch and now resides
at Protection. She is a public spirited woman and takes an active
interest in the public affairs of her home town and current events. She
is a member of the Baptist church and prominent in the work of that
deniimination.
Squire Hazen Lackey, now deceased, was a successful farmer and
stockman of southwestern Kansas and one of the substantial citizens
of Clark county. He was a native of Pennsylvania, born in Crawford
county December 22. 1847, ^ son of Isaac and Emeline (Ball) Lackey,
also natives of the Keystone State. Isaac Lackey was born in Craw-
ford county and was a son of William and Mary (Hazen) Lackey. He
followed farming all his life in Pennsylvania and died in Mercer county,
that State, June 19, 1893. His wife. Emeline Ball, was a daughter of
William and Jane (Bishop) Ball, natives of England. She was born
in 1835 and died ]\Iay 13. 1874. Isaac and Emeline (Ball) Lackey were
the parents of ten children, as follows: Squire Hazen, the subject of
this sketch ; Alary Jane (deceased) ; Penrose (deceased) ; Miranda, .Alvira,
Jerome, Charles, Katherine, Esther and Hiram. Squire Hazen Lackey
received a good academic education and in early life was engaged as
a contractor, getting out railroad timber in his native State, and suc-
cessfully followed that business until 1887, when he came to Kansas
BIOGRAPHICAL 169
and Ixiufj^ht several tliousand acres of land seven miles west of Ashland
in Clark county, ha\ing at one time under fence over 15,000 acres. He
engaged in the cattle business and was one of the successful cattle
men of the Southwest. He took a prominent part in the public affairs
of the coimty and was a prominent Republican, but did not seek political
honors. In i8q6 his party nominated him for sheriff' of Clark county
without his consent and against his wish, but he declined to make the
race. He was a member of the Baptist church and a liberal contributor
to the cause of Christianity. He died at Ashland December 11, 1897,
and thus closed the career of an acti\e and useful citizen of Clark
county. Mr. Lackey was married Xovemljer 6, 1873, in Mercer county,
Pennsylvania, to Miss Rebecca .\nn, daughter of Lewis and Margaret
(Reiley) Lindsey, a native of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, born Oc-
tober 16, 1852. Her parents were also natives of Pennsylvania and
descendants of i)ioneer Pennsylvania stock. The father was born in
^[ercer ctninty May i, 1808, and in early life was engaged in the
lumber business, and later followed farming and was a breeder of
blooded stock. He died in Mercer county, Penns3'lvania, February 22,
i8<)0. His wife was also born in Mercer county, January 7, 1810, and
died February 15, 1877. The\' were married June 10. 1834. and ten
children were born to this union: John, born March 17, 1835, and died
at Camp Convalescent, near Ale.xandria, Va., December 6, 1862, while
ser\'ing with the Sixty-first regiment, Pennsylvania infantry, in tlie
Civil war; William, born .\ugust 16, 1836, died May 20, 1899; Flizabeth,
born .-Xugust 22. 1838. died October 24, 1853; Louisa, born August 18,
1840; Ellen, born August 5, 1842, died October 23. 1913; Louis and
Margaret (twins), born October r, 1844, died in infancy; Xancy, born
May 16, 1847; IVFelissa. Ixirn Xo\ember 26, 1849. and Rebecca .Ann, now
the widow of Sciuire Hazen Lackey whose name intrnduces this sketch.
To Mr. and Mrs. Lackey were born four children, as follows: llarmie,
born September 2, 1874, died Xovember 20, 1899; Lena Blanche, born
December 24, 1878, married W. B. Crimes, Clark county; Audlcy \'ance,
born August 29, 1883, and the youngest child was a son who died in
infancy. Mrs. Lackey is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church
and takes a prominent part in th? church work of her Imme town. She
resides at Ashland, where she is well known and ])ri luu'iienl in the
commimity.
Carl Oscar Pingry, a well known Crawford county attorney and
veteran of the Si)anisli-.\merican war, is a native of Indiana. He was
born in Jay county, September 23, 1876, and is a son of Rev. Thomas
and Amanda (Short) Pingry. The father is a Methodist minister, hav-
ing de\()ted his life to that calling and is still acti\e in the ministry, now
being located in Oklahoma. When Carl Oscar, of this review, was less
than a year did, the family remo^•ed to Missouri, where the father was
engaged in the ministry fi)r a number of years. In 1888 he came to
170 BIOGRAPHICAL
Kansas, and for a time was located at Tialdwin and later at Osawatomie.
Carl Oscar Pingry attended the public schools at the various places
where the family was located, and while at Baldwin attended Baker
University Academy for three years, and later graduated in the
Osawatomie High School, in the class of 1895. He then taught school
in Miami county two years, when he came to Crawford county as prin-
cipal of the Midway school. When the Spanish-American war broke
out, he enlisted in April. 1898. in Company D, Twentieth Kansas regi-
ment, and served with that famous organization under General Funston
in the I^hilippine Islands. During his term of service he participated
in twenty-six battles and was mustered out with his regiment in 1899,
having attained the rank of quarter master sergeant. He then entered
Central College, Fa3ette, Mo., where he was a student for one year,
when he went to Colorado, and in the fall of 1901 returned to Crawford
county, where he was engaged in institute work for a time and later
taught school. He was principal of the Litchfield schools for two years
and of the Chicopee schools for one year, and in 1904 entered the law
department of Kansas University, where he completed the regularly
prescribed three j-ears' course in two years, graduating in the class of
1906, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. \\'hile in college he took a
prominent part in athletics, and was a member of the University
Athletic Board. After graduating from the university he was admitted
to the Kansas State bar, and engaged in the jsractice of his profession at
Pittsburg, Kans., in partnership witli J. M. \\'a\de, under the firm
name of \\'ayde & Pingry. This partnershij) arrangement continued
about one year, and since that time Mr. Pingry has been engaged in the
practice alone. In April, 1913, he was appointed city attorney of Pitts-
burg, and is serving in that capacity at the present time. Mr. Pingry
is a Republican and takes an active part in politics. He has been secre-
tary of the Republican County Central Committee, and is at present a
member of the county and city committees. He was united in mar-
riage July 25, 1905, to Miss Maud Ingleman, of Lawrence, Kans. Mrs.
Pingry was educated in the public schools of W'averly, Mo., the high
school at Lawrence, Kans., and Kansas University. They have one
child, Carl Oscar, Jr., a student in the Pittsburg public schools. I\Ir.
Pingrj' is prominent in Masonic lodge circles, and is also a member of
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Knights and Ladies of
Security, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Loyal Order of Moose, Acacia Fra-
ternity, and the Phi Delta Phi.
Charles S. Denison, a prominent attorney of Pittsburg, Kans., is
a native of the Sunflower State. He was born at Osage Mission, near
St. Paul, Kans.. August 28, 1879, and is a son of J. L. and Martha (Huag-
land ) Denison. His father was a pioneer attorney of Kansas, who came
to this State from Pennsylvania in 1859, during the territorial days of
Kansas. He was a capable lawyer and practiced his profession in
moGRAPHICAL 171
Neosho county until liis death. 1 le was i)riiminent in ])cilitics, and served
as county clerk, clerk of the district court and county attorney of
Neosho county. IJe died at Erie. Kans.. Aujjust 14. 1908, and his widow
still survives. Charles S. Deni.son, of this review, was educated in the
public schools of Neosho county and graduated from the l'>ie Ilit^h
School in the class of 1897. Jie read law under the preceptorship of his
father, and in December, 1902, was admitted to the bar of Kansas and
began the practice of his profession in his home tnwn, I'.ric. lie was
successful in the ]iractice from the start and soon his clientage included
a number of imjiortant corporations, including' a nimiber of oil anrl
railroad companies. He continued the practice of his profession in Eri-,
imtil September 7, 1907, when he removed to I'ittsburg, Kans., where
he continues to enjoy a large and important law practice. His offices
are located in the Commerce building, and are among the best equipped
of Crawford county. He is a member of the Crawford County and
State Bar Associations. Mr. Denison is a close student of the law. and
a recognized attorney of high standing.
Lewis H. Phillips, a prominent attorney of southeastern Kansas, en-
gaged in the practice at Pittsburg, is a native of the liuckeye State. Ho
was born at V'iscent, Athens county, Ohio, May 10, 1867, and is a son 3f
George N. and Sarah E. (Crewson) Phillips, both natives of Ohio. The
mother died when the subject of this review was but two years of age,
and the following j'ear the father removed to Kansas, locating at Girard.
where he was engaged in the hotel business. In 1874 Lewis H. went
to live with an aunt, who resided in Ohio. He began his educational
career there, attending the public schools until 1880, when he returned
to his father's home at Girard, Kans., where he attended high school
In 1885 he received the appointment as postal clerk in the railway mail
service, and for four years was engaged in that cai)acity. lie then en-
tered the office of Judge Arthur Fuller, as a law student, and on July
6, 1891, passed the bar examination, and was admitted to the practice
of law before the supreme coiun of Kansas and was associated with
E. W. Arnold, at Girard, Kans., in the ])ractice of his profession about
two years. He then entered Georget<iwn University, Washington.
D. C, where he completed the law course in 1894, and was graduated
with the degree of Master of Laws. He then returned to Girard, where
he was engaged in the j^ractice of his ])rcifession, and was a member of
the firm of Ryan & Phillips until 1908. In January, 191,3, he removed
to Pittsburg, and since that time his law offices have been located in
the Commerce building. Mr. Phillips not only has an extensive law
])ractice, but has been an active and dominant factttr in the electric rail-
way business. He conceived the great future possibilities of electric
transportation in southeastern Kansas, and promoted the Girard Coal
P.elt Electric Railway, and through his efforts every dollar of the capital
of that enterprise was raised. This road ran from Girard to Crowberg
172 BIOGRAPHICAL
and Dunkirk, and now forms a part of the Pittsburg & Joplin Electric
Railway System. Mr. Phillips was secretary and general manager of
the original company, and after that company was absorbed by its suc-
cessor, he continued as general manager of that division for nearly two
years. In former days he was prominent in the Democratic ranks, both
in State and local politics, but in more recent years his political affilia-
tions have been with the Socialistic party. Mr. Phillips has been twice
married, his first marriage occurred ^larch 31, 18S6, to ]Miss Sylvia M.,
daughter of \\'. A. and Jennie Gaylord, of Girard, Kans. She was a
native of Illinois, but reared in Ivansas. where her parents located when
she was a child. She received her education in the convent at Osage
Mission, Kans. Mrs. Phillii)s died July 6, 1898, leaving one child, Xeola
\\'., who was educated in the Girard High School and the State Manual
College, Pittsburg, Kans., and is now the wife of W. C. Allen. Pitts-
burg, Kans. On ^lay i, 1901, Mr. Phillips- was united in marriage to
Miss X'ictoria O., daughter of Judge J. G. Dorman, of Henry county,
Missouri. Mrs. Phillips was born in Henry county, Missouri, and edu-
cated in the public schools and Baird College, Clinton, Mo. Mr. and
Mrs. Phillips have two children, Udolphia S. and Katherin L., both
students at the Manual Training Normal College, Pittsburg, Kans.
The family are members of the Christian church, and Mr. Phillips is a
member of the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks. cTud the County and State Ear Associations.
Frederick B. Wheeler, a prominent member of the Crawford county
bar, was born in Arnoldsville, Buchanan county, Mo., August 20, 1869.
He is a son of Philip LeRoy and Mary A. (Powers) \\'heeler, the former
a native of Connecticut and the latter of Xew York. The father was
a farmer and after leaving his native State resided for a time in Xew
York and from there went to Illinois, where he was engaged in farm-
ing near Galesburg, and later removed to Missouri, In 1880 the family
removed to Kansas, locating at Axtell, Marshall county. Frederick
B. Wheeler received his education in the public school and was graduated
from the Axtell High School in the class of 1887, He then entered
Kansas University at Lawrence, and after pursuing the regular course
two years, entered the law department, where he was graduated in
the class of 1893 with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. After being
admitted to the Kansas bar he went to Pittsburg and engaged in the
practice of his profession, where he has since devoted himself to his
professional work. Mr. \\'heeler is recognized as a lawyer of unusual
ability and is regarded as one of the leaders of his profession in south-
eastern Kansas. He is a Republican and a prominent figure in local
politics. In 1898 he was elected to legislature from Crawford county,
and re-elected in 1905, serving with distinction in that body. He is a
member of the Pittsburg Commercial Club and has served as president
of that organization. Mr. \\'heeler was married December 26, 1896, to
BIOGRAlMIICAr. I73
Miss Mabel, dau<;;hter of Judge J. P. Raiincy, of Miami couiily. Mrs.
Wheeler was born at Paola, Kans., and graduated in liie high school
at that place; she then attended Kansas University and the State Manual
Normal Training School, getting her A. V>. degree. To Mr. and Mrs.
\\'heeler have been born five children : Mary Cecil, James Ranney,
Frederick Gaskell, Philip LeRoy and William Xewton. Mr. Wheeler
is a member of the State and County Bar Associations and is a Thirty-
second degree Mason. He is also a member of the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks and the Knights and Ladies of Security. The
family are members nf the Christian Science church.
Patrick J. McGinley, the well known and jjoinilar cashier of the
Frontenac State I5ank of Frontenac, Kans., has the unique distinction
of being born an American citizen in a foreign land. Pie was born at
Killybegs, Ireland, (October 14, 1870, while his mother was temporarily
residing in that country. Mr. McGinley is a son of Patrick C. and .\nn
(Brady) McGinley. both natives of Ireland. They immigrated to America
and located in Cleveland, Ohio, where they resided a number of years
before Patrick J., the subject of this sketch, was born. Later they re-
moved to Kansas, located at Chetopa and afterwards went to Oklahoma,
where the father died in 1897, and the mother departed this life in igii.
Patrick J. McGinley spent most of his boyhood days at Chetopa, where
he attended the public schools and engaged in his first business venture
while a mere boy, his vocation consisting in what was known as running
a town herd. We next find him clerking in a grocery store for a short
time when he entered a railroad office at Chetopa and learned telegraphy,
and twenty years of his life was spent in the railroad business in the'
emjiloy of the Missouri, Kansas & Te.xas railroad and the Missouri-
Pacific Railroad Company. During this time he served as telegraph
operator and railroad agent at various places on the line of these roads.
In 1903 he engaged in the mercantile business at Norman, Okla., and
for five years conducted a successful and profitable business there, until
in 1908, when he accepted the cashicrship of the Frontenac State Bank,
and since that time has been engaged in that capacity. This is the
only bank in the thriving town of Frontenac, and was organized in
1904 with a paid-u]) capital stock of $10,000, which was increased to
$15,000 in 1914. The present officers are Jams S. Patton, president;
Patrick J. McGinley, cashier, and Jacob Hitman, vice-jiresident, all of
whnm reside at Frontenac. The bank owns its own building, a sub-
stantial two-story brick structure. They do a general banking business,
have a large patronage and the bank has had a steady and substantial
growth in the volume of business since its organization, and is one of
the substantial financial institutions of Crawford connty. Mr. Mc-
Ginley was married October iS, 1898, to Aliss Fmma F. Pomi)cney, of
Olathe, Kans. Mrs. McGinley is a sister of Father T'nnijieney, of
Pittsburg, Kans. To Mr. and Mrs. McGinley have been born five
174 BIOGRAPHICAL
children: Joseph, a student at St. Mary's College, St. Marjs, Kans. ;
Anne, Zita, Felicia and Francis. Politically Mr. McGinley is a staunch
supporter of the policies and principles of the Democratic party. He
has taken a prominent part in the local affairs of his party, and stands
high in its councils in the State. He has served for three years on the
school board of Frontenac and while a resident of Labette county was
his party's nominee for the office of register of deeds, but was defeated
on account of the minority position held by his party in that county.
In 1914 Mr. McGinley received the Democratic nomination for Congress
in the Third Kansas district, and, after an honorable campaign on his
part, bore the standard of his party to honorable defeat in the district,
normally overwhelmingly Republican. He received more votes than
any previous Democratic candidate for Congress in that district. The
result of this campaign is no discredit to Mr. McGinley under the con-
ditions. During his business career in Crawford county he has won
many friends, and his capability, honesty and integrity entitle him to a
place among the leading citizens of the Sunflower State.
John R. Lindburg, president of the First Xational Bank of Pittsburg,
Kans., has been connected with the growth and development of the
commercial and financial affairs of this city since its beginning. When
he settled here in 1877 Pittsburg was a mere hamlet with forty-two
inhabitants and since that time he has been an energetic worker and a
dominant factor in the development of industrial southeastern Kansas,
and by his hearty cooperation in the remarkable growth and upbuilding
of Pittsburg has made himself an influential personality in the com-
munitv, and is recognized as one of its foremost citizens. John R.
Lindburg was born at Wimmerby, Sweden, Xcivember 22, 1849, ^^'^
is a son of S. P. and Sophia (Munson) Lindburg. His father was
superintendent of a large estate in the old county, but later immigrated
to America and located at Red Oak, Iowa. John R. was educated in the
public schools of his native land and graduated at Wimmerby College,
after which he clerked in a store for a short time and in 1868, when
nineteen vears of age. immigrated to .\merica, locating in Chicago, where
he worked at odd jobs for three months, and was engaged in the
mercantile business for a short time, when he went to Geneseo, 111.,
where he worked in a general store for a time. He then went to Cam-
bridge, 111., and engaged in the mercantile business as a member of
the firm of Randall, Alfred & Lindburg. In 1876 he severed his connec-
tion with that concern and went to Red Oak, Iowa, where his parents then
resided. Here he remained with his ])arents for a time and clerked in
a store, and in 1877 started out in search of a location and came to
Pittsburg. His selection of this locality was not accidental or haphazard.
He had studied the maps of the government geological survey which
showed the little hamlet of forty-two inhabitants, now the great com-
mercial city of Pittsburg, was practical!}- in the center of a great field
BIOGRAPHICAL I75
of rich coal deposits, and ]\Ir. Lindbiirtj figured thai that meant future
industrial development for that section, and time has proven that he
was correct. Me had studied pharmacy in his nati\e land and determined
to engage in the drug business, and accordingly formed a partnership
with J. W. Stryker, and they opened a drug store under the firm name
of Lindburg & Stryker,' and also handled a line of books, stationery and
drug supplies. Twe years later Mr. Lindburg purchased his partner's
interest and conducted the business until iS8(i, when he became one of
the organizers of the First National Bink of Pittsburg. Since that
time he has been a dominant factor in directing the policy of that
institution. The bank was organized with a paid-u]3 ca])ital stock of
$50,000 and at its organization T. J. Hale became president. John R.
Lindburg vice-president and C. 1'. Hale cashier. In January, 1907, the
capital was increased to $100,000. In 1887 Air. Lindburg became presi-
dent of the bank and has held that important position to the present
time. On assuming the responsibility of this important position he
devoted all his energies to making The First National Rank the
great financial factor which it is in southeastern Kansas today. He has
been an active working president of that institution since the day of
his election, always on the job and his genial temperament and pleasant
maimer in the treatment of his associates and the general public have
been important elements in the institution's success. The First National
liank has had a remarkable growth, and is one of the strongest banking
institutions in the country, and has shown capable and conservative
management since its organization, and is one of the banks that has
always weathered every financial flurry without a tremor. In 1907, when
most of the banks throughout the country withheld their de])osits and
did business with clearing house certificates, there was not a time but
what the First National I>ank paid every dollar that their depositors
demanded and did not resort to the use of clearing house checks. This
was also true of the other banks of Pittsburg, and this city has the
unusual record of never having had a bank failure. .\ comparison of
the first statement of this bank to the comi)tn)ller of currency made
with the last one shows, in striking figures, the remarkable development
of the business of this institutitm. The first statement, under date of
.\ugust 27. 1886. showed deposits amounting to .$24,708.62. with re-
sources of $86,459.70. The statement made at the close of business.
March 4. 1914, showed deposits amounting to $1,104,358.10 with resources
amounting to $1,404,722.60. Mr. Lindburg is active in many other
financial and commercial projects outside of the legitimate field of
banking, lie was one of the organizers of the Pittsburg Uuilding,
Savings & Loan Association and has been president of that institution
for thirty years. He was also one of the organizers of the Pittsburg
Investment Company, and has held the position of president since its
organizaticjn, fifteen years ago. He is a director in the Home. Light &
176 niCGRAPHICAL
Power Company and was one of the organizers of that company. He
was one of the organizers of the Kansas Bankers' Association and for
a time was treasurer of that organization, and in 191 1 served as its
president. He is a member of the American National Bankers' Asso-
ciation and was a member of the executive council of that organization.
He was a member of the first city council of Pittsburg and served as
city treasurer. He was also a member of the first school board of the
citv of Pittslnirgh. He was one of the organizers of the Pittsburg
Commercial Club, which is now known as the Chamber of Commerce,
and has served as president of that organization several terms, and is
• at present chairman of the finance committee. Mr. Lindburg is a
Mason and a member of the Shrine, and was instrumental in establishing
the Masonic lodge at Pittsburg. He is a member of the Knights and
Ladies of Security, the Fraternal Aid and a charter member of the
Fraternal and Benevolent Order of Elks. Air. Lindburg was united
in marriage July 6. 1S74, to Miss Emma J., daughter of Allen and Eliza
(Whitman) ^'aughan, and to this union have been born three children:
Lotta married Capt. \\'. ]. ^^'atson. a personal sketch of whom appears
elsewhere in this volume; Roll, druggist, Pittsburg, Kans. ; John R.. Jr.
married Madge Swearenger, Arkansas City. Kans., and is engaged in
the hardware business at Forsyth, Mont.
Louis Kumm, a pioneer merchant of Pittsburg and an active factor in
the commercial development of southeastern Kansas, is a native of
Illinois. He was born at Bellville, IMarch 9, 1841. and is a son of
Jacob and Mary (Kinsel) Kumm, natives of Germany. The father was
a cabinet maker and immigrated to America about 1838. The family
settled at Bellville, 111., where they remained about three years, when
they removed to St. Louis, Mo., where the father worked at his trade
until his death, June. 1848. He died of cholera, and his wife passed away
about the same time with that dread malady, thus Louis Kumm was
left an orphan at seven years of age. He went to live with an uncle
in St. Louis, attended school, and in early life learned the watchmaker's
trade, and in 1861 located at Sedalia, Mo., wliere he engaged in the
jewelry business. Here he remained until the fall of 1883 when he
came to Kansas, locating at Pittsburg, and engaged in the jewelrj'
business. Pittsburg was then only a small village of about r,200 popu-
lation, and Mr. Kumm remained actively in business there until 1914,
when he retired. He has taken an active part in the uiilniilding of his
adopted cTty and Has not only made a reputation as a successful business
man. but. also, has done his part in a public way in the development
of Pittsburg and its institutions. Politically Mr. Kumm affiliates with
the Democratic party, and has always taken a keen interest in political
affairs. AA'hile a resident of Sedalia, Mo., he served as mayor of that
town and was also a member of the city council several terms, but
after coming to Pittsburg the political complexion of that section was
^ Cfff.i ■ /f
7
'f/fU/t.
\
t
4
BIOGRAPHICAL 1/7
s(i decidedly Republican tiiat there was small chance of a Democrat
being elected to office ; however, he permitted his name to be used as a
candidate for office a few times in order to fill out the party ticket and
assist in maintaining the organization, but in April. 1913. at a time
when the more non-partisan view was entertained in municipal aflfairs.
Mr. Kunim was elected commissioner of finance of the city of Pitts-
burg under its new commission form of government, and is now serv-
ing in that capacity, and Pittsliurg is getting the benefit of his sound
business judgment and capability in administering the affairs of that
important office. Mr. Kiimm is ever ready to lend his assistance to any
enterprise tending to a greater Pittsburg. When the Masonic Temple
-Association was organized for the purpose of erecting the temple at
Pittsburg lie was elected president of that organization, and was one
(if the most active in bringing that enterprise to a successful culmina-
tion, lie was active in the building of the First Presbyterian Church
and one of the liberal contributors to that movement. He was one of
the organizers of that denomination in Pittsburg and has served as its
treasurer over twenty years. Mr. Kumm was united in marriage Xo-
vember 28, 1865, to Miss Rosalie \Mrginia, daughter of Robert and Eliza-
beth (Palmer) Brent, natives of \'irginia but later residents of Boonville,
Mo., where the father was engaged in the publishing business until his
death. Mrs. Kumm was born at Roonville, Mo., and educated in the
public schools and Kem])er's College. To Mr. and Mrs. Kumm were
born eight children : Clara, married Arthur K. Lanyon. cashier of the
National Bank of Pittsburg. Kans. ; Lewis (deceased); Charles (de-
ceased); I'hilip (deceased) was killed in a railroad accident at Mobile.
Ala., while on his way to enlist in the United States navy during the
Spanish-American war; Rosalia \'irginia married W. S, Newcomer, Cedar
Ra])ids, Iowa; Harry lirent, a jicrsonal sketch of whom appears in this
\dlume; IClizabeth P.rent, married Raymond I'rook Larter. Cedar Rapids.
Iowa, and one child died in infancy. The wife and mother of these
children dejiarted this life September 6, 1904.
C. Hitz, a C'i\il war veteran and ])ioneer miller and grain man of
Tiirard. Kans., is a native of .Switzerland, lie \v;is born January 22,
1844. and attended the public schools of his native land until eleven
years of age, when he immigrated to America, alone, aiid located in
Madis<m county, Illinois. This was in 1855, and he worked on a farm
there until 1858 when he came to Kansas, locating in Johnson county,
where he was also emi)loyed on a farm until i8()i. when he went to
Madison, Wis., remaining there until .\pril 2. 1862. when he enlisted in
the Twelfth Wisconsin battery, light artillery. His battery was at-
tached to the .Xrmy of the Tetuiessee and jiarticipated in the siege at
N'icksburg and the battles of hika. Corinth. Chatt.inooga, and was with
.Sherman on his memorable march to the sea, and took part in tiie battle
of .Savannah. Mr. Hitz was discharged at Raleigh, N. C., .\|)ril 2. 1805.
178 BIOGRAPHICAL
He served just three years in the army, nearly all of which time he was
on active dutv at the front, and he bears the unusual distinction of never
being absent from roll call during these three long weary years. At the
close of the war he returned to Madison, Wis., where he remained about
six months. He then took a commercial course at the Eastman Business
College. Chicago, 111., and after graduating from that institution returned
to Madison and accepted a position as bookkeeper in a mercantile es-
tablishment, and remained there until 1869. He then returned to
Kansas, this time locating in ^liami count}', and engaged in the milling
business in partnership with a cousin, John Tontz. Theirs was one of
the first .grist mills in that section of the country, and was located on
Rull creek, near Hillsboro. They remained there until December, 1870.
when they came to Girard, and built a mill, which was the first flour mill
in Girard, and the first one in Crawford county, with the exception of a
small mill that had been operated at Cato a short time previously. The
Tontz and Hitz mill was located about two blocks north of his present
plant, and was of the old style burr stone type, which was the only
process known to the milling world at that time. The partnership be-
tween Messrs. Hitz and Tontz continued until 1880, when Mr. Hitz
bought his partner's interest, and has since operated alone. In 1882 he
built a new mill, and installed the roller process, but also retained the
old-fashioned process for a time, or until the roller process passed the
experimental stage. His mill is now equipped with all modern methods
for manufacturing flour, and has a daily capacity of about a hundred
barrels. Among the popular brands of flour manufactured by Mr. Hitz,
the "Big H" and the "City Bell" are. perhaps, the best known. He has
customers in nearly every State in the Union, but ships more flour to
Arkansas than to any other State. In the fall of 1914 he shipped a car
load of flour to Belgium. In addition to his extensive milling business,
Mr. Hitz is also one of the pioneer grain buyers and elevator men and,
perhaps, does the largest grain business in the county. Mr. Hitz's in-
dustrial activity has by no means been limited to the milling and grain
business. \\'hen the Girard Foundrj' was organized he became one of
the original stock holders and later he and John Tontz, a brother of
Mr. Tontz, from Illinois, bought the foundry from the other stockholders,
and in 1900 Mr. Hitz became the sole owner of that enterprise, which
he has since operated, and his son, C. A. Hitz. now has the management
of that department of his business. They are extensive manufacturers
of stoves and employ from ten to fifteen men in the foundry. Mr. Hitz
was married at Madison, Wis., in 1868, to Miss Marj- Flint, a native
of that place, and to this union two children were born : Minnie, mar-
ried Fred H. Brown, Los .\ngeles, Cal.. and Mary, resides at home.
The wife and mother died in February, 1879, and Air. Hitz married for
his second wife. Miss Ellen Wells, of Madison, Wis., and to this union
was born one child, C. A., who is manager of his father's foundry at
BIOGRAPHICAL 1/9
Girard. He was educated in the public schools of Girard and St. Jdhn's
Military College, and married Anna Sullivan, of Girard. Mr. Ilitz is
the oldest miller in the State of Kansas, in point of time engaged in
that business within the State. He is one of those pioneers wIki has
largely contributed to the development of the grain business of the
State, and has seen Kansas develop from an unbroken plain to the great
agricultural empire of the West, and while Mr. Hitz has contributed His
share to the industrial development of the State. Kansas has been liberal
t(i him. In addition to his vast and varied industrial interest, he owns
a large amount of private property in Cjirard. ami is one of the sub-
stantial business men of southeastern Kansas. .Mr. ilitz is a Republican
and has ever taken a commendable interest in public affairs. However,
he has never aspired to hold political office, altiiougli he served as
mayor of Girard from 1897 to 1903.
Clinton R. Shiffler. — .Vlthough one of the younger nicinl>ers of the
Crawford count}- l)ar. Mr. .Shiffler has won a high place in his profession.
He is a native of Crawford county, born l-'ebruary i6, 1885. and is a son
of Samuel and Florence (Stahl) Shiffler, the former a native of Lebanon,
Pa., and the latter of Rockford, Mich. The father came to Kan.sas at an
early day. and was a successful farmer and stock raiser. He is now
living retired at Girard. Clinton R. Shiffler received his early educa-
tional discipline in the i)ublic schools, and was graduated from the
Girard High School in the class of 1903, and later entered the State Nor-
mal School at Emi^oria. where he was graduated in the class of 1908.
In the meantime he was i)rincipal oi the schools at McCune, Kans., one
term, and held a similar position a like period at .\twood, Kans. After
completing his college work at Emporia he became superintendent of
the public schools at Alamogorda, N. Mex. He held that i)osition
one year and during that time he organized a comi)any of Xew Mexico
National Guards, and became cajjtain of that organization. His work
as a military organizer and disciplinarian received the highest commen-
dation of (jovernor George Curry, of New Mexico. It will be remem-
bered in this connection that Governor Curry is more than ordinary
authoritv on that subject, ha\ing served as captain in the Rough Rider
regiment during the Spanish-. \merican war. In 1909, Mr. Shiffler re-
turned to Kansas and entered the law department of Kansas University,
and com|)lcted the three years' course in two years, graduating with
the class of 191 1, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. While at the
university he kept up his military work, and in 1910 was made recruit-
ing officer by Governor Stubbs, and organized the First Provisional
company. First Infantry, National Guard of Kansas, .iiid was elected
captain of that coni|ian>'. This company was unique, in that it was the
first comi)any in the United Slates consisting entirely of university men.
His military work here was the subject of hearty endorsement and
strong commendation by Gov. Stubbs. .\fter completing his law course
I (So BIOGRAPHICAL
Mr. Shiffler accepted the superintendency of the cilv schools at Glendire.
Mont., serving in that capacity one year. He then returned to Kansas
and after passing the bar examination, was admitted to practice in
June. 1912, and immediately came to Pittsburg, where he has since been
successfully engaged in the practice of his profession. Mr. Shiffler was
united in marriage August 27. 1913. to Miss Avery L. Oliver, daughter
of Ed. L. and Mattie (Booth) Oliver, natives of Tennessee, and the
father is now a furniture and music dealer at Alamogorda, X. Mex.
Mrs. Shiffler was born and reared in Lexington. Ky.. and was grad-
uated from the High School there, and later entered the Baptist College.
Alamogorda. X. Mex. She specialized in music and possesses unusual
talent in that art. to which she has devoted a great deal of study. She
graduated in 1912 from ^Mendelssohn Conservatorio of Music, Chihuahua.
Mexico. She was music director of the New Mexico Baptist College
and the city schools of Alamogorda. X. Mex., and now conducts a studio
in Pittsburg. Kans., and teaches the piano, violin and mandolin ; also
courses in Harmony and Music Theory. Mr. and Mrs. Shiffler are
members of the Church of Christ. Mrs. Shiffler's mother. ?klrs. Oliver,
was a music director in three large schools of the South, having taught
music for twenty years. She was a graduate from the University at
Lexington. Ky. Her father, Ed. L. Oliver, is a graduate from Hender-
son College, Henderson, Tenn., is now located in Xew Mexico, having
the largest business of its kind in that State.
Adam B. Keller, the popular county attorney of Crawford county.
Kansas, is a native of Missouri. He was born in Benton county. March
16. 1880. and is a son of S. C. and Mary C. (Ellis') Keller, the former a
native of West Virginia and the latter of Missouri. Adam B. Keller
received his preliminary education in the district schools of his native
State, and later entered Columbia Xormal Academy. Columbia. Mo.,
where he was graduated in the class of 1903. He then attended the
University of Missouri one year, when he entered the Kansas City School
of Law, where he was graduated in the class of 1907, with the degree
of Bachelor of Law. He immediately engaged in the practice of his
I)rofession at Pittsburg. Kans.. and soon built up an important law
])ractice. In 191 1, he became associated with George R. Malcolm, under
the firm name of Keller & ]\Ialcolm. which is recognized as one of the
leading law firms of Crawford county. Mr. Kellar is a Republican, and
since his residence in Crawford county took an active part in politics.
In 1912 he received the nomination of his party for county attorney.
and was elected to that office at the succeeding election. His conduct
of the affairs of that office was such that he was re-elected in 1914 by
a very satisfactory majority. Mr. Keller has established a record as a
conscientious and able prosecuting attorney, and at all times stands
for law enforcement, without fear or favor, and those who are familiar
with the conditions in Crawford county, and especially in the enforce-
BIOGRAPHICAL l8l
mcnt of ihe proliihition laws, can fully appreciate the conditions that
constantly confront the one officer of the county who is charged with
the constant enforcement of the law. Mr. Kellar has done this in a
way that has met with the unanimous approval of the substantial citizens
of the county which was evinced by his return to office after one of the
hardest fought ]jolitical battles in southeastern Kansas. He is a Mason
and holds membership in the Fort Scott Consistory and Mirza Shrine
at Pittsburg.
George R. Malcolm, one oi the best known young attorneys of Craw-
ford county, is a native of Illinois. He was born in Springfield, June 27,
1884, and is a son of Robert and Lillie (Reilly) Malcolm, the former a
native of Canada, and the latter of Illinois. The father was engaged
in the mercantile business until his death, which occurred in 1S88. and
the mother passed away two years later, and thus George K. Malcolm
was left an orphan at the early age of six years. The year following
his mother's death, he came to Anderson county. Kansas, to live with
an uncle who resided on a farm there. Here the boy attended the dis-
trict schools, and in 1897-8 attended school at Nashville, Mo. He then
attended business college at Pittsburg. Kans., where he mastered the
art of stenograjihy, after which he attended the State Manual Training
Xormal College for three years, lie then entered the law department of
Kansas University, at Lawrence, where he completed the course in two
years and in 191 1 was admitted to the bar of Kansas. He then entered in-
to a partnershijj with Adam B. Keller under the firm name of Keller &
Malcolm, Pittsburg. Kans. They have a large clientage and rank among
the leading law firms of the county. Mr. Malcolm is a York Rite
Mason, and a member of the Shrine. He also holds membershi]) in the
Pienevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
James W. Montee, of C.irard. is one of the widely known men of af-
f;iirs of snuthe.istcrn Kansas, lie was born in McDonough county,
Illinois. .Ma_\' 23, 1874, and is a son of iMuuk M. and Mary V.. (Purdum)
Montee. In 1875, when James W. was less than one year old, the
family removed to Kansas, locating in Crawford county, where the
father has since been successful engaged in farming and stock raising,
and has been prominent in public affairs, having served as treasurer of
Crawford county for two terms, and also two terms as coimty commis-
sioner. The Montee family consists of thirteen children, all of whom
are living. James W. Montee began his educational career in the dis-
trict schools of Crawford county, and later attended the Kansas Normal
College, at Fort Scott, Kansas. He then read medicine under the precep-
torship of Dr. J. I!, (iardener, of Cirard. and in i8()4, engaged in the
drug business at (iirard, imdcr the firm name of J. \\'. Montee & Co.
The business later became Montee i1- I-'razier, and is now conducted by
Montee Bros. They have one of the leading drug stores of Crawford
county, and enjoy a large patronage. While Mr. Montee has been sue-
l82 BIOGRAPHICAL
cessful in a business way, he has also been active in public affairs of
his county and State. He is a Republican, and has been prominent in the
affairs of his party. In 1904 he was elected representative from the
Twentieth District, and represented his constituents in such an able
and satisfactory manner that he was re-elected in 1906. During- the
period of his membership of the lower house, he was an active and
conspicuous figure in much of the important legislation. He introduced
the bill providing that express companies be taxed and also the good
roads bill, which received much favorable comment throughout the coun-
try at that time. He led the movement and introduced the bill creating
the Thirty-eighth Judicial District, which made Crawford county a
separate district. He was a member of the committee on railroads, and
the committee on mines and mining, and State institutions, and was
chairman of the committee on fees and salaries. He has been a member
of the Republican State Executive Committee, and has been a delegate
to numerous county. State and congressional conventions, being a mem-
ber of the congressional committee that gave Hon. P. P. Campbell his
first nomination for Congress. Mr. Montee was married January 31,
1899, to Miss Letetia S., daughter of John Kennedy, of Illinois. Mrs.
Montee was born in Morgan county, Illinois, and was a child when
her parents removed to Chanute, Kans. She was educated in the public
schools and in the Wichita High School. To Mr. and Mrs. Montee has
been born one child, Sarah Frances, a student in the Girard public
schools. Mr. Montee is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons, Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodman of America. Mrs.
Montee and daughter are members of the Presbyterian church, and
she is active in club and church work.
Thomas P. Waskey, secretary of the Pittsburg Building, Saving &
Loan Association, is a Kansas pioneer and has spent thirty-five years
of his life in the commercial activity of Crawford county. He was born
at Keasauqua, Iowa, September 29, 1847, and is a son of Alex and Nancy
(Purdom) Waskey, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of
North Carolina. The father practically spent his life in the mercantile
business, and for a number of years, in the early days, was located a:
\\'estport. Mo., which is now included within the limits of Kansas
City. He died in 1879. Thomas P. Waskey remained at home and
assisted his father with the business until 1868. when he came to Kansas
and engaged in the general mercantile business at Oswego. He re-
mained there until 1880 when he came to Pittsburg, then a small village
of aliout 400 ])opulation. He opened a general store at Litchiield, a
mining camp in that vicinity, where he conducted a business for three
years. He then engaged in the grocery business in Pittsburg. Five
years later he disposed of that business and opened a general store at
Frontenac. now a suburb of Pittsburg, but continued to make his home
in Pittsburg. He successfully conducted that business for ten years,
BIOGRAPHICAL 183
when he. with others, organized the Pittsburg Wholesale Grocery Com-
l)any. and became the secretarj^ and treasurer of that com])any, and
was thus engaged about two years, when he organized the Waskey
Commission Company, and about the same time became interested in
the manufacture of brick and tile, being one of the organizers of the
Pittsburg Brick & Tile Company, lie later disposed of his interests in
those companies and on February i, 1904, became secretary of the Pitts-
burg Building. Saving & Loan Association. This is one of the most
substantial institutions of the kind in the State, and was organized in
March, 1883, with an authorized capital of a million dollars. Its first
officers were O. T. Boaz, president ; S. W. Baxter, secretary ; and the
])resent officers are John R. Lindburg, president; F. C. Werner, treasurer;
T. P. \\'askey, secretary, and C. A. Miller, vice-president. This company
has had a rapid and substantial growth from the day that it began
business, and has always been under a capable and conservative business
management. The total amount of their loans has reached the high
water mark of $325,000.00. and it is one of tJie important institutions of
Pittsburg. Mr. Waskey is interested in other commercial enterprises,
although the building and loan business practically occupies all his time.
He is secretary and treasurer of the Pittsburg & .Arkansas Zinc &
Mining Company, and takes an active part in promoting industrial
Pittsburg. He is a member of the Commercial Club and has served as
president, secretary and treasurer of that organization. He is prominent
in Masonic lodge circles and is a member of the Benevolent and Pro-
tective Order of Elks. He was unite3 in marriage in March, 1874, to
Miss Nellie Hosley. of Oswego, Kans. To this union have been born
two children : Carl O., of El Paso, Texas., and Joe A., salesman for the
Pittsburg Wholesale Cirocery Comijany. Mr. \\'askey is perhaps one of
the best known men of Crawford county and his affable manner and
genial disposition have won many friends.
Dr. Charles F. Montee, M. D., a leading physician of Pittsburg. Kans.,
is a nati\e cf IlliuMis. lie was born at McComb. McDoniiugh county,
July 15, 1870, and is a son of Frank M. and Mary E. (Purdum) Montee,
the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Illinois. In 1874 the family
came to Kansas, locating on a farm in Crawford county, where the fatlier
has since been engaged in farming and stock raising. Tie has taken an
active part in public aft'airs and has served as county treasurer four
years and county commissioner three years. Dr. Montee was four years
of age when the family removed to Kansas. He received his early edu-
cation in the i)ublic schools of Crawford county and later attended tJic
Kansas Normal College, Fort Scott, Kans. Tie also took a business
course in Spalding's Commercial College at Kansas City, Mo., and
shortly afterwards entered the State University of Ohio at Ada. Ohio,
where he took the course in pharmacy, graduating in the class of igoo
with the degree of Ph. D. He then returned to Kansas and engaged in
184 BIOGRAPHICAL
the drug business at Cherokee, and after remaining there a year he
entered Basnes Medical College, St. Louis, AIo., where he was graduated
in the class of i(;o3 with the degree of M. D. During the last two }ears
of his medical course at Barnes College he held the chair of pharmacy
and materia medica, and was also assistant professor of chemistry.
\\'hile in St. Louis he was also a staiT physician and surgeon at Centenary
Hospital. After receiving his degree in medicine he returned to his
native county in Illinois and engaged in the practice of his profession.
remaining there until 1910, when he came to Pittsburg, Kans., which has
since been the field of his professional activities. Dr. ^Montee is a skilled
physician and surgeon and has built up a large practice. He was staff
physician at the Samaritan Sanitarium of Pittsburg until that institution
was closed. He is now health commissioner of the city of Pittsljurg.
^^'hile practising in Illinois he was a member of the Tri-State Medical
Society and served as vice-president t^f that organization. He is now a
memljer of the County, State and American Medical Associations and
also holds membership in the Ancient Free and .Accepted Masons, Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and Modern \\oodmen of America. Dr.
Montee has been twice married. On Xovember 18, 1897, to Miss Ina,
daughter of David and Maria (Foster) Scott, of McDonoiigh county,
Illinois. To this union were born two children: Isabelle. died in infancv.
and J. Kenneth, now a student in the Pittsburg schools. Mrs. Montee
died in February, 1910. and on April 30, 191 1, Dr. Montee was united
in marriage to Miss Eva, daughter of W. H. and Ida ( Hammond)
Willey, of Crawford county, Kansas, and now residents of Mulberry.
Mrs. Montee was born in Crawford county and was a sucessful teacher
for a number of years in the city schools of Galena and Pittsburg prior to
her marriage. Dr. and Mrs. Montee are members of the Presbvterian
church and she is a memljer of the Eastern Star.
Edwin Lee Hepler, postmaster of W'infield, Kans., is a native of
Indiana, but has been a resident of the Sunflower State since he was
three years old, and for a number of years has been an active factor in
the industrial and political life of Cowley county. He was born at
Washington, Ind., August i, 1876, and is a son of Samuel J. and Sarah
A. (Hunt) Hepler. The father was born at Greensboro, X. C, Septem-
ber "6, 1841, of German and English parentage. They were large
planters and slave holders in North Carolina prior to the Civil war.
Samuel J. Hepler was one of a family of six children, as follows: Robert
E.. died on the old homestead in 1912; Samuel J.. Frank E., Cvnthia.
Tryphena and Margretta. all of whom are living, excepting Samuel T-
and Robert E. Samuel J. Hepler was reared on the Xorth Carolina
plantation and educated by a private tutor, as was the custom of the
better class in the South in those days. When the war broke out he
organized a company and entered the Confederate service as captain.
He served three years and participated in many important engagements.
BIOGRAPHICAL 185
and was severely wounded at the l)atilc uf Antietam, wlu-re lie received
five gunshot wounds, and his left arm was so badly shattered that im-
mediate amputation was necessary. There being no available surgeon,
Ca])tain lie^)ler assisted in amputating his own arm, a feat that seems
almost superhuman, but it was characteristic of the man, whose courage
always rose to the occasion. In iSC)/ he came to Ivansas and located at
Emporia, where he remained two years, when he removed to Xeodesha,
and after spending four years there, he went to Indiana, locating at
\\ashington, and shortly afterwards was elected sheriff of Davies county
and held that office f<nir years. In 1S79 he returned to Kansas and
located at W'infield. engaging in the hotel business and later operated
a transfer line. In 1884 he became district manager for the Consolidated
Oil Tank Line Company, with offices at W'infield. This cumiKiny was
absorbed by the Standard Oil Company in 1S90, and he continued in the
same capacity fur that company until his death, which occurred at
r.altimore, Md., August 25. 1903. He was a member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, being one of the charter members of Winfield
Lodge, .\'o. loi. He was a member of the Methodist F.])iscopal cluuch.
.Samuel J. ilepler and Sarah A. Hunt were married at Thomasville.
X, C, September 6, 1866, She is a nali\e of Thomasville, born .Septem-
ber 19, 1844, a daughter of r.artlctt X. Ilunt. a native of Scotland. She
now resides at W'infield, Kan. To .Samuel J. and Sarah A. (Hunt)
Hejiler were born nine children, as follows: W'illa. horn July 16, i8r)7.
now the widow of William 15. I-'iles, Pass Christian, Miss.; Margaret.
born March i, iSCk,;, died August 7, 1870; Freddie and Mollie, twins,
born May 29. 187 1. the former died January 17, 1872, and the latter
October 3, 1872; Knland L., born March 4, 1873, now resides at Kewanec.
111.: Maud L.. bi)rn .March 16. 1875. miw a trained nurse, Pass Christian.
Miss.; Edwin Lee, the sulijcct of this sketch; Walter 15., born June 5,
1878, resides in Wichita, Kans.. and Charles David, born March T7, 1883.
resides at W'infield, Kans. lulwin Lee ile])ler came to W'infield, Kans..
with his parents in 1879, and received his education in the i)ul)lic schools
and St. John's Cf)llege. In 1897 he became manager for the W'infield
branch of the Standard Oil Company, and served in that capacity until
January I. 191 5, when he resigned to accept the iiostmastershiii of W'in-
field, to wdiich he was appointed October 21, i<)i4. .Mr. Ilepler w'as
united in marriage at W'infield, Kans., Jinie 12, i()o8, to Miss Lena
Mildred, daughter of Casper and lona .Atlanta (Myers) Gardner, the
former a native of Indiana, born .\ugust 28, 1843, and the mother was
born in I'lrown county. Kansas, .\ngust 23, 1854, and was the first white
child hcirn in Pirown countv. Mrs. Hepler was burn ;it lliawatha, Kans..
SeiUember 29, 1882, and educated in the Hiawatha High School and
Kansas I'niversity. 'I'o Mr. and Mrs. Ilepler have been liorn three
children: f-'na Laurel, born June 17. 11)09; Clarina .\deen, born October
31. 191 1, and -Anita Faye, born September 2(), uju. Mr. Hejilcr is a
l86 BIOGRAPHICAL
Democrat and has taken an active part in local political affairs. He has
served as chairman of the County Democratic Central Committee. He
is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Oscar Weimar Schaeffer, cashier of the State Bank of Girard, Girard,
Kans.. has been identified with this institution since 1870, and is one of
the best known men in financial circles in southeastern Kansas. Mr.
Schaeffer was born at Lisbon, Linn county. Iowa, February 17, i860, and
is a son of Josiah and Nancy B. (Weimar) Schaeffer. natives of Hol-
land and descendants of the old Sa.xe-\\'eimars of that country. The
parents first located in Pennsylvania, after coming to America and then
lived in Xew York for a time, when they came west, locating at Lisbon.
Linn county, Iowa. The father was a minister, and also a newspaper
man. He conducted a newspaper at Lisbon, where he was also pastor
of the Congregationalist church, from there he removed to Sharon, \\'is.,
where he published the Sharon "Gazette." and about 1867 removed to
\\'hitehall, Mich., where he published the Whitehall "Forum" and was
also pastor of a church there. His ne.xt move was to Kansas, locating
at Coffeyville. where he published the Coffeyville "Journal," which was
one of the pioneer newspapers of southern Kansas. In 1870. he removed
to Girard. where he was pastor of the First Presbyterian church.
Shortly after that he was called to Ohio, on accoimt of the illness of
his father, and never returned to the \\'est, permanently, after that, but
was connected with some prominent churches in the Eastern cities, and
was well known throughout the country as one of the prominent minis-
ters of his time. He was associated with Moody and Sankey, the cele-
brated evangelists for a time. He was a close friend and associate of
Dr. T. De\\'itt Talmage. and on several occasions preached in the
Brooklyn Tabernacle. Doctor Talmage's church. For a time he was
pastor of the .-^nn Carmicheal Memorial Church. Philadelphia. Pa. He
took a prominent part in educational, as well as religious and literary
work, and was financial commissioner of the Elmira Female College,
Elmira. X. Y. This was one of the first women's colleges in the country.
He died at Rochester. X. Y., in 1890. His wife preceded hiin in death
several years, she having passed away at Sharon. Wis., in 1867. They
were the parents of five children, as follows : Maggie, the wife of L. M.
]Mares. Curtis, Xeb. ; Benjamin K., Curtis, Xeb. ; C. L., Xew York City ;
Oscar W., the subject of this sketch, and Irving, who was drowned in
White Bay, near \\'hitehall. Mich. Oscar W. Schaeffer was educated
in the public schools of Sharon. Wis., and also attended school at Cof-
feyville. after the family came to Kansas. He also assisted his father
in his newspaper work until 1870, when they came to Girard. He was
then employed as clerk in the store of Mr. Seabury for a time, when
he made his start in his banking career. He was employed as a clerk
in the bankins: house of Frank Plavter, and although this institution
BIOGRAPHICAL 187
has changed hands a number of times, Mr. Schacffer has remained
steadily in the employ of the ])ank, and for the last thirty-five years has
held the position of cashier. The State Bank of Girard is the oldest
banking institution in Crawford county, having been established in
1870, and was conducted as a private bank until 1905, when it was in-
corporated under the Ijanking laws of Kansas. It has a paid-up cap-
ital stock of $50,000 and a surplus of $19,000, and is one of the sub-
stantial and well conducted banking institutions in southeastern Kansas.
In addition to his interest in banking Air. Schaeffer is an extensi\c land
owner in Crawford county, lie is a member of the Knights of Pythias,
Uniform Rank; Independent Order of Red Men, Benevolent and Pro-
tective Order of Elks, Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Anti-Horse Thief
Association. Girard Business Men's Club, American Piankers' Associa-
tion and the Kansas State Bankers' Association. During his long and
successful career as a banker, Mr. Schaeffer has made a wide acquaint-
ance and many friends, and by his straightforward business methods has
won the confidence of the financial and commercial world.
Edwin V. Lanyon, ]:resident of the Xational I'ank of Pittsburg, is
a dominant factor in the financial and industrial world, and belongs to
a family who have figured conspicuously in the industrial development
of southeastern Kansas for the last quarter of a century. Edwin V.
Lanyon is a native of Wisconsin. He was born at Mineral Point De-
cember 14, 1863, and is a son of Josiah and Jane (Trevorrow) Lanyon,
the former a native of Mineral Point and of English descent and the
latter a native of England. The father came to Pittsburg, Kans.. in
1S82. and was interested in the smelter develo])ment of that section, but
later returned to Mineral Point. Wis. Edwin \'. Lanyon received
his education in the public schools of Mineral Point, and in 1882 came to
Pittsburg with his father, where they built a zinc smelter which they
operated until 1897, which was o])erated under the firm name of \V. & J.
Lanyon. They also built a large smelter at lola. A number of members
of the Lanyon families were interested in these gigantic smelting proj-
ects, and thousands of dollars were involved. The Tola plant was oper-
ated under the name of Robert Lanyon & Sons Smelting Company, as
was also the LaHari)e ])lant, and these institutions were later absorbed
by the Lanyon Zinc Company. In the spring of 1899 Edwin V. Lanyon,
of this review, became sui)erintendent of the Lanyon Zinc Company's
smelters at lola and LaHarpe, and remainc<l in that capacity until 1902,
when he went to Xeodesha and. in partnership with his brother. Deli is,
and William Lanyon, Jr., built a zinc smelter which they operate<l about
a year, when it was sold to the Grady M. I't 1. Co., of St. Louis, then
he returned to Pitt.sburg, Kans., and became president of the Xational
Bank of Pittsburg, with which he had been associated as director for
a number of years I)efore. This is one of the substantial banking institu-
tions of southeastern Kansas, and manv of the best business men of
l88 BIOGRAPHICAL
that section have been interested in it for years. \\'hile Air. Lanyon
S:;i\-es the Ijanking interest the greater amount of his attention, he is
still interested in a number of important industrial projects. In 1906 he,
with his brother. Deles, and associates, organized the Lanyon Star
Smelting Company at Bartlesville, Okla., and constructed a large plant
at that place, which they still operate. He was one of the organizers
of the Pittsburg Zinc Company which purchased a plant in Pittsburg
in 1907, which they still operate, and of which company he is president.
In 1905 he, with other interests, organized the Home Light,
Heat and Power Company, of which he was president; later that com-
])any was absorbed by an eastern syndicate. Besides his banking in-
terests in Pittsburg he is interested in the Mulberry State Bank, of which
he is vice-president. Besides his vast private industrial interests Mr.
Lanyon has found time to devote to the public welfare, and is public
spirited and is ever ready to support any public enterprise tending to a
greater Pittsburg. He has served as mayor of Pittsburg one term, and
is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce. He has been vice-
president of the Commercial Club and is vice-president of the Carnegie
Library Board. He is a Knights Templar Mason and a member of the
Shrine, and belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, Benevo-
lent and Protective Order of Elks, Modern Woodmen of America and
the Fraternal Aid. Mr. Lanyon was united in marriage November i-j,
i8Sq, to Miss Lydia, daughter of T. L. and Caroline (Neff) Scott, of
Pittsburg, Kans., where her father is a contractor and builder. ]\Irs.
Lanyon was Ixirn in Missouri and came to Kansas with her parents
when a child. She was educated in the public schools and taught for
a time in the Pittsburg city schools. To Mr. and Mrs. Lanyon have been
born three children : Marjorie married T. G. Hill and resides at Pittsburg;
Ldwina was a student at Dana Hall. Wellesley, Mass., and Dorothy
a student at Monticello Seminary, Monticello, 111. Mrs. Lanyon and
(laughters are members of the Presbyterian church.
Noah E. Miller, — In the death of Noah E. Miller, which occurred May
22, 1910, Comanche county lost one of its most enterprising and valued
citizens. Mr. Miller was a native of Holmes county, Ohio, born July
29, i860. He was a son of Eli and Mary (Mast) Miller, natives of Ohio.
Noah E. Miller was reared on a farm in Ohio, educated in the public
schools of that State, and in 1890, came to Kansas, locating in McPherson
county. He followed farming there until 1896, when he removed to
Rent) county, where he bought considerable land and was engaged in
farming on an extensive scale for a few years. He then spent a number
of years in Oklahoma and Texas, and in 1907 bought 2,000 acres in
Valley township, Comanche county situated in one of the richest parts
of Comanche county, known as Collar Flats. He built commodious and
substantial farm buildings and added all modern improvements unfil
he had one of the finest places in the county and was successfully en-
BIOGR.M'HKAL 189
gaged in farming and stock raising until the time of liis death.
Mr. Miller was an active and influential citizen and a life long RejMibli-
can, but never desired to hold public office. He was a mem])cr of the
Mennonite church and one of the organizers of that denomination in
Comanche county. Mr. Miller was married January 12, 1882. to Miss
Sophronia, daughter of William and ^lartha ((lonser) Hummel, natives
of Ohio. Mrs. Miller was born October 2. 1861. To Mr. and Mrs.
Miller have been born fourteen children, as follows: Ursula, born
November 5. 1882; Elias, born March 5. 18S4; Alfred, born October 4,
1885: Lewis, born June 30. 1887; David, born May 2, 1889; Howard,
born March 22. i8gi ; Baldwin Forest, born May 4, 1893; X. Tucson,
born April i, 1895; Mary Martha, born January 6, 1897; Xora May. born
December 17. 1898; Billie Dennis, born April 28. 1901; Levi .\braham,
born March 17, 1903, and Christina Rebecca and Harold Roosevelt,
twins, born August 12. 1905. The Miller family are well known in
'."omanche county, and prominent in the communit}'.
William Henry Knecht, who. for over thirty years, has been ideniiticd
with the dcvclcipnicnt of soutiiwcstcrn Kansas, is a native of Ohio. He
was born in Mahoning county, near the l)irth])lace of the late ['resident
McKinley. December 6, 1859. He is a son of Stejihen and Diana
(Kaescher) Knecht. The father was born in Xorthamjjton county.
Pennsylvania. March 3, i!^30. of Pennsylvania parents, who removed to
Ohio at an early day and from there to Michigan in 1865. Diana
Kaescher was born in Ohio in 1838. .She was a daughter of j'^ederick
and Mary (Haulin) Kaescher, natives of Prussia, who immigrated to
America and settled in Ohio at an early day. To Stephen and Diana
(Kaescher) Knecht were born two children: William Henry the subject
of this sketch, and FJvvood Frederick, born May 12, i860, died November
24. 1884. William Henry Knecht came to Kansas in 1884 and located
on (lovcrnnunt land in .\villa township, Comanche county, where he
has since been engaged in farming and stock raising. He ]xissed through
the early-day trials encountered by the average pioneer and has suc-
ceeded tr) the extent that he is now one of the prosperous men of the
coimty. He owns a well improved farm of 785 acres, and since coming
to Kansas has taken an active interest in local affairs. For ten years
he was postmaster of Avilla, which was a lively town in the early days
but met the fate of many of the early Kansas towns and is now extinct
and erased from the map. Mr. Knecht is a Republican and has held
various township offices. He was married .August 26. 1890. to Miss .Anna
K., daughter of .Abraham and Flizabelh (Shelley) Darnell, natives of
A'irginia. The father was born September 20, 1822. He was an early
settler in Kansas and died in Cowley cotmty June 4, 1884, having been
gored to death by a bull. His wife was born December 12. 1818. and
died in I'.oone county, Indiana. .April 22. 1862. They were the i):uents
of six children, as follows: Isaac; Rebecca; Sarah C. ; William Henry
igO BIOGRAPHICAL
(deceased); Anna K. and Lucy (deceased"). To Mr. and Mrs. William
Henrv Kencht have been born four children : Frederick Ehvood, born
September 3. 1893, died in infancy; Paul \\'illiam, born September 21,
1894; Elmer Harold, born March 17, 1896, and died July 26, 1896, and
Harry, born May 20, 1897. Mr. Knecht is one of the pioneers of southern
Kansas who is entitled to his share of credit for the part that he has
taken in tiie development of Comanche county.
Nis H. Skourup is mayor of Pittsburg, Kans., and a prominent fac-
tor in the industrial development of that progressive metropolis of south-
eastern Kansas. Mr. Skourup was born at Schleswig, a province of Ger-
many, May 28, 1868, and is a son of Hans and Catherine Skourup, both
natives of Schleswig, but of Danish origin. The father was a farmer
and engaged in that vocation throughout life, with the exception of the
time that he served in the army of his native land. Xis H. Skourup was
reared in his native land and educated in the public schools and when a
young man entered the Danish army and during his period of service
was a member of the famous body guard of the King of Denmark at
Copenhagen, for fourteen months. After the expiration of his term of
enlistment he served an apprenticeship in the creamery business in his
native land, and soon became an expert butter maker. In 1889 he im-
migrated to America, locating in Grimdy county, Iowa, where he was
engaged in creamery work for three years. He then entered the Water-
loo Commercial College, Waterloo, Iowa, where he completed a thor-
ough business course in 1893. Shortly after finishing business college
there he came to Kansas, locating at Richmond, where he had charge
of the creamery for three years. He then went to Ottawa and
engaged in business for himself, conducting the Ottawa Creamery Com-
pany, as owner and proprietor, for four jears. In 1900 he disposed of
his interests in Ottawa and came to Pittsburg, organizing the Craw-
ford County Creamery Company and has been president of that organ-
ization since that time, and through his untiring efforts, coupled with
his detailed knowledge of the creamery and butter business, he has built
up one of the most extensive businesses of the kind in southeastern
Kansas. The products of his creamery, which consist of butter, cream
and ice cream, have an established reputation for their high degree of
merit which needs no comment here. In addition to his active business
career, Mr. Skourup has found time to devote considerable attention to
the public affairs of his city. He has served as a member of the board
of education of Pittsburg, and in April, 1913, was elected mayor of
Pittsburg, and his administration of public affairs has been one of ef-
ficiency and economy, well known to all who are familiar with the con-
duct of his administration under the commission form of government;
recently inaugurated in that city. Mayor Skourup has shown himself
to be a man thoroughly capable of transacting public business on the
same high plan that he has conducted a successful private enterprise.
BIOGRAPHICAL I9I
He was united in marriage April i8. 1896, to Miss Anna M. Greischer,
of Richmond. Ivans. Mrs. Skoiirup is a native of the Sunflower State,
born in Richmond, I-'ranUIin county, and educated in the public schools
of her native county. She is a daughter of Charles Greischer, a prom-
inent farmer of Franklin county. To Mr. and Mrs. Skourup have been
born two children: Elnora. a graduate of the Pittsburg High School,
and ^lildred. a student of the Pittsburg schools. Mr. Skourup is a
members of the Masonic order, including the Mystic Shrine, and holds
membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife is a
member <if the Eastern Star.
William Aaron Brandenberg, president of the Manual Training Nor-
mal School, Pittsburg, Kans., is well known throughout the West and
Southwest as a prominent author, lecturer and educator. He was born
in Clayton county, Iowa, October 10, 1869, and is a son of Frank and
Enfield ( Ma-xwell ) Brandenberg. William .Aaron IJrandenberg was
reared on his father's farm and attended the district school, and later
graduated from the Volga High School. He then taught school about
a year and a half, and his first pedagogic experience was in the traditional
little old log school house. He then became assistant superintendent of
the Volga schools, and held that position for three years, resigning to
attend college. In 1895 he matriculated at Drake University, Des
Moines, Iowa, and was graduated in the class of 1900 with the degree,
I'aclielor of Philosophy. In 1900 he accepted the superintendency of
the Park Avenue district school, where he remained three years, when
he became superintendent of the Capital Park district school. In 1905
he resigned to accept the suiierintendcncy of the public schools at Mason
City, Iowa. In 1910 he became superintendent of the city schools of
Oklahoma City, Okla., and in .August, 1913, accepted the presidency of
the Manual Training Normal School of Pittsburg, and has capably
filled that responsible position to the present time. Mr. Brandenberg
has had a broad field i<( experience in educational work. He has done a
great deal of institute work and has been called to the field nf Chau-
tauqua work, in which he is very popular as a lecturer, and in con-
^Ide^able demand. He is an instructive and entertaining public speaker,
and has had a broad exi^erience in that line of work. Prof. Brandenberg
is the author of a research and reference work on United States History
and Civics of the State of Iowa, which was published in 1903. In
1903-4-5 he was instructor of education in Drake University, Des Moines,
Iowa. Mr. Brandenberg was married June 22, 1893, to Miss Alta, daugh-
ter of William and Lucy (Chapman) Penfield, of Volga, Iowa, where
her father is engaged in the mercantile business. Mrs. Brandenberg was
born at Volga, where she attended the public schools, graduating from
the high school, and later attended Upper Iowa University, Fayette,
Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Brandenberg have been born six children:
Lola, graduate of the Oklahoma City High School, Central Normal
192 BIOGRAPHICAL
Training' School of Oklahoma, now a member of the senior class of
normal college, State Manual Training Normal School ; Amv, member
of the senior class of Pittsburg High School; Merrill, student in the
Pittsburg High School; Harold, Helen and ^^'illiam A., Jr., all students
in the Pittsburg schools. Mr. Pirandenberg is a Knights Templar
Mason and a member of the Shrine, Knights of Pythias, Modern ^^"ood-
men of America and Yeoman. He and his wife are members of the
Christian church.
Harry Brent Kumm, cashier of the First National Bank of Pittsburg,
is one of the substantial young business men of the banking industry of
southeastern Kansas. Mr. Kumm was born at Sedalia. Mo., June :?3,
1880, and is a son of Louis Kumm. a personal sketch of whom appears
in this 'volume. Harry Brent Kumm was about three years of age when
his parents removed to Pittsburg, and thus his entire life has, practically,
been s])ent in that city. He was educated in the public schools and
about two months before he would have completed his high school course
he accepted a position as messenger in the First National Bank. This
was in January, i8g8, and he has been connected with this financial in-
stitution since that time, and gradually advanced from one position to
another, and on July i. 1911. became, cashier, succeeding J. L. Rogers,
whose death occurred at that time. Mr. Kumm has held that position
since that time and is recognized as one of the capable financiers of Pitts-
burg. He is a director in the Pittsburg Building. Savings & Loan Asso-
ciation. He takes an active part in the promotion of public affairs and
is active in the Chamber of Commerce and Merchants' Association. He
is a director of the Young Men's Christian Association and a member
of the First Presbyterian Church and active in the work of the congrega-
tion, being a member of the board of trustees and president of that body.
He is prominent in Masonic circles, l^eing a York Rite Alason and a
member of the Shrine. Mr. Kumm was united in marriage October 7,
1914, to Miss Lorene. daughter of J. H. and Delila (Fhut) Cooper, of
Westmoreland, Kans. The Cooper family came from Illinois and are
early settlers of Pottawatomie county. Kansas, where the father was a
prominent farmer and stock raiser and served as register of deeds for
six years and sli,eriff for four years of that county. He died in May,
iqi2, and is survived by his widow, who resides at Westmoreland, Kans.
Mrs. Kumm was born in Pottawatomie county, and educated in the pub-
lic schools of Westmoreland and Washburn College, Topeka. She is a
member nf the Methodist Episcopal church.
Charles M. Bean, a pioneer of Comanche county now deceased, was
a prominent factor in the development of Comanche county, and 1)\'
his industry and thrift became one of the well-to-do and substantial
citizens of that section of the State, lie was a native of Iowa, born
September 6, 1853, a son of Plato Bean, who was a pioneer of Iowa and
in 1864 returned to Illinois, where he spent the remainder of his life.
BIOGRArillCAL 103
Charles M. llean was ediicalcd in tin- jmhlic schools and when a younc;
man removed to Texas, where he remained until 1884. when he came
to Comanche county, Kansas, and located on Government land twelve
miles east of Coldwater. 1 Ic entjafjed in farming and the cattle Inisiness
and was successful, lie bought additional land as he ])rospcrcd and at
the time of his death owned 88o acres, and his wife has bought 840
acres since his death, and the family now owns 1,720 acres. It is all
well improved and considered one of the best farms in Comanche county.
Mr. r.ean was a Republican, but never asj)ircd to hold political office,
although he was public s])irited and took a keen interest in the welfare
of his county and State. . lie died April 27, 1900, and thus closed a
successful and honorable career. He was united in marriage October
21. 1875, at Monticello, 111., to Miss Xancy M. Cooper, who survives
him and now resides at \\\'ilmore, Kans. Sh'e is a daughter of William
X. and Elizabeth (Rainwater) Coo])er. Mrs. Bean was born at Monti-
cello, 111., February 21, 1857. Her father was a native of Pulaski, Ky.,
born May 15, 1821, and died at Post Oak, Texas, .April i, 1890. His wife
died at Monticello, 111.. .Xjiril 25, 1868. They were the i)arents of thirteen
children, as follows: Elizabeth Ellen, Mary Jane, Oliver Perry, Martha
Anne, Franklin Green, Carl Craughen, William Howard. .Xancy Margaret,
Sarah .Mice, Dora Emma, .\riz<ina r>elle, Levi Lincoln and L'relda Ressa.
To Charles M. Ilean antl Xancy M. Coojjer were born five children:
Franklin Alonroe, born SejUember 17, 1876; Henry Oscar, born June 3,
1879; Purley Xewton, born March 25, 1882; William Cooper, born June
15, 1884; Dora Alice, born January 6. 1890. The I'.ean family ;ire anmng
the prominent citizens of Comanche county and are highly respected.
Merit M. Cosby, a Kansas ])ioneer and a isrominenl citizen of Clark
county now living retired at Protection, was born in Jefferson coiuity,
Indiana, Xovember 13, 1862. He is a son of Thomas X. and Mary
Elizabeth Jane (Xay) Cosby. The father was a native of Kentucky, born
near Covington March i, 1822. His ])arents were \'irginians who settled
in Kentucky before that State was admitted to the L'nion. Mary
Elizabeth Xay was born in Jefferson county, Indiana, .April 13, 1825.
She was a daughter of Samuel Xay, a native of \'irginia and a ver)- early
settler in Indiana. She died July 20, 1873. Thomas X. Cosby removed
from Kentucky to Indiana in 1841 and settled in Jefferson county, where
he was successfully engaged in farming and building until his death,
January 31, 1869. He was well off at the linn- of his death. He was
a prominent Mason and a member of the Kaptist church. To Thomas
X. and Mary Elizabeth Jane ( Xay) Cosby were born eight children, as
follows: Sarah Isabella, born March iG. 1844. married Zephaniah Loyd,
a Civil war veteran who served as a ))rivate in the Eighty-second regi-
ment, Indiana infantry, and resides in Jefferson county, Indiana; Mary
Elizabeth, born I'cbruary 15, 1847, died January 2, 1849; William
Lafavette. \'alley I'alls. Kans.. born .April 26, 1850. married Christiana
194 BIOGRAPHICAL
Rutlidge and they have four children, Jolin, Lillie. Ora and Mamie;
George Otto, born November 25. 1832. pliysician. Bnrnsville, Ind., mar-
ried Anna Keneer and they have three children, Alyra, Hubert and Anna
Marie; Thomas Xaton, born May 8, 1855, married Martha Nevil, died
Mav 7, 1902, leaving four children. Elba, Otto, Lucinda and Edna; John
Irvin. born January 10. 1858. died September 13. 1858; Louisa Jane,
born Februarj' 28, i860, married George Rock and they have five chil-
dren, Bertha, Clara. Blanche, Arthur and Elmer, and Merit M., the sub-
ject of this sketch. Merit M. Cosby was seven years old when his
father died and about a year later his mother passed away, and thus he
was left an orphan at the age of eight years.- He went to live with an
older brother and attended the public schools of Jefferson county, In-
diana, and remained in that State until 1884. He then came to Kansas,
locating on Government land on Bluff creek, Clark county. The town
of Lexington was located on his homestead, and he was one of its or-
ganizers and incorporators in 1886. and was elected a member of its
first council, and held that office during the life of the town, which was
three years, when it became extinct for the reason that they failed to
secure a railroad. Mr. Cosby was engaged in farming and stock raising
until 1890. when he removed to Protection and engaged in the mercantile
business. He continued to buy land in Comanche county and is now
one of the large land owners of that section. He is a Republican and
prominent in the local organization of his party, and has held various
city and township offices and was justice of the peace for a number of
years. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and
the Baptist church. Mr. Cosby was married at Madison, Ind., March 16,
18S1, to Miss Florence Jane, a daughter of Gamaliel and Lydia Jane
(Lewis) Rogers, the former a native of Switzerland county, Indiana,
born October 31, 1837, of Ohio and Kentucky parents, his father being
born at Cincinnati, Ohio, when it was a mere trading post and his mother
a native of Kentucky. Gamaliel Rogers was a veteran of the Civil war,
having served four years as a private in Company A, Sixth regiment,
Indiana infantry, and participated in many important battles, including
Shiloh. His wife was a native of Indiana, born August 17. 1838. In
1886 the Rogers family came to Kansas and remained in this State until
1902, when they removed to Missouri. Mrs. Cosby was born in Ripley
county, Indiana, December 3, i860, and is the oldest of a family of ten
children, the others being: DeLana, born April 6. 1862, now postmaster at
Buffalo, Okla., married Isabelle Phillips, and they have seven children :
Ora, Estella, Maly. Alta. William. John and Taft ; Robert Willis, born
June 18, 1865, died September 22, 1885 ; Jessie Anne, born January i, 1866,
married Charles Pauly and they have four children : Frank, \Mlliam, Elva
and Xellie; Johnnie Belle, born May 10, 1868, married Charles Morrison;
Christiana Rachael. born November 18. 1870. married \\'illiam Schworkey
and they have five children: Orville, Charles, Lewis, Paul and Nicholas;
BIOGRAPHICAL 195
Samuel Nicholas, Ijorii July 6, 1872, married Mary Painter and they have
eight children; Moses, born August 10, 1873, died July 20, 1874; Celia
Rebecca, born October 6. 1879. married Samuel Diece, Gary county,
Kansas, and Pearl, born December 6, 1880, married Leslie Lynch and
they have two children ; Orville and Laverne. To Mv. and Mrs. Merit
M. Cosby have been born five children, as follows : Jane, born December
12, 1881. married Armand Baker, March 16, 1904; George Otto, born
December 7. 1882. died December 17. 1882; Lydia Myrtle. l)orn March
7. 1885, died September 7. 1885; I''''ed Leo, born August j8, 1889, married
Elaine Shepard May 30. 1914, and Foy Rogers, born December 12, 1894.
Mr. Cosh)' is one of the hardy pioneers who, like many other early
Kansas settlers, is entitled to a great deal of credit for the part that he
has played in making Kansas one of the greatest states in the Union.
These pioneers, no matter how much success they attain in a material
way, will never be fully repaid for the hardships which they ciuhired
and the dangers to which they were exposed during tlieir exi)ericnce
in the early days while establishing a home on the plains (jf the West,
not only for themselves but for posterity.
William Vonneida Jackson, of Mayo, Kans., has been an important
factor in 'the de\clij])mcnt of Comanche county for thirty years, and is
one of the large land owners and stockmen of so^1thern Kansas. lie is
a native of the Buckeye State, born at Dayton, Ohio, February 2, 1863,
and is a son of Samuel B. and Martha (Vonneida) Jackson. Samuel B.
Jackson was a native of Virginia, born at ^^'aterford, October 3, 1824.
of \'irginia parents. lie was a graduate of the ( )hio High School and
I'ater read law under the preccptorship of Judge White, who was later
a member of the Ohi(j Supreme Court. .Samuel Jackson was practicing
law at Dayton, Ohio, when the Civil war broke out. and when the call
for volunteers came he turned his law office into a recruiting station,
organizing two com|)anies. and was elected ca])tain of Company E,
Twenty-fourth regiment. Ohio infantry, and scr\ed in tliat capacity at
the front until his health failed and he resigned. In 1870 he came to
Kansas, locating on Government land in what was then Howard, but now
Elk Cf)unty. Here he spent the remainder of his life, and died November
28, 1877. His wife. Martha Vonneida. was born in Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania, October 16. 1838, and died March 2, 1872. She was a
native of Lancaster county. T^ennsyivania. and the oldest daughter of
Rev. Solomon and Elizabeth (I""rey) \'onneida. both Pennsylvanians.
To Samuel B. and Martha (Vonneida) Jackson were born three children:
William Vonneida, the subject of this sketch ; Charles H.. born A\n\\ 14,
1867, farmer. Comanche county. Kansas, and Martha Miriam, born June
3, i8(V), marrictl Harmon Kahler. of Hardin county. Ohio, and they have
four children: Carl. William. Henry and Mary. William \'onneida
Jackson was educated in the i)ublic schools of Ohio and Otterbein
Universitv of Westerville. Ohio, and in i88^ came to Kansas, locating
ig(, BIOGRAPHICAL
on Government land in Comanclie county. lie was one of the very
earliest settlers of that section of the State and in the early days
encountered all the discouraging features incident to the western Kansas
pioneer. He prospered in the cattle business, and with each sticcessful
step bought additional land until he now owns 5,700 acres, which is one
of the best stock farms in southern Kansas. His place is known as
"Valley Farm" and is located in Shinier township, twenty miles south-
east of Coldvvater, the county seat. The place is well improved, with
modern and convenient buildings, which includes one of the best resi-
dences in the county, which was built at a cost of $8,000. Mr. Jackson
has installed an up-to-date electric light plant, water works, etc. He
makes a specialty of raising Hereford cattle and Duroc-Jersey swine.
He is also a successful alfalfa and wheat grower. Mr. Jackson has
always taken a prominent part in public affairs of his locality and is
a Republican. He served as treasurer of Comanche county from 1894
to 1898. In 1908 he was elected a member of the State legislature, serv-
ing in the sessions 1909 and 1911, and took a prominent part in that
legislative session, in which he was a useful member of many important
committees. He was united in marriage April 18, 1889, at Coldwater,
Kansas, to Miss Rose Robertson. She is a daughter of John and Maria
{'XeilD Robertson and 'was born at Spirit Lake, Iowa, December 10, 1869.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have been born four children: Daniel Xeill,
born September 14, 1891 ; Ruth, born January 9, 1895; Charles R., born
June 19, 1896, and Lucile, born August 13, 1902. Mr. Jackson is a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and his wife
are members of the United Brethren church.
Fred Hinkle, county attorney of Clark county, is one of the youngest
men in the State to occupy this important position. He is a native of
Kansas, born near .\shland. January 14. 1S91, and is a son of Chris and
Sarah .\. (Olinger) Hinkle. Chris Hinkle was born at Stone Arabia,
X. Y., June 19, 1857. a son of Jacob and Louise (Diehl) Hinkle, natives
of Germany. He was reared on a farm, educated in the public schools
of Xew York and was engaged in the live stock business for a .number
of years in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. In 1882, he came to Kansas and
settled in Montgomery county, and two years later removed to Clark
county, locating on government land two and one-half miles west of
.\shland, the county seat. He still owns his original homestead and
has added to it until he ncnv owns 720 acres which he dexotes to cattle
raising principally. He is one of the pioneers of Clark county, coming
to that section of the State about a year before the county was organized.
In 1885 he hauled lumber from the railroad at Dodge City, which was
the first lumljer brought to .\shland and was used in the construction of
the first building of that town. He was one of a family of eight
children, the others being as follows: Henry, Conrad (deceased) ; Philip,
Fred (deceased) ; ^^'illiam and Carmeta. Chris and Sarah (Olinger)
BIOGRAPHICAL I97
Hinkle were united in marriage at Buffalo, Mo., in 1885. She was born
at ISuffalo, Mo.. April 18, 1857, of Tennessee parents. Her father was a
farmer and spent the latter part of his life in Missouri lie was a Civil
war veteran, and ser\-ed as justice of the peace in Dallas cnunty.
Missouri, for fifteen years. lie died in 1890 at Ijuffalo. Mo., and his
wife passed away at the same place ten years later. .She was a descend-
ant of German nobility, being a member of the Garr family who trace
their lineage back to 1519, when the family coat of arms was known as
"Stanii3wai)pen Des Garr." Descendants of this Garr family founded a
colony in \'irginia in 1732, and organized Culpeper county in that State.
At that time Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, presented the \'ir-
ginia members of this family with a pipe organ as a token of his regard
f<ir them. Later, members of the (iarr family removed to Kentucky.
and built the first brick house that was erected in that .State and after-
wards one of them liecame governor of Kentucky. Members of this
family were among the founders of Louisville. Ky. Sarah Olinger was
one of a family of nine children, as follows : Martha, Susan, Nancy,
David, Louise, Mary (deceased) ; Elizabeth, Eliza (deceased), and Sarah.
Fred llinkle, whose name introduces this sketch, was the only child
born to Chris and Sarah (Olinger) Hinkle. lie was educated in tlie
public schools of .\shland and was graduated from the .\shland High
School in the class of igii. He was a member of the Ashland High
School debating team, who was well known all over the State. They
defeated thirty-five high school debating teams in Kansas and were
awarded a silver loving cu]) by the University of Kansas, .\fier coiu-
jjleting high school, Mr. llinkle entered the L'niversity of Micliigan.
Ann Arbor, Mich., where he was graduated from the law dci)artineiit -n
the class of 1914. While a student there he was a member of tlii;
Webster Law Club and served as president of that organization in 1913.
The Webster Law Club is one of the leading law students' associations
in America. On June 14, 1914. Mr. llinkle was admitted to the supreme
cotirt of Michigan and on the twenty-eighth of the same month he was
admitted to the su])reme court of Kansas. In 1914 he received the Demo-
cratic nomination for the office of count}- attorney of Clark county,
and was elected by the largest tnajority of any candidate on the ticket.
Mr. Hinkle is a close student and i)ossesses a natural adaptitude for
the law, and is making a marked success in his chosen ])rofession.
J. Claude Lewis, an extensive land owner and stockman of Comanciie
County. Kansas, has for a number of years been one of the large cattle
men of the Southwest. Mr. Lewis was born near Bethany, Harrison
county, Missouri. May 13, 1873, in a two-room log house, which became
the home of the family soon after the Civil war. He is a si>n of Merritt
and Mary (Copeland) Lewis. Merritt Lewis was a native of Darke
county, Ohio, where he was born in March, 1839. He was one of a
family of twelve children, four of whom were anKJng the first settlers of
igS BIOGRAPHICAL
Harper count}-, Kansas. Those who settled in Harper county were
Joseph. Frank M.. Hank and Mart. The Lewis family removed from
Ohio to Indiana at an early date, and settled near where Terre Haute is
now located, and the father died there when quite a young man. Merritt
Lewis was a Civil war veteran, having served in Companv E, Fifty-first
Illinois infantr\-, throughout the war. He participated in the battles of
Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and many other im-
portant engagements. He received honorable recognition for bravery
on the field of battle, in the instance of capturing a CtJnfederate flag. At
the close of the war he went to Missouri and located in Harrison county,
where, with his small savings, he bought an unimproved farm near
Bethany. His wife. Alary Copeland, was a daughter of John K. Cope-
land, of Bethany, Mo. She was born near Gallipolis, Ohio, November
3, 1845, ^"d now resides at Carthage, Mo. To Merritt and Mary (Cope-
land) Lewis were born four children, as follows: Charles H., J. Claude,
the subject of this sketch; Burt V. and Grace. Merritt Lewis lived on
his farm near Bethany, Mo., until about eight years ago, when he re-
moved to Carthage, Mo., and spent the balance of his days in retirement.
He died May 11, 1913, aged seventy-five years. He was an uiiright
citizen and commanded the respect of all who knew him. and above all
he died possessed of the love of his children, who recognized in him the
noble qualities of an ideal father. During his lifetime he had extensive
ranch interests in Kansas and Indian Territory. He was a member of
the Masonic lodge and the Grand Army of the Reijublic. J. Claude
Lewis, whose name introduces this review, received his education in the
public schools of Bethany, Mo., and Wellington and Sedan, Kans. At
the age of seventeen he left Bethany, Mo., and went to Anthony, Kans.,
as his father was interested in the cattle business in that section of
Kansas and Oklahoma. Life on the plains and the cattle business
fascinated young Lewis from the start. After spending a season on the
plains, he returned to Bethany, Mo., and invested all his savings in cattle
and thus began his career as a cattleman. The following spring he
went to Carthage, Mo., spending the summer on his father's farm there,
but during all this time he heard the call of the West, and on August
2, 1893, he saddled his horse and started for .\nthony, Kans. When
he reached there he found all in excitement over the opening of the
neutral strip in Oklahoma, which was to be opened to homesteaders
September 16, 1893. It was important to be on the ground early in order
to have a choice of the land which was to be opened to settlement, and
the man with the fastest horse had considerable advantage in the race
for a good location. Mr. Lewis headed for a locality which is now Kay
county, near Blackvvell, Okla., and succeeded in locating on a choice
claim. During the day three or four others staked his claim, but he
settled with the first party to file for a small sum, which he considered
very large at that time. Shortly after this he drifted west in Oklahoma
BIOGRAPHICAL I99
with the cattle interests, with a view of locating south of the Cimarron
river. In the Gloss mountains on the Cheyenne creek, he liuntcd and
camped out. lookin<; the country over thoroughly and after finding no
permanent settlers he decided that he had found what cattlemen called
"a cow paradise." Here he arranged a camp and began the cattle
business. He bought young cattle as long as his money lasted and
worked for other cattle men at roundup work, etc., in order to pay ex-
penses. He invested every dollar he could get in young cattle and in-
creased his herd and range until 1896-7 when settlers began to rush in
and take np the range for homesteads. He then secured another range
in the sand hills, north of Salt Fork river, near Walnut Grove crossing.
About this time he sold a half interest in his business to Tom S. Mof-
fett, and they began buying cattle in the southern country and trailing
them to this ranch. They also secured a lease on a large tract of l.nul
in Comanche and Kiowa counties, Oklahoma, and during the same time'
they were feeding cattle extensively at Cameron, Kans. Settlers still
pursued them and began to close in on their range, and the Government
refused to renew the lease, and they began looking for another location
suitable for the cattle business and in June, 1900, they located at tiic
old town of A villa and Mr. Lewis formed a ])artnership with John Mof-
fett, Tom S. Moffett and L. 11. 'Andrews and they bought about 24,000
acres, with a view that it would some day make a good farming country.
Here they began handling cattle on a large scale and in addition to their
large holdings they leased considerable land near by. and at the same
time grazed hundreds of cattle in the Flint Hills, farther east. At the
same time they began farming on a large scale and began to raise con-
siderable wheat and other grain. In 1909-10 western land began to
boom and they sold several thousand acres to settlers in that locality,
but still retain about 9,000 acres and carry on general farming exten-
sively, as well as a large cattle business. In the spring of 1913 they be-
gan to prepare a large acreage for wheat and sowed between 6,000 and
7.000 acres that fall, and in 1914 their yield was over 100,000 bushels,
which is some item considering the high j)rice of wheat. Mr. Lewis
was united in marriage October 4, 1904. to Miss Maude P>. Thrift, of
Chetopa. Kans., who with her parents resided in Harper county, Kansas,
near .\nthony, for thirteen years before locating at Chetopa. Mrs. Lewis
was born in Dallas comity. Iowa, .\ugust i,^, 1XH3. .^hc' is ;i daughter
of S. J. and .Mice (Nevil) Thrift. .S. J. Thrift was born in Guilford
county. Xorth Carolina, July 28, 1848. and went to Indiana when a boy.
When the Civil war !)roke out he was in that State, and on December
28, l86_^, enlisted at Indianajiolis. Iiul., in Com|>any 1. Xinth reginunt.
Indiana cavalry. He particii)ated in the battle of Pulaski, Tenn., and
in the cam])aigns against Forest and Hood. He was also at the battles
of Drick River. Cohunbia. Franklin and Xashville. He received an hon-
orable discharge September 25, 1865. .\t the close of the war he re-
200 EIOGRfVPHICAL
turned to Indiana and was married and shortly afterwards went to Iowa,
locatingf in Dallas county and followed railroading and farming. In
1890 he came to Kansas with his family, locating near Anthony. Harper
county, where he followed farming until 1903, when he sold his place
and bought a farm near Chetopa, Kans.. where he resided until igo6,
when he sold out again and removed to Chetopa. where he is now living,
retired. Mrs. Lewis is one of a family of seven children. She was seven
vears of age when her parents located in Harper county. Kansas. She
attended the district schools and began teaching at the age of eighteen.
She taught school in Kansas and Oklahoma and was an exce]^tionally
successful teacher, and when the family removed to Chetopa. in ic)03,
she taught school in that vicinity one term ])rior to her marriage. Mrs.
Lewis is a woman of unusual aliility and is. in fact, not only a hel])-
mate. but a jjartner of her husband. She is just as successful a wife as
she was a school teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis reside on their Comanche
county ranch during the summers and spend the winters in Kansas City,
Mo., where Mr. Lewis is interested with the Moffett Bros. & Andrews
Commission Company, as well as land interests in Kansas, Missouri,
Texas and .\rkansas. Mr. Lewis is one of the progressive and public
spirited citizens of Comanche county, and has ever been a hard worker
for the development of Comanciie county and the betterment of the
community. He is ever ready and willing to support, witii his time
and money, any enterprise that tends to the upbuilding of Comanche
county. He is vice president of the Peoples State Bank, of Coldwater,
Kans.
Samuel H. Hughs, a Civil war veteran and pioneer of Clark county,
Kansas, is a Kentuckian. He was born on a farm in Allen county, July
I, 1841, and is a son of Meredith and Xancy (Hunt) Hughs. The
father was a native of North Carolina, born February 22, 1802, of old
southern stock. He was a prominent plantation owner and a memljer
of the county court, and owned slaves before the war. He was killed
in Madison county, Arkansas, in 1S67, having been shot from ambush,
presumably bj- political enemies. His wife died in 1863. They were the
parents of nine children, as follows: Mary Ann, Joseph J., Betsey L.,
John L., Lucinda C. Martha, Walter Scott, Xancy Jane and Samuel H.,
all of whom are deceased exce]it Samuel H., whose name introduces
this review. .Samuel H. Hughs was reared in Allen and Ohfo
counties, Kentuck\-. and educated in the ])ublic schools. When the Civil
war broke out and the Xorth and .^uutii were mobolizing their warring
legions, allhough a southern man, he cast his lot with the Cnion. and
enlisted in Company F. First .Arkansas cavalry. He i)articipated in
many important battles and hard fought campaigns and at the expiration
of his term of service, after receiving his discharge, he engaged in the
mercantile business at Cincinnati, Ark., wliere he remained a few years,
when he went to Greene county, Missouri, where he was engaged in
BIOGRAl'IIKAL 201
farming until 1884. He then mined to Clark county. Kansas, locating
on Government land in Lexington township, where he has since been
successfully engaged in farming and stock raising, and now owns a well
improved, productive farm of 1,500 acres. In 1885, shortly after coming
here, when Clark county was t)rganized, he was elected county treasurer,
and thus has the distinction of being the first county treasurer of Clark
county, and a further ])olitical distinction was conferred ui)on him at
that election in that he received every vote that was cast for the office
of county treasurer. He has always taken an active part in public affairs
and has always been a public spirited booster for the best interests of his
county and Slate. He was one of the founders of the town of Lexington,
which was a thriving western village for a few years but met with the
fate of many other early Kansas towns that v\ ere missed by the railroads
and are now extinct. Mr. Hughs was married October 7, 1868, to Miss
Eliza E., daughter of David W. and Rozilla (Still) ISryaiU. She was
born in Lawrence county, ^Missouri, August 15, 1S51. Her father was
a native of \'irginia, born in 1S07. and died May 29, 1887, and her
uKither was l)orn in 1818 and died April I, 1895. To Mr. and Mrs.
Hughs have been horn eight children, as follows: Meredith William,
born August 18, 1869, died September 14, 1870; Rozilla Delia Dian, born
February 10, 1871, died May 8. 1876; Lemuel C, born June 20, 1874,
died October 5, 1874; Ottawa L., born July 13, 1876; Timothy AL, born
January 2(), 18S0; (iay .\., born .\ugust 23. 1886; David, born March ly,
1890, died March ij. 1890, and .\nnie V.\a. born Xovember 30, 1892. now
the wife of E. A. I^hoades. Politicall)- Mr. Hughs is a Republican. Lie
is a member of the Masonic lodge at Asliiand. Clark county. Kansas, and
also a meiuber of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is an active worker
in llu- ci 'nL;rcL;atii m.
Michael Sughrue. — The life's history of Michael Sughrue is closely
inlerwiixt'H with the early settlement of the Southwest. He was a Civil
war \eteran and well known as an early day plainsiuan and an Indian
scout, who rendered in valuable service to the (government in several
military expeditions against the Indians. He was the lirst sheriff elected
in Clark county and iiad the imusual distinction of having been elected
to that office five times. During the first years of his incumbrancy in
that office, when the country was new and has its "bad men," the duties
of the frontier sheriff were frequently the kind that "tried men's souls."
Hut he was always ecpial to the occasion, lie was a man of irnn ner\e.
(|uick ])erception, courage and resourcefulness, and as an officer of the
law never shrang fro mhis duties no matter how hazardous. Michael
Sughrue was a native of County Kerry, Ireland, born l'"ebruary 17, 1844.
He was a son of Hiunphrey L. and Mary (Sullivan) .Sughrue,
natives of Ireland. The jiarents immigrated to America witli their family
of three children in 1852; they located in Washington, D. C. wli.ere the
father was a teaclier for ten vears. .Vs earlv as 1862 thev came to
202 BIOGRAPHICAL
Kansas, locating at Leavenworth, where the father was inspector of
weights and measures for the city of Leavenworth twenty-five years, and
lateV removed to Ford county, locating on Government land, where he
spent the latter days of his life. He died April 20, 1885. He was twice
married, his first wife being Mary Sullivan, and three children were born
to this union, as follows: Mary, born February 18, 1841, married John
Riley, now deceased, and nine children were born to this union : William
(deceased) ; James, Mary, Michael, Lizzie, Joseph, John. Ralph and
Daniel (deceased). The two younger children of Humphrey L. and Mary
(Sullivan) Sughrue were Patrick Francis and Michael (twins), born
February 17. 1844. Patrick Francis attended the public schools of
Washington, D. C, and when the Civil war broke out he enlisted in
Companv C, Xinety-fifth regiment, Illinois infantry, and served three
years and four months. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg, in
the Red River expedition under General P>anks. and many hard fought
battles and important campaigns, and at the close of the war he entered
the service as a farrier and in that capacity served at Forts Leavenworth,
Camp Supply and Dodge. He retired from the army in 1878, when lie
engaged in blacksmithing at Dodge City. In 1884 he was elected
sheriff of Ford county and served for four years at a time when the sheriff
of Ford county had to be a real sherif?, for that was the time that Dodge
Citv was the mecca of the criminal element of the frontier. He made
a good record and had many lively encounters with the gunmen of those
early days. He was seriously wounded at one time in subduing an
attempted jail delivery. He died April 2, 1907, from the effect of injuries
received in an elevator accident at Topeka. Patrick Francis Sughrue
was twice married, his first wife being Catherine Sullivan, a native of
Ireland, born in 1843 and died in 1877. Five children were born to this
union, two of whom are living, Catherine and Francis. His second
wife was Katherine Trutzler, a native of Germany, and eight children
were born to this marriage: William, Annie (deceased^, Humphrey,
Lizzie, Ralph, Joseph, Lena and Andrew. Michael Sughrue, whose name
introduces this sketch, was educated in the public schools of Washington,
D. C, and came to Kansas with his father in 1862. Shortly after coming
to this State he enlisted in Company E, Seventh regiment, Kansas
cavalry, serving four years. He was in a number of important battles
and was wounded once, although slightly. When the Civil war was
ended he entered the Government service as a scout, and served under
General Miles in that capacity in several expeditions against hostile
Indians in the West. * He rendered valuable service in that hazardous
sphere of military life. He was later transferred to the quartermaster's
department in the capacity of wagon master, and crossed the plains on
several occasions with supply trains from Fort Leavenworth over the
historic Santa Fe trail to Fort L'nion, X. Mex. Prior to 1885 he served
as under sheriff of the territory now comprising Clark county when it
BIOGRAPHICAL 2O3
was attached to Ford county for judicial purposes, and in 1885, when
Clark county was organized, he was elected its first sheriff, and from
that on until the time of his death he was elected sheriff of Clark county
five times. He died while serving his fifth term, January 2, 1901. He
took an active part in the early organization of Clark county and was
one of the ])ioneers to whom the great Slate of Kansas will ever owe a
debt of gratitude for the jiart that he performed so well in the early
settlement and in the development of the State. lie was a member of
the Catholic church and belonged to the Grand Army of the Republic.
Michael Sughrue was united in marriage at Atchison, Kans., Jmie 3,
1874, to Miss Anna, daughter of William and F.lizabeth (Devine)
W'alters, natives of Germany. Mrs. Sughrue was born in the Fatherland
May 13, 1838, and when three years old was brought to America by
her parents, who located at Atchison. Kans. Her father was a brick
manufacturer there and died June 20, 1899, and the mother died July 5,
1905. To Michael and Afina (Walters) Sughrue were born ten children,
as follows: Mary I-'lizabeth. born March 3, 1876; Francis, born September
i.^' ^^77'- \N'illiam, born January 13, 1879. died October 2, 1879; Julia,
died August 17. 1880; Cecelia, born October 15, 1882; .\gnes, born
December 2, 1884; James, born July 22, 1886; George, born January 12,
1888: I'.ernadine. horn December 13, 1890, and Herman, born June 7, 1899.
Odus G. Young, a member of the firm. Young Brothers, is one
of the most extensive cattlemen of the Southwest, and belongs to that
type of Americans who have become accustomed to doing big things
in the commercial world without apparently knowing it. He might prop-
erly be termed one of the captains of the cattle industry. The Young
Pirothers' ranch is located in the far famed fertile valley of Bluff creek,
Clark county, Kansas, consisting of 15,000 acres, and is one of the best
equipped cattle ranches in southern Kansas. Odus G. and Alanzo F.
"S'oung engaged in the cattle business in Kansas and were located in
Comanche county until 1908, when they bought ii.ooo acres in Clark
county, and later added to it until they now own 15,000 acres. They
not only raise and feed cattle extensively but have branched out in other
spheres of agriculture, about 200 acres of their ranch being under
alfalfa, and in 1914 they raised 1,200 acres of wheat, which
averaged twenty-five bushels per acre. Odus G. Young has for
years been an extensive cattleman in Oklahoma and Texas, and now
has other vast and varied interests besides the Clark county. Kansas
property, wliich by no means is a small jiroposition in itself. He is
heavily interested in Texas ranch iirojjerty. being one of the owners of
"Figure Two" ranch, which is also known as the "Black Mountain"
ranch, located in Fl Paso and Culberson counties. This ranch consists
of 450,000 acres and has a capacity of handling 20,000 head of cattle, and
is one of the great cattle ranches of western Texas. In addition to his
interest in these vast acres in Texas and Kansas Mr. Young is also
204 BIOGR.\PHICAL
extensively interested in farm property in Missouri. Odus G. Young
is a native of Missouri. He was born in Ray county Januarv- 20. 1858,
and is a son of Ambrose M. and Permelia Frances (Graham) Young,
natives of Missouri and of Kentucky parentage. Mr. Young was
reared in Missouri and educated in the pubHc schools of that State and
has been doing things ever since he started out in life. He has been
interested in politics since he was a boy, and has always been strong for
the policies and principles of the Democratic party. He was elected
mayor of Carrollton, Mo., in 1888, and served two terms, being the
youngest man ever elected to that office in Carrollton and the only
one elected to succeed himself up to that time. In 1896 he was elected
a member of the Missouri State senate from Jackson county, and was
prominent in the legislation of that body. He was a member of a number
of important committees of the senate, and was chairman of the judiciary
committee. He was the author of the bill creating the home for feeble
minded which is now located at Marshall. Mo., and stands as a monu-
ment to his efforts in the cause of humanity. This was the first and is
the only institution of its kind in the State of Missouri. Mr. Young
has been a prominent figure in Missouri State politics for years, and is
well known all over the State. A\'hile his business interests have ex-
tended over a wide scope of country, including several states, Mr. Young
has continued to reside in Missouri, and has a beautiful home at Xo.
2910 Campbell street. Kansas City, ilo. Mr. Young was united in
marriage December 14. 1882. to ^liss Ida F. Gant. a native of Ray
county, Missouri, born January 3, 1862, and a daughter of Dr. Jackson
D. Gant. a near relative of the late Judge Gant of the supreme court
of Missouri. To Mr. and Mrs. Young have been born six children, as
follows: Jack F.. born November 3, 1889; David (deceased); Graham
(deceased); Odus G.. Jr.. born May 13. 1895; Carrie Frances; Ambrose
(deceased). Mr. Yoimg is a member of the time-honored Masonic
lodge.
Charles C. Everitt, the efficient and jxipular county clerk of Crawford
county, is one of the well and favorably known men in that section of the
State. Mr. Fveritt was born in Middlefork, Hocking county, Ohio, De-
cember 12. 1873, and is a son of R. S. and Elizabeth (Friend) Everitt,
natives of Ohio. The father was a descendant of Pennsylvania Dutch
stock, and his parents removed from the Keystone State to Ohio at a
very early date. The mother is of German and French descent, and
her parents were also pioneers of Ohio. R. S. Everitt came to Kansas
with his family in 1883. and on September 20 of that year, located on a
farm five miles northeast of Girard. and he was engaged in farming
there for a number of years, and now owns a farm two and a half miles
northwest of Girard. but for the last few years has been engaged in
business in Girard. He is a Republican and has been active in the politi-
cal life lit the county since locating there. He served for three vears
BIOGRAPHICAL
205
as suiK'rintendcnt oi the county poor farm. Charles C I'.vcrilt, whose
name introdiices this sketcli. is one of a family of seven chiklren. as
follows: Charles C; \V. C, locomotive engineer on the Santa Fe rail-
road, Chanute. Kans. ; Jessie, married James Kelly, Girard. Kans. ; Ed-
ward, Girard. Kans.; Ray, occupies the home farm; Gladys and Anna,
botii residing; at home. Charles C. Everitt was educated in the public
schools of Ohio and Kansas and taught school in Crawford county for
two years. lie then entered the employ of the Devlin Coal Company,
now known as the Cherokee and Pittsburg Coal Company. Mr. Everitt
serxed in the capacity of vveighmaster for six years and for tv\'o years
was foreman of that company, resigning that position to become check
weighman for the miners, lie served in that capacity until January 11.
190'). when he was appointed deputy county clerk of Crawford county
and held that office four years. In 1912 he received the Republican
nomination for the office of county clerk and notwithstanding the fact
that 1912 was not a Republican year in general and was a Socialist year
in particular, in Crawford county. Mr. Everitt was defeated by the
small margin of seventy-seven, out of a total of 12,000 votes. In the
following January, when he turned his office o\-er to his successor, he
accepted a position as bookkeei)er and cashier for the J. \i. Crowe Coal
&■ Mining Company, and in 1914 he again became the Rc]Miblican can-
didate for county clerk and after one of the hardest fought iiolitical cam-
paigns in Crawford county, he was elected by a majority of 293. and
assumed the duties of that office January i, 1915, and is now serving in
that capacity. Mr. Everitt's qualifications as an accountant and his long
experience with the duties of the office of county clerk well qualified
him for that resiionsible position. He was united in marriage December,
1896, to Miss Rosa, daughter of C. I'. Montee, a pioneer of Crawford
coimty. who came from Illinois to Kansas at an early date. To Mr. and
Mrs. Everitt have been born four children, as follows: Robert Clifford,
aged sixteen ; Frances Pauline, aged fourteen ; Alta Marcet, aged thirteen,
and Charles Montee, aged nine. Mr. E\eritt is a staunch Republican
and has been active in the party organization since casting his first vote.
He served as treasurer of the school board of Crowberg. Kans. Me is
a member of the Masonic lodge, the Ancient Order of I'nitcd Workmen
and the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and licilds membership in the Metho-
dist Episcopal church. Mr. Everitt is a strong advocate of out-door
sports and is an enthusiastic discii)le of hunling and fishing and has a
reputation of being the best wing shot in Crawford county \\ ilh the
true spirit of the sportsman, he is a great dog fancier, Llewellyn set-
ters being his favorites and he always keeps a few of them in his kennels.
Benjamin Ulysses Towner, a Kansas pioneer and early day cowboy
and ])lainsnian of the Snuihwcst, is now a well known and pros])er<ius
real estate man at Protection. Kans. He was born in I'ike ccmnty. ( )hio.
Januarv 24, 1S73. and is a son of William 11. and M.irgai'cl A. (Smith)
206 BIOGRAPHICAL
Towner. For a more extended history of the Towner family see sketch
of Calvin C. Towner in this volume. Benjamin U. Towner came to
Kansas with his parents in 1884, and at the early age of eleven years
began his career as a cowboy on the plains of Kansas. He followed that
vocation in Colorado, Indian Territory and Texas, and for sixteen years
lived in the saddle. He became an expert horseman and roper and a
crack shot. His was the school where self-reliance, resourcefulness and
courage were developed. He made nine trips with cattle over the trail
from Xew ^klexico and Texas ranges to Kansas. He Avas
present at all the openings of the Indian lands to white settlement in
Oklahoma, beginning with the original opening of a part of that territory
in i88g. He broke seventy-six head of wild horses for the use of other
people preparatory for the race for land at the opening of the Cherokee
strip in 1893. He was engaged in handling horses and cattle on the
range until 1906, when he located at Protection and engaged in the
livery business. In 190S Mr. Towner engaged in the real estate and
auction business and is one of the successful and prosperous real estate
men of southwestern Kansas. During the years 1912-13 he did $463,000
worth of business in real estate, besides an extensive auction business
throughout southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma. Mr. Towner
was united in marriage .Vpril 25, 1903, to Miss Elva B.. daughter of
James and Jane (Cochran) Smith, natives of Indiana, where Mrs. Towner
was born April 2, 1873, and came to Kansas with her parents in 1876.
Mr. Towner is a Thirty-second degree Mason, being a member of Con-
sistory Xo. 2. Wichita. Kans. Politically, he is a Republican.
John J. Pierson, wholesale grocer. Parsons. Kans., is a pioneer of
southern Kansas, and for forty-five years has been an active factor in the
commercial development of Parsons and vicinity. Mr. Pierson was born
in Hancock county. Illinois. March 27, 1846, and is a son of Thomas
William and Susannah (Triggs) Pierson, the former a native of Ken-
tucky, born near Lexington. March 28, 1818. and the latter a native
of Ohio, born September 5, 1820. They were married August 2, 1840,
and two children were born to this union : Mary Eliza, born July 23,
1843. now the wife of J. J. Jones, Parsons, Kans.. and John J., whose
name introduces this sketch. The father died when John J. was about
four years of age, and shortly afterwards the mother removed to
Keokuk coimty, Iowa, and located on a farm. Here John J. Pierson
was reared to manhood and received his education in the public school.
His mother died in 1865 and in 1869 Mr. Pierson came to Kansas and
located a claim near Altamont, Labette county. At that time the railroad
was not built south of Kansas City. It was graded, however, as far
south as Paola. After locating his claim. May 25, 1869, he went to
Emporia. His maternal grandfather. Triggs, resided southwest of that
place, and young Pierson worked for farmers in that locality during
that summer. He then returned to Labette county and was employed
BIOGRAPHICAL 207
in a sawmill which he helped to set up cm Labette ereek, and was em-
ployed in the operation of that mill until May i, 1870, when he entered
into partnership with W. K. Mays, who was conducting a small general
store on his claim, which is now a part of the city of Parsons. The
store WMS located on the corner of what is now South Sixteenth street and
Thornton avenue; the building in which they did business is still stand-
ing, but has been removed to the Weeks place. In September, 1870, Mr.
Hays was appointed postmaster and the postoffice was named Mendota,
but on January i. 1871. the name of the postoffice was changed to Par-
sons, the railroad townsite comi^any having been organized and the name
Parsons was given to the town in honor of the president of the townsite
company. There was no railroad in this section of the State when
Messrs. Hays and Pierson began business, and they hauled all their
goods from Fort Scott, a trip usually occupying about three days. Prices
of provisions did not vary much from the present day high cost of living
with the exception of a few articles ; flour was $6.50 per hundred and
brown sugar sold for 20 cents per pound, there being no granulated in
the market, and bacon 25 cents per pound. About the time the townsite
comjjany was organized Messrs. llays and Pierson moved their store
building on a lot which is now in the rear of the St. Clair hotel and
continued business there until the following March, when the town
lots were sold. They then located on the east lot on which the Ellison
& ^fartin building now stands, on the south side of Broadway. In
January. 1874, they moved into a building west of the First National
Bank on Broadway. In the spring of 1875 '^'^^ partnership was dissolved,
Mr. Pierson taking over the business. Mr. Hays the postofifice and Mr.
Densmore. who had become interested in the business, totjk the ex])ress
business. Mr. Pierson then located in a store which occupied the j^resent
site of the State Bank, where he was engaged in the retail business until
1893, when he built the Pierson block and engaged exclusively in the
wholesale grocery business, which he has continued until the i)resent
time. Mr. Pierson is the only wholesale grocer in Labette county.
He is one of the extensive dealers in soutlu'in Kansas and has
built tij) a large and well established trade throughout the towns in the
vicinity of Parsons. He has three traveling salesmen on the road and
em|)loys from fifteen to seventeen peojjle in his office and warehouse.
In addition to his active mercantile career Mr. Pier.son is interested in
various local enterprises. He was one of the organizers of the Com-
mercial Bank of Parsons in 1874, and became a stockholder at the
organization. In 1878 he was elected one of the directors of that bank
and secretary of the board of directors, and has held that position to
the present time. He is the only living original stockholder of that
bank. lie is also interested in the Inter-State Mortgage and Trust
Cf)mpany and has been a director of that institution for several years, be-
ing elected to that office at the organization of the company. Mr.
2o8 BIOGRAPHICAL
Pierson was united in marriage October 6, 1878, to Miss Augusta S.,
daughter of Fredrick and Emily (Linecah) Braunsdorf. natives of
Germany. Mrs. Pierson was born in St. Clair county. Illinois. January
2^. 1856, where her parents settled in an early day. They removed to
Kansas and settled in Parsons in the fall of 1871. and shortly afterwards
located on a farm, where they resided until 1905. when they sold their
farm and removed to Parsons. The father died April 15. 1914, and the
mother passed away December 31. 1910. aged seventy-six years. To ]Mr.
and Mrs. Pierson was born one child. Lloyd Jay. born August 11, 1879.
and died ]\Iay 10, 1906. He was educated in the public schools of Parsons
and at the time of his death was engaged in the wholesale grocery
business, assisting his father. Mr. Pierson is a member of the time-
honored Masonic lodge and also holds membership in the Knights of
the Maccabees. Politically he is a Republican, and for a number of
years was active and influential in the local councils of his party. Mr.
Pierson not only bears the distinction of being a pioneer merchant of
Parsons, but is also one of the merchants who have made good. He does
thousands of dollars' worth of business every month, which contributes
in no small way to the commercial importance of Parsons. He takes
a commendable interest in public afTairs and is always ready and willing
to co-operate with any movement for the betterment or upbuilding of
his town or county. Mr. Pierson is a man of few hobbies. However, it
might be added that his chief recreation during the summer season is
caring for his lawn, and its beautiful appearance during' the summer
bears mute testimony to the constant care that Mr. Pierson gives it. In
1876 Mr. Pierson, in company with his old-time friend. W. K. Hays,
visited the Centennial held at Philadelphia, Pa., and at that time made
quite an extended trip through other eastern cities.
William H. Ryan, lianker, lawyer and farmer of Girard. Kans.. has
been a conspicuous figure in the affairs of this State for over a quarter
of a century. Mr. Ryan is a native of Nebraska, born in Omaha. August
15. 1857. and is a son of William and Bridget (Daughney) Ryan, the
former a native of England and the latter of Canada, both of Irish
descent. \\'illiam Ryan, the father, was brought from England to
Canada by his parents when four years of age. and grew to manhood
there. In 1854 he came to the States, locating at Omaha, Xeb., and
was one of the first settlers of that town and worked on the construction
of the first house that was built in that now thriving metropolis of
Nebraska. In 1869 he came to Kansas and bought a claim in the
western part of Crawford county and another one across the line in
Xeosho county. In 1870 he brought his familv to their new home on
the jilains of eastern Kansas. He was successfully engaged in farming
and was one of the substantial citizens, who contributed to the upbuild-
ing and development of the new country. He died near Osage Mission
in 1905. his wife having ])assed awav two years previously. William
z
X
(in
r
>
iS
.^
>
z
en
>
nincRAPiiiiAi. 209
II. Ryan, whose name imrnduccs this sketch, was twelve years of age
when he came to Kansas with his parents. He liad attended the i)ublic
schools of Nebraska and after coming to Kansas attended the ])ublic
schools and a private school at Osage Mission. In 1880 lie bought his
first land of the railroad company, and since that time has added to his
tiriginal holdings until he has become one of the largest land owners of
Crawford county, now owning over 2,000 acres of well improved val-
uable land, all of which is operated under his personal supervision.
Three of his farms are occupied by his sons, and the balance of his farm
property is operated by tenants. All of his farm property is located in
the vicinity of Brazilton. In 1882 when the Nebraska, Topeka, lola &
Memphis Railway, now a part of the Santa Fe system, was being built
thri)iigh Crawford count}- Mr. Ryan established a grain and elevator
business at Brazilton, which was one of the new towns along that line.
He also opened a general store there and was appointed postmaster,
and was also agent for the Santa Fe Railroad Company and for a num-
ber of years bought and shipped cattle e.xtensively. lie still has exten-
sive interests in Brazilton and is president of the First State Bank of
I'razilton, which he organized Jime i. 1910, and has been president of
that institution since its organization. This is one of the thri\ ing and
substantial banks of Crawford count}'. It was capitalized at .$10,000,
and has a surplus of $2,400. The bank owns its own building and is
eqni|)ped with modern bank fi.xtures and furniture. C. H. Ryan is
cashier. Mr. Ryan had been interested in the banking business before
organizing the First State Bank of Brazilton. lie organized the Craw-
ford County State Bank, in 1907. becoming its first ])resitlent and held
that position until 1910, when he disposed of his interest and about
that time organized the First State Bank of Brazilton, as above stated.
Mr. Ryan read law at Girard and was admitted to the bar in the district
court before Judge Simonds. in 1S118. lie was admitted to the State
su])reme court in 1903 and the United States District Court in 1912.
He has been engaged in the practice of his profession at Girard for
the ])ast seventeen years, and is recognized as one of the able lawyers
of southeastern Kansas, He is a close student of the law and a
possessor of a well balanced legal mind. During his legal career at the
Crawford count}- bar he has been identified with some of the most
important litigation adjudicated by the courts of that district, and he
has frequently appeared in the State Supreme Coinn as well as the
Federal court. Mr. Ryan has been active in ])romoting the industrial
welfare of Girard and Crawford county, and was one of the organizers
and a member of the first board of directors of the Girard Coal P>elt
Railroad, which was organized in 1907 and o])erated between Girard and
the coal fields. He was elected president of the com])any in 1909 and
held that position until the road was sold to the lleims interests and
consolidated with the Pittsburg and Joplin line. The roafl was a finan-
2IO BIOGRAPHICAL
cial success, as well as a good thing for Crawford county. In addition
to his various private enterprises. Mr. Ryan has been prominently identi-
fied in the public affairs of Kansas for over twenty years. He is one
of the prominent Democrats of the State, and has taken a prominent
part in State politics, of which he has been a leading factor for a numl)er
of years. He was elected to the State legislature in 1892, serving one
term. This was during the stirring days of the Douglas-Dunmore ses-
sion and Mr. Ryan was an active member of the fusion element, and
was elected temporary speaker of the house by that party. During this
session he served on the committees of mines and mining and the
judiciary committee. He introduced a bill regulating weights of rail-
road sliipments, which became a law and which was one of the early
railroad regulatory measures. During that session Mr. Ryan was a
strong supporter of John Martin for United States senator, and cham-
pioned the cause of Mr. ^lartin in caucus and on the floor of the house.
In 1896 Mr. Ryan was elected to the State senate from Crawford county
and during his term served in two regular sessions and one special ses-
sion of the legislature, and was prominent in the legislation of all three
sessions. He was a member of the educational and judiciary committees
and was chairman on the committee on mines and mining In 1898 he
introduced the bill which gave mining organizations the right to par-
ticipate in the election of mine inspectors, and labor organizations the
right to elect labor commissioners. These laws remained on the statute
books until they were repealed by recommendation of Governor Hodges
during his administration, and, no doubt, the repeal of these laws con-
tributed to the defeat of Governor Hodges for re-election. In 1897
Senator Ryan championed a bill to give uniformity to the text books of
the State and he was one of the strong supporters of Senator Harris,
in that session. In 1909 he introduced Senate Bill No. 120, which was
an act concerning private corporations, placing a limitation upon their
power to mortgage and declared void all bonds or notes issued in excess
of such limitation. This bill carried in the senate by a large majority,
but was defeated in the house. It was one of the early movements to
emancipate the people from being burdened by watered stock and ficti-
tious valuations. Mr. R\an was actuated in presenting this measure by a
court decision in Nebraska, forbidding the lowering of railroad fares
because of inflated loans and watered stock. He was one of the pioneer
legislators of Kansas in the matter of laws regulating corporations. In
1900 Mr. Ryan's name was presented to the Populist convention for the
office of governor, at the Fort Scott State convention. He had the en-
dorsement of the labor element and made a strong showing in the con-
vention, but failed to receive the nomination. In 1906 he was elected
chairman of the State Democratic committee, and conducted the cam-
paign of that year, and was chairman of the State committee for tw(T
years. In 1904 he was the Democratic nominee for Congress in the
BIOGRAPHICAI., 211
Third district. This was the year of the Roosevelt landslide, and Mr.
Ryan met the common Democratic fate of that year. He has served as
mayor of Girard two terms. He has always been found fif^j^^hting in the
ranks of the regular Democratic organization with the exception of the
campaign of 1914, when Governor Hodges was a candidate for re-elec-
tion. Owing to the dissatisfaction on the part of labor in southeastern
Kansas on account of the repeal of certain labor laws, ^Nfr. Ryan favored
Mr. Billard for governor, and was an ardent supporter of the I'illard
movement. He has attended every Democratic State convention held
in Kansas since 1886 and in 1904 was an alternate at the St. Louis Na-
tional Democratic convention, and also attended the National Democratic
convention held in 1908. lie has been chairman of the Democratic Cen-
tral Committee of Crawford county, and has presided over numerous
congressional and county conventions. Mr. Ryan was united in mar-
riage in July. 1878. to Miss Ella Songer, a daughter of John Harrison
and Jane F. (Patterson) Songer, natives of Iowa, and early settlers in
Crawford county, Kansas, where Mrs. Ryan was born, October 16, 1857.
Her father died in 1880 and her mother now resides at Walnut, Kans.
To Mr. and Mrs. Ryan have been born eleven children, nine of whom
are living, as follows: Charles H., bank cashier, Brazilton, Kans.; Wil-
liam H., Jr., farmer, near Brazilton; C. M., conductor on the Joplin &
Pittsburg railroad ; George, resides at Seattle, Wash.; where he was can-
didate for secretary of State on the Democratic ticket in 1912; Frank,
farmer, Brazilton ; Belle, died at the age of si.xteen ; Lillian, married Ches-
ter Noland, Oklahoma City ; Leonard P., Girard ; Earnest, student in
the Girard High School ; Howard, student at St. Mary's College, St.
Marys, Kans., and Raymond, died in infancy. Mr. Ryan is a member of
the Knights of Columbus, and has been State advocate of that order.
He also holds a membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks.
James L. Rogers. — In the death of James L. Rogers, which occurred
suddenlv June 24. 1911. not only his immediate family and friends met
with a great loss, Init the business world of southeastern Kansas lost one
of its most valued members and best citizens. He was an active and
enterprising man. whu iiad becimie a (li)niinant factor in financial anil
commercial Pittsburg. His untimely death was due to an accident which
occurred in which he was struck by a falling boulder while insj^ecting a
mine in wiiich lie was interested at Zinc, .\rk. James L. Rogers was a
native of If)wa, born at Sioux City, July 30, 1862. He was a son of
James and Victoria Rogers. The parents were pioneers of northwestern
Iowa and the father was killed l)y Indians, while a member of an c\]>edi-
tion engaged in su])pressing one of the many Indian uprisings of the early
days on the plains. James L., of this review, was only a few months
old when his father was killed, and his mother married again and aliout
1866 the family came to Kansas, settling in \\'ashington county, where
212 BIOGRAPHICAL
tlie step-father engaged in farming and stock raising. James L. spent
his boyhood days on the farm in ^^'ashington county and attended the
district scliools and later was a student at the Kansas State Agricultural
College, ^lanhattan, for two j-ears. He then learned telegraphy and
became an expert in that work. Employment in that vocation took
him to various sections of the country. For four years he was located
at El Paso, Tex., and for three years he was stationed at Chihauhau,
Mexico. In 1890 he made his first \enture in the banking business, or-
ganizing the First National Bank of Westmoreland. Kans., and was con-
nected with that institution about a year. He then went to Olsburg,
Kans., where he organized the Farmers' State Bank, becoming its
cashier. He remained in that capacity about six years when he dis-
posed of his interest in that bank, returned to A\'estmoreland and or-
ganized the Farmers 'State Bank of \\'estmoreland, serving as cashier
of that institution until 1900. He then went to Harrison, Ark., where
he was extensively interested in mineral lands, and while looking after
his interests there organized the National Bank of Commerce of Harri-
son, Ark., becoming cashier of that bank and directed the policy of that
institution one year, when he came to Pittsburg, Kans., and purchased
an interest in the First National Bank of Pittsburg, becoming its cashier
and served in that capacity until his death. He was regarded as a ca-
pable and conservative financier and one of the best posted men in the
intricate problems of finance and banking in the Southwest. He was
interested in a number of industrial enterprises in addition to banking.
He was a director in the Pittsburg Building, Saving & Loan Association
and secretary and treasurer of the Manhattan Zinc Company of Pitts-
burg. He was also deeply interested in the progress of the Young Men's
Christian Association and was treasurer of that organization. He was
one of the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church and his fraternal
affiliations were with the Masonic lodge. Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Rogers was
twice married, his first wife being Miss Elizabeth Jane Richards. She
was a native of Pottawatomie county, Kansas, and was reared in that
county and educated in the public schools and Kansas State Agricultural
College, Manhattan. She died November 22, 1897. leaving two children.
Harry L.. who is now connected with the First National Bank, of Pitts-
burg, and Adalene, residing at home. On February 12, 1899. Mr. Rogers
was united in marriage to Mrs. Nannie Cave O'Daniel, daughter of D.
W. and Sarah \'. (Jones) Cave, the former a native of Indiana, and the
latter of Missouri. The father is an attorney and is now located at
Zinc, Ark. He was a pioneer lawyer of western Kansas, practising
law for a time in Cheyenne county, and at one time served as probate
judge of that county. He was one of the founders of Bird City, and took
a prominent part in tlie county seat rivalry that took place in that sec-
tion when the railroad was built. Mrs. Rogers was born in Nebraska
BIOGRAPHICAL 2I3
and educated in the public schools of Kansas and the Lincoln Xoimal
College and Lincoln Business College. To ^Ir. and Mrs. Rogers were
born three children: James L., Jr., Martha and Fred K., all attending
the model school. Slate Manual 'I'raining College.
Thomas J. Curran, a Kansas pioneer and prominent citizen of
Comanche county, now living retired at Coldwater, Kans., has been
actively identified with the interests of southern Kansas for over thirty
j-ears. He was born at .Smiimersville. A\'. Va., November 7, 1848, and is
a son of Michael and Mary (Reynolds) Curran. The father was a na-
tive of Ireland, born in 1821, and came to America at the age of fourteen.
He first located at Charleston, W. Va., where he was employed in a
salt works for a few years. He later engaged in farming near Summers-
viJle and was very successful. He died there, July 5, 1888. His wife,
Mary Reynolds, was born in Monroe county, Virginia, in 1830, of Vir-
ginia parents. She died January 22, 1906. They were the parents of ten
children. Thomas J., of this rex'iew. being the oldest. The others are
as follows: Jnhn (deceased); Robert (deceased); James Monroe (de-
ceased); Sarah, now the widow of Robert Cohlin ; Margaret, wife of
Jerry Murphy; Ellen, wife of O. J. Guseman ; Bettie, wife of Logan
Dodson ; Caroline, wife of Edgar Holstead, and Fannie, wife of George
Sauerenson. Thomas J. Curran received his education in the public
schools of Summersville. W. \'a., and remained on his father's farm
until he was twenty-two years of age. He then served as United .States
deputy marshal for four years, when lie returned to the farm and fol-
lowed that vocation there until 18S3, when he came to Ivansas, settling
in Comanche county. He located on Government land, southeast of
Coldwater, where he prospered and bought additional land until he
owned about 6,000 acres, and was one of the successful cattle men of
Comanche county. In 1910 he sold his ranch and retired from the ac-
tive pursuits of business. He then removed to Coldwater and invested
extensively in bank stock and kindred institutions, that did not require
his constant and close attention. Politically, Mr. Curran is a Repulili-
can, and for years has taken an active part in political and civic affairs.
He served as representative to the legislature from Comanche county
during the session of 1905 and 1907 and was a ])rominent factor in the
legislation of that session. He was a member of several important
committees and is the author of a number of important laws, which
are now on the statute books of Kansas. Mr. Curran was married May
f). 1876, to Miss Ada, daughter of James G. and Alargarct M. (Levisay)
Macomb, the former a native of New York, and the latter of Virginia.
Mrs. Curran was born in Xicliolas county, Virginia, May 6, 1851, and
died at \\'ichita, Kans., January 27. 1915. To Mr. and Mrs. Curran
were born four children: George, born February 2. 1877, was accidentally
drr)wned May 21, 1898, in Comanche county; Maude, born January 22,
1879, married 1". L. llolcoml). October 20, 1904, and they have two
214 • lilOGRAPHICAL
children, Thomas Curran, born May 19, 1909, and Donald Gilbert, born
June 25. 1912; Anna, born May 20, 1882, married Walter Lonker, Octo-
ber 28, 1908, and they have two children, Mary Louise, born September
19, 1910, and ^Valter Curran, born September 20, 1912; Idress, born
in Comanche county. May 20, 1889, married Sylvester Gilchrist, October
12, 191 1, and they have two children, Virginia, born May 20, 1913, and
Patrecia, born October 25, 1914. Mr. Curran is a member of the In-
dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the family are well known and
prominent in southern Kansas.
Henry R. Morrison, a Clark county pioneer, and successful farmer
and stockman, was born at Hickory Grove, 111., December 10, 1852, and
is a son of Benjamin and Rosetta (Redford) Morrison, the former a
native of Maryland, and the latter of Indiana. A history of the Morri-
son family appears in the sketch of James Morrison which precedes
this article. Henry R. Morrison came to Clark county with his parents
in 1884. He located on Government land in Bluff creek valley, where he
has made an unusual success of farming and stock raising and now owns
2,300 acres of some of the most productive land in the county, about
600 acres of which are under cultivation, the rest of which is devoted to
pasture. Mr. Morrison was united in marriage June 19, 1872, to Miss
Mary Belle, daughter of Benjamin and Fannie (Tucker) Metcalf. Mrs.
Morrison was born in Kentucky, in 1857. To Mr. and Mrs. Morrison
were born the following children : Effie, Pearl Edward, Benjamin,
Emma, Jennie, Gertrude, Rosetta, Erma, Clare, Ida, Alice and Mable.
Mr. Morrison takes a keen interest in public affairs and is always ready
and willing to give his support to any measure that tends to the up-
building or betterment of his county and State, and is one of the sub-
stantial men of his community.
James Morrison, a prominent farmer and stockman of Lexington,
Kans., is a native of Indiana. He w-as born, on a farm in Parke county,
Indiana, December 13, 1857, and is a son of Benjamin and Rosetta (Red-
ford) Morrison, tlie former a native of ^laryland and the latter of In-
diana. Benjamin ^Morrison came to Indiana with his parents when he
was fourteen years old. He followed farming all his life in that State,
where he died February 22, 1877. His wife, Rosetta Redford, was born
in 1838, and was a daughter of Henry Redford, an Indiana pioneer. He
built the first frame house in Terre Haute, Ind., in w^hich he conducted
a hotel for a number of years. Benjamin and Rosetta (Redford) Mor-
rison were the parents of nine children, as follows: Henry R., born
Deceml^er 10, 1852, a sketch of whom follows this article: Annie, born
December 26. 1854; James, the subject of this sketch; .Mice, born May
23. 1859; Martin H., born May 20, 1861 ; Emily, born June 20, 1863;
William (deceased) ; Benjamin (Deceased), and a son who died in
infancy. James Morrison spent his boyhood days on his father's farm
in Parke county, Indiana, and received a good common school education.
BIOGRAPHICAL 21 5
In 1886 he came west and located on Government land in Clark county,
Kansas. He selected an ideal place in Bluff creek valley for his future
home, where he now has one of the best farms in Clark county, contain-
ing over 2,000 acres, all well improved and very productive. The con-
veniences and equipment on his place today are in marked contrast to
the conditions that confronted him on his arrival in Clark count}-, nearly
thirty years ago. He lived in a sod house during his first two years,
and met with many discouraging features. Droughts and crop failures
were the common lot of the pioneer Kansas farmer, but he always had
faith in the futnre; of Kansas and was not disappointed in the outcome.
Mr. Morrison was married December 23, 1880, to Miss Lucy O. Grain.
a daughter of Stephen Grain, a native of Vermont, who removed to In-
diana at an early day. IMrs. Morrison was born near Georgetown, 111.,
January 11, 1855. To Mr. and Mrs. Morrison have been born six
children: Grace C., born October i, 1881 ; Oscar, born July 25, 1883;
Mariam B., born November 7, 1885; Ralph C, born June 3, 1887; Anna
L., born May 21, 1889. and Dolly, born March 31, 1892. Politically, Mr.
Morrison is a Republican, and has held numerous local offices of trust
and responsibility! The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church.
Guy E. Turner, who has conducted the office of county clerk of
Crawford county for the past two years, is an exponent of the theory
that "public office is a public trust" and the business of that office dur-
ing his administration has been an exemplification of that theory. He
was born in Benton county, :\rkansas, November 29, 1877, and is a son
of Elias and Ida Leonard Turner, the former a native of Grundy county,
Missouri, and the latter of Janesville, \\'is. The father died when Guy
was about a year old and the boy went to live with his griandparents,
who resided in Jasper county, Missouri. His grandfather died when
he was about twelve years of age and his grandmother passed away
three years later and young Turner was again an orphan at the tender
age of fifteen. He finished his education in the district schools of
Missouri, by his own efforts, lie canvassed for books and did all man-
ner of things, in order to obtain an education and qualify as a teacher,
and after teaching two years he went to Rich Hill, Mo., where he ob-
tained employment in the mines. About this time his health failed and
he was obliged to seek a change of climate. He went to Wyoming,
where he remained until 1903, and after regaining his health came to
Crawford county, Kansas, where he followed mining until 191 2. when
he became the nominee for county clerk on the Socialist ticket and was
elected by a satisfactory majority, and has served in that capacity until
the present time. Mr. Turner is a capable and conscientious man and
has been an efficient public officer. He is a member of the Ancient
Free and Accepted Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and,
])olitically. is a Socialist.
2l6 BIOGRAPHICAL
John W. Stark, prominent farmer and stockman of Comanche county,
was born at Tiffin, Ohio, November 22. 1858. He is a son of Nicholas
and Mar}- (Kettemjer) Stark. The father was a native of Germany,
born in 1822, and immigrated to America with his parents when eleven
years old. They located in Ohio, where Nicholas Stark followed farm-
ing for a time, when he removed to ^linnesota, and from there to
Missouri, where he died in 1884. His wife, Mary Kettemyer, was a na-
tive of Ohio, where she was born in 1835, of German parents. She
died in 1905. John W. Stark was one of a family of six children, as
follows: John W., Louise, Josephine, Frank, Appolonia and Thomas
(deceased). Mr. Stark, whose name introduces this sketch, received his
education in the public schools of Minnesota and Missouri. In 1884
he came to Kansas, locating on Government land in Avilla township,
Comanche county, where he has since been successfully engaged in
farming and stock raising. He has added to his original holdings, until
he now owns one of the finest farms in the fertile valley of Salt Fork.
He is one of the extensive stock raisers of that section. Mr. Stark was
united in marriage February 8, 1882. to Miss Callie M., daughter of
Joseph and Anne (Johnson) Sewell. Mrs. Stark was born in Perry
county, Missouri. September g, 1861. To Mr., and Mrs. Stark have
been born three children : Carrie ^I., born April 6, 1886. died March
15, 1909; Joseph Bernard, born December 19, 1889, graduated from the
Coldwater High School in the class of 1906, and from the Salt City
Business College, Hutchinson, in the class of 1910, and Bessie, born
April 9, 1895. educated in the Coldwater High School and Mt. Carmel
Academy. A\'ichita. Kans. Mr. Stark is a Thirty-second degree Scottish
Rite Mason, and belongs to the Wichita Consistory. Politicall}-. he
is a Republican, but has never sought politicaT honors. However, he
has held various township offices from time to time. He is well and
favorably known throughout Comanche county, and is always ready
and willing to identify himself with any movement for the betterment
and upbuilding of his county.
John I. Lee, deceased, was a pioneer of southwestern Kansas and an
earlv dav newspaper man of Clark county. His influence in behalf of
the development and upbuilding of that section of the State will long
be remembered by the real pioneers of southwestern Kansas, who are
familiar with the history of that formative period of the early days.
John L Lee was a native of Missouri, born in Webster county. February
2, 1857. The Lee family came to Comanche county. Kansas, in 1884.
and John L, his father, and two brothers proved up on a section of land
there. In 1885 John T. Lee came to Clark county and located at Ash-
land, where he purchased the Clark county "Clipper." a weekly news-
paper, which he published for a number of years. Mr. Lee was a Demo-
crat and advocated the policies^ and principles of that party through the
columns of his newspaper. However, politics was not the chief mission
UlllC.KAl'lIKAl. 217
of the "Clipper." but, as Mr. Lee announced in the first issue after he
assumed control of the paper, "that a more important mission lies before
us than the discussion of politics." He used the influence of his paper
to promote the development of Ashland and Clark county, and he be-
longed to that class of public-spirited citizens to whom Clark county and
that section of the Stale owes its material development, in the way of
railroads, public buildings and institutions and other improvements.
Mr. Lee took an active part in public affairs, and was elected clerk of
the district court in 1888, and re-elected to succeed himself in 1890,
serving four years. The fact that his party was in the minority shows
the esteem and confidence in which he was held, when he was elected
to public office largely on his ])ersonality. .\ttorneys and others still
comment on his efficiency as an officer and his jjleasant and agreeable
methods of dealing with the public. He was ai>pointed register of the
United States land office, at Dodge City, by President Cleveland in
1894, and served four years. He was a faithful officer and many of the
hoineseekers of those early days remember his courtesy and obliging
metiiods of conducting the Government land office. In 1891 he went to
r)klahoma and located at Cordell. wliere he engaged in the coal and
lumber business and was as active in promoting the welfare of his
home and community as he had been in Clark county. Through his ef-
forts in securing necessary legislation. Cordell was established as the
permanent county seat, and he lived to see it develop into a prosperous
town of several thousand people. John L Lee and Kllen .A.. Carson
were married at Urbana. 111., in 1890. She was born in Champaign
county. Illinois. August 11, 1864, and was a daughter of William G. and
Martha Jane (Hales) Carson. For a more com])lcte history of the Car-
son family see sketch of Caleb \\'. Carson, a brother of Mrs. Lee. else-
where in this volume. To Mr. and Mrs. Lee one child was born. .Mien,
who died in childhood. John I. Lee died at his home in Cordell. Okla..
December 25. 1914, and is survived by his widow. He was a man who
had many friends. Simplicity and candor were the -dominant traits of
his character and the highest order of honesty marked his every act in
private and public life.
Webster N. Wallingford, a Kansas jjioneer and i)rominent citizen of
Clark county, now living retired at Ashland, is a native of Kentucky. He
was born at Tolesboro, Ky.. December 11, 1843, •'"f' '^ '^ ^on of Mark and
Martha .\nn (Willet) Wallingford. natives of Kentucky. The father
was born in 1801 of \'irginia parentage and spent his life in the mer-
cantile business in his native State, where he died in 1858. 11 is wife,
Martha Ann Willet, was a daughter of John G. and Nancj' Willet. and
was horn in Maysxille. Ky., in 1810. being the first white child born in
that town. She died in 1883. IMark and Martha .Ann (Willet) Walling-
ford were the parents of twelve children, the first four of wiiom died
in infancv. and the r>thers are as follows: lulia I!, (deceased); Xancv
2l8 BIOGRAPHICAL
S. ^deceased) ; Ahin AI., \\'ebsler X.. Francis A., Alary A., Alartha E.
and Sarah E. Webster X. \\'allingford was reared in Tolesboro, Ky..
and educated in the pubHc schools, and had just reached the age of
manhood when the Civil war broke out. He enlisted in Company G,-
Tenth regiment, Kentucky cavalry, and served an enlistment. He then
returned to his home at Tolesboro, and engaged in the mercantile
business. He was an expert penman and accountant, and for a time
was deputy clerk ior recording deeds in his county. In 1884 he came
to Kansas, locating on Government land in Antelope valley, Englewood
township, Clark count}', and engaged in farming and stock raising. He
took a prominent part in the organization of the county, and has al-
ways taken an active interest in public affairs. He is a Republican and
for several years has been prominent in the councils of his party. In
18(58 he was elected probate judge of Clark county, and re-elected to
that office at the expiration of his first term, serving four years. Mr.
Wallingford was married in Lew^is county, Kentucky, Xovember 17,
1868, to Miss Mary K., daughter of Samuel B. and Mary Ann (Jones)
Pugh. She was a native of Greenup county, Kentucky, born March 9,
1846, and died at Ashland, Kans., December 26, 191 1. She was a con-
scientious Christian woman and a high type of American womanhood.
To Webster X. and Mary K. (Pugh) Wallingford were born ten children,
as follows: Mary Xoline, born in 1869. died in 1872; Charles Augustine,
a personal sketch of whom follows this article; Mattie L., born August
23, 1873, married George Baker, Ashland, Kans. ; Elmer Richardson,
born Xovember 10, 1875, married Myrtle Hankins, in 1900. and they
have six children, Ralph, Eldon, Marguerite, Adelbert, Opal and Maggie;
Mark A., born September 23. 1878, married Lillie Brown, in 1904, and
they have two children, Herbert and Lucile ; Ella W., born December
13, 1881, now the wife of E. B. Mendenhall, farmer, Clark county,
Kansas ; Samuel P., a sketch of whom appears in this volume ; Earl G.,
born July 28, 1888. married Maud I'^uller, June 12, 1912, and they have
one child, Mary Xoline, born March 31, 1913, and Emma G., born De-
cember I, 1891. Mr. Wallingford is one of the old-timers in southern
Kansas, and is one of the well known and highly respected citizens of
Clark countv. He is a member of Major Elliott Post, Xo. 437, Grand
Army of the Republic, at Ashland, and is an elder in the Presbyterian
church.
James Samuel Hudson, a Kansas pioneer, now a prosperous farmer
and stockman of Comanche county, is a native of Missouri. He was
born in Audrain county, and is a son of Joseph H. and Nancy E. (Yates)
Hudson, the former a native of Pike county. Missouri, born February
17. 1856. and the latter a native of Kentucky. Joseph H. Hudson's par-
ents were \'irginians. He began life as a farmer and stockman in
Missouri, and in 1885 removed to Comanche county, and located on
Government land in Avilla township, being among the very first settlers
BIOGRAPHICAL 219
in that locality. These were trying times for the hardy settlers of the
plains, who were endeavoring to make a future home for themselves in
the development of the new country, which at times was discouraging
and seemed almost hopeless. For the first ten years of his life, in the
new country, Mr. Hudson and liis family lived in a sod house and en-
dured all the discomforts incident to their surroundings, but he
possessed the courage of the typical American pioneer and finally for-
tune smiled on him and he began to succeed, and added to his original
holdings until he owned quite a large acreage and raised cattle to a
profitable extent. He took an active part in the early affairs of the
county and for six years served as justice of the peace. In 1903, when
the Cherokee strip was opened for settlement, he went there and se-
cured several lots on the site of the present town of Alva, Okla., which
have since proven very valuable. In 1889 he moved there with his
family, and is now living retired. James S. Hudson is one of a family
of five children: .Anna Louise, born January 16, 1870, married George
E. Beeley, a retired farmer at Enid, Okla., and the}' have four children,
Roy, Ralph, Helen and Josie; James Samuel, the subject of this sketch;
Ollie Lee, born April 23. 1874, merchant. Gushing, Okla.; Elizabeth,
born April i, 1876, now resides at Kalispcll, Mont., and Joseph H., born
February 17, 1881, banker, Gapron, Okla., married Miss Florence Gon-
way, of Alva, Okla., and they have two children, Hazel and Elizabeth.
James S. Hudson received his education in the public schools of Missouri,
and attended school in Gomanche county after coming here with his
parents in 1885. His boyhood days were spent on the plains on his
father's ranch, and he remained at home until he was twenty-four years
old. By that time he had saved enough of his earnings to buy a farm
of his own, and in 1893 went to Oklahoma when the Cherokee strip
was opened, and took a claim, which he later sold, when he returned to
Gomanche countj', Kansas. He bought more land from time to time
in Gomanche county, and invested in the cattle business as fast as his
means would jjcrmit. and soon owned 6,000 acres of land, and was one
of the large cattle men of that section. He has since disposed of some
of his land, but still owns about 4,400 acres, where he carries on an ex-
tensive cattle business in connection with general farming. He has
been one of the most successful men of the county and his broad acres
arc among the most jiroductive in the State. His ranch is equipped
with all modern methods for convenience and the profitable conduct of
his business. Mr. Hudson was married at Medicine Lodge, Kans.,
September i. 1898, to Miss Mary Etta Reeley, daughter of Josejih Reeley.
of Orangeville, 111. Mrs. Hudson was born in .'^jiringficld, 111. Mr.
Hudson is a Democrat and takes an active interest in the political life
of his county and State. He is a member of the Masonic lodge and his
wife is a member of the Eastern Star. They are members of the Ghris-
tian church.
220 ■ BIOGR.\PHICAL
Aaron Sampson Drake. — Men capable of accomplishing great things
in the commercial or industrial world are like poets — born, not made.
Aaron Sampson Drake, distinctively, belongs to this type of men. He
was engaged in extensive business enterprises before investing in Kan-
sas. As early as 1881 he had the foresight to see the golden oppor-
tunity in the future of Kansas and had the confidence to invest in land
in this State. He bought a large ranch in Liberty township. Clark
county, where he now owns over 16.000 acres of improved land, which
he conducts as a stock ranch and raises horses and cattle on an extensive
scale. This is one of the largest stock ranches in the State. Mr. Drake
is a native of Massachusetts, and comes from sturdy Xew England
stock, of English descent. They trace their ancestry back to the same
family of which Sir Francis Drake was a member. Aaron Sampson
Drake was born at Stoughton. Mass., February 15, 1829. a son of
Ebenezer and Wealthy (Sampson) Drake, both natives of Massachu-
setts, the father being born at Sharon, Mass. He was a farmer by oc-
cupation, and died in 1872, at the age of eighty-five years. He was
twice married and reared eight children. Aaron Sampson Drake re-
ceived his education in the public schools of Massachusetts, and re-
mained in that State until He reached his majority. He then went to
\^'isconsin and was engaged in buying cattle, and supplied many of the
lumbermen of the Northwest with meat for two years. After that he
was engaged in bu3'ing hogs for the Boston market for a number of
years, and in 1862 engaged in the packing business at Detroit. Mich.,
and established the first packing house in that city. He conducted that
business for twenty-seven years and prospered, thus making his first
substantial start in the financial world. In 1885 he came to Kansas,
having purchased his Clark coimty ranch four years previously, and
since that time has devoted himself to his extensive stock business there.
Mr. Drake was united in marriage, March 6, 1855, to Miss Emeline
Jones. She died in 1858, leaving one child, Lelia, born June 20. 1857,
now the wife of ^^'illiam E. Moss, a prominent banker of Detroit. Mich.
They have two children. Edith and Helen. Although Mr. Drake has
passed the four score and six milestone, in the journey of life, he is
still a man of remarkable mental and physical vitality. He attributes
his longevity and good health to right living. He has always been ex-
tremely temperate in his habits, never having drank tea or coffee, nor
used tobacco in any form, nor intoxicating liquors of any kind. Mr.
Drake has been somewhat handicapped in later years by the loss of one
of his limbs, as the result of an accident which occurred at Detroit
in 1882. A horse which he was driving became frightened and uncon-
trollable, and in the mix-up one of Mr. Drake's legs was broken above
the knee and the knee was also fractured. The surgeons in charge of
the case made a strenuous effort to save the limb, but blood poisoning
and erysipelas set in, and an abscess formed in the injured leg, and
BIOGRAPHICAL 221
amputation was necessary. After a desperate struggle between life and
death for several weeks Mr. Drake finally recovered. For over two
weeks his physicians and family expected his death every hour, anci his
recovery under the conditions was a wonder to the medical profession.
One of the attending surgeons. Dr. M. J. Spranger. said. "The lungs
became paralyzed, and what was a peculiar feature, with a scalp wound
also which caused concussion of the brain, yet Mr. Drake's mind was
perfectly clear, his brain power bore him up and the temperate life ^hat
he had lived contributed to his power of resistance." This extraordi-
nary case may fairly be said to be a triumph of mind over matter, and is
characteristic of ^Ir. Drake's whole life and shows his indomitalile will
and resolute character, wliich ha\e been dominant factors of his success
in life
Charles Augustine Wallingford, senior member of the firm of W'alling-
ford Brothers, wholesale grain dealers and exporters, is a prominent
factor in the business affairs of southern Kansas. Mr. Wallingford was
born in Tolesboro, Ky., October 15, 1871, and is a son of Webster N.
Wallingford. a sketch of whom appears in this volume. Charles .X.
Wallingford came to Clark county, Kansas, with his parents in 1884,
when he was thirteen years old. He received his education in the public
schools of Kentucky and Kansas, and for a number of years was suc-
cessfully engaged in farming and stock raising, and later engaged in
the grain business. The Wallingford Brothers rank among the largest
grain dealers and exporters of the country. They export thousands of
bushels of grain directly to the European markets and have offices in
Ashland. .Sitka, Akers and Wichita. Kans.. and in Galveston and Xew
York. They are also extensive wlieat growers, having several large
wheat farms in Clark county, Kansas, which are operated directly under
their supervision. Charles A. Wallingford was united in marriage, June
II, 1899, at TIarvcl, 111., to Miss Mary Wright, who was born December
15, 1877, and died b'ebruar}- 24. 1914. at Wichita, Kans., and is buried
at .Ashland, Kans. There were no children born to this luiion, but Mr.
and Mrs. Wallingford adopted two children, Harold, born June. 1902,
and Mildred, born December 7, 1903. Mr. Wallingford takes an active
part in local public affairs, and was elected mayor of .Ashland in 1913,
and has conducted the municipal affairs of that city in the same business-
like manner characteristic of the masterful way in which he handles
his pri\ate affairs. He is one of the progressive citizens of Ashland,
and takes a commendable pride in his home town. He has one of the
finest residences tn be found in southern Kansas, lie is an elder in
the Presbyterian church.
Samuel P. Wallingford, one of the progressi\c business men of
\\'ichila, is the junior nuniijcr of the firm of ^^■allingf^>rd Brothers. He
is a native of Kentucky, born at Maysville, .August 10. 1884. and is a
son of Webster X. Wallingford. a sketch of whom appears in this
222 BIOGRAPHICAL
volume. He was an infant when his parents removed to Kansas and
settled in Clark county, where he received his early education in the
public schools, graduating from the Ashland High School in the class
of 1903, and later attended the Southwestern College, at Winfield, Kans.,
where he was graduated in the class of 1908, with the degree of Bachelor
of Arts. He then served as secretary of the Young Men's Christian
Association, at Winfield, Kans., and in 191 1 became a member of the
firm, Wallingford Brothers, and engaged in the grain business. Thej'
have had phenomenal success in that line of endeavor, and now rank
among the largest grain dealers in the State. Mr. \\'allingford was mar-
ried September 23, 1908, to Miss Gertrude, daughter of F. R. and Helen
Messinger, of Stanton, Mich. Mrs. Wallingford was born at Green-
ville, IMich., July 4, 1884. She is an accomplished musician, having
made a special study of the harp and and piano. She finished her musical
education in Chicago, and for three years prior to her marriage, was at
the head of the music department of the Southwestern College, Win-
field, Kans. To ^Mr. and Mrs. \\'allingford have been born two children:
Fred Messinger. born August 11, 1909, and ^lolly Katrina, born July
28, 1912. The Wallingford residence is at 1915 Gilman Avenue, Wichita,'
Kans. Mr. and Mrs. Wallingford are well known and popular in
\\'ichita society and have many friends.
John E. Todd, a prosperous cattle man and farmer, and one of the
extensive land owners of Comanche county, is a pioneer of southern
Kansas. He was born on a farm in Marion county, Indiana, March 21,
1857. and is a son of Isaac ^I. and Rachel (Brewer") Todd, both natives
of the Hoosier State. The father was born in 1826, in Marion county,
and followed farming all his life in that county. He died December 24,
1910. His wife, Rachel Brewer, was born in 1830. She was a daugh
ter of Samuel Brewer, a Kentuckian, and a pioneer settler of Indiana.
John E. Todd is one of a family of the following children: Lizzie (de-
ceased) ; Ella (deceased) ; Clara, now the widow of Col. Hanson ; John
E., subject of this sketch; Emma, wife of George Porter; Elmer (de-
ceased) ; Harry (deceased) ; Frank, and Samuel. John E. Todd spent
his boyhood days on his father's farm in Marion county, Indiana, and
attended the public schools. In 1882 he came to Kansas and bought a
farm in Bourbon count}', where he remained two years. He then sold
his interest there and removed to Comanche county, where he took up
Government land, ten miles south of Coldwater. Ten years later he
sold this property and bought a large tract of land, ten miles southeast
of Coldwater, and engaged in the cattle business very extensively. He
has 4.000 acres of land well adapted to the purpose of cattle raising, and
he has been very successful in that line of endeavor, and is one of the
large cattle men of that section. Mr. Todd is a Republican and since
coming to Comanche county has taken an active interest in politics
and public affairs. He was the first county assessor of Comanche
BIOGRAPHICAL 223
county, and has held various township offices on different occasions,
and in 1912 was elected a member of the board of county commission-
ers, and is now serving in that office. He was united in marriage at
Greenwood, Ind., April 7, 1879, to Miss Emma H., daughter of John
and Mary (Bradford) Herron, natives of Greenwood, Ind., and residents
of that place. Mrs. Todd was also born in Greenwood, February 20,
1857. To Mr. and Mrs. Todd have been born four children : Alma,
born May 20, 1888, married Xick Peppard, and they have three children,
\'erna. Elizabeth and John Todd ; Omer Herron, born May 20, 1882,
married Georgia Driker, October 20, 1913; Frank L., born May 20,
18S4. married Minnie Roswell, May 20. 1907, and they have four children,
Frances, Thelma, \^ernice and the baby, and Ralph Brewer, born May
20, 18P6. married Pauline Boswcll, October 20, 1912, and the}' have one
child, Xorman. Mr. Todd is a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite
Mason, and the family are prominent in Comanche county.
Solomon A. Smith, a leading attorney of W'infield, has practiced his
])rofcssion in Kansas for over a quarter of a century. Mr. Smith is a
native of Illinois, born in Marion county. May i, 1853. Marion county.
by the wa}'. is the native county of W. J. Bryan. Solomon A. Smith's
parents were John R. and Marj' F. (Bronson) Smith. John R. Smith
was born in Marion county, Illinois, August 4, 1830, of Virginia parent-
age. He grew to manhood on his father's farm and followed farming
and stock raising in his native county until August 4, 1862, when he
enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Eleventh Illinois infantry,
and served three years, to the day, receiving his discharge .\ugust 4,
1865. He participated in many important engagements and was witl;
Sherman on his memorable march, until the battle of Rcsaca, where he
was severely wounded, and after recovering sufficiently he was trans-
ferred to the Invalid corps, and assigned to duty at Camp Douglas,
Chicago, 111. This was in December, 1864, and he remained on duty
there until his discharge, at the time stated above. In 1869 he came to
Kansas with his family and after spending about a year in Miami and
\\'iIson counties, came to Cowley county, September 9, 1870, and located
on Government land, ten miles east of Winficld, where he was success-
fully engaged in farming and stock raising until T887, when he sold his
farm and removed to Winfield. He died at Dexter, Kans., March 14,
1907. His wife died in the same town, July 20, 1908. She was a na
tive of Tennessee, born at Lebanon. November 28, 1829, of Tennessee
parents. John R. and Mary F. (Bronson) Smith were united in mar-
riage at Salem, 111., Marcli 7, 1850, and to them were born eight children,
as follows: William M., born March 27, 1851, and died at Lawton,
Okla., July 20, 1914; Solomon A., whose name introduces this sketch;
Laura, died in infancy; Elizabeth. l)orn .April 25. 1857, and died Septem-
ber II, 1912; .\ddie. born October 29. 1859, now the wife of E. I. John-
son, Winfield, Kans.; Julin R.. Jr., born March 20, 1861, now postmaster
224 IIIOGRAPIIICAL
at Warner, Okla. ; Carrie Frances, born March 20. 18(17, now the wife of
Edward \\'att, Austin, Tex., and Charles M., born February 22, 1870.
died May 20, 1901. Solomon A. Smith came to Kansas with his par-
ents in 1869, and after receiving; a good public school education, at-
tended Flaker Universit}', Baldwin, Kans. He then followed teaching
about ten years in Cowley county, and during the last few years that he
was engaged in teaching, he pursued the study of law also, and in 1889
was admitted to the bar and since that time has been engaged in the
practice of law at ^^'infield. He has a large practice and is one of the
capable lawyers of southern Kansas. Politically, Mr. Smith is a Social-
ist, and a strong advocate of the principles of that party. In 1908 he
was the nominee of that part}- for Cnited States senator. He takes
an active part in public affairs, and for eight years served on the ^^'in-
field school board. Mr. Smith was married December 29, 1878, to
Miss Mary F., daughter of John T. Johnson, a native of Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Smith was born near Newman, 111., August 27, 1S54.
Til Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born five children: Joe E., born
November 8, 1880; John Thomas, born July 9, 1884; Bernice L., born
January 22, i8go; Robert Bower, born January 8, 1896, and Earnest,
died in infanc\-.
Caleb W. Carson, a prominent business man of Ashland, and one of
the best known citizens of Clark coimty, is a native of Illinois. When a
}'oung man he left his native commonwealth to seek greater opportuni-
ties in the newer State of Kansas. His thirty years of effort in Kansas
has been rewarded with unusual business and financial success anrl
today he is one of the substantial men of the State. Caleb W. Carson
was born on a farm in Champaign county, Illinois, December 18, 1839,
and is a son of ^^'illiam G. Carson, a native of Vermilion county,
Indiana, born June 29, 1829. William G. Carson, whose father was a
native of Tennessee, devoted his entire active career to agricultural pur-
suits in Illinois and died in Champaign county, November 10, 1906. His
widow, who still survives, bore the maiden name of Martha Jane Bales.
She was born in Indiana and is a daughter of Caleb Bales, who was a
soldier of the War of 1812. To William G. Carson and Mary Jane Bales
were born ten children, four of whom died in infancy. The other six
are as follows: Emily Josephene, born November 10, 1857, now the
widow of Eugene A. Ford, who was a prominent lawyer of Garnett,
Kans., and died in 1895 ; Caleb W., the subject of this sketch ; Ellen A.,
married John T. Lee, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; Marcia,
born August 9, 1866, is the wife of D. P. Sims, a dentist, Lancaster,
Pa. ; Villa, born February 23, 1869, resides with her mother at Cham-
l)aign. 111., and William F., a salesman, resides at \\'oodward, Okla.
Caleb W. Carson received his education in the public schools of Cham-
paign county, Illinois, and later took a business course at Lawrence,
Kans.. which he completed in 1885, and the same year located in Clark
yV,l4>rUXIiA.<0-tf^,
nioGKAniicAr. 225
Cdiinty and en!jai;c(l in tlie real estate and Ifian business, a line of en-
deavor that has since enj^asjed his attention more or less. In 18S7 he
was ai)i)(Mnted postmaster of Ashland by President Cleveland and was
re-appointed to that office in 1894. serving eight years in all. For five
years he conducted a general store at Ashland, but continued his real
estate business at the same time. Today he is the largest individual
tax payer in Clark county, and its most extensive land owner. He is a
business man of good judgment and great enterprise. He is a man
capable of comprehending the possibilities of opportunity, whicli, with
his conscientious and honorable methods of doing business, has won
for him the great financial success which he has attained. Not only
through his identification with the commercial interests of Ashland, but
also through a close and deep interest in public affairs, has Mr. Carson
won a high place among the progressive, public spirited and successful
men of the State. Tic is a Democrat and has taken an active interest
in the policies of that party. He has been a member of the Ashland
board of education for several years and was elected mayor of Ashland
in 1910. serving one term. Air. Carson was united in marriage Marcli
Ti. 1886, to Miss Afattie Congleton. of Cham]jaign. Til. She is a native
of Kentucky, born in Nicholas county, August 24, 1859, a daughter of
Columbus W. Congleton, who was a Kentuckian and removed from that
State to Chamjjaign. TIL. with his wife and children and followed farm-
ing there the balance of his life. TTe was born in Nicholas county. T\en-
tucky, January 23, 1827, and died in Champaign county, Illinois. July ^.
1880. His wife was born in Bath coimty, Kentucky, Noveinber 25, T827.
and died in Champaign county. Illinois, in September. 1871. They were
the parents of eight children, as follows: Mollie, Rule (deceased"):
Anna (deceased) : T'^rank Pierce (deceased) ; Sarah, Mattie, now Mrs.
Carson; William C.. and F.lizabelh (deceased). IVTr. and Mrs. Carson
have five children, all of whom have received unusual higher educational
advantages and are well qualified for useful careers. They are in order
of birth as follows: Paul Congleton, born March 28, 1887. graduated
from Kansas University in the class of igii and from the Western Re-
serve Medical College, Cleveland. Ohio, in IQ14, and is now practicing
medicine in Cleveland. Ohio; ^^'illiam C. born January T3. 1889. grad-
uated from the Ashland High School and took a special course at the
Southwestern College. AA'infield, T\ans.. and is in the real estate, loan
and insurance business with his father in .\shland, Kans. TTe married
Miss r^ena R. Camp, of Spokane, Wash., ATarch 20. 1912. She is a na-
tive of Wallace, Idaho, born August 25, 1S88, and is a graduate from
the Kansas State Normal School. F.mporia. Kans., and was a teacher in
the Ashland schools for a year prior to her marriage. Frank Lee, was
born June 23. 1890, graduated from the .\shland High School and entered
Kansas University and was graduated in the class of 1913 and is now
connected with the Kansas National Rank, ^^'ichita. Kans.; Caleb ^^^,
226 BIOGRArHICAL
Jr.. the youngest son, was born Xovember 19, 1891, is a graduate of the
Ashlajid High School and won honors, both for himself and his county,
as one of the three representatives of the Ashland High School in the
State high school debate, held at Lawrence, in 191 1. The trophies of
the contest were a beautiful loving cup and a banner. The contest had
embraced all the high schools of the State and the final contest was be-
tween ^fontgomery and Clark counties, in which the latter carried off
the honors. Caleb W. is now a student in Kansas University and a
member of the class of 191 5. Hazel Ellene. the only daughter, was born
June 29, 1893, graduated from the Ashland High School in the class of
1912 and after attending college one year at Xorthampton. Mass., en-
tered Kansas University and is a member of the class of 1917. The Car-
son home in Ashland is one of the most beautiful residences in south-
western Kansas, and was erected at an approximate cost of $20,000.
Mr. Carson is prominently identified with the Masonic order, being a
Knights Templar, Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Alason.
Alvah J. Graham, a prominent member of the Cowley county bar, and
a leading lawyer of southern Kansas, is a native of the Buckej'e State.
He was born at Canton, Ohio, June 26, 1867. and is a son of Dr. William
George and Fannie P. (Keyes) Graham. Doctor Graham, the father,
was a pioneer physician of Cowley county. He was born in Holmes
county, Ohio, April 16. 1842, a son of John and Alice (Finley) Graham,
natives of Ireland, the former coming to America at the age of sixteen.
He remained in Ohio until 1872, when he came to Kansas and located
in Cowley county, and died soon after coming here. To John and Alice
(Tinley) Graham were born the following children: John Finley, Dr.
AX'illiam George, Alexander- B., Thomas M., Aloses Asbury, Margaret,
Elizabeth Ann. Isabelle C. now the widow of J. R. Morgan, and Mary
A., the wife of G. X. Learey, \\'infield. They are all deceased except
Isabelle C. and Mary A., and all spent their lives in Cowley county,
where they settled in an early day and took up Government land. Dr.
\\'illiam George Graham was educated in Baldwin College, Eerea, Ohio,
and the Homeopathic Medical College, Xew York, graduating from the
latter institution in the class of 1866. He then engaged in the practice
of his profession at Ravenna, Ohio, for a time, when he went to Canton,
Ohio, and practiced until 1878, when he came to Kansas, first locating
at Leavenworth, where he remained one year. He then went to Cowley
county and located on Government land, and when the town of Win-
field was located and laid out his claim adjoined the new town. He
was secretary of the townsite company and took a prominent part in
the early day doings of that part of the State. He was one of the
organizers of the Settlers' Protective Association, a vigilance commit-
tee of that section organized for the mutual protection of settlers
against outlaws and Indians. He was the first ph3'sician to locate in
Winfield, and was the first coroner of Cowley cotinty, and his wife
BinGRArillCAL 22/
was the first white woman to permanently settle in that count}-. Doctor
Graham was mayor of Winfield for four years. He was a Knights
Templar Mason, and a charter member of all the Masonic bodies in
Winfield. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and
for many years was a member of the board of trustees of Southwestern
College, Winfield. He died at Winfield, January 2, 1914, and his re-
mains are interred in the Cowley Union cemetery, which is located on
his oritjinal homestead. His wife. Fannie P. Keyes, to whom he was
married at Ravenna, Ohio, in 1866, was a daughter of Alva E. and
Mary (Brown) Keyes, natives of New England. She was born at
Westfield, N. Y., Jnne 24, 1848. Alvah J. Graham, whose name intro-
duces this article, was educated in the public schools and Southwestern
College, graduating from that institution in the class of 1889. He then
entered the University of Kansas and was graduated in the class of
1891. with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He then engaged in the
practice of law at Guthrie, r)kla., where he remained about a year,
when he returned to ^^'infield, where he has since been successfully en-
gaged in the ]iractice of his profession and has Iniilt up a large practice.
Mr. Graham was united in marriage .'\pril 14, 1895, to Miss Julia O.,
daughter of Rev. John Boone and Sarah M. (\\'ard) Smith, the former
a native of Kentucky, and the latter of West Virginia. The father was
a Methodist minister, and a relative of Daniel Boone. He died at Win-
field, Kans., in .August, 191 1. To .Mvah J. and Julia O. (Smith) Gra-
ham have been born two children : Helen, born .September 5, 1898, is a
student in the Winfield High School, and a meml)er of the class of 1915.
and Elizabeth, born October 26, 1904. Mr. Graham is a charter mem-
ber of the Old Settlers' Association, and has served as president of that
organization. He is also a Knights Templar Mason and a member of
the Improved Order of Red Men, and is the great keeper of wampmn,
of the State lodge. Politically, he is a Socialist, and an ardent advo-
cate of the economic principles of that party. The Graham family con-
sisted of two children : .Mvah J., the subject of this sketch, and Ernest
R., born at Winfield. Kans.. March 5. 1873, and educated in the public
schools of Winfield and the Snuthwcstern College, and is now a Cowley
county farmer.
John Adams Lightner, an extensive land ouiicr, and one of the pros-
perous farmers of Comanche county, is one of the pioneers of that sec-
tion of the State. He is a native of the Old Dominion, born in Bath
county, Virginia, January 7, 1848, and comes from Old Virginia stock,
his parents, Jacob and Xancy Jane (\\'arwick) Lightner, being na-
ti\-es of that .State. Jacob Lightner was born in 1820, on the tild
Lightner lupniestead in P.alh county, and followed farming there all his
life, lie died December 18, 1886. His wife, Jane Warwick, was also
born on a farm in \'irginia. and her ])arcnts, Robert and Esther (Hull)
Warwick, were n;itivcs of the s;\me State. She died in her native State
228 BIOGRAPHICAL
in 187S. Thev were the parents nf the following cliildren: Malcena,
\'irgin,ia, JdIiii Adams. Robert \\'arwici<, Will Craig (deceased) ; Mary
Etta, Jacob Brown, Peter (deceased) ; James O. and George W., the last
named being deceased. John Adams Lightner spent his boyhood days on
the home farm in \'irginia. and received his education in private schools.
In early life he taught school about six years, and then was a sales-
man for a short time, and later engaged in the mercantile business at
Mill Gap. Va.. where he successfully conducted a general store for
twelve years. He also served as postmaster at Alill Gap. In 1884. be-
lie\'ing there were better opportunities in the ^^'est, he came to Kansas,
locating in Comanche county, where he took up Government land.
After a time prosperity knocked at his door, and he bought more land,
and continued to buy until he now owns 3.120 acres of some of the
most productive land in the State. It is located in a fertile region along
Bluff and Kiowa creeks, and his farm is all well improved. He raises
cattle on a large scale, and is also an extensive alfalfa grower, and has
met with a marked degree of success in that feature of farming. Mr.
Liglitner was united in marriage at ]\IcPherson, Kans., January 23,
1892, to Miss Myrtle Grumm, and they have one child, Virginia, born
in Comanche county, Janiiar}- 3, 1893. She is an accomplished young
woman and is a graduate of the Bucklin High School and Kansas Uni-
versity, graduating at the latter institution in the class of 1912. She is
a graduate pharmacist and has given special study and attention to
music and domestic science. Mr. Lightner has been a lifelong Demo-
crat, but is not inclined to look favorably upon yiolitics as a profession,
but ratlier as an incident to good citizenship. He is a student of men
and affairs, as well as books, and his hospitable home has an air df cul-
ture and refinement which impresses one with his distinct individuality.
John Gilmore Fulton, a veteran of the Civil war and Kansas pioneer,
has been a resident of the Sunflower State for more than a third of a
century. He is a native of Pennsylvania, born at Pittsliurgh. October
II, 1836, a son of James and Margaret (Gilmore) Fulton. The father
was also a Pennsylvanian, born at Philadelphia in 1800. He was a
wagon maker, and for several years was employed at his trade by the
United States Government in the Pittsburgh arsenal. He died in 1848.
Margaret Gilmore, his wife, was a daughter of Daniel Gilmore. a Penn-
sylvania pioneer, whose wife, when an infant, was taken captive by the
Indians, and was reared in captivitj' until she was eighteen years old,
and had no knowledge of her parents' names. She died November 3,
1803. at Cobden, 111. To James and Margaret (Gilmore) Fulton were
born the following children: Oliver P., Mary Ann. Xancy Jane, Caro-
line. F.lizalieth. John Gilmore. the subject of this sketch; Josephine,
Sarah. \\'illiam and Graham. John Gilmore Fulton's parents remox'cd
to Illinois in 1844. when he was seven years of age. This was a very
early day in the settlement of that State. They located at Duquoip.
BIOGRAPHICAL 229
The boy remained al home on tlie farm until the outbreak of the Civil
war. when he enlisted in Company J, Sixth regiment, Illinois cavalry.
He was sergeant of his company and served three years. His regiment
was attached to the Sixteentii army corps, under command of General
Sherman, but on account of illness Mr. Fulton was unable to participate
in Sherman's memorable march to the sea. For the first two years
and two months of his service he never missed a rollcall, but during
the last ten months most of his time was spent in a hospital. He was act-
ing lieutenant of his company for over a j'ear, and served in the capacity
of major during two engagements. He lost his right eye from an in-
jury sustained while in the service. He made a good militar}' record,
and after being honorablj' discharged at the close of the war, he went
to Cairo, 111., where he was engaged as a salesman for five years. In
1 88 1 he came to Kansas, locating in Sedgwick county, and was engaged
in farming near Wichita for three years, and the place where his farm
was located is now occupied by a large packing house in the suburbs
of Wichita. In 1884 he went to Comanche county, locating on Govern-
ment land, ten miles south of Protection, and engaged in farming and
stuck raising, and was very successful. In 1900 he retired and is now
living in Protection, and enjo3'ing well earned rest after an active and
successful career. He was active in the organization of Comanche
county and has always taken a keen interest in the public affairs of his
locality and has held various local offices. He is a member of O. P.
Morton Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Xo. 14, Joplin, Mo. Mr.
Fulton was united in marriage at Duquoin, 111., May 26, 1858, to Miss
.Sarah Flizabeth, daughter of Dr. Leo and Sarah Ann (Jones) Hamil-
ton, a native of Illinois, born December 23, 1840. Pier father was born
in Maryland in 1800, and died in Illinois in 1848, and her mother was
a native of Kentucky, born in 1806, and died in Illinois in 1844. Mrs.
Fulton was one of a family of six, as follows: Matilda Ann, Walter
I^., Sarah Elizabeth, Joseph F., Humphrey l'>.. and Lewis T. To Mr.
and Mrs. Fulton have been born six children: Ida May, born Sep-
tember 3, 1859. died January 20, 1863 ; Walter E., born December 28,
iSf'ii ; Chloe F., born .\ugust 3, 1863. died .\pril 20, 1864; Carl Frederick,
born June 13. 1866; Ethel F., born January 6, 1874, and Kenneth Hamil-
ton, born June 11, 1877.
Arthur Van Wey is a native of Illinois, born December 21, 1868.
whose parents were among the very early settlers of Coffey county,
Kansas. He is a son of Abram and Rebecca (Holland) \'an
Wey. The father was a native of Ohio, born in Allen county in 1816,
and the mother was a native of the same State, born February 24, 1835.
They removed to Coffey county, Kansas, in 1867, which was a very
early day in the settlement of that State. Here they located
on Government land, where they remained until 1883. when they re-
moved to Comanche cntuitv and settled on Government land, four miles
230 BIOGRAPHICAL
east of Protection. This was before Comanche county was organized,
and here the father followed farming and stock raising until his death,
September 20, 1898. He was a Democrat and a member of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church. To Abram and Rebecca (Holland) Van Wey
were born three children, as follows: Sanford, born October 14, 1861,
now a farmer in Comanche county; Abram, born May 20, 1863, also a far-
mer in Comanche count}', and Arthur, the subject of this sketch. Arthur
Van ^^'ey received his education in the public schools of Kansas, and
was fifteen years old when his parents located in Comanche county,
where he has since been engaged in farming and stock raising, where
he has become one of the prosperous and substantial men of the county.
He raises cattle and horses extensively. Mr. \'an \\'ey was married No-
vember 29, 1889, to Miss Jessie Amy, daughter of Walter L. and Violet
(Nail) Stewart. Mrs. Van Wey was born in Pennsylvania, December i,
1873, and came to Kansas with her parents in 1880. They located in
Sumner county. To Mr. and Mrs. Van Wey have been born three chil-
dren : Elmer Arthur, born June 18, 1893 ; Irtl-? Stewart, born October 21,
1894, and Henry William, born July 22, 1898. Mr. Van Wey is a member
of the Modern Woodmen of America, Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
and, politically, is a Democrat. The family are members of the Baptist
church, and well and favorably known in the section where they reside.
Edward Bell Payne, M. D., a well known and successful physician
of Fort Scott, is a descendant of pioneer Kansas parents. Dr. Payne is
a native of the Sunflower State, born in ^liami county, near Paola,
October 9, 1866. He is a son of Rev. J. M. and Mary A. (Cantell) Payne.
The father was active in the Methodist ministry for years, and is now
chaplain at the National Military Home, at Leavenworth, Kans. He is
a native of Indiana, and in early life removed to Illinois, and in the
spring of 1866 came to Kansas. His father, Gustavus Payne, was also
a native of Indiana, and came to Kansas about 1870, locating at Labette
City, where he was engaged in the mercantile business and farming
for many years. He died in 1904. Mary A. Cantell, Dr. Payne's
mother, is a daughter of Andrew Cantell, a native of Ireland. He lo-
cated near Pleasanton, Lynn county, Kansas, at an early day and was
engaged in teaching nearly all his life. Dr. Payne attended the public
schools in the various towns in Kansas, where his father was located
in the ministry, and in 1882 entered Baker University, at Baldwin,
where he was a student for three years. He then got employment in a
drug store at Girard, Kans., and while thus employed read medicine
under the preceptorship of Dr. Shell, about a year, and in 1886 entered
tlie University Medical College of Kansas City, where he was graduated
in the class of 1889, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He then
engaged in the practice of his profession at Galena, Kans., in partnership
with Dr. J. P. Schole, for a period of about six months, when Dr. Payne
returned to college, this time entering Bellevue Medical College, New
BIOGRAPHICAL 23 I
York City, and was graduated in the class of 1890. He then returned
to Galena, Kans., and was engaged in the practice of his profession
there for fourteen years. In 1904 he came to Fort Scott, where he has
built up a large practice and holds a place in the medical profession, as
one of the leading physicians of that section. Dr. Payne is a close
student of the science of medicine and has kept fully abreast with the
great strides that the profession has made in recent years. He takes
a commendable interest in public affairs, and in 1910 was elected coroner
of Bourbon county, and is now serving in that capacity. He has served
on the Fort Scott cit\- council, and while a resident of Galena was a
member of the school board for several years. He is active in the
broader field of American medical research, and in 1908 was a delegate
to the International Tul^erculosis Convention, held at Washington. D. C
He also takes a prominent part in the work of the Methodist Episcopal
church, of which he is a trustee and superintendent of the Sunday school.
He was a delegate to the general conference at Los Angeles in 1908.
He is a member of the Countj^, State and .American Medical Associa-
tions", and is a Knights Templar Mason and a member of the Mystic
Shrine. Dr. Payne was united in marriage July 6, 1898, to Miss Rose,
daughter of John Luckey, of Baxter Springs, Kans. Mr. Luckey came
to Kansas from Indiana in 1870, and made farming the occupation of his
life. Mrs. Payne was born in Kansas and educated in the public
schools. Dr. and Mrs. Paj-ne have one child, Mary Esther, a student
in the Fort .Scott schools.
John Davis Hunter, a well known successful physician of Fort Scott.
Kans., is a native of the Keystone State. He was born at Phoenixville,
Pa., June 23, 1873, and is a son of George A. and Emma (Quigg) Hun-
ter, both natives of Pennsylvania, and descendants of early settlers in
that State. Dr. Hunter received his preliminary education in the pub-
lic schools of his native town, and graduated from the Phoenixville High
School in the class of 1892. He then was a student in the University
of Pennsylvania for two years, and in 1894 went to Youngstown. Ohio,
where he studied dentistry for one year. In 1897 he came to Kansas,
locating at Fort Scott and was associated with an uncle, W. P>. Hunter,
in the drug business for four years, when he entered the University
Medical College, Kansas City, and was graduated in the class of 1905,
with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He was associated in the prac-
tice of his profession in Kansas City with Dr. S. C. James for two years,
and in 1907 located at Fort Scott, where he has since been engaged in
the practice. He is a close student of the science of medicine and
ranks as one of the successful physicians of Bourbon county. He has
given a great deal of attention to the surgery side of his profession,
and has been verv successful in that branch of professional work. He
is staff surgeon at Mere}' Hospital, Fort Scott, and assistant division
surgeon for the Missouri Pacific Railway Company. He is prominent
232 BIOGRAPHICAL
in medical societies, being a member of tlie County, State and American
Medical Associations, and has also served as secretary of the County
and Southeastern Kansas Medical Society. Dr. Hunter was united in
marriage October 24. 1906, to Miss Rena. daughter of Col. J. H. and
Laura (Lakin) Richards, both natives of Indiana. Col. Richards is a
prominent attorney and for many years was general solicitor for the
Missouri Pacific Railway Company. On account of failing health he
retired from that position and now resides at Fort Scott, Kans. I\Irs.
Hunter is a highly educated woman and prominent in social circles of
her home city. She was educated in the Fort Scott High School,
Baker University and the ^\'oman's College, of Baltimore. Md., grad-
uating in the latter institution in the class of 1904, with the degree of
Bachelor of Science. To Dr. and Mrs. Hunter have been born two
children: John Richards and Matsin Lakin. Dr. Hunter is a member
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and Mrs. Hunter are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and take a prominent part
in the work of their congregation.
U. A. D. Collelmo, M. D., a well known physician and surgeon of
Pittsburg, Kans., is a native of Italy. He was born at \^iterbo, Italy,
^lay 5, 1867. Dr. Collelmo received an excellent education in the
schools of his native land, and later graduated from the University 0\
Rome and Pavia, in 1890. After graduating Dr. Collelmo traveled ex-
tensively in South America and after returning to his native country,
went to Australia. In 1894 he located in Detroit, Mich., and after prac-
tising his profession there for three years went to Ba}- City. Mich., where
he practised until 1908. He then located at Arapaho. Okla., and
a short time after came to Pittsburg, Kans., where he has since been
engaged in the practice of his profession. He has taken considerable
post-graduate work, giving special attention to surger\ and has made
a specialty of that branch of professional work for the past twelve years.
For a few years he was connected wMth the Italian Infirmary of Pitts-
burg, as surgeon, and in 1913 founded the Pittsburg Emergency Hospital
and Training School for Nurses. This is a regular chartered institu-
tion by the State of Kansas under date of December 6. 1913, and the
present directors are Dr. C. A. Dudley. Dr. M. B. Hartman, Dr. E. E.
Deal and Dr. E. Coffero. Dr. Collelmo is surgeon in charge, and during
his career in connection with this hospital he has performed a great
many delicate surgical operations in which he has been uniformly suc-
cessful. The institution is equipped with all modern methods of sanita-
tion and comfort, and is capable of accommodating twelve patients, and
is generally filled to its capacity. There are five nurses in charge of
the institution. Dr. Collelmo was united in marriage October 3, 1900,
to Miss Mary Louise Goe. of Fay, Okla., and to this union have been
born six children: Victoria. Angelina. Doleres. Ugo. John and Mer-
cedes. Dr. Collelmo is a Reiniblican, and in 1914 received the nomina-
BIOGRAPHICAL 233
tion of his party for coroner of Crawford county, and was elected by
a large majority. Me is a member of the United States Board of
Pension Examiners and a member of the County, State and American
^^edical Associations, being vice president of the county organization.
He also holds membership in the Modern ^^'oodmen of America and
the Owls.
J. F. Klaner, ]iresident of the Ellsworth-Klaner Construction Com-
pan}-, Pittsburg, Kans., is a typical representative of that type of men
who do big things. The Ellsworth-Klaner Construction Company is
engaged in strip ])it coal mining and is one of the first companies in south-
eastern Kansas to enlist the steam shovel method of carrying out this
project. Eor the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the vai'ious
methods of coal mining, it may be stated here that the old-fashioned strip
IMt mining was done by teams and scrapers when the outcroppings of coal
were within a few feet of the surface. However, this style of mining was
never very profitable and therefore never carried on very extensively,
but when coal was located from ten to fifty feet beneath the surface of
the ground and the roofing, or rock, overla\-ing the coal was found to
be very shallow the question of mining l)y the underground method was
found to be expensive and dangerous, and it was out of the question to
remove the clay or "strip the coal" with teams and scrapers. Then
came the introduction of the modern method of removing this clay,
overlaying the coal, by steam shovels. The Ellsworth-Klaner Company
is (me of the pioneer companies to operate in southeastern Kansas by this
method, which they introduced about four years ago, and they are now
operating three steam shovels. Tn this method of mining, these steam
shovels are constructed especially for this ]iur]5ose, and are among the
largest to be found in the country — larger than any used in digging
the Panama Canal. Each shovel has a di]5])er capacity of five cubic
yards, operated with a ninety foot Ijnom and fifty-four foot dipper
stick, and the steam i)ower required to operate one of these shovels is
furnished by two 150 horse power boilers. The approximate cost of
one of these giant digging machines is $40,000, whicii includes the
freight charge and cost of putting the machines in position. The Ells-
worth-Klaner Company emj^lovs about 200 men in this method of min-
ing, and their daily output is from thirty to forty-five railroad carloads
of coal. Mr. Klaner, whose name introduces this article, is a native of
California, born in Placer county, January 11, 1877. He is a son of
Henry and Ann (Pf)min) Klaner, natives of Germany. The father was
a deep sea sailor and in 1848, when the vessel upon which he was sailing,
touched jjort at San Erancisco, he, like many others, abandoned his
regular vocation to join the army of gold seekers in the Sacramento \al-
ley. Eater he visited his native land, hut returned to California, where
he spent his life. J. F. Klaner received his education in the jMiblic
234 BIOGRAPHICAL
schools of his native State, and in early Hfe learned the blacksmith
trade, and became connected with mining projects in California and
Arizona in the capacity of master mechanic. He was employed at the
"King- of Arizona" mine two years, when he went to Cripple Creek
district and worked a mining lease on his own account, operating there
about three years, with a fair degree of success. He then operated for a
machine company for a time, when he entered the employ of the United
States Government as foreman in the Gunnison tunnel project, and had
charge of this work until 1906, when he took charge of the Central
Colorado power tunnels, at Glenwood Springs, Colo, as superintendent of
construction. In 1907 he accepted the position as superintendent of mines
for the Boston Consolidated, at Bingham, Canyon, Utah. In 1908 he
became associated with Mr. Ellsworth, in the construction business in
Utah and Colorado. They constructed the Rio Grande dam, one of the
largest projects of the kind in the State of Colorado. They did consid-
eralile other important construction work in the mountain states before
beginning operations in the southeastern Kansas coal field. About the
time that Mr. Klaner was operating in the Cripple Creek district, he
accepted a position from the Leyner Engineering Works as drill expert
in constructing the Pennsylvania Railroad tunnels under the North
river, into New York City, in connection with the construction of the
Pennsylvania depot there, but on account of the climate, and the nature
of the underground work so seriously affecting his health, he was
compelled to give it up within a few months and return to the West.
Mr. Klaner was united in marriage September 19, 1906, to Miss Nettie
Leabo, of Lathrop, Mo. They have one child, J. P., Jr. Mr. Klaner is
a member of the Southwestern Coal Operators' Association and takes
an active part in the work of that organization. He is a Thirty-second
degree Mason and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks. In addition to his other vast interests and enterprises. Mr.
Klaner has a fine fruit farm, consisting of a twenty acre apple orchard,
at Honeyville, Utah. He is also a stockholder in the Mosida Fruit
Lands Company, of ]\Tosida, Utah.
Hon. Ebenezer F. Porter, State senator from the Ninth senatorial
district, Pittsburg, Kans., has for nearly a quarter of a century been one
of the powers and potential forces in business and in matters relating
to educational and material progress in that section of the State. He
has from an early age borne a large share of responsibility in the
management of his father's, as well as his own affairs and has had to
deal with large and important matters. Notwithstanding his large
sphere of activity, it can be said to his credit that he has never failecf
in any of his enterprises, Mr. Porter has gained the reputation among
his associates of going straight to the mark in any business affairs, and
with a definite goal for his efforts, he has never failed until he got what
he went after. .Although he has been concerned with several large in-
BIOGRAPHICAL 235
terests during his life, yet they have never been so wide of extent that
his energies have been diffused to the neglect of any detail. His friends
say of him that everything he does is thoughtfully planned beforehand,
and with a foundation well built his projects always rise to a successful
completion, but his intense energy and broad mind have ranged into
other fields than pure business and the entire State of Kansas will al-
ways regard him as the founder of a department of education which is
destined to exert a powerful influence on the life and industries of the
twentieth century. Senator Porter was born at New Salem, Fayette
county, Pennsylvania, July 14, 1859. I lis parents were Judge John T.
and I'lioebe Jane (Finleyj Porter, natives of New Salem, Pa. John T.
Porter was a merchant at New Salem and about 1860 removed to
Illinois, and sixteen years later to Iowa, where he resided until i88x,
when he went to Alabama and lived at Brewton and Montgomery. He
was one of the pioneer sawmill men of the South. In 1888 he went
to Florida, where he laid out the town of Grand Ridge, and engaged in
the manufacture of turpentine in connection with the lumber business,
and has since resided there. During Cleveland's first administration
he was ajjpointed United States commission for the district of western
Florida, and held that position until 1909, when he resigned on account
of ill health. Senator Porter, whose name introduces this review, was
educated in the public schools of Iowa, and after reaching his majority
engaged in the luml)er business at Clarinda. Iowa, and is believed to
have established the first yellow pine luml)cr yard in that State. He
also engaged in the grain business there and Iiad a branch at Hepburn,
Idwa. He remained in Iowa until 1885, when he disjiosed of his
l)usiness there and came to Kansas, engaging in the lumber business
at Wakeeney as manager of the Wakeeney Lumber Compafty. In 1888
he sold his interest in that yard, but remained at Wakeeney until 1890.
when he located at Pittsburg. Ever since 1885 Mr. Porter has been
interested in Mnrida timber i)roperty and devotes a great deal of his
time to looking after his vast interests there. In 1893 he became auditor
of tlie Casey-Lombard Lumber Company and later secretary and
treasurer of that company. He is one of the largest individual land
and lumber ciwncrs in the State of Florida, holding over 63.000 acres of
pine land, and he is also an extensive property owner in Pittsburg and
vicinity. In 1900 he was elected State senator from Pittsburg on the
Republican ticket and has served in that capacity ever since, his present
and fourth term in that office expiring in 1917. Dining that period Sen-
ator Porter has been active and influential in legislation. He introduced
the bill which pro\ided for manual training in schools of Pittsburg,
which was passed, lie also introduced the bill establishing the State
Manual Training Normal School, of Pittsburg, which carried with it an
ajipropriation of $18,000.00. and as a result of this legislation Senator
I'oiter is known as the father of the manual training normal school.
236 ■ lilOGR.VPHICAL
J-'oUowiiig the passage of this bill, the State in 1905 appropriated $35,000
for maintenance, and $10,000 for the purchase of suitable grounds for the
institution, and Senator Porter was influential in securing the appropria-
tion of $100,000 for the building which was completed in 1908. He has
served on many important committees and for years has been chairman
of the committee on mines and mining, and drafted many of the import-
ant bills in that field of legislation. He has served on the ways and
means, assessments and taxation, cities of the first class, educational in-
stitutions, labor, manufactures and industrial pursuits and railroads com-
mittees. Many important bills relating to laljor and labor interests
were introduced by him. Senator Porter is a member of the Masonic
order, the Knights and Ladies of Security, Fraternal Aid Society, Red
Men and Anti-Horsethief Association and for a number of years has
served on the school board of Pittsburg. Mr. Porter was united in mar-
riage February 23. i8cS2, to Miss Anna I. Berry, of Clarinda, Iowa.
Three children have been born to this union: Lillian (deceased) ; Harry
Huston, and Harold Berry. The family are members of the Presby-
terian church.
Howard R. Burnette, a Comanche county pioneer, who nobly con-
tributed his part in suliduing the stubborn plains of the West, and mak-
ing Kansas the great agricultural empire it is, passed to his reward at
his Comanche county home, February 16, 1899. He was born on a
farm in Iowa, October 23, 1858, a son of \\'illiam and Mary (Gorgess"^
Burnette, both natives of Indiana. The father was born February 29,
1828, and died at Melville, Mo., August 6, 1897, and the mother was born
August 17, 1832. They were married January 16, 1852, and nine chil-
dren were born to this union, as 'follows: Mary Emeline, born Feb-
ruary 12, 1853; George T., born November 23, 1856; Howard R., whose
name introduces this sketch; Charles M., born Januarv 6, 1861 ; William,
born May 12, 1863; James, born August 14, 1865; John W., born May
10, 1867; Edward D., born October 27, 1870; Rutie C. born January 10,
1873. Howard R. Burnette removed with his parents from Iowa to
Richmond, Mo., in 1867. He was then a boy of nine and attended the
jnibh'c schools of Ray county, remaining at home until 1887, when he
came to Kansas, locating in Comanche county. He took up Government
land, eleven miles east of Coldwatcr, and later bought additional land,
as he accummulated capital, until at the time of his death he owned
1,250 acres. His family has continued the business and continued to
add to their acreage until tiiey now own 3,600 acres, all in one body,
wp.U improved, which is one of the valuable farms of the county. Mr.
Bin-nctte was a prominent Democrat and always took a commendable
interest in public affairs. He held a niunber of township offices at dif-
ferent times, and served as county commissioner of Comanche county,
holding that office at the time of his death. He was a member of the
Independent Order of f^dd Fellows and one of the most valued citizens
niOGRAI'IIK'AL 237
of the county. He was married AFarcli 24, i8Sf'), to Miss Almira
Ellen, dauijhter oi John and Emerilas (Henderson) Jordan. John
Jordan was a nati\e of Ohio, horn in Jackson county, October
22. 1828. He died in Warren county, Indiana, February 20, 1907.
He was married September 30, 1850, to Emerilas Henderson, and to
them were born ele\en children, as follows: Clara Marion, Sarah
Maria. William Henry, Charlotte, John C, Emma, Miles L., Jessetta,
Cornelius \'., Olive, and Almira Ellen. To Howard R. Burnette and
Almira Ellen Jordan were born four children: Mary E., l)orn ^lay 16,
18S9, died July 27, iSSg; l^dna W., born December 21, 1891 ; Howard
R.. born October 28. 189.^. and John W., born Xovember 13, 1897. The
Burnette family are well kni:>wn in Comanche county, where they arc
|ir(iminent and have many friends.
J. Albert Gibson, ])resident of the Standard Ice i^ Fuel Company, of
Pittsbursj, Kans., is a representative of that type of business men who
have made southeastern Kansas the great industrial district that it is,
and the Standard Ice & Fuel Company is one of the important enter-
prises of the metropolis of that section. This company was incorporated
under the laws of Kansas. June 26, 1903. the first officers being J. A.
Gibson, president; James Patmore, vice-president, and M. S. Lanyon,
secretary and treasurer. Th.e company was capitalized at ,$50,000.00.
with a capacity of sixty tons of ice daily. Mr. ("libson has remained
president of the compan}^ since its organization, and at the death of Mr.
Patmore, Edward Nicholas succeeded to the vice presidency and at
the retirement of Mr. Lanyon. J. T. Stewart became secretary and
treasurer and now holds that position. The business of the company
has been successful from the start and the management has shown keen
foresight and capability, .^n important i)art of their business is the
icing of railway refrigerator cars. They furnish large quantities of ice,
by yearly contract, to the leading refrigerator lines of the country which
pass over the railroads entering Pittsburg. Tn 1909 their business had
grown to such an extent that it was necessary to erect an additional
plant I Ml the line <<i the Kansas City Southern Railway. This is known
as "Plant Xo. 2." and has a capacity of 75 tons per day and
the total output of their two plants is 135 tons daily, and they have a
storage capacity of al)oul 5.000 tons. J. .Mbert Gibson was born in
Richfield. \\'asliington county, Illinois, September 15, 1870. He is a
son of Samuel B. and Sarah C. (Hussey) Gibson, the former a native
of Illinois, and the latter of Ohio. In 1880 the Gibson family came to
Kansas, locating on a farm near Cherokee, Crawford county. Here J
Albert liegan his educational career in the district school and later at-
tended the Kansas Xormal .School, at Fort .Scott, and in 1891-2 he took
a course in Bryant & .Stratton's Commercial College, Chicago. 111. Me
then returned tn Pittsburg and accepted a position as bookkeeper in
the Xalinnal l!;ink nf Pittsburg, remaining in that capacity until i8()6.
238 niaGRAPIIICAL
when he resigned to engage in the grain and milling business, as a mem-
l)er of the firm of John R. McKim & Co. He was thus engaged for four
years when he disposed of liis interest in that business and again en-
tered the employ of the National Bank of Pittsburg, as teller and for
five years was connected with the bank in that capacity. During this
time he promoted and organized the Standard Ice & Fuel Company and,
as above stated, became its first president. However, he continued to
hold liis position in the bank until 1004, when he resigned, and since that
time has given the affairs of the Standard Ice & Fuel Company his un-
divided attention. He is interested in the First State Bank of Pitts-
burg, and is a member of the board of directors of that institution. In
addition to his industrial and commercial activity, Mr. Gibson takes a
prominent part in the public affairs of his city and county. Politically,
he is a Republican, and in 1912 was elected a member of the legislature
from the Twenty-first district and was active and influential in the
legislation of that session. He was a member of the legislative com-
mittees on cities of the first class, judiciary, manufacturing, mines and
mining, judicial apportionment and public utilities and was the author
of some important legislation now on the statute books of the State,
and in 1914 was elected to succeed himself. Mr. Gibson was united in
marriage, March 23, 1894, to Miss Eva, daughter of A. and Mary Bell
(Hyndman) Burns. The Burns family came from Sparta, 111., to Kansas
in 1882 and settled in Crawford county. The father was a furniture
mercliant in Illinois, and came to Kansas for his health and engaged in
farming. He served two terms as county treasurer of Crawford county
and was mayor of Girard one term. He is now living retired at Girard.
Mrs. Gibson was born at Sparta, 111., and educated in the public schools
of Kansas, graduating from the Beulah High School and later graduated
from the State Normal School, at Emporia, and taught school for a few
years in Crawford county. To Mr. and Mrs. Gibson have been born
three children : Helen Claire, a graduate of the State Manual Training
College, Pittsburg, where she specialized in music ; Eva Louise, a .grad-
uate of the Pittsburg Hi.gh School, now a student in the State Manual
Training College, and Grant Burns. Mr. Gibson is a Mason and a
member of the Mystic Shrine, the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks and the United Commercial Travelers. The family are members
of the United Presbyterian church, of which Mr. Gibson is an elder.
Ralph Warren Scott, proprietor of the "Rafe-Will Ranch." near
Mayo, Comanche county, is one of the largest ranch owners and most
extensive cattle men in southwestern Kansas. Mr. Scott is a native of
Ne\y Jersey, born on a farm near Trenton, August 5, 1857. He is a son
of Howell H. and Jane F. (Harding) Scott. Howell H. Scott was also
a native of New Jersey, born October 20, 1830. on the same place, near
Trenton, of New Jersey parentage. He was a farmer and a man of a
srreat deal of natural abilitv. He was a close student and a keen ob-
BIOGRAPHICAL 239
server of the affairs of every-day life, and a well posted man His wife,
Jane F. Harding^, was a daiipjhter of Ezekiel and Elizabeth (Fisher)
Harding, the former of French and the latter of Irish extraction. She
was born in New Jersey, September 8, 1829. and died at Timber I^ake,
Okla., May 27. 1906. She and her husband were both earnestly religious
and lived consistent Christian lives. They were the parents of seven
children, as follows: John N., born February 22, 1854. retired farmer
and minister, Paul's Valley, Okla., married Belle Sterling and they have
six children. Stanley, Chester, Nellie, Kessie. Anna and Marion; Abel
Elliott, born March 14. 1855, farmer, Elewellyn, Neb., married Salome
Vances. and they have three children. Ralph W'., Lilla and Eena ; Ralph
U'arren. the subject of this sketch ; Mary Isabel, born April 7. 1861,
married Otto Farmer, who died May 20. 1893. leaving five children,
Gertrude,- Anna May, Howell Scott, Martha and Lilla; \\'illiam Ferdi-
nand, born February 22. 1863, married Ethel Richey, and they have two
children, Genevieve, born August 30. 1903. and Mary Etta, born March
28. 1907; Lizzie, born May 20. 1865, died October 24. 1872, and Josephine
Johnson, born May 20. 1871. married Robert W. Bell, and they have
four children, Margaret, Helen, Daisy and Norman. Ralph Warren
Scott was reared in Illinois, where the family had removed when he was
a child, and educated in Ihc public schools of that State and Illinois
Wesleyan University. In 1878 he came to Kansas, where he remained
a short time, when he went west and was engaged in the mercantile
business in Colorado and New Mexico, and was also interested in pros-
pecting in that country for fifteen years. He met with remarkable suc-
cess in his enterprises and prospered. In 1893. when the Chernkcc strip
was opened, he took a claim in \\'oods county. Oklahoma, and in 1899
he and his brother. William F.. came to Kansas and bought 8.000 acres
of land in Comanche county, and engaged in the cattle business on an
extensive scale. The ranch derives its name froin the clever combina-
tion of the nicknames of the two brothers, Ralph and William, which
is of itself unique. This is one of the largest and best equipped cattle
ranches in the country. The ranch is stocked with Hereford cattle, and
there is never less than i.ooo head on the place. They also raise great
numbers of horses and swine. The partnership between the two
brothers continued uninterruptedly until 1914, when Ralph i)urchascd
the interest of William, the latter removing to Bentnnville. /\rk.. where
he engaged in business an<l R;ilph is now the sole owner and proj)rictor
of the "Rafe-Will Ranch." Raljih ^V. Scott, whose name introduces
this review, was united in marriage al .Vnthony. Kans., October 15. 1896,
to Miss Loretta. daughter of I'rederick and Phoeba (Carder) Merck, na-
tives of Gcrmanv. The father came to America at the age of eighteen
and spent his life in the mercantile business. He died December 20,
1907. Mrs. Scott was born at Millersburg, Iowa, November 23. 1869.
Mr. and Mrs. Scott have no children. Mr. Scott is a Democrat and has
240 BIOGRAPHICAL
been a member of the board of county commissioners of Comanche
county since 1896. In addition to his vast individual interests, Mr. Scott
is active in a number of other enterprises. He is a director of the
Farmers & Bankers' Life Insurance Company of Kansas, and president
of the Peoples' State Bank of Coldwater. Both he and his wife are
members of the Alethodist Episcopal church, and are active in the work
of the local cong^regation.
Addison Baker, registrar of deeds of Clark county, has been a promi-
nent factor in the public affairs of that county for over thirty years. He
was born at Amelia, Ohio, December 23, 1848. and is a son of Benjamin
J. and Lucy (White) Baker, the father a native of Harrisburg. Pa., born
September 18, 1822. of Pennsylvania parents. He was a carpenter and
millwright and followed that line of work throughout life, e.xcept dur-
ing the Civil war. when he served as sergeant of Company C, One
Hundred and Seventy-fifth Ohio infantry. To Benjamin J. and Lucy
(^^'hite) Baker were born three children, as follows: Addison Baker,
the subject of this sketch; John Ross, born in 1850, now a farmer at
Cuba, Ohio, and Frederick M., born in 1833, and now resides at Cincin-
nati. Ohio. The mother died in 1855, and the father married Susan
^^'olf and eight children were born to this union : Phoebe. Amanda,
Leonora. Mattie, Hattie, Alma, Grant, and Waldo, all of whom reside in
Ohio, except Grant, who is deceased. The father died at Greenfield.
Ohio, .'September 16. 1903. He was a very religious man and lived a
consistent Christian life. Addison Baker received his education in the
])ublic schools of Clinton county, (^hio. and at the age of eighteen en-
tered the employ of a mercantile house at Midland. Ohio, where he was
a clerk and served as postmaster for four years, when he engaged in
farming in that county for a few years. In 1872 he engaged in carpenter
work and-contracting, which he followed until 1878, when he entered the
employ of a gas company and was thus engaged for a few years. In
1886 he came to Kansas and located on Government land in the western
part of Clark county. The country was new and sparsely settled at that
time and he met with the \arious vicissitudes incident to early life on the
plain, and for tlie first nine years he lived in a dugout and was engaged
in farming and cattle raising and met witli a fair degree of success.
.Since coming to Clark county he has taken an active part in politics and
public affairs and is a strong advocate of the policies and principles of
the Republican party. In 1896 he was nominated by his party for the
office of clerk of the district court and was elected and was twice re-
elected to that office, serving eight years. In 1910 he was elected
registrar of deeds of Clark county and re-elected in 191 2 and has capably
filled that office. He has also held various township offices, and served
si.x years as a member of the .\shland school board and for the same
length of time was a member of the city council. Mr. Baker was mar-
ried at Wcstboro. Ohio. October 13. 1870, to Miss .Anna D.. daughter of
niOGRAI'lIICAL 241
William and Ann (Carter) Tloliday, a native of Clinton county, Ohio,
born February 8, 1852. Her parents were also natives of Ohio. To Mr.
and Mrs. Baker have been born nine children : Clarence, born July 20,
1871, died July 25, 1871 ; Francis A., born September 10, 1872, married
Mary Johnson. December 20, 1902; I.ucy, born May 20. 1874, died May
20. 1875; Mette, born November 3, 1877, married Thad Iledrick in igo2,
and they have six children, Dcvillc. \'erona, Robert, Carl, Anna and
Dorothy; Clayton, born December 20, 1880, married Minnie Knox, and
they have five children, Aneas, Cleo, Emily, Ona and Eva, the latter
two bcinij twins; William Asa, born July 29. 1884, married Maud Ken-
nedy, July 4, 191 1, and they have one child, Margaret Anna; Vernon E.,
born November i. 1886; John Harrison, born May 29, 1890, and Walter
E., born September 14. 1891. ^^'iIIiam .\sa and Walter E. are .e;raduates
of tlie Southwestern Colletje of Winfield, Kans. Mr. Raker and family
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he is a trustee of
the local church orsfanization and active in the work of the concjrega-
tion. He has been superintendent of the Sunday school since 1897.
Nathan Lindley, i)resident of The Farmers' State Bank of Protection,
Kans.. and lur over tiiirty years one of the successful farmers of
Comanche cou^t^^ is a nati\e of the Hoosier State. He was born on a
farm in Bartholomew county, Indiana, August 5. 1855, and is a son of
Charles ,and Zil])ha (Cox) Lindley. both natives of Indiana. The
father was born in Orange county in 1826. He made farming his life
vocation in his nati\e State, where he died October 8, 1893. He was
twice married, his first wife, Zilpha Cox, died in 1863, leaving five chil-
dren, as follows: Isaac C. Nathan, the subject of this sketch; Mary
F... Sarah A., and Charles E. His second wife was Elizabeth Morris
and to this marriage were born three children: William P., Zilpha and
Robert. The mother died in 1904. Nathan Lindley was reared to
manhood in Indiana, and received his education in the public schools.
In 1884 he came to Kansas, locating on Government land in Comanche
county, near where the town of Protection is now located. He has since
resided on his original homestead, to which he has added, from time to
time, imtil he now owns 2,500 acres of well imjiroved land. He also
owns considerable farm jjroperty in Oklahoma. He is one of the ex-
tensive stock men of Comanche county, raising large numbers of cattle,
hogs and horses, as well as carrying on dixersified farming on a large
scale. Mr. Lindley has always taken a keen interest in public affairs
and is a staunch supporter of the Republican party, but has never as-
pired to hold public office. He has many other interests in various en-
terprises in ad(litir)n to farming. He was one of the organizers of the
I'armcrs' State P>ank of Protection, which is one of the substantial
financial institutions of the county, and in 1914 he became its president
and now holds that position.
242 BIUfiRAPHICAL
Hon. Andrew J. Curran, district judge of the judicial district, com-
prising Crawford county, has been a resident of southeastern Kansas
since childhood. Judge Curran was born at South Haven, Mich., Sep-
tember 29, 1865, and is a son of John and Eliza (Judge) Curran, the
former a native of Count}' Down, Ireland, and the latter of the Province
of Ontario, Canada. The father was a millwright in early life, but later
devoted his life to agricultural pursuits. In 1871 the family removed
to Crawford county, Kansas, but Andrew J. remained in his native State,
where he attended the public schools until 1875, when he came to Kansas
and entered the Kansas Normal School, at Fort Scott, where he was
graduated in the class of 1888. He then taught school for three or four
j^ears, during which time he was principal of the Litchfield and Cherokee
public schools. During the time that he was engaged in teaching, he
was also reading law during vacations and at spare times during the
school years. In 1893 he matriculated in the law department of the
University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, Mich., and was graduated in the
class of 1895, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He then came to
Pittsburg, Kans., and engaged in the practice of law and shortly after-
ward became associated with his brother, John P. Curran, a personal
sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume, and the firm of Cur-
ran & Curran soon became thoroughly established and well known in
the legal world of southeastern Kansas. Judge Curran has ever been
an untiring student of the law, and his well balanced judicial mind emi-
nently qualifies him for the responsible judicial position which he holds.
In the fall of 1914 he was elected to succeed himself after a spirited and
hard fought campaign and the decisive majority with which he was re-
elected bears ample testimony of how the electors of Crawford county
regard his administration of the high office which he holds. Crawford
county, with its remarkable industrial activity, is unusual in the amount
of court lousiness disposed of each year, and Judge Curran's position in
the disposal of this vast amoimt of business is quite unusual in the
State of Kansas, inasmuch as he is almost continually on the bench and
from observations of the courts throughout the State it is a conservative
estimate to say that Judge Curran is, no doubt, the hardest worked dis-
trict judge in the State of Kansas. The dispatch with which he handles
the vast amount of business in his court would be a worthy object les-
son for many of the courts with congested dockets in the larger cities
throughout the country. Judge Curran was married December 24,
1908, to Miss Margaret M., daughter of Stephen P. and Susannah Rain,
of Crawford county, Kansas. Mrs. Curran is a native of Illinois and
came to Crawford county with her parents when a child, where she was
reared and educated in the public schools. She is also a graduate of
St. Joseph's College, Dubuque, Iowa, and of the State Manual Training
College, of Pittsburg, Kans., and for a number of years prior to her mar-
BIOGRAPHICAL 243
riage taught in the high school of Pittsburg. Judge Curran is a mem-
ber of the Renevoleiit and Protective Order of Elks.
John R. Morton, a well known successful stockman of Comanche
county, is a native of Missouri. He was born on a farm in Saline
county, Jul)' 31, 1877, a son of John R. and Sarah .\. (Plazel) Morton, the
former born in Poonc county, Missouri. January 4. 1839. His wife,
.'^arah Hazel, was also a native of Missouri, born in Cooper county, in
1844. The father was engaged in the mercantile business in early life
for a number of years at Gillham. IVIo., and came to Kansas in 1884 and
engaged in the mercantile business at the old town of Red P)luff, which
is now a part of Protection. He was one of the pioneer merchants there,
and he also took up Government land, near Protection. Tn 1904 he
went to Oklahoma, locating at Woodward, where he engaged in the mer-
cantile business and also invested quite extensively in land in that sec-
tion. \\'hile a resident of Comanche county he was prominent in local
affairs, having served on the board of county commissioners for six
years To John R.. Sr., and Sarah A. (Hazel) Morton were born nine
children, as follows: Emma, born Julv 9. i86fi; Joseph H. H., born
April 4, 1870; Warren P., born June 29, 1874; John R., the subject of
this sketch; Sarah E.. born July 11, 1881 ; Rolla H., born September 7,
1884; Robert E., Hazel, and an infant, deceased. The wife and mother
of these children died in 1S87 and the father married for his second wife,
Miss Alice Alexander, and they had three children : Mildred, Olive and
Augusta. The father died at Woodward, Okla., June 8, 1910. John R.
Morton, whose name introduces this review, was six years old when
his parents removed to Comanche county in 1884. He attended the
public schools and later graduated at the Salina Normal School, and
served one year as clerk in a law office. In 1904 he bought a large
farm, four miles east of Protection, w'hcre he has since been successfully
engaged in stock raising and diversified farming. Pie raises Hereford
cattle extensively and is one of the progressive farmers and stockmen
of that section. Mr. morton was married October 7, 1900, to Miss Laura
R., daughter of Mansel and Elizabeth P>arnes, pioneer settlers of
Comanche county. Mrs. Morton was born in Phelps county, Missouri,
August 28. 1882. To Mr. and Mrs. Morton have been born six children:
Hazel E., born August 21. 1901; Mansel Ray, born February 26, 1905;
Margaret Lorene, born January 13, 1907; Orlando Homer, born June 23,
1910; Viola Pauline, born January 6, 1913, and .Audrey Christina, horn
Xovember 15, 1914.
Charles W. Sherman, chairman of the board of county commissioners
of ("onianche count}', is an early settler of that county and has been
pri>mincntly identified with its affairs for over thirty years. He is a
native oi Ohio, born on a farm in Delaware county, May 3, 1856, and
is a son of Ira and Soi)hia (Reach) Sherman. The father was also a na-
tive of Ohio, born in Licking county, and comes from an old Ohio family
244 BIOGIt.\PHICAL
and is a distant relative of Gen. W. T. Sherman, whose career is well
known to every one familiar \\4th American history. Sophia Beach was
a native of Lewis coimty, New York, and belonged to an old Xew York
family. The father died in 1873 and the mother in 1904. They were
the parents of four children, as follows : Edward Beach, born in 1852,
died in infancy; Charles A\*., the subject of this sketch; Lucy Jane (de-
ceased), and Josiah R., a farmer in Major county, Oklahoma. Charles
W". Sherman was reared in his native State to the age of eight years,
when his parents removed to Cumberland county, Illinois. Here he
grew to manhood and attended the public schools and in 1885 came to
Kansas, locating on Government land in Comanche county, about ten
miles south of Protection. He followed farming tnitil 1891. when he
was elected registrar of deeds of Comanche count)', holding that office
fottr years, when he again engaged in farming, and is one of the success-
ful farmers and stockmen of the county. He owns over 1,000 acres of
well improved land, much of which is under a high state of cultivation.
He raises cattle, horses and mules on a large scale and has prospered.
He is a student of the science of agriculture and one of the best posted
men in his section. In 1912 he was elected a member of the board of
county commissioners for a term of four years. Mr. Sherman has been
twice married. On February 2, 1882, he was united in marriage to Miss
Ann Rains, who died November 28, 1884. Xo children were born to
to this tinion. On April 20. 1898, Mr. Sherman was married to Aliss
Martha L. Bolar. Four children were born to this union, as
follows : Roger Harry, Robert K., Grace Fay and Charles Glenn. Mr.
Sherman is a member of the IMasonic lodge, the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Society of Friends.
Charles Lincoln King, a prosperous and progressive farmer and stock-
man of Clark county, Kansas, is a native of Illinois. He was born at
Toulon, 111,, September 26, 1864. and is a son of ^lilton P. and Mary
Ann (Lucas) King. The father was a Kentuckian, born in Estelle
county, Kentucky. January 24, 1818, of Virginia parents. He removed
to^ Illinois in 1838. locating in Stark county. Six years later he was
ordained a minister in the Christian church and was one of the pioneer
preachers of Illinois. In Xovember, 1864, he removed to Keokuk, Iowa,
and in 1898 went to Denver, Colo., where he died Xovember 5, 1902. He
had been retired from the ministry several years. He married Mary
Ann Lucas, January 17, 1855. She was a native of Mercer county,
Pennsylvania, born June 3, 1829, and a daughter of B. F. and Eliza
Lucas, natives of Pennsylvania. She was the youngest of a family of
nineteen children. To Alilton P. and Mary Ann (Lucas) King were
born nine children, as follows: Mary Elizabeth, born December 15,
1835; Cyrus F., born July 3. 1857; David, died in infancy; ^^'illiam, died
in infancy; Frank Eugene, born February 20, 1859; ]\Iilton P., born De-
cember ID, 1862; Charles Lincoln, the subject of this sketch ; Luella Jane,
BIOGRAPIIICAI, 245
born January 26, 1867, and Etta E., born December 8, 1869, died Octo-
ber 29, 1902. Charles Lincoln King came to Kansas in 1884 and the
following year located on Government land in the fertile Bluff valley,
in Clark county, which has since been his home. He engaged in farm-
ing and stock raising and prospered and now has one of the best im-
proved farms in that section of the country. He was one of the first
settlers in Clark county and has kept fully abreast with the development
of the country and has taken an active part in local public affairs. He
is a leader in modern agricultural methods and active in farmers' insti-
tute work and is a practical modern farmer. He feeds cattle and is a
successful breeder of Poland China swine. Politically, he is a Republi-
can and has held various local offices of trust and responsibility, hav-
ing been justice of the peace for the last twenty years. Mr. King was
married at Ashland, Kans.. January 26, 1886, to Miss Emma A. Mc-
Donald, and they have four children, as follows : Charles C, born De-
cember 30, 1886. married Rosanna Robeland, April 10, 1914 ; Alinnie L.,
born May 13, 1890, educated in the Kansas State Agricultural College,
Manhattan, married R. B. Coalscott, November 3, 1913; Nellie L., born
November 30, 1892, educated in the Kansas State Agricultural College,
Manhattan, and Maud L., born March 5, 1893. Charles Lincoln King
is one of the substantial men of Clark county, and has contributed his
part toward making that county the wealthiest in the State per capita.
The King family are members of the Christian church and prominent
in the cnmmunitw
Andrew Dunham Walker, of Holton, Kans., has been a ])romiuent
factor in the industrial. ])olitical and social development of Kansas, for
over forty }ears. He is a native of Ohio, born at Greenfield, Highland
county, September 25, 1848. He comes from stiu-dy Scotch ancestors,
who, with the courage characteristic of that race, braved the storms of
ocean and the vicissitudes of life in the new world, and established a
home in the wilds of \'irginia, nearly three hundred years ago. The
Walker family was founded in America by John Walker, a native of
Wigton, .Scotland, who left his native land in 1680, and went to Ireland,
where he remained until 1726. when he, with his wife and children, and
three of his brother Alexander's children, immigrated to America,
locating in Chester county. Pennsylvania. Shortly afterwards most of
the family removed to Virginia, and John Walker was contcm]ihitiug
such a move when he died in 1734. He married Katlierine Riuiierford,
a native of Scotland, born on the banks of the River Tweed. She was a
daughter of John and Isabella (.Mlein) Rutherford. She died in 1738,
and they were both buried at Nottingham Meeting House, Chester
coimty, Pennsylvania. .Xndrcw 1 ). Walker, the subject of this review,
is a son of John Unwell and Margaret I'.ay (Elliott) Walker, both natives
of Virginia. Jnhn IJnwill Walker was horn in Rockbridge county, Vir-
ginia, December >), 1805. lie was a son of John and Sally (Crawford")
246 BIOGRAPHICAL
A\'alker, tlie former born in Rockbridge county about 1764. and married
Sally Crawford, in 1797. He was a school teacher, and lived on \\'alker
Creek, \'a. (a stream which took its name from the W'alker family). He
remained there until 1814, when he removed to Ohio with his wife and
family. They settled in the wilderness, on the then, extreme frontier,
near Xew Petersburg, Highland county, Ohio. Here, John Walker and
his wife spent their lives. He died in 1825, and his wife's death occurred
three years later. This John W'alker was a direct descendant, being a
grand nephew of John Walker, of Scotland, above mentioned, who was
the founder of the family in America. John Howell Walker, the father
of Andrew D. Walker, was born December 9, 1805. in Rockbridge county,
\irginia, and spent his life in Ohio, after coming to that State with
his parents. He was prominent in Highland county and lived an unright
life. He was a strict adherent to the Presbyterian faith of his Scotch
ancestors, and was a strong anti-slavery and Union man, and the fact
that nine of his sons and sons-in-law, bore arms in defense of the Union,
during the Civil war, was one of the gratifications of his life. John
Howell Walker and Margaret Bay Elliott were married August 2, 1830,
and thirteen children were born to this union, as follows : Phoebe Jane,
married John Tudor, Highland county, Ohio; Sallie, married Louis P.
Tudor, who served in the Civil war, now deceased; William Elliott, mar-
ried Mary Strain, Greenfield, Ohio, a Civil war veteran, now deceased ;
Thomas Alexander, married Mary Jane Graham W^illiamson. was a
Colonel in the Ci\il war. and is now deceased; Hannah, was never mar-
ried, now deceased ; John Crawford, married Katherine Ammen, became
a Captain in the Civil war, now deceased ; Mary Adeline, married Dr.
Hugh S. Strain, was a surgeon in the Civil war, now resides in Rock-
bridge county. \^irginia ; Rachel Ann. married Richard L. Patton, who
served in the Twenty-fourth Ohio Battery during the Civil war, now
resides at Sabetha, Kans. ; James Howell was a Sergeant in the Twenty-
fourth Ohio battery, died November 8, 1864, from disease contracted in
the service; Samuel Johnston, was a soldier in the Civil war; Martha
Ea\inia, now deceased, married William Striblen, who was a Lieutenant
in the Twenty-seventh Regiment, Ohio infantry, serving throughout the
Civil war; Andrew Dunham, the subject of this sketch, and Joseph
^Montgomery, who died at the age of seventeen. Andrew Dunham
W alker was reared on a farm in Highland county, Ohio, receiving his
early education in the district schools, and later took a course in the
academy at South Salem, Ohio. In 1868, he came West, locating in
Douglas county, Illinois. He taught school there one year, and in 1872,
came to Kansas, locating at Holton. His first venture in the new coun-
try was in the mercantile business. He purchased a stock of hardware,
and for one year was engaged in the hardware business at Holton. Mr.
Walker had read law before coming to Kansas and pursued his law
studies in the offices of James H. Lowell and Charles Hayden. In 1874,
he was admitted to the bar and engaged in the practice in partnership
, BIOGRAPHICAL 247
with Charles Hayden, under the firm name of Hajden & Walker. He
had taken an active part in local politics, since coming to Jackson county,
and in 1875 was elected clerk of tlit District Court, being re-elected to
that office twice, serving in all three terms. lie also served one term
as Mayor of llolton during this time. He then resumed the practice
of law at Holton and was actively engaged in the practice until about
1900. For a number of years he was in partnership with James H.
Lowell under the firm name of Lowell & Walker. In i8(Sg. he was
ajjpointed by President Harrison, as a member of the committee for
the distribution and allotment of the Kickapoo and Pottowatamie Indian
lands. Mr. Walker served as railroad commissioner of Kansas for a
number of years. He was first elected by the Kansas State Executive
Council in March, 1901, and re-elected by said Council in March, 1904.
While serving in that office, the law was changed, making it elective,
after which he was elected for a term of two years, at a general State
election in November, 1904. In 1880, at the founding of Campbell Uni-
versity, at Holton, he took an active part in promoting tliat organization,
and served as president of the board of directors for a number of years.
In 1884, he became interested in the grain business and for several years
was one of the most e.xtensive grain dealers in that section of the State,
having elevators at Holton. Dcnison, Ontario, and Piancroft, Kans., and
,\rmour and Tate, Xeb. He has also been interested in several of the
leading financial institutions of the county. He was one of the organ-
izers of the First National Bank of Holton. and was a member of the
broad of directors and vice-president for a time. Lie was also one of the
organizers of the Kansas State P>ank of Holton, in which he was a
director a number of years. He has been an im])ortant factor in the
development of Jackson county, from many viewpoints. He founded the
town of Denison, and was one of the leading ]5romoters of Hoyt, Kans
Since coming to Kansas, he has been interested in the great industry of
the State, agriculture, and toilay owns several farms, and is one of the
extensive stockmen of the State. His "Bill Brook" farm is a model of
scientific arrangement, for dairying purposes, and is one of the best farms
in Jackson comity. His agricultural interests are not confined to Jack-
son county, as he owns large tracts of land in the southwestern ])art of
the State, in Meade county, which he is developing. Mr. Walker is a
strong advocate of irrigation in that section of the State, and iirobably
has done more to develoj) it within recent years than any other man.
He was married April 3, 1875, to Miss .\nna \i. Moore, of Pialdwin. Kans.
She was a native of Dillsburg, York county, Pennsylvania, and came to
Douglas county. Kansas, with her parents when a girl. She was educated
in Baker University, and died April 28, 1879, leaving two children as
follows: Paul Elliott, born August 27. 1876, now General .\ltorney for
the Ciiicago, Rock Island &: Pacific Railroad Company, and resides at
248 BIOGRArHICAI.
Topeka, Kans., and Anna Aloore, born May 28, 1878, died Jul}- 18, 1879.
J\[r. AX'alker's second marriage occurred, October 22, 1888. to Loula J.
Carr, daughter of Amos and Sarah (Price) Carr, the former a native of
Leesburg, \'a., and the latter of Carroll county, Ohio. Amos. Carr was
a teacher and surveyor, in early life, in Leesville, Ohio, and later engaged
in the mercantile business there, which he followed until his death in
1869. His wife died at I.ees\ ille, Ohio, in 1900. Mrs. Walker was born
at Leesville, Ohio, April 24, 1867, and was the youngest of ten children.
She came to Kansas in 1885. To Mr. and Mrs. Walker have been born
two children: Josephine, born September 19, 1889. She is a graduate
of the Holton High School and Kansas University, and Sidney Carr,
liorn September 26, 1893, has attended the Holton High School, the
Western Military Academy at Alton, 111., Kansas University, and is now
a student at Leland-Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. The \\'alker
family are members of the Presbyterian church, and Mrs. Walker and
her daughter belong to the Daughters of the American Revolution. Mr.
Walker has been a life long Republican and prominent in the councils
of that party, both in the county and State. His fraternal affiliations are
with the Ancient P'ree and Accepted Masons, and the Independent (Jrder
of Odd Fellows.
Isaac Coslett, one of the first settlers of Harper county, Kansas, is
a native of ^\'ales, born August 21, 1849. He is a son of Thomas and
Mary (Morgan) Coslett, both, also, natives of A\'ales, the father born in
t8i8. and was an iron worker in early life in his native land. In 1862,
he immigrated to America, locating in Scranton, Pa., where he remained
until 1869, where he removed to Pittsburgh, Pa., where he also followed
the vocation of an iron worker. He died in 1888, from the effect of an
injury received in a steel mill two years previously, which rendered him
deaf and blind. The mother was born in 1826, and died in 1904. They
were the parents of twelve children, three of whom died in infancy. The
others are as follows: Thomas, born December 18, 1847, died in 1912;
Isaac, the subject of this sketch; Evan, born in 1851 ; .\nna, born in 1853,
died in 1902; Edward, born in 1855; John, born in 1857; Mary, born in
1S59; Elizabeth, born in 1861, and W'illiam, born in 1863. Isaac Coslett,
whose name introduces this review is a notable example of a self-made
man, and his success in life is due to his own unaided efforts. He began
work as a puddler in an iron mill, at the tender age of eight, and followed
that vocation until he was twenty-nine. In 1878 he came to Kansas,
locating on goxcrnment land, ten miles east of the town of Plarper,
Harper county. This was the year that Harper county was organized.
His original homestead is still in his possession, and he now owns over
1,000 acres of fine land, all under a high state of cultivation. He followed
farming and stock raising until 1907, when he retired and removed to
Harjjcr. While ^Ir. Coslett has been active in his private affairs, in
which he has been very successful, he has also taken a keen interest in
jjublic affairs, as well. He is a Republican, and prominent in the councils
BIOGRAPHICAL 249
of Ilis party in Harper county. In 1899 1'*^ ^'^''s elected county commis-
sioner, serving one term of three years. He has served as a member of
the Republican County Central Committee, and has been a delegate to
numerous countj' and State conventions. He served eight years as
trustee of Chicaskia township, and held the office of justice of the peace
for five j'ears. He is a stockholder in the Danville State Bank, of Dan-
ville. Kans., and was one of the organizers of The Farmers Alliance In-
surance Compan}- of McPherson, Kans., and has been one of its directors
since 1896. This company is now rated as one of the strongest mutual
fire insurance companies in the United States. Mr. Coslett was married
at Pittsburgh. I'a.. September 3. 1872. to Miss Margaret Ann, daughter
of Thomas and Jane ( Reece ) Thomas, natives of Wales. Mrs. Coslett
was l)orn in Pittsburgh. Pa., February 3. 1852. She died at Harper,
Kans., October 18, 1908, mourned by many friends. She was a deeply
religious woman, and lived a consistent Christian life. To Mr. and Mrs.
Coslett were born five children: Mary Jane, born December 27, 1873,
resides with her father; Evan, born April 21, 1S76, married Inza Sturns,
October 19. 1904, and they have two children, Ellen, born December 4,
1908, and Velma, born November 6. 191 1; \\'illiam, born June 2, 1880,
married Oscie Grime, July 10, 1907, and they have two children, Mar-
garet Ann and Fern; John Albert, born December 8, 1882; Edward Mor-
gan, born September 18, 1885, married Rose Doolin, February 22, 1908,
and they have three children. Glen, born April 2, 1909; Edward, Jr., born
May 26. 1910, and I'.lanche Maxcine, born July 10, 191 1.
Mr. Coslett is one of the substantial men of Harper county, who has
made good and earned the well merited success that has crowned his
efforts. He is a Royal .Arch Mason, and a member of the Methodist
E(»i-.i-i ipal church.
John Q. Brown, a ])ri)niiiient farmer and stockman of Xorthern Kan-
sas, is a native of Illinois. He was born in Pike county, October 13. 1848,
and is a son of Henry R. and Elizabeth J. (Chapman) Brown, the former
a native of Ohio and the latter of South Carolina. The father was exten-
sively engaged in farming and stock raising in Illinois, until the time of
his death in 1903. Henry R. Brown was of English descent, his father,
William Brown, being a native of London ,uh1 immigrated to America
at the age of twenty. John Q. Brown was reared to manhood in Pike
county. 111., and was educated in the public schools, graduating from the
high school. He then acted in the capacity of foreman on his father's
ranch for some time, and also engaged in farming on his own account.
In 1873. he engaged in general farming for himself in Illinois, remaining
there luitil 1886. when he came to Kansas, locating in Jackson county,
and i)urchased a farm adjoining the town of Wiiiting. He had purchased
160 acres before coming to Kansas and when he came here i^urchased
an additional 104 iii)on which his residence is located. Mr. Brown is
one of the successful farmers and stockmen of Jackson county, and in
the conduct of his farming and stock raising, follows scientific methods,
250 BIOGRAPHICAL
modified b}' the practical experience of a life-time in that line of work.
He makes a specialty of short horn cattle and feeds a large number for
market, shipping several carloads annually. He also raises a large num-
ber of Poland China hogs, and is also extensively interested in imported
Percheron horses, and, perhaps, has done more towards introducing and
promoting this high grade breed of draft horses in this section of the
State than any other man. Mr. P)rown was united in marriage November
26, 1873, to Miss Ella E. Eastman, daughter of Lycurgus and Rebecca L.
(Humphries) Eastman, the father a native of New Hampshire and the
mother of Massachusetts. Lycurgus Eastman was a wheel-wright in
early life in his native State, and in 1834, went to Illinois where he fol-
lowed his trade for a time. Later he engaged in farming and stock rais-
ing in which he was successful, and in later life retired and removed to
Griggsville. 111., where he died. He was an unright citizen, and lived a
consistent Christian life. He was a member of the Baptist church for
sixty-two years, twenty-five years of which he was a deacon, and super-
intendent of Sundaj' school. He died November 18, 1898, aged ninety-
one years, and his wife died in January, 1901. Mrs. Brown was born
in Pike county, Illinois, and was educated in the district schools and the
Ringsville High School, and taught school for a time before her marriage.
To Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been born six children : Alice E., born
April 28, 1875, married R. C. Jackman, farmer, Strawn, Kans., and they
have one child, Elsie Elizabeth ; Richard Eastman, born November 3,
1877, farmer in Jackson county, married Anna May Edds ; Jane Reliecca,
born June i, 1881. married Jesse E. Higby, who conducts a garage at
Whiting, and they have one child, Marjorie Alice; Mary Elsie, born
March 2, 1883, married James W. Martin, traveling salesman, Topeka,
Kans., and they have two children. Dorothy Virginia and Mary Lucile;
Edith Ella, born April 8, 1885, resides at home, and Elizabeth Jane, born
April 25, 1887, married Dr. Raymond S. Love, who is connected with
the People's Hospital, Chicago, 111. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members
of the First Baptist Church, of Whiting, with which they have been
identified since coming to Kansas. In 1900, Mr. Brown was elected Sun-
day school superintendent, and has served in that capacity to the present
time. He has also been a trustee of the church for twenty-five years,
and is a member of the choir, and for a number of years has been choir
leader. He takes a deep interest in church affairs, and has always given
liberally to the support of the church, and it has been said that he is
the largest contributor to the church of which he is a member. He is a
close student of the Bible and a faithful follower of its teaching. Mr.
Brown is a strong advocate of good schools and for over twenty-four
years has been a member of the school board. He was one of the organ-
izers of the Farmer's State Bank of Whiting, and has served as vice-
president of that institution since its organization. He is a Republican
and has always consistently supported the policies and principles of
BIOGRAPHICAL 25I
that party, and takes a prominent part in local policies. His fraternal
affiliations arc with the time honored ^lasonic lodge.
Jeptha H. Davis, a leading farmer and stock raiser of Jackson county,
belongs to that class of agricnlturists who have largely contributed to
the up-building of this commonwealth, and made of Kansas the great
agricultural empire of the West. Mr. Davis is a Hoosier by birth, born in
Scott county, Indiana, April 13, i860. He is a son of Chester P. and
Hettie M. (Close) Davis, natives of Indiana. In early life the father fol-
lowed farming and stock raising in his native State, and was thus en-
gaged when the great Civil war came on, and like thousands of other
loyal patriotic boys he answered his country's call, and in 1862, enlisted
in Company F, Sixty-sixth Indiana infantry, and served until the close
of the war. After his discharge, he returned t<i his Indiana home where
he remained about a year, and in 1866, removed to Monticello, 111., where
he was engaged in the mercantile business for several years. lie was a
Republican and prominent in local and State politics. He was a member
of the Illinois house of representatives in the twenty-eighth general
assembly, from 1872 to 1874, and served in the Illinois State Senate in
the Thirtieth and Thirty-First General Assembly during the years
1876-1878, and 1879-1880. He was an active and influential member while
serving in both the house of representatives and the senate, and was the
author of many im])nrtant laws, now on the statute books of Illinois.
He was a man of strong personality and deep convictions, and was a
natural leader of men. Jeptha H. Davis, was a child <>{ six years when
his parents removed to Monticello, 111., and here he attended the public
schools, graduating from the high school. He then entered the Univer-
sity of Illinois at Chamiiaign, where he was graduated in the class of
1882, and later attended Union College of Law at Chicago, for one year.
About this time he was offered a position as manager of a farm for
William W'atson. near DeKalb, 111. This was the turning jxiint of his
career, and u]ion his decision depended whether his future should be that
of a lawyer or a tiller of the soil. He chose the latter, and has made
good. He remained manager for Mr. W'atson about three years, when
he resigned that position, and went to Ulysses, Xeb., in 1887. and in July
of that year became associated with the Hudson Ri\er Mortgage Com-
pany, of Kansas City. Mo., and was engaged in that line of wt)rk until
March i, 1893, when he purchased a 3,300 acre ranch in Jackson county,
Kans., seven miles north of Holton, the county seat, which is now known
as the "Davis Ranch." He at once engaged, extensively, in the cattle
business, buying large numliers of steers on the Kansas City market,
which he shipped to his ranch and fattened for market. This proved a
great success, and he followed this line on a large scale about ten
years. He then became interested in raising Hereford cattle, and in a
short time had as fine a herd of Herefords as could be found in the Slate.
He also continued buying and feeding cattle for market, and feeding as
many as a thousand head in one year. Mr. Davis has had phenomenal
252 BIOGRAPHICAL
success since coming to Kansas. As lie had but little capital when he
came here, he was obliged to assume a great deal of indebtedness in
order to handle a proposition of the magnitude which he undertook, and
at one time his total indebtedness was $120,000, but by 1902, this was all
paid, which reflects a great deal of credit on his capability and business
management. After 1904. he began to cut down on some of his business
operations, and has not been so extensively engaged in the cattle busi-
ness in recent years. However, he continues to keep a large herd of
short horn and Hereford grade cattle, and also raises a large number of
hogs, feeding as high as seven hundred in one year. ]\Ir. Davis was
united in marriage September 27, 1883, to Miss Ella M. Watson, daughter
of Wm. and Joanna M. (Curtis) Watson, of DeKalb county, Illinois. Her
parents are both natives of Massachusetts, and the father was a pros-
perous farmer in DeKalb county. He died in 1885, and the mother still
survives. Mrs. Davis was born in Kendall county. Illinois, educated in
the public schools and graduated from the DeKalb High School. She
then entered the University of Illinois at Champaign, where she was
graduated in the class of 1880, with a degree of Bachelor of Science. She
taught school before her marriage and was assistant principal of the De-
Kalb schools. To Mr. and Mrs. Davis have been born four children :
Marietta, Gertrude, Helen and Chester, all of whom are graduates of the
University of Illinois, and Marietta took a post-graduate course at the
University of California, Berkley, Calif. Mr. Davis is a Republican, but
has never aspired to hold political office. He is one of the substantial
citizens of Jackson county, where the family is well and favorably known.
Franklin Clark Pomeroy, a successful Jackson county farmer and
stockman, is a native son of Kansas. He was born in Grant township,
Jackson coimty, November 2. 1874, and is the son of John Franklin
Pomeroy a sketch of whom appears in this volume. Franklin Clark
Pomeroy received his preliminary education in the district schools of
Jackson county, and in 1891 entered Campbell University, where he was
graduated in the class of 1897, with a degree of Bachelor of Science, He
then returned to the home farm in Banner township, where he has since
followed farming and stock raising, and has met w'ith good success.
He has made a specialty of raising short-horn cattle and Poland China
hogs. He is also a cattle feeder on quite an extensive scale, and operates
770 acres of land. Mr. Pomeroy is a Republican, and takes an active
interest in political affairs. In 1904, he was elected to the Legislature
and re-elected in 1906, serving in two regular, and one special session.
He was a member of the Ways and Means Committee, during the session
of 1907, and the special session. He introduced the Road Drag bill, which
became a law. and w-as active in behalf of much other important legisla-
tion, including a primary election bill, which was defeated at that session,
but was later substantially enacted into the present primary law. At
this writing, 1914. ^Ir, Pomeroy is the Republican nominee for the State
legislature. He takes a sommendable interest in local affairs and has ,
BIOGRAPHICAL 253
served on tlie school board and is secretary of the Farmer's Institute.
Mr. Pomeroy was married in 1897 to Miss Margaret Scanlan, daughter .
of John and Emma (.\ddamson) Scanlan, of Holton, Kans. Mrs.
Pomeroy was born in Holton, educated in the public schools, and gradu-
ated from the Holton High School. She died April 7, 1900, leaving one
child, Mary Isabel, born August 29, 1898. On August 8. 1907. Mr.
Pomeroy married Miss Mable E., daughter of David A. and Lydia .\nn
(Thompson) Cook, the former a native of Xew York, and the latter of
Ohio. They were pioneers of Kansas, and came to this State in 1868,
settling in Pottawatomie county, where the father followed farming and
stock raising. Mrs. Pomeroy is the second of a family of four children.
She was born in Pottawatomie county and attended ihc city schools of
Onaga, and later entered Campbell University, graduating in the class
of 1897 with a degree of Bachelor of Science. She taught school for a
number of years in the grades and high school of Onaga, and held a
State certificate. To Mr. and Mrs. Pomeroy have been born two chil-
dren: Rose Mable, born January 14, 1909, and Frances Clarabcl, born
March 11, 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Pomeroy are members of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and he is a Thirty-second Degree Mason.
F. M. Pearl, ])ostmaster of Hiawatha, Kans., is a native of Ohio. He
was born in Perry county, October 20, 1864, and is a son of William A.
and Elizabeth (Studer) Pearl, both natives of Ohio. The mother was
born in Perry county of German ancestry. The Pearl family is of Spanish
origin, and the first record of their settlement in America was at Mar-
blehead, Mass., in 1671. William .A. Pearl, was a grandson of Captain
Xichols, an Englishman, who was a Captain in the Revolutionary war.
William A. Pearl was born in Morgan county, Ohio, March 17, 1836, and
when a young man went to Zanesville, Ohio, where he worked as a
journeyman cigar maker, and later engaged in the manufacturing of
cigars, until he retired from business. He now resides at El Reno. Okla.
His wife died in December. 1909. F. M. Pearl attended the district
schools in Perry county, Ohio, until he was fifteen years old and in the
spring of 1879, began work as a farm laborer, and the following year got
employment on a gravel train on the Pennsylvania Railroad, as water
boy, and worked at various odd jobs until the spring of 1885. In 1884,
he purchased a telegraph instrument, and at spare times studied teleg-
raphy, practicing on his instrument. He was working as a railroad sec-
tion hand at this time, and in January, 1885. the local railroad agent
taught him station work. In Jiuie, 1885. he took charge of a station and
followed railroad work in Ohio until September. 1887. He was then in
the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company at Newark,
Ohio, and resigned to accept a position with the Chicago. Rock Island &
Pacific Railroad Company at Fairbury, Neb., which was the terminal
of that road at the time. December 15, 1887, he entered the employ of
the St. Joseph & Grand Island, as station agent at Fairfield, and re-
mained in the employ of this company in station wrirk. in various
254 niDGUAPHICAL
points until 1894. In 1891, while agent at Robinson, he began reading
law, and in November. 1894, soon after severing his connection with the
railroad company, he was admitted to the bar at Hiawatha, Kans., Judge
J. F. Thompson, father of Senator Thompson, presiding at the time. He
then engaged in the practice of law at Robinson, Kans., remaining there
until Xovember, 1898, when he came to Hiawatha, where he has since
been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession. Mr. Pearl is
a Democrat, and has always taken an active part in political affairs. He
has served as city attorney of Hiawatha two terms, and was county
attorney of Brown count\' one term, and while county attorney, he con-
ducted a campaign against joints, gambling houses and gambling devices,
with such vigor that it was but a short time, until Brown county was
free from lawlessness of that character. In 1909, he purchased the
"Kansas Democrat'" and reorganized that paper, and has since been its
editor and publisher. The "Democrat" is a live weekly newspaper, and
has a large circulation, and is now the official county paper of Brown
county. In 1902 he was the Democratic nominee for attorney general
and carried more than his party vote, but the overwhelming odds were
against him, and he lost in a hard fought campaign. In 1912, he was
floor leader of the \Mlson forces at the Hutchinson Democratic State
Convention, and brought in a minority report instructing the Kansas
delegates to the Baltimore convention for Wilson. In 1908. he was the
Democratic nominee of the First Kansas District, for congress, and in
1896. was elected delegate to the Democratic State convention, and has
been a delegate to every Democratic State convention since that tipie.
In 1908, he was chairman of the Kansas delegation to the National Demo-
cratic convention at Denver. In 1908 he was appointed local attorne}'
for the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. Mr. Pearl was the original
promoter of the Brown County Telephone Company, now known as
the Northeast Kansas Telephone Company. This was in 1901, and' it
was the first telephone company in Hiawatha, and he has been secretary
and attorney of this company since its organization. He was also one
of the organizers of the Life and Annuity Association, and was its presi-
dent for a number of years. This is a fraternal insurance company, with
headquarters at Hiawatha, and has members in every State in the Union.
On January 12, 1914, -Mr. Pearl was appointed postmaster of Hiawatha,
and is now serving in that capacity. He was married April 2. 1892, to
Miss Cordelia, daughter of J. M. and Jane (Hobbs) Idol, of Brown
county. Kansas. The father is a prominent farmer and stockman, and
has been a member of the board of county commissioners, being the first
Democrat to be elected to that position in Brown county. Mrs. Pearl
was born in Walla Walla, Wash. Her father was a native of North
.Carolina, and mother of Missouri. They were married at White Cloud,
Kans., and about the time the Civil war broke out, they crossed the
plains with an ox team, and went to the Pacific coast, and finally settled
at Walla \\'alla. Wash. Thev returned to Kansas in 1868. Mrs. Pearl
BIOGRAIMIUAI. 255
was educated in the public schools of Kansas, and Caniphcli L'niversity,
Holton, and taut^ht school seven years before her marriage. To Mr. and
Mrs. Pearl have been born six children: Liicile, graduated from Mt. Saint
Scholastica's Convent, Atchison, in the class of 1912, winning the gold
medal for i)roficiency in music; Lenore, died at Albuquerciue, X. M.,
June 21, 1912, aged eighteen years, one month and three da\s ; Idol, a
student at W'entworth Military .\cademy, Wentworth, Mo. ; Sutro, Cor-
delia, and Francis, all attending the public schools. Mr. Pearl is a
Knights Templar Mason, and his wife belongs to the Eastern Star. The
family are members of the Eiiiscopal church of which Mr. Pearl is a
vestryman.
John H. Osborn, a i^rominent business man of Humboldt, Kans., is a
native of New York. He was born near Dundee, Yates county, October
26, 1830. His parents, IJenjamin and Debora (Paulding) Osborn, were
also natives of the F.m]Mrc State, where the father was a farmer. John H.
Osborn was educated in the district school and remained at home on the
farm until he reached his majority. He then learned the carpenter's
trade and while thus engaged the Civil war l)roke out, and on August 8,
1862, he enlisted in Company V>, One Hundred and Twenty-si.xth Regi-
ment. New York infantry, and on August 22, was mustered into the
United States service. His regiment participated in the battle of Har-
per's Ferry, and on September 16, 1862, the entire command was captured.
They were paroled in a short time, and sent to ,\nnaiH)lis, Md., and from
there sent to Chicago where they were re-instated in Xovember and re-
turned to the front. \\'hile at Union Mills. V'a., Mr. Osborn was taken
sick with measles and smallpox, and during this time the military authori-
ties sent for his brother to come and take him home, and the soldier boy
had no knowledge of this until it was all over, and on February 3, 1863,
he was discharged from the service on account of disability. He then
remained in New York State and worked at his trade until December,
iSfKj, when he came to Kansas, on a tour of investigation. He was favor-
ably impressed with the country and returned east, where he was mar-
ried and brought his bride to Kansas, reaching Humboldt, March 15,
1870. Ciarnett was the nearest railroad point at that time. Mr. Osborn
followed contracting and building at llumboldt for a time, when he
went to California where he remained about a year when he went to
Colorado. After spending eighteen months in that State he returned to
Kansas and was engaged in c<5ntracting until i886, when he became
manager for J. P. Johnson, of the Citizen's Lumber Com]iany. He pur-
chased the lumber business of S. A. Brown & Company, at Humboldt,
in October, 1888, which he conducted as an individual enterprise under
the title of the J. H. ( )sl)orn Lumber yard, until July 15, ujix;). when the
business was incorporated under the title of J. H. Osborn Lumber Com-
])any, with John H. Osborn, ])resident and treasurer, and J. P. Osborn,
secretary and manager. They are one of the largest lumber dealers in
that section of the -State, operating yards at Humboldt and Ciaructt. Mr.
256 BIOGRAPHICAL
Osborn has been acli\e in other important enterprises, as well as the
lumber business. He was one of the organizers of the Citizens State
Bank of Humboldt, and was its president for one year, when he disposed
of his interest in that bank. He was one of the original stockholders and
organizers of the Humboldt Vitrified Brick Company, and was also one
of the promoters of the Monarch Portland Cement Company, and the
Phmiboldt Portland Cement Company. Mr. Osborn takes a commend-
able interest in local affairs, and has served as treasurer of the Humboldt
school board for several years. He has also served two terms as a mem-
ber of the Humboldt city council. He is a Republican and takes an
active part in the party organization, and has been a member of the Re-
publican County Central Committee and a delegate to numerous State and
local conventions. Mr. Osborn was married at Washington, D. C, Janu-
ary 27. 1870, to Miss Anna J. Millard, a daughter of Squire and Emily
(Phillips) Millard, of Yates county. New York. To Mr. and Mrs.
Osborn have been born four children : Mary Ella, married John J.
Squire, farmer Allen county ; Edith ; John Paulding, secretary and man-
ager of the J. H. Osborn Lumber Company, and Emly Gertrude. Mr.
Osborn is a Thirtj'-second Degree, Scottish Rite Mason, and a member of
the Grand Army of the Republic. He belongs to the Christian Science
church. Mr. Osborn is still- actively engaged in business and is one of
the influential men in .\llen county.
Charles H. Olson, cashier of the La Harpe State Bank, is a native of
Iowa, born al Keokuk, January 9, 1872. He is a son of Gustave and ]\Iary
rjohnson) Olson, natives of Sweden who immigrated to America in 1869.
In 1874, they came to Kansas, and located in Jewel county, the father
taking a homestead in Center township where he has since been engaged
in farming and stock raising. \\"hen the Olson family settled in Jewel
county, that section of the State was the frontier of the west. The rail-
road extended, only, as far as Waterville. This was their nearest trading
and shipping point. Charles H. Olson began his education in the district
schools of Jewel county, and later attended the Mankato High School.
He then entered the Salina Normal LTniversity -where he was graduated
in the class of 1900. While a student at the Normal University, he taught
three terms of school, in order to get money to finish his education.
After graduating, he taught school a part of a term, but resigned to
accept a position with the Mankato State Bank. This institution was
re-organized while he was connected with it, becoming the Mankato
National Bank, and Mr. Olson became assistant cashier. He remained
in that position until January 15, 1905, when he became cashier of the
La Harpe State Bank. In fact he organized the La Harpe State Bank
while he was still connected with the Mankato National Bank of Man-
kato. The La Harpe State Bank was organized in December, 1904, with
a capital stock of $10,000.00 with the following officers: George F.
Fox, president ; John \\'. Laury, vice-president, and C. H. Olson, cashier.
BIOGRAPHICAL 257
and there has been nu change in the personnel of tlie officers since the
organizati^)n. Tlie l)ank began Inisiness Marcli 6, 1905, in a well equipped
banking building. This inslitulit>n has had a substantial growth since
the organization, and is under capable and conservative management.
The official report of March 9, 1914, shows the deposits amounting to
$86,786.45, with resources of $99,203.45. Mr. Olson was married January
5, 1910, to Miss Fk>rence Roe. daughter of William and Elizabeth (AIc-
Bride^ Roe, natives of I'ennsylvania, where the father is engaged in the
oil business, and where the family now resides. Mrs. Olson was reared
near Oil City, and educated in Grove City, and Pittsburgh, Pa. Mr.
Olson has had an extensive experience in the banking business and is
well (|ualified for the responsible position which he holds, and b_v his
straight forward methods has won the confidence of the business public.
He is a member of the Masonic Lodge, and both he and Mrs. Olson are
members of the luistern Star.
Herman Klaumann, who lor a number of years has been a prominent
factor in the commercial life of lola, Kans., is a native of Germany. He
was born in Rhincprice, Prussia, May 31, 185 1, and is a son of John
and Henrietta Klaumann, natives of Prussia. The father was a lock-
smith, and was employed by the Krupp Gun Factory, where he had
charge of a department. Jn the spring of 1857, the family immigrated to
America and settled at Muscatine, Iowa. The mother died August 3,
1857, a few months after reaching this country. After coming to this
country the family met with many discouragements. The father was
employed in a packing house and a saw mill for a time, at the meager
wages of fifty cents per day. He struggled along for a few years, when
he engaged in farming in Muscatine county and met with fair success.
Herman Klaumann attended the public schools until he was twelve
years old, when he went to Chicago alone, and his entire capital consisted
of tliirty-five cents. He secured employment there, in a grocery store
where he remained four years when a wholesale grocer, with whom he
had become acquainted, furnished him a stock of goods, and he engaged
in the grocery business on his own account, and for five years followed
that business in Chicago. Jle was there during the great fire of 1871,
and lived within two blocks from where it started. In 1879, Mr. Klau-
mann came to Kansas, and settled at lola where he engaged in the gro-
cery business. His store was located on the Northwest corner of Madi-
son and Washington streets, in a frame building 20.X40 feet. In 1881,
he built a two story brick building at the corner, where the lola State
Bank now stands, and in 1884, he added an annex to this building, which
was also occupied by his grocery business. His retail business grew to
large propr)rtions and lie added a wholesale and jiihbing department.
On May 23, 1899, he sold the business to his brother-in-law, H. W.
Steyer, who is still engaged in the business. Mr. Klaumann then engaged
in the wholesale produce business, as a member of the firm of Ri.xby &
258 BIOGRAPHICAL
Klaumann. This continued until kjoi. when he disposed of his interest,
when he engaged in the real estate and insurance business, to which he
has largely devoted his attention since. When the lola State Bank was
organized, he was one of the charter stock holders, and later bought a
large block of stock in the Gas City State Bank and became its president.
This instittition later liquidated its accounts and closed its business with
a clean slate. Mr. Klaumann has taken an active interest in many local
enterprises, and is ever ready and willing to contribute his time and
money to the betterment of his town and county. When the Allen
County Agricultural Society was organized, he was one of the first to
lend his aid and-intluence to the project, and has been a director of that
organization for years, and for fourteen years ha's been superintendent of
the Agricultural Building. He was one of the organizers of the Allen
Count}' Horticultural Society, and has served as its president several
terms, during its thirty years of existence. IMr. Klaumann was married
July I, 1875, to Miss Fredericka, a daughter of Conrad Steyer, a native of
Germany, who immigrated to America and settled at New London, Conn.,
where Mrs. Klaumann was born. The father was a cabinet maker, and
the family removed to Chicago at an earlj^ day, and Mrs. Klaumann was
reared and educated in that city. To Mr. and Mrs. Klaumann have been
born four children : Clara, graduated from the lola High School, Kansas
University, taught in the lola High School a short time, and is now the
wife of Prof. James \\'. Murphy, superintendent of schools, W'ashington.
Kans. ; Louis H., educated in the Tola High School and business college,
now cashier of the Farmers' Supply Company, Arcadia, Fla. ; Chas. H.,
a graduate of the Tola High School and Kansas University, now an in-
structor in the Salina High School, and Edward, deceased. ]\Ir. Klaumann
is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and has filled all
the chairs of that order. He is also a member of the Knights and Ladies
of Security, of which he has been financial secretary for a number of
years. The family are members of Christ Reformed church.
Benjamin F. Pancoast, a pioneer merchant of lola, Kans., who for over
fifty years has been engaged in the jewelrj' business in this State, was
born in Fayette county, Ohio. December 11. 1S33, and is a son of Shreve
and Polly (Myers) Pancoast. the former a native of Pennsylvania, and
the latter of \^irginia. both of Danish descent. The Pancoast family was
founded in America by Isaiah Pancoast in 1806. He had two brothers,
Jonathan and another brother, who afterwards became dean of a Phil-
adelphia medical college, and his sons are now- eminent surgeons. Jona-
than Pancoast was a brick mason and settled in Cincinnati. Ohio, when
that city w-as a mere village. Isaiah, the grandfather of Benjamin F.,
w'as a farmer and followed that occupation in Pennsylvania, and later
removed to Ohio. His son, Shreve, the father of Benjamin F., was also
a farmer. Benjamin F. Pancoast was educated in the public schools of
Ohio, such as they were in those days, and in early life learned the
BIOGRAPHICAL 259
jewelers' trade, and in 1859. came to Kansas, locating in Allen county,
where Tola now stands. He was a member of the Tola townsite company,
and one of the organizers of the town of lola. He located in Allen county
largely by accident. He and a cousin, A. L. Messmore, were on their
way south from Independence, Mo., and when they reached Allen county
they were favorably impressed by that locality, and as there were plenty
of government land there, they took claims and remained. When they
located in Allen county, there was a local debating society which held
weekly meetings in a log school house, and at the first meeting which
Mr. Pancoast attended, the society passed a resolution organizing itself
into a townsite company, and thus Mr. Pancciast became a mcmljcr of the
original lola townsite company. He was elected secretary of the com-
pany, and held that office until the affairs of the company were closed.
One of the quarters of land which the committee selected was owned by
J. F. Colbam, and the townsite was named in honor of Mrs. Colbam,
whose Christian name was lola. The company was limited to fifty mem-
1)ers, and each one was assessed $20, which gave the company a $i,ooo
capital. One of the first by-laws of the organization, required each mem-
ber to build a house on the townsite at a cost of not less than $300.00,
or forfeit his interest. Coffachiqui, an Indian trading post, two miles
south, consisted of about twenty houses, and the Indian agent there,
become a member of the lola townsite company, and was instrumental
in moving the trading post to the new town of lola. All goods and sup-
plies were hauled from Leavenworth, and the nearest railroad was W'ar-
rensburg. Mo., and mail was brought from Lawrence twice a week by
stage coach. Mr. Pancoast took an active part in the early development
of the new town. When the Tola Battalion was organized he became
its adjutant. Later this Ilattalion was consolidated with the \inth Kan-
sas Regiment, and as that office, was already filled he resigned and re-
turned to lola. In 1861. he went back to Ohio to visit his parents, and
about a year later returned to Kansas, locating at Olathe where he worked
at his trade until 1869, when he returned to lola and engaged in the
jewelry business, which has occupied his attention since that time. He
has been in business longer than any other merchant in lola. In addi-
tion to his business interests, Mr. Pancoast has been interested in other
local enterprises and has always endeavored to promote the best interest
of his city and county. He has taken a commendable interest in advanced
and improved methods fif horticulture, and was one of the organizers of
the .\llen Countv 1 iorticultural Society and has been its secretary since
organization. He is also a member of the State Horticultural Society,
and for the past two years has been trustee for the second district. Mr.
Pancoast was married in 1861, to Miss Mary Cowan, a daughter of J.
M. Cowan, a Kansas pioneer who located in Allen county in i860, com-
ing from Indiana. Mrs. Pancoast was reared and educated in Indiana,
and came to Kansas with her parents. To Mr. and Mrs. Pancoast have
26o BIOGRATHICAL
been bmrn four children; Lonie M.; Herman L., cigar manufacturer,
lola, Kans. ; Ernest L., jeweler. La Junta, Colo., and Milo B., automobile
machinist, Kansas City, Mo. During Mr. Pancoast's long career as a
merchant, he has gained many friends, and, b}- his upright business
methods has won the C(Tnfidence of the public.
William Albert Gilliland, a prominent farmer and stockman of Jackson
county, was born at Rockport, Mo.. June 22, 1859. He is a son of Josiah
and Delitha (Maxwell) Gilliland. the former a native of Beverly, Ohio,
and the latter of Ogle county, Illinois. The father spent his boyhood
days in his native State, and in 1855 went to Missouri where he owned
and operated a saw mill until the war broke out, when he traded it for
a farm in Nebraska, and removed his family to Illinois, and enlisted in
a ^lissouri regiment in which he served one year. At the close of the
war he returned to Missouri, where he remained until 1876, when he went
to Nebraska and settled on his farm which he operated, with success,
until 1900, when he removed to Auburn, Neb., where he now resides. His
first wife and mother of William A., died in Andrew county, ^Missouri,
in 1868. leaving three children as follows: William A., the subject of
this sketch ; Nellie, married Harry Rhoades, a successful farmer and
stockman of Howe, Neb., and Alida. married Andrew Speer, one of the
county commissioners of Atchison county, at the present time. When
\\'illiam A. Gilliland was a boy, his opportunities for obtaining an edtica-
tion were limited. He attended the district schools of Andrew coimty,
Missouri, such as schools were in those times on the frontier. The
school term consisted of only two or three months each year, which were
perhaps plenty under the circumstances, as the average pupil received
about all the "rod" he could stand during that period, and was perfectly
willing to "spoil" for the rest of the year. But )'Oung Gilliland made the
best of his opportunities, and at the age of thirteen was compelled to quit
school and go to work. In 1876, when the family went to Nebraska, they
found their farm encumbered by tax title, and he had to work as a farm
hand to help pay this off, and after that, gave his earnings to his father
to help support the family. At the age of twenty, he began life for
himself, as a farm laborer, and at the end of a year had saved $150. He
then began farming rented land, and during the first few years his pro-
gress was slow, on account of crop failures. In the fall of 1883, he
bought 120 acres of unimproved land which he improved, and built a
small house on it. He began in the stock business, in a small way, and
soon was making a specialty of raising cattle, hogs and mules, and fed
large numbers of cattle and hogs for the market. He prospered in his
undertaking and began to add to his holdings and it was not long until
he owned 362 acres of well improved land. He remained on this farm
until 1898, when he removed to Jackson county, Kansas, locating in Cedar
township, where he owns a 200-acre farm, which increases his acreage to
573 acres. In the spring of 1914, he gave each of his two sons, 120 acres
BlOGRAl'lIK AI. 261
which is valued at ?ioo. per acre. Since coming to Jackson county, he
has been engaged in the real estate business in addition to farming and
stock raising. Jn his real estate operations, he has been very successful
and been instrumental in bringing many substantial settlers to the
county, to whom he has sold farms. He is a strong advocate of good
schools, good roads and better farming. He is active in church work,
and while a resident of Nebraska, served as deacon and superintendent of
Sunday school. He was also an early advocate of the Farmers Institute.
He inaugurated the movement which led to grading a road from his farm
in Cedar township, to Denison. He had the road surveyed, and circulated
the subscription list to pay for the work, to which he contributed liberally
iiimself. He takes a foremost position in the community for commercial
and social improvement, and is one of the most public spirited citizens of
Jackson county. Mr. Gilliland, was married April 14, 1884, to Miss Lou
Emma Cummings, daughter of Thomas J. and Dorcus \'. (W'ilcox)
Cummings, the former a native of Ohio, and the latter of Indiana. They
were pioneers of Nebraska, settling in that State in 1865. Mrs. Gilliland
was born in Kosciusko county, Indiana, October 20, 1865, and was only
four months old when the family removed to Nebraska, and settled in
Nemaha county, where the father engaged in farming and stock raising.
When the (iilliland family located in Nebraska their place was near
where the Cummings family had settled. Mrs. Gilliland was educated in
the public schools, and engaged in the millinery and dress making busi-
ness in Auburn, Neb., which she followed until her marriage. Her father
died March 21, 191 1. and the mother now resides at Cral) Orchard, Neb.
To Mr. and Mrs. Gilliland, have been born four children: Roy Albert,
born September 17, 1886, was educated at the Kansas State Agricultural
College, Manhattan, and Campbell University, now a farmer and stock
raiser in Jackson county, where he specializes in raising Jersey cattle and
has one of the finest herds in the State. He was married December 30,
H)o8, to Miss (jertrude Lanning, and they have three children: Olive I^ou
Emma, Delia Leola, and Roy Albert, Jr. The second son, Charles
Henry, born August 8. 1888, was educated in the Kansas State Agricul-
tural College at Manhattan, and Cani|)hcll University, and is now a suc-
cessful farmer in Jackson comity. Delia Mae Gilliland was born July
29, 1891. She is a graduate of Cam])bell University and is now a teacher
in Xetawaka High School. Bertha Ellen, the youngest of the family was
born February 6, 1894, a graduate of Cam])bell University and is now at
home with her parents. Mr. Gilliland is a man of strong ])crsonaiity,
with a deep sense of right and justice. He loves industry and abhors
laziness. His sentiments as to the man who works is well expressed in
the following lines:
"It matters nut how rich or pi)or,
This is the future's great command,
Who does not work shall cease to eat ;
Upon this rock I stand.
262
BIOGRAPHICAL
The fruit of trees, the g'rain of fields,
\\'herever use and beauty lurk —
The good of all the world belongs
To him who does his work."
Orestes L. Garlinghouse, M. D., a prominent physician and surgeon
of lola, Kans., is a native of Kansas. He was born at Topeka, June 18,
1870. and is a son of L. B. and Matilda (Hanawalt) Garlinghouse,
natives of Ohio. The)- came to Kansas in 1864, and settled in Topeka
where the father engaged in farming and stock raising, and for a number
of years was land inspector for the Santa Fe Railroad Company. He
spent the latter part of his life in retirement in Topeka, where he died in
January, 1907. Dr. Garlinghouse was educated in the public schools,
\\'ashburn College and Baker University, graduating from the latter
institution in the class of 1892. He then attended the Kansas Medical
College, which afterwards became a department of Washburn College
for two years, when he entered Herig Medical College and Hospital, at
Chicago, where he was graduated with a degree of Doctor of Medicine,
in the class of 1899. He then engaged in the practice of his'profession at
Walcot, Kans., and while there taught one year in Hahnemann Medical
College. Kansas City. In 1900, he came to lola where he has since been
engaged in the practice. Dr. Garlinghouse is a close student of his pro-
fession, and in 1904, he took a post-graduate course at the Cook County
Hospital, Chicago, 111., and in 1910, took a course at Carleton College at
Farmington, Mo. In addition to giving close attention to his large prac-
tice, he is interested in a number of industrial enterprises. In 1901 he
built a large business block in lola, and was one of the organizers of the
Humboldt Refrigerator Compan}^ but has disposed of his interest in
that enterprise. Dr. Garlinghouse was married September 17, 1899, to
Miss Peale, daughter of E. S. and Rovia (Still) Clark. The former a
native of Canada and the latter of Missouri. Mr. Clark is an extensive
farmer and stock raiser in Franklin county, Kansas. Mrs. Clark is a
sister of Dr. A. T. Still, the founder of Osteopathy. Mrs. Garlinghouse
was born in Franklin county, and educated in the public schools and
Baker University, graduating in the class of 1894,' with the degree of
Bachelor of Letters, and was a teacher of art before her marriage. To
Dr. and Mrs. Garlinghouse have been born three children : Marjorie
Pearle, born July 25, 1900, Robert Orestes and Richard Earl, twins,
born March 19, 1910. Dr. Garlinghouse has been active in Y. M. C. A.
work and was one of the promoters of that organization in lola, and has
been a member of the board of directors ever since the association was
established there. He is a member of the County, State and American
Medical Associations, and Kansas Homeopathic Medical Association,
and was jjresident of that organization during the j'ears 1911-12-13. He
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of which he is a trustee,
BIOGRAPHICAL 263
and his fraternal affiliations are with the Benevolent and Protective
Order of l-'.lks. and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Robert O. Christian, M. D., a prominent ph3sician and surgeon of lola
is a native son of Kansas. He was born in lola, December ii, 1878, and
is a son of James \V. and Jane Barbara (Steele) Christian, both natives
of Virginia. The family came to Kansas in i860, locating on a farm in
Allen county, near lola, and here the father was successfully engaged in
farming and stock raising until his death which occurred in 1888. The
mother now resides at lola. Dr. Christian was reared on the farm and
attended the ])ublic schools of Allen county until he was fourteen years
old. He then went to Iowa City, Iowa, where he attended school for a
time and later his mother removed to Emporia, Kans., in order that the
children might have better educational advantages, and Dr. Christian
attended the College of Emporia three j'ears. In 1898. when the Spanish-
American war broke out, he enlisted in Company I. Twentieth Regiment,
Kansas infantry, and served in the Philippine Islands with that famous
organization, for eighteen months, when he returned to his Kansas home,
after receiving his discharge in October, 1899. He then entered the
University Medical College, Kansas City, Mo., and was graduated in
the class of 1903, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. After serving
one year as interne in the University Hospital, Dr. Christian returned
to his home town, where he has since been successfully engaged in the
practice of his profession. In addition to his practice, he has been
interested in various enterprises and has invested extensively in real
estate. He owns six himdred acres of land in Allen county, and has
farm property in the irrigated district of Texas. He was a member of
the United States Board of Pension Examiners for a number of years,
and is local surgeon for the Santa Fc Railroad Company, and is also
medical examiner for the United States Marine Corps. Dr. Christian is a
member of the County, State and American Medical Associations, and the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a member of the Pres-
byterian church and his political views are Republican.
Herbert M. Webb, M. D., a prominent physician and surgeon of
Hunibiildl, Kan^.. i> a nali\e of Kansas. He was born at Ottawa, July
23. 1877, and is a sgn of M. O. and Annie (Fullerton) Webb, natives of
Maine. The father came to Kansas about 1873, and was a locomotive
engineer throughout life. He died in 1900. I lis wife, the mother of
Dr. Webb, i)assed away in 1887. Dr. Webb was educated in the public
schools of Ottawa and Osawatomic, graduating from the Osawatomie
High School in the class of 1893. '^"^ then learned the machinist's trade,
wliich he worked at until 1902. He then entered the Lincoln Medical
Cf>llcge, Lincoln, Nebr., and was graduated from that institution in the
class of 1906, with tiie degree «f Doctor of ^^edicine. He then located at
Humboldt, Kans., which has since been the field of his professional activi-
ties. Dr. Webb is a successful physician and has built up a large practice.
264 ' BIOGKAl'URA],
lie was united in marriage October 5, 1898, to Miss Blanche Fowler, of
(Jttawa, Kans. She is a daughter of A. S. and Harriett M. Fowler, natives
of P'enns}-lvania. The father was a blacksmith, and died when Mrs.
Webb was a child. Mrs. Webb was reared and educated in Ottaw-a,
Kans., and graduated from tiie Ottawa High School, in the class of 1897.
To Dr. and Mrs. Webb has been born one child : Jeanette A., a student in
the Humboldt schools. Dr. Webb is a member of the County, State and
American Medical Associations, and is a member of the United States
Pension Board, and is medical examiner for the United States Marine
Corps. He is a .Scottish Rite Mason, a member of the Ancient Order of
United Workmen, and the Eastern Star. Mrs. Webb is also a member of
the Eastern Star, and the family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Dr. Webb takes an active interest in local affairs and is a
member of the school board of which he is president.
Joseph H. Hindman, M. D., a prominent member of the medical pro-
fession of Allen county, is a native of Missouri. He was born at Mem-
phis, August 18, 1872, and is a son of Rev. D. R. and Mary M. (Bohom)
Hindman, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ken-
tucky. The father was a clergyman of the Presbyterian denomination,
and devoted his life to the ministry. He died March 11, 1908. In 1880,
the family came to Kansas, and settled in Ellsworth county, and here Dr.
Hindman began his education in the district schools. After obtaining a
good elementary education, he entered Park College, at Park\-ille, Mo.,
where he completed the prescribed course. He then entered the Kansas
Medical College at Topeka, and was graduated in the class of 1895, with
the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He then engaged in the practice of his
profession at Auburn, Kans., where he remained about a year, when he
removed to Admire, Kans., remaining about the same length of time,
when he went to Deerfield, Mo., and practiced eighteen months, when he
again changed his location, this time going to McAllister, Okla., as
l)hysician for a coal company. He remained there until January, 1901,
when he came to HumlDoldt, Kans., where he has since been engaged in
the practice of his profession. Dr. Hindman is a skilled physician, and
has met with uniform success. He was married June 4, 1895, to Miss
Elizabeth, daughter of John and Lucy (Danna) Stewart, the former a
native of Ohio, and the latter of Virginia. They were pioneers of Kansas,
settling in iVIlen county in 1859, where the father w'as successfully en-
gaged in farming until his death in 1897. Mrs. Hindman was educated
in the public schools of Huml)oldt and Park College, Parkville, Mo. Dr.
Hindman is a member of the County, State and American Medical Asso-
ciations, and is vice-president of the Allen County Medical Association.
He is a member of the Masonic Lodge, and he and his wife are members
of the Presbyterian church. ♦
Capt. Samuel J. Stewart, a Kansas pioneer and Civil war veteran, now
living retired at lluniljoldt, Kans., is a native of the Buckeve State. He
BIOGRArilR AI. 265
was born in Miami county, Ohio, March 28, 1833, a son of Jose])h and
Mary (Coe) Stewart. The tatlier who was a pliysician, was a native of
South Carolina, and was brought to Ohio by his parents when a child.
The mother was a native of Ohio. She died in 1835, when Samuel J., of
this review was two years old, and five years later his father died, leaving
him an orphan at the age of seven years. After the death of his father,
the boy went to live with an uncle, William Stewart at Champaign, 111.
Here he attended school and grew to manhood, and in 1855, went to
Lafayette, Ind., and worked for a brother, about a year, and in 1856,
he and his brother, Watson, came to Kansas, driving the entire distance
in a "prairie schooner." They settled in Allen county, south of where
Humboldt now stands, on Osage Indian lands. Here, Captain Stewart
engaged in farming and stock raising which has been the principal occu-
pation of his life. When he came to this State, the border warfare was
at high water mark. He was a pronounced free-State man and had many
exciting adventures in those trying times. \\'hen he and his brother
drove from Indiana, the}' had their household goods shipped to Kansas
City, and after reaching .Allen county, he sent a man with a team to
Kansas City after his goods, and when returning, the border rufKans,
under the notorious Allen McGhee cajitured the outfit at Westport, and
ordered the driver to leave town, who returned to .Allen county on foot.
When Captain Stewart learned of the incident he proceeded to Kansas
City, alone, and recovered one of his horses, the wagon and most of his
goods frt)m the bandits. This, however, did not satisfy him and six
years afterwards, while serving in the army. Captain Stewart located Mc-
Ghee, and called upon him personall)', and demanded satisfaction for the
wrong that had been done him. McGhee had no money, but he gave
Captain Stewart a gold watch which was valued at $200.00. This was
one of the many incidents of the border warfare which Captain Stewart
experienced. His early home in Kansas was among the Osage Indians
with whom he was very friendly, and he and his brother were adopted by
the tribe as brothers to Chief "Little liear." They frequently assisted the
Indians in their trouljlcs. and at one time, drove a band of horse thieves
out of the county, who iiad been stealing the Indians' iHinies. Captain
Stewart took a prominent ])art in tlie early lerrilinial politics, and in
1857, was elected a member of the territorial legislature, and served in
what was known as the first Free Stale legislature. He was a delegate
to the Free State Convention held at Grasshop]')er Falls, in 1857. This
was the first decisive move of the Free State men of the territory. In
those early days, he was closely associated with sucli men as I'lumb,
Ri)binson, Ponicroy and Lane. Up to 1861, CajUain Stewart had been
ke]jt busy with border ruffians and other incidents of pioneer life on the
plains and now another important duty confronted him. and in August.
1861, he enlisted in Company H. Fourth Regiment. Kansas infantry, and
was mustered in as first lieutenant of his company, and in l'\'bruary. 1863,
266 BIOGRAPHICAL
was promoted to Captain and mustered out with that rank in August,
1864. He served in the Fourth Regiment until the spring of 1862, when
the Third and Fourth Kansas Regiments were consolidated into the
Tenth Regiment, Kansas infantry, and served with that regiment until
he was discharged. A record of the service of these regiments is fully
set forth in another volume of this work. At the close of the war,
Captain Stewart returned to his Allen county home, and engaged in the
more peaceful pursuits of farming and stock raising until he retired in
1901, and removed to Humboldt, where he is now enjoying the fruits of
former well directed efforts. He has given his sons, each valuable farms,
and still owns three hundred and seventy acres of valuable farm land,
which is located in the oil belt of Allen county. The daily production of
oil on his farm is about five hundred barrels. Captain Stewart was first
married in December, 1864, to Miss \'ictoria L. Tinder, of Monticello, 111.,
who died in September, 1866. and in September, 1869, he married Miss
Emma Heath, of ]\Ionticello, 111., and to this union seven children were
born as follows : Charles A., who represents the Standard Oil Company at
Humboldt, Kans. ; AN'illiam \\"atson, engaged in the ice business, Chanute,
Kans. ; Lula, married C. H. Dickerson, resides on the home farm; Hattie
B., married R. M. Porter, cashier of the First National Bank, Humboldt;
Harvey H., Humboldt; Sadie, married W. J. Davis, farmer, Neosho,
Kans., and Effie. married Archie Pickle, St. Joseph. Mo. Captain Stewart
has been a life long Republican, and a consistent supporter of the policies
and principles of that party. He was elected State representative in
1882, and re-elected in 1885, and in 1900, was elected State senator from
the Fourteenth District, serving one term, and while a member of the
Hotise of Representatives and Senate was active and influential in the
legislation of those sessions. He served as chairman of the Roads and
I Bridges Committee while a member of the Senate and was instrumental
in changing the system of road taxation. Captain Stewart is a member
of the Christian Science church, and the Grand Army of the Republic.
He is past commander of the Humboldt Post, and was a delegate to the
national convention held at Detroit, in 1914.
Johnson W. Pettijohn, M. D., a pioneer Jackson county physician is a
native nf Ohio, lie was born at Sardenia, Brown county, Ohio, October
27, 1833, and is a son of William B. and Elizabeth (Johnson) Pettijohn,
natives of Virginia. The father was a pioneer of Ohio, and followed
farming in that State until his death. He was an old time Whig and one
of the early Abolitionists of Ohio. He was born in 1807, and died in
i860. Dr. Pettijohn spent his boyhood days on a farm and attended the
public schools of Brown county, Ohio, and after receiving a good prepa-
ratory education, he entered the medical department of the University of
Alichigan. Ann Arbor, Mich., where he began the study of medicine, but
finished his course at the Georgetown Medical College, Georgetown,
D. C. where he was graduated in the class of 1864, with the degree of
BIOGRAPHICAL 267
Doctor of Medicine. Shortly after graduating he was appointed assistant
surgeon in the United States Army, and later qualitied before the exam-
ining board, and was assigned to duty in the Nineteenth Regiment, Unit-
ed States infantry. On account of an attack of rheumatism, he resigned,
and entered the hospital service, and was assigned to Arlington Hospital.
He spent about two and one-half years in the service, resigning in the
fall of 1865, but was not relieved until the spring of 1866. He then located
at Lynchburg. Ohio, where he was engaged in the practice of his pro-
fession eleven years. In 1879, he came to Kansas, locating on a farm in
Jackson county, where he followed farming and stock raising, and at the
same time continuing the practice of his profession. He was the first
physician of the new town of Hoyt, and continued the practice there
with unqualified success until 1911. when he retired. He and his son,
William R.. have operated the farm in partnership since the boy finished
school. They have been extensive stock raisers, making a specialty of
Herefords for a number of years. They also raise a large number ot hogs
for the market. Their farm is located two and one-half miles west of
Hoyt. and is one of the model farms of Jackson county. Dr. Pettijohn
is a Republican and has taken an active interest in politics. He served
one term in the State legislature, but decided some years ago that a
political career was not to his liking, and he has refused to accept politi-
cal office in recent years. He was married in i860 to Miss Francis E.,
daughter of John and Rebecca (.Stone ) Ridings, natives of \^irginia, where
Mrs. Pettijohn was also born. The famil)- removed from \'irginia to
Hillsboro, Ohio, where the father worked at his trade, which was that of
a machinist. He built the first threshing machine which wa;^ manu-
factured in the West. He was also engaged in the mercantile business.
Mrs. Pettijohn was educated in the public schools of Ohio and the Hills-
boro Female College. To Dr. and Mrs. Pettijohn, was born one child.
William R.. a sketch of whom follows. The wife and mother departed
this life in 1906. She was a noble type of American womanhood and lived
a consistent Christian life. Dr. Pettijohn has been a member of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd I""ellows for over forty years and is a Royal .Arch
Ma.son. He is a member of the County, State, and .American Medical
Associations, and holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church,
of which he is a trustee.
William R. Pettijohn, a successful farmer and stockman of Hoyt.
Kans.. was born at Fincastle. Ohio. October 10. 1863. He is a son of
Dr. Johnson W. Pettijolin, a personal sketch of whom precedes this
review. He received his education in the public schools and later
entered Kansas .'^tate .Agricultural College where he remained one year,
and then attended Cam|)bell University at Holton. He then engaged
in farming and stock raising in partnership with his father, on the home
place near Hoyt, Kans. They have operated together, and have met
with good success, and rank among tiie progressive farmers and stock
268 BIOGRAPHICAL
raisers of Jackson county. Mr. Pettijohn has been active outside of the
field of agricultiiral endeavor, and in 1902, organized the Hoyt Tele-
phone Company, and is now the sole owner of that enterprise which is
a prosperous concern, with over two hundred telephones in operation.
The central exchange is located at Hoyt. He was one of the organ-
izers, and a member of the first board of directors of the Hoyt State
Bank, and is still a stockholder in that institution. He is also a stock-
holder in the Southwestern Blati Gas Company of Kansas City, Mo.
Mr. Pettijohn was united in marriage, September 13, 1893, to Miss
Anna R. Broderick, daughter of Case Broderick, a personal sketch of
whom appears in these volumes. Mrs. Pettijohn was born in Jackson
coimty, Kans., and is a graduate of the Holton High School and Camp-
bell Universit}-. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Pettijohn have one child, Ada L., a
student in Bethany College, Topeka, Kans. Mr. Pettijohn is a Republi-
can, and takes an active interest in local politics. He is a Scottish Rite
Mason.
Milton Smyth McGrew, M. D., a well known and successful Jackson
county physician, is a native of Ohio. He was born in Bowerston,
Ohio, ^lay 5, 1867, and is a son of Xathan L. and Sarah (Smyth) Mc-
Grew. The father came to Kansas in 1870, and engaged in the mer-
cantile business at Holton, which he followed until 1899, when he re-
tired. He died in 1902, and is survived by his wife. Dr. McGrew was
educated in the public schools of Holton and graduated from the high
school. He then attended Campbell University two years. He then
clerked in his father's store two years, .when he entered Hahnemann
Medical College of Chicago, where he was graduated in the class of
1891. with the degree of Doctor of ^ledicine. He then returned to
Holton and engaged in the practice of his profession, where he has
since remained. Dr. McGrew has a large practice and is a skillful
l^hysician. He was married August i, 1894, to Miss Gertrude, daugh-
ter of Frank and Julia (Hubble) White, the former a native of Penn-
sylvania and the latter of Kentucky. Mrs. McGrew was born in Hol-
ton and educated in the public schools of that cit3\ To Dr. and Mrs.
McGrew has been born one child, Xathan ^^'hite. born May 23, 1897,
now a student in the Holton High School. Dr. McGrew has served as
county physician of Jackson county for eight 3'ears. He is a member
of the Ancient Free and Accepted ^lasons, the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. Yoemen, Sons and Daughters of Justice, Fraternal Aid, and
the I^oyal Order of Moose. Mrs. McGrew is a member of the Pres-
byterian church.
Joseph M. Burns, a pioneer business man of Jackson county, was
born in Daviess county. Indiana, March 20. 1859. and is a son of Charles
R. and Emalie J. (Hasting) Burns. The father was a farmer and
stock raiser and when Joseph M. was four years old the family came
to Kansas and settled on the green rolling prairies where the father
BIOGRAPHICAL . 269
was engaged in faniiini; and slock raising for several years. He was
prominent in early day politics and was elected to the legislature from
Jackson county in 1871. He also served as township trustee and lield
other local offices. He retired from business in the sunset of his life,
and spent a few years in Hoyt. where he died in March, 1910. and
where his widow now resides. Joseph M. Burns began his education
in the subscription schools of the early days in Kansas, and later
attended the public schools, and he was a student at \\ashburn College
for a time. He then engaged in farming and stock raising in Jackson
county for four years, and about this time the Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific Railroad was built into the town of Hoyt. There was a store
and post office named Hoyt, two miles west of the present town of
Hoyt, and Mr. Burns bought this stock and accepted the appointment
of postmaster, with the understanding that the post office should be
moved to the railroad. This was the beginning of the ]>resent town of
Hoyt, and his store building was one of the first, if not the first, build-
ing in the town. He continued in the general mercantile business there
three years when he sold out» and engaged in the grain business at
that point. 'J'here was no elevator at that time, and grain was loaded
direct into the cars from wagons. Mr. Piurns operated in this way
about five years, when an elevator was built, which he managed a few
years, when he engaged in the insurance and collecting business, and
about the same time, became assistant cashier of the Ho\-t State Bank
and served in that cai)acity for six or seven years. He is still interested
in the bank, and has various other local interests. He was married
July I, 1880, to Miss Susan E. Maris, daughter of L. D. and Sophrono
Maris, natives of Iowa who came to Jackson county- in 187Q, where
the father engaged in farming and stock raising. Mrs. Burns is a
native of Iowa and was educated in the jjublic schools of her native
State. To Mr. and Mrs. Burns have been born four children: Lewis
C, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; Reuben, an emi)loyee of
the United .States Express Com])any, Tojjeka, married Maggie O'Brien
and they have f)ne child, I'"lcnor lielle; Raymond, assistant cashier of
the Hoyt State Bank, and I'llenor, deceased. The wife and mother
departed this life January 20, 1903. On September 20, 1903, Mr. Burns
married Miss Clemnia Peyrouse, daughter of John and Mary I'eyrouse,
natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Kansas and located in Pottawa-
tomie coimty. Mrs. Iiurns was born in Pennsylvania and was educated
in the public schools of that State and Kansas. She taught school in
Pottawatomie county five years prior to her marriage. Mrs. Burns is
a nicnilH'r i>f ilu- Catholic church.
Lewis C. Burns, cashier of the Hoyt State Bank, Hoyt, Kans., was
1)orn in Jackson county, May 29, 1884, and is a son of Joseph M. Burns,
a sketch of whom appears in this volume. He spent his boyhood days
in Hoyt, and was educated in the public schools and Kansas State
270 BIOGRAPHICAL
Agricultural College at Manhattan. In the fall of 1902. he entered the
Hoyt State Bank, as assistant cashier, remaining in that position until
1907, when he became cashier and has remained in that capacity to
the present time. The Hoyt State Bank was organized in January,
1932, with a capital stock of $5,000.00, and it's first officers were : O. D.
Woodward, president; J. M. Woodward, vice-president, and C. M.
Woodward, cashier. In 1907. Jesse Lasswell purchased the controlling
interest in the bank, and became president. Frank H. Chase, became
vice-president, and Lewis C. Burns, cashier. On January i. 1913, W.
H. Lasswell, became president, the other officers remaining the same.
The bank owns its own building, and in 1908, the capital stock was
increased to $10,000.00. The Hoyt State Bank has had a healthy and
substantial growth since its organization. The first statement showed
its resources to be, $6,591.48 and the last official statement shows $126,-
892.63 resources, with deposits amounting to S105.817. 77. The officers
and stock holders of this bank represent some of the strongest men of
finance in Jackson county. In January, 1914, Mr. Burns became inter-
ested in the First National Bank of Mayetta, and is now a member of
the board of directors of that institution, and, although a young man,
he is considered one of the capable bankers in Jackson county. He
possesses that rare combination which might be called progressive con-
servatism, which seems to be a characteristic of successful bankers. Mr.
Burns was married May 29. 1908. to Miss Bess M., daughter of C. E.
and Jane Ketterman, natives of Ohio, who came to Kansas where the
father followed farming, and later was engaged in the mercantile busi-
ness at Hoyt. Kans. Mrs. Burns was born in Jackson county, and
educated in the public schools of Hoyt and Baker University, Baldwin,
Kans. To Mr. and Mrs. Burns, has been born, one child. Lewis Jean,
born November 16, 1912. Mr. Burns is a member of the Ancient Free
and Accepted Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and
his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal church and Mrs. Burns
holds membership in the Eastern Star.
David Coleman, a prominent farmer and stockman of Jackson county,
is a native of Kansas, and descendant of pioneer parents. He was born
in Jackson county, March 24, 1863, and is a son of George and Elizabeth
(Boyce) Coleman, natives of England. They immigrated to Canada at
an early day and from there to Illinois. In 1855. they came to Kansas
and settled in Calhoun county, now Jackson, where the father engaged in
farming and stock raising, and was among the very early settlers of that
section of the State. He died in August, 1883. The Coleman family con-
sisted of seven children, of whom David was the youngest. He spent his
boyhood da3's on the home farm and attended the country schools. He
loUowed farming and stock raising until 1889. when he removed to Deni-
son and engaged in the grain and elevator business. He also carried on a
live stock business, buying and shipping stock in large numbers. He
BIOGRAPHICAL 27I
remained in the grain business until 1912, but since 191 1, he has resided
on his farm which adjoins the town of Denison. In 191 1, he enga,tjcd in
the dairy business in a small way, at first. He was successful in this
enterprise and the business developed rapidly and today he is one of the
most extensive dairy men in Jackson county. He has a large herd of
pure bred Holstein cows, and has equipped his place with all modern
methods and improvements for conducting dair\- business on an extensive
scale. In 1913, he built one of the most modern and complete dairy barns
in that section of the State, equipped with electric lights and all conven-
iences. In 1914. he bought back a half interest in the elevator and is
again conducting the grain business at Denison in connection with the
other interests. In 1908, Mr. Coleman become interested in the Denison
State Bank, and is now one of the directors of that institution. He was
married July 4, 1885, to Miss Lillie Ann, daughter of Alplus and Rosana
(Aker) Bainbridge. natives of Missouri. The father was a farmer and
stockman, and a pioneer of Kansas, coming to this State in 1856. He
was one of the early settlers of Jackson county where he resided until
his death, in January, 1895. Mrs. Coleman was born in Jackson county.
Kansas, and received her education in the public schools. Mr. and Mrs.
Coleman have five children : Walter Allen, a sketch of whom follows
this article; Roy David, a graduate of the Kansas State Agricultural Col-
lege; Darius B.; Noel E. ; and Gladys M. Mr. Coleman is a Democrat,
and was the first mayor of Denison. He is a progressive and public spir-
ited citizen and takes an active interest in all movements, tending to pro-
mote the Social or commercial betterment of the community.
Walter Allen Coleman, cashier of the Denison State Bank, was born in
Jackson county, May 12, 1886, and is a son of David Coleman, a sketch
of whom precedes this review. Walter Allen Coleman was educated in
the public schools of Jackson county, and graduated from the Denison
school, and after attending the State Normal School at Emporia, he took
a cf)mmercial course in the Central Business College of Sedalia, Mo. He
then worked in the Denison State Bank, as bookkeeper until 1906, when
he went to ^^'ann. Indian Territory, as cashier of The ^\'ann State Bank.
He remained in that position until A]iril. 1907, when he went to Coffey-
ville, Kans., as bookkeeper of the Peoples State Savings Bank, and on
December i, 1907, he returned to Denison and assisted his father in the
grain business until January i, 1909, when he became cashier of the
Denison State Bank and has since held that position. Mr. Coleman was
married June 2, 1909, to Miss Edith Artman, daughter of John S. and
Eva Artman, of Jackson county. Mrs. Coleman was l)orn in Jackson
county, and educated in the public schools and Cam])bell University',
being a graduate of the latter institution. Mr. and Mrs. Coleman have
one child. Howard. They are members of the Methodist Episc<")pal
church. Mr. Coleman is a Democrat, and has served on the city council
of Denison, and was acting mayor for six months. Although a young
272 BlOGRArmCAL
man. liis broad experience in the banking business, well fits him for the
responsible positiun which he holds.
George S. Linscott, president of the Linscott State Bank, of Holton,
Kan., was born in \\'ashington county, Iowa, November 4, 1868, son of
S. K. and Josephine (^Mallett'l Linscott. His father was born in Chester-
ville. Me., descendant of fine old Scotch-English ancestry. When only
sixteen years of age he left his native State and located in Illinois and
engaged in farming, but soon realized that an education was one of the
essential equipments for a man to succeed in the world, and went to New
"S'ork. where he entered Hamilton College. There he met and married
Miss i\l3ra Simmons. They came west and for some years engaged in
farming on an eighty-acre farm in Washington county, Iowa, raising corn
and selling it at ten cents a bushel, and fat hogs at $1.50 per 100 pounds.
During tiie Civil war Mrs. Linscott died, leaving a daughter, and Mr.
Linscott enlisted in the Ninth Illinois cavalry and served in Alabama
and Mississippi until the close of the war. After leaving the army Mr.
Linscott returned to Iowa and engaged in the mercantile business. In
1866. he married Miss Josephine Mallett. whose ancestors were Con-
necticut Yankees of Norman and English descent, and some of whose
relatives went to the Sandwich Islands as missionaries in 1820. Of
this union were born seven sons, six of whom grew to manhood. In
1872, the father sold his interests in Iowa and came to Jackson county,
Kansas. — before the railroads were built. Immediately he was ofTered
and accepted the position of cashier of the first banking house started
in the county. The ambition grew to have a bank of his own, and in
1874. he sold his interest in the Holton Exchange Bank and started the
lianking house of S. K. Linscott. For thirty-two years he was the able
e.xecutive of the bank and never gave up work, being actively engaged
until his death, December 11, 1906. Mr. Linscott had great business abil-
ity and foresaw the bright future of Kansas. He dealt largely in lands,
bought, farmed and sold many farms, principally buying the wild prairie
tracts in large quantities and breaking the sod and improving it, and
selling in small tracts. Always a pioneer- — to Illinois in 1853, to Iowa in
1858. and to Kansas in 1872 — in 1896, Mr. Linscott went to southern
Mexico and bought some 50,000 acres of land on the Isthmus of Te-
huantepec. Resides being a pioneer he was a progressive farmer, being
one of the first men to introduce thoroughbred Poland China hogs, Short-
horn and Jersey cattle and standard bred horses into Jackson county. He
loved horses and owned a number of good ones, among them being King
Sprague, 2:12: Dandy O., 2:11, and Otto W., 2 :i3i4- He was also one of
the first to introduce the growing of tame grasses in the county and was
among the first to plant alfalfa and demonstrate that it was a paying crop.
It produced for him ten and one-quarter tons per acre in one season, and
he was among the very first to use a silo, building one on "Hickorv Hill"
farm in 1887. W^e always look up to the men who accomplish things
rp '// (/'■
/(. J f/IXf//.
BIOGKAI'HUAI. 2/3
in tin's wiirkl, and Mr. I.inscott always was building up and improving.
He was a self-made man. having achieved success b)' his own efforts;
was self-educated, but never felt that the education was finished, for he
was a scholar to the end of his life, a reader and a thinker, and was re-
markably well posted. 1 lolton owes much to this great-hearted, generous
man, as many of its best buildings were built by him or through his
efforts, and he always encouraged all civic improvements and was a liber-
al contributor to them. In addition to the battle he fought for his own
success, he assumed all the indebtedness of his father, who lost heavily
in the panic of 1837. and did not rest until every penny was paid, which
was nine years after his father's death.
George S. Linscott accompanied his parents to Kansas when a young
child, coming into Holton on the first passenger train to reach that place,
and was reared and educated in Holton, graduating at Campbell Univer-
sity in 1886. After leaving school he entered the bank with his father,
and having a natural inclination to business soon learned business meth-
ods, and he was advanced from time to time from one position of trust
to another, serving as errand boy, assistant cashier, cashier, vice-presi-
dent, and after the death of his father was chosen president by the board
of directors, which position he is filling with marked ability and to the
entire satisfaction of all the stockholders.
Air. Linscutt is interested in farming, having spent five of his younger
years on a farm, and is proprietor of the Linscott Ranch of 800 acres
near Kansas City, and 2,900 acres in Texas, besides lands in Missouri
and Oklahoma. On December 31, 1891, at Farmington, Me., he was mar-
ried to Miss Minnie B. Linscott, a native of that city, and daughter of
Dr. J. J. and Rena C. (Hemenway) Linscott. Her father, besides being a
practicing ])hysician, was Democratic State senator, and her grandfather,
the late Josei)h A. Linscott, was cashier of the Sandy River national
Rank, then auditor and for many years treasurer of the Maine Central
railroad, and a member of the Governor's Council. He and the late S. K.
Linscott were cousins. To Mrs. Minnie B. Linscott belongs the honor of
having organized the Samuel Linscott Chapter, Daughters of the Ameri-
can Revolution, with the largest charter membership and the largest num-
ber of descendants of one person belonging to any one chapter ever or-
ganized anywhere, — this one having twenty-three descendants of Samuel
I^inscott among its charter members. To her also belongs the honor of
being descended from sixteen Revolutionary soldiers.
Ceorgc .S. ;ind Minnie B. Linscott have two children — Orena J. and
John S., I)otli students in the high school. The family are Methodists
and Mr. Linscott is a member of the board of trustees of that church,
having also served as ])resident of the building committee when the new
$25,000 church was built. He is also president of the board of education
of the city of Holton, treasurer and member of the board of trustees of
Campbell College, trustee of the Knights of Pythias lodge and also of
271 BIOGRAPHICAL
the Odd Fellows' lodge ; chief of the Helton volunteer fire company, and
trustee of the Firemen's Relief Association. He was one of the incorpor-
ators and directors of the Bonner Portland Cement Company, and later
was a member of the stockholders' reorganization committee ; and he was
secretary of the Jackson County iBuilding & Loan Association. He is a
director of the Kansas State Historical Society, a member of the National
Geouraphical Society, and also of the Sons of the American Revolution.
John G. Martians, of the firm, Dawson & ^Martlcns, well known real
estate dealers of Holton, Kans., is a native of Denmark, born February
26, 1863. He is a son of J. Gottlieb and Helena 'M. ^lartlens. The father
was a physician in his native land, where he died in 1870, and three years
later John G. Martlens came to .\merica with an uncle, and settled in
New York, and the mother and three sisters remaining in Denmark, and ,
the mother still resides on the home place in her native land. John G.
Martlens attended the public schools at Courtland and Tulley, N. Y., and
later attended college at Courtland, N. Y. He then took a course at the
\\'ells Commercial College at Syracuse, N. Y. He then entered the em-
ploy of the Solvi Process Company, Syracuse, N. Y.. in the capacity of an
overseer. He remained with that company about eighteen months, when
on account of failing health, he took a trip south. Later he returned to'
Syracuse, and was employed in an iron works, where he remained about
a year, but continued poor health necessitated another southern trip,
and after recovering this time, he located at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he
remained one year. In 1883, he came to Circleville, Kans.. and was em-
ployed by the railroad company- there, and he went to Finney county,
Kansas, with a view of homesteading, but was not favorably impressed
with that section of the country and returned to Circleville, where he
followed railroad work about four }-ears. He then bought a farm of
eighty acres in Grant township. Jackson county, and engaged in farming
and stock raising, and soon increased his holdings until he had 180 acres.
He remained on his farm until February, 19 11, when he removed to
Holton and formed a partnership with Mr. Dawson which has since con-
tinued. They have been very successful in their operations, and are
among the leading real estate dealers of Jackson county. Mr. Martlens
owns a number of fine farms in Jackson county, as well as in other parts
of the State. He was united in marriage February 24, 1891, to Miss Mat-
tie E. Hamm. a daughter of R. P. Hamm, a personal sketch of whom
appears in this volume. Mrs. Martlens was born in Jackson county and
educated in the public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Martlens are members of
the Methodist Episcopal church and his fraternal affiliations are with the
Knights of Pythias and the ^lodern \^'oodmen of America.
Rev. R. P. Hamm, a pioneer Kansas minister and farmer, was born in
Fleming county, Iventucky, November 27, 1831, a son of George and Ruth
(Riggs) Hamm. the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Mary-
land. Mr. Hamm was one of a family of nine children, four of whom are
BIOCIKArllU AL 275
iK)\v living. They were all ambitious, successful and upri.ulu citizens. He
was reared in Kentucky where he attended the country schools, and when
twenty-three years of age went to Illinois, locating near iiloomington.
Here he entered land, and followed farming until May 10, 1857, when he
came to Kansas and settled in w-hat is now Jackson county, at that time
Calhoun. He entered two quarter sections, which was allowable under the
law at that time, and received his land warrants from President Buchanan.
He has added to his original holdings, and now has a fine farm of four
hundred acres, located five miles west of Holton. He entered the ministry
in the Methodist Episcopal church in 1861, and four years later became a
regularly ordained minister. His first circuit embraced three Kansas
counties, and he has generally been located in the vicinity of HoltcMi. lie
carried on farming in connection with his work in the ministry, but in
1900, he was compelled to give up the ministry on account of the failure
of his voice caused by a severe attack of gri]). Mr. H^amm has proliably
performed more marriage ceremonies than any other official in Jackson
count}-. \\'hen he came to Jackson county there were only two houses
where the city of Holton now stands, and they were "claimers." He has
seen this country developed from an unbroken plains into the garden
spot of the world. He was here through all the stirring days of the
border war, but never took any prominent part in the events of those
times. However, in 1864, he served in the Kansas militia, in the cam-
I)aign against General Price. Mr. Hamm was married August 31, 1864,
to Miss .Susan Million, a native of Kentucky, and to this union were born
six children: Cora L., married John Peace, and resides in Jackson
county; lilla, married John liishop, who is now deceased; Barbara, mar-
ried Alvin AI)le. Jackson county ; Melville Grant, resides on the home
farm; Mattie, married John Martlcns, a sketch of whom appears in this
vohmie. and Robert Hibbert, resides on one of his father's farms. Mr.
Hamm has generally declined to accept public office, but served as town-
ship trustee for a time. He has travelled a great deal, but says that he
has never seen any place that looks better to him than Kansas.
W. J. May, a Kansas pioneer and Civil war veteran, who has spent
lifty-se\en years of his life in this State, was born in Woodson county,
Virginia, (now West Virginia"). May 25, 1840. He is a son of George W.
and Rachael (Smith) May, both natives of \^irginia. The May family
came to Kansas in 1857, settling at Valley Falls, and here they bought
go\ernmcnt land, and the father followed farming there until his death
which occurred in 1887; the mother died shortly after coming to this
State in 1861. When they settled here, this section of Kansas was
sparsely settled, and land could be bought almost anywhere for $4 per
acre, and later it was even cheaper than that. W. J. May was one of a
family of eleven children. He was seventeen years old when the family
came to Kansas, and did not attend school very much after that. He re-
mained at home until about twentv-one, when he went to work as a farm
276 lilOGRAPIIUAL
laborer, receiving $13 per month. When he was twenty-three, he bought
a farm adjoining his father's place, and here began life for himself, farm-
ing about fifty acres of land. He continued farming and stock raising,
and now has one of the finest farms of 320 acres in Jefferson county. In
1875, he went to Barton county, took a homestead and bought additional
land, and in 1899, sold his interests in Barton county and removed to
]Meriden, where he has since lived, practically, in retirement. At one time
he owned 1,600 acres of land in Ford county, but he has disposed of that.
He is a stockholder in the State Bank of Meriden, and interested in other
local enterprises. In the fall of 1862, Mr. May enlisted in Company I,
Eleventh Regiment, Kansas infantry, which was later converted into a
regiment of cavalry. His regiment did service along the border, in
Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Indian Territory. He was at the engage-
ments at Kane Hill, Prairie Grove, and in the campaign against General
Price, and in the spring of 1865, his regiment was sent on an expedition
against hostile Indians in the West. The}' had several encounters with
the "Noble Red Man," and his horse was shot from under him at Platte
Bridge, near Sweetwater, and he says when his horse fell that he was
up and going on foot, in the opposite direction from the Indians, without
the loss of a second. He remained in the service for some time after his
term of enlistment expired, until the regiment was relieved, when he re-
turned to Fort Leavenworth and was discharged. The May family were
were well represented in the Civil war, five brothers out of the following
family of children bore arms in defense of the Union. Salathiel, served
in Company I. Eleventh Kansas Regiment; Martha, married Abraham
Hasler, and is now deceased; Isaac, served in the Eleventh Kansas Regi-
ment, resides at Onaga, Kans. ; James, served in Company I, Eleventh
Kansas, and is now deceased ; George, served in Company I, Eleventh
Kansas ; Rachael married Hugh Piper, and now resides at Hoyt, Kans. ;
Am}', married George Gerberick, and resides in Topeka ; Eliza married
George Lambert, and resides in Oskaloosa ; Joseph, resides in Tliomas
county, Kansas, and Flora. Mr. May was married in 1870, to Miss
Lavina Piper, a native of Indiana, then a resident of Jefiferson county.
She came to Kansas with her parents when a child. To Mr. and Mrs.
Alay have been born four children: William, a farmer near Meriden,
Kans. ; Henry, a farmer near Carbondale, Kans. ; Florence, married
Thomas Stewart, and resides at San Diego, Calif., and Katie, deceased.
Mr. May takes a commendable interest in public affairs, and has served
as Mayor of Meriden two terms, and has served several terms on the
school board. He is a stanch Republican, and has ever supported the
princiiiles of that party. He is a mem])er of the Ancient Order of L^nited
Workmen.
R. Robson, M. D., a pioneer physician of Jackson county, and one of
the leading members of the medical fraternity, was born in Ritchie
county. \'irginia (now West Virginia), November 21, 1861. He is a son
of .\dam and Mary (Douglas) Robson, the former a native of .Scotland
r.llKJKAl'llK AL 277
and the latter of \'iry;inia. The father came to America when twenty-
two years old. He was a tailor and worked at that occupation in early
life, and later followed farming. The famih^ removed to Missouri in 1864,
where the father followed farming a number of years. He died in 1896,
aged eighty-eight years. Dr. Robson was one of a family of seven chil-
dren, six of whom are living: Dr. R., the subject of this sketch; William
D., Yates Center, Kans. ; Adam H., deceased; Eleanor J., resides at Den-
nison, J\lo. ; Margaret, married James Tudhope, Linwood, Kans. ; Eliza-
beth, married Harry E. Robson, resides at Hall Summit, Kans., and John
A., Dennison, Mo. Dr. Robson was reared on a farm and received his
early educational discipline in the public schools of Missouri, and taught
school a number of years. He then determined upon a medical career,
and began reading medicine, under the direction of Dr. Clayton Tiffin, of
Hannibal, Mo., and later entered Ellsworth Medical College at St. Joseph,
-Mo., where he was graduated in the class of 1889, with the degree of
Doctor of Medicine. He then engaged in practice at Larkin, Kans., where
he remained two years. In 1891, he came to Jackson county, locating at
Mayetta, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his profes-
sion. He is now the second oldest physician, in point of practice, in
Jackson county. When he began practice in this county, the life of the
country doctor was far different from what it is today. He frequently
made trips across the plains, at all hours of the night and da3^ over almost
impassable country roads, and sometimes no roads at all, but like the
doctor of the old school, he always went when called, and attended the
rich and poor, alike, regarding his pay as a secondary consideration, lie
has been successful in a financial way, as well as professionally. He
now owns one of the finest business blocks in Mayetta, known as the
Robson building, which he built in 1904. Dr. Robson was married De-
cember 25, 1879, to Miss Charlotte Slack, a native of -Missouri. She was
born in Ray county, that State. To Dr. and Mrs. Robson have been born
eight children: .Susan, married Charles Yeakjey, Hoyt, Kans.; Franklin,
now serving in the U. S. Coast Artillery, and stationed in the Philippine
Islands; Thomas; William; Frederick; Frances; Velma and Clark, all
at home except the two oldest. Dr. Robson is a member of the County,
Northeastern Kansas, and Kansas State Medical Societies, and one of
the progressive citizens of Jackson county.
W. J. Hurd, a prominent Kansas ])i<>necr and \ eleran of the Civil
war, died at his home in Holton, Kans., October 23, 1902. He was
one of the most prominent citizens of Jackson county, and widely known
throughout the State. He had been a resident of Jackson county for
twenty-three years, and in that time, thoroughly identified himself with
its business interests and ]jrogress, and accpiired for himself not only a
competence, but gained the esteem, good will and confidence of the
people. \\^illiam J. Hiird was born in .Addison county, Vermont, Decem-
ber 28, 1840. His parents were both natives of the "Green Mountain
State." When he was fifteen vears old thev moved to Whiteside count\-.
278 BIOGRAPHICAL
Illinois, when they removed to Clear Creek county. Colorado. In 1863,
W. J. Hurd left the parental home and returned to Whiteside county,
Illinois, and enlisted in Company B. One Hundred and Fortieth Regi-
ment, Ilinois infantry, and served until the close of the war. After his
discharge he returned to Whiteside county, Illinois, and learned teleg-
raphy. He followed that ocupation for some time, and was also clerk
in a hotel at Morrison, 111. On January- 17. 1868. he was married to Miss
Amanda Bacon in St Lawrence county, X. Y., and -with his bride con-
tinued to live in Illinois where he was appointed steward in the State
penitentiary at Joliet, serving in that capacity for four years. Upon
leaving this institution he engaged in the mercantile business for three
years at Joliet, 111., when he removed with his family to Colorado and
engaged in the real estate, insurance and mining brokerage business at
Georgetown, and afterward at Leadville. In July, 1879, on account of
ill health, he left Colorado and came to Holton, Kans., where he spent
a few months, and in 1888, purchased a farm in Garfield township where
he settled. This was his first experience in farming and stock raising,
but he posessed good judgment and an abundance of common sense,
which he applied to his new vocation as he had to all other undertakings,
and made a success. For ten years he lived upon his farm, increasing
his original holdings until he owned a thousand, acres of land. In 1890,
he removed to Holton, where, a few years later, he erected a fine resi-
dence in the southeast part of the city. Mr. Hurd always took an active
part in politics, being identified with the Republican party until 1590,
when he joined the Poptilists. On March i, 1893, he was commissioned
by Gov. L. D. Lewelling as one of the directors of the State penitentiary,
which position he held during that administration. On April 27, 1897,
he was appointed by Governor J. \\'. Leedy as a member of the State
school text-book commission for a term of four years. This was the
first commission under the new school text-book law. In all jjublic posi-
tions Mr. Hurd served with ability and no question was ever raised as
to his integrity. To W. J. and .\manda (Bacon) Hurd were born two
children: .Abijah, engaged in the real estate business in Kansas City,
Mo., and Robert Judson, a sketch of whom follows this article. The
widow and mother now reside at Flolton, Kans.
Robert J. Hurd, a leading farmer and stockman of Jackson county, is
a n;iti\e of that county, l)orn on a farm in Garfield township, January 2,
1884. lie is a son of \\'. J. Hurd, a sketch of whom appears in this
volume. Robert J. Hurd received his early education in the public
schools of Jackson county and graduated from the Holton High School
in the class of 1900. He then entered Campbell University where he
was graduated in the class of 1904, with a degree of Bachelor of Science.
After completing school he engaged in farming and stock raising in
Garfield townshi]). He is one of the largest cattle feeders of the county
BIOGRAPHICAL 279
and has fed hundreds of cattle for the market. His farm consists of 640
acres, all well improved. Mis place is eqnip]jed with large, modern
barns, two substantial silos, and a fine modern residence. In 1903, he
engaged in breeding pure blood Hereford cattle, and he now has a herd
of twent)--one head, as fine as can be found in the State. He is also an
extensive hog raiser. Mr. Hurd was married March 20, 1906, to Miss
Rutii I'". Rafter, a daughter of E. E. Rafter, a sketch of whom api)ears
in this volume. Mrs. Hurd was born in Holton and educated in the
public schools of Holton, and Campbell University, graduating in the
class of 1901. She specialized in music and after finishing at Campbell
University, attended George \\'ashington University, Washington, U.
C, where she studied music two v-ears. She then attended the Linsborg
College of Music, Linsborg, Kans. To Mr. and ]\Irs. Hurd have been
born two children: Elizabeth Rafter Hiu'd, born October i, 1908, and
Nathan Rafter Hurd, born February 11, 1913.
Hugh Piper, a Kansas pioneer and early day plainsman, now living
retired at Hoyt, is a native of Ohio. He was born in Richland county,
March 25, 1840, a son of James and Jane Pijier, the former a native of
Pennsylvania and the latter of Ireland. In 1844, the family removed
from Richland C(junty, Ohio, to Jasper count}', Indiana, and settled in
Beaver township. These, were real pioneer days in Indiana, that part
of the country lieing a dense wilderness. There were only three other
families living in the township where the Piper family settled. The
father followed farming there until his death in 1852, and in 1856, the
mother and the children came to Kansas, locating in JefTerson county
where they bought a farm near the Jackson county line, east of where
the town of Hoyt now stands. The mother died there August 6, 1863.
Hugh Piper spent his early days on the frontier, and his education was
gained, largely in the rough school of experience. In 1859. '^"^ made a
trip from Leavenworth, Kans., to P>lack Hawk, Colo., hauling a stock of
drugs across the plains, and from that time on, was regularly engaged in
freighting for the go\ernment. He hauled lumber from Fort Leaven-
worth, Kans., to Fort Laramie, W'no., with which to build the fort at the
latter place. He crossed the ]ilains thirteen times, in all, going as far
as Ogden, Utah, on one trij). I'lU'Taln and Indians were ])lentiful on the
plains at that time, and the freighters fret|uently encountered hostile
Indians, and on two different occasions members of Mr. Piper's freight-
ing party were killed by the Indians. Mr. Piper was here during the
days of the Border War, and when yuantril raided Lawrence, Mr.
Piper's freighting party was at Topeka. on the ground where the capitol
is now located, and while going down town to buy provisions, the}' were
arrested bv citizens, who susjiccted tiiem of being a pro-slavery out-fit,
l)ut they were able to explain tiie situation and were released. During
28o ]!IOGH.\riIICAI.
the Civil war. Mr. Piper served in Company I, Eleventh Kansas Militia,
in the campaign against General Price. He followed freighting about
seven years, and in the spring of 1869, bought a farm of eighty acres in
Jefi'erson county, where he engaged in farming and stock raising. He
succeeded in his undertakings and bought additional land until he owned
eight hundred and eighty acres, in one body, in JefTerson county, and
twenty-five hundred acres in Thomas county. After getting a start, he
engaged extensively in stock raising, making a specialty of high grade
Herefords and Short Horn cattle, and fed large numbers of cattle for
market each year. He was one of the organizers of the People's Bank
of Meriden, Kans., but has disposed of his interest in that institution.
In the fall of 1907, he removed to Hoyt, Kans.. and retired from active
business, and about that time divided his farms among his children,
except his twenty-five hundred acre ranch in Thomas county, which he
sold, and later bought another farm near Hoyt which he now owns. Mr.
Piper was married March 21, 1869, to Miss Rachel May, daughter of
George and Rachel May, of Wheeling, W. Va. Mrs. Piper was born and
reared in Wheeling, and came to Kansas with her parents in 1856. They
settled at Grasshopper Falls, now Valley Falls, where the father followed
farming until his death in 1883. The mother died soon after coming to
Kansas. To Mr. and Mrs. Piper have been born three children : Alice,
married Louis Whittelsey, deceased, and she resides at Hoyt and has
two children : Maude, who married John Matthews, and Ruby ; Ben-
jamin F., married Maude Bainbridge, resides in Jackson county and has
three children, Emmett, Harold, and Orpha, and Maude, married Simon
Stadel, farmer, Hoyt. They have two children, Edna and Ralph. Mr.
and Mrs. Piper are members of the Baptist church, and he is a Mason.
Mr. Piper is one of the men who has seen Kansas develop, from the
wild and unbroken plains, which was then supposed to be a desert waste.
to the most fertile and productive State in the Union, and a work of this
character is performing its most important mission when it gives due
credit to such men as Mr. Piper, for the part they have taken in this
great transformation. He and his fellow pioneers performed their jtart
nobly and well, and were the real makers of Kansas history.
John W. Darlington, M. D., is a prominent Jackson county physician,
located at Denison, is a native of West Virginia. He was born in Lewis
county, that State, January 18, 1854, a son of Joseph and Maria (Byrne)
Darlington, both natives of Virginia. The father was engaged in the
general mercantile business throughout life. He died in 1885 and the
mother survived him a few years. Dr. Darlington attended the public
schools in his native county, and later attended the State University of
West Virginia, Morgautown, W. Ya.. one year. He then entered the
One Study University at Newmarket, Ohio, where he was graduated in
the class of 1873, with a degree of Bachelor of Science. He then taught
school for a time, and later studied medicine under the private instruction
BIOGRAIMIUAL 281
of Dr. J. W. island and Dr. Koontz for three years, lie then tixik the
State e.xaniination and was admitted to practice. On account of his
father's business losses, during the Civil war, Dr. Darlington was com-
pelled to pay his own way through school, and the experience thus gained
developed a spirit of self-reliance which was valuable to him in after-life.
After passing the examination of the State board of West Virginia, he
went to Iowa, and located at Earlham, where he practiced three years.
He then entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Baltimore,
Md., and was graduated in the class of 1887, with a degree of Doctor of
Medicine. He then came to Kansas and located at Denison. The town
was not even laid out at that time. He immediately engaged in the
practice of his profession, and has remained there ever since. He has
met with unusual success in his chosen calling and has built up a large
practice in Denison and vicinity. He is now a member of the United
States Board of Pension Examiners, of which he is president, and has
served as coroner of Jackson county six years. Dr. Darlington was
married August 31, 1877, to Miss Elizabeth Morris, a daughter of
Thomas S. and Susan (Bouse) Morris, natives of West Virginia. Mrs.
Darlington was born in Lewis county, West Virginia, and was educated
in private schools. To Dr. and Mrs. Darlington have been born four
children: Thomas M., born July 23, 1878, editor of the "Farmer and
Stockman," San Antonio, Tex., married Miss Adelaide Tyler, of San
.\ntonio, and they have one child, Dorothy Adalaide ; John W'., born
September i, 1880, photographer, Holton, Kans., married Edith Mat-
thews, and they have one child, Grace Elizabeth; Charles A., born Janu-
ary 16, 1885, a reporter on the Des Moines Iowa "Daily Capital," and
Grace E., born July 14, 1890, a teacher in the city schools of Oskaloosa,
Kans. Mr. Darlington is a member of the Ancient Free and .\ccepted
Masons, the Independent Order of Odd I-'ellows, and the American State
and County Medical Associations, and for two years served as president
of the countv organization. The fami!_\- are members of the M. E. church.
and Dr. Darlington is a Democrat.
Samuel T. Osterhold, editor of the Holton "Signal," is one of the live
newspajjer men of Northern Kansas. He was born at Holton, September
30, 1882. and is a son of S. G. and Elizabeth (Hastwell) Osterhold, both
natives of Cleveland, Ohio. The father was a court stenogra])her and
attorney, and has practiced law in Jackson county for several years, and
is now associated with Judge Charles Hayden, in the practice at Holton.
Samuel T. Osterhold attended the public schools of Holton, and gradu-
ated from the high school in the class of 1899. He then took a four-year
course in Campbell University, and went to work in the office of the
Holton "Signal." His natural inclination, when a boy, was toward the
newspaper business, and when only thirteen years of age, he spent his
s])are time in the ])rinting office. He began as printer's "Devil," and
stuck to the same paper until he became its owner and editor. He worked
2S2 BIOGRAPHICAL
in the office of the "Signal" until 1910, when he bought that publication,
and has since been its editor and owner. The "Signal" is a weekly pub-
lication, and was established in 1877, by Fairchild & Sargent. It is a
newsy country paper, and its editorials bear the imprint of its editor's
ability. The "Signal" plant is equipped with all modern machinery, in-
cluding linotype machines, and in addition to printing the paper they
do an extensive job printing business. Mr. Osterhold is a Democrat
and through the columns of his paper, is a consistent supporter of the
policies and principles of that party. He is secretary of the Democratic
County Central Committee, and was a delegate to the Democratic State
convention, held at Hutchinson in 191 2. He was married September 29,
1910, to Miss Grace McCrumb, daughter of James and Mary McCrumb,
natives of Pennsylvania. They came to Kansas in 1881, and the father
is now engaged in farming and stock raising. He was one of the early
day star-route mail carriers between Topeka and Holton. Mrs. Oster-
hold was born at Holton, Kans., and educated in the public schools of
that place. Prior to her marriage she was a printer in the "Signal" office.
Mr. and Mrs. Osterhold are members of the Christian church, of which
he is a deacon. He has been secretary of the Sunday school for the
past fifteen j'ears. He is a member of the time-honored Masonic lodge,
and Mrs. Osterhold holds membership in the Eastern Star.
J. A. Milligan, M. D., a prominent physician of Garnett, is a native of
Indiana. He was born in Jackson county, January 20, 1858, and is a son
of A. C. and Margaret (Stillwell) Milligan, the former a native of Ire-
land, who was brought to this country by his parents when a child, and
the latter a native of Kentucky and a descendant of an old Southern
family. The Milligan family removed from Jackson county to Green-
castle in 1868, where the father died in 1872, and the mother died at
Garnett at the ripe old age of eighty-three. They were the parents of
seven children: Thomas F. Springfield, Colo.; Charles, deceased; Wil-
liam McK.. Fayetteville, Ark.; George. Garden City, Kans.; J. A., the
subject of this sketch; A. M., who resides in Colorado, and Etta, died in
1891, aged twenty-one years. Dr. Milligan received his education in the
public schools of Greencastle, Ind., and DePauw University in Green-
castle. He then engaged in teaching in Indiana for three years, and
during that time also studied medicine. He then entered the Central Col-
lege of Physicians, Indianapolis, Ind., where he was graduated in the
class of 1883, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He then practiced
his profession one year at Lena, Cla)' county, Indiana, and in 1884, came
to Kansas, and the following year engaged in the practice at Greensburg,
Kiowa county. He remained there ten years, and in 1895, came to
Garnett where he has since been successfully engaged in the practice of
medicine. Dr. Milligan is a Republican, and since coming to Kansas
has taken an active part in politics. In 1006, he was elected Representa-
tive to the State legislature from Anderson county, serving in the regular
BIOGRAPHU AL 283
sesion and the extra session which followed. Dnrinq; that term he was
a prominent factor in the legislation which was enacted, and served as
chairman of the committee on- Hygiene and Public Health. The Kansas
Pure Food Law now on the stattite books was framed when he was chair-
man of that ccjmmittee and passed at tliat session. In 1908, he was
elected to the State Senate from the district composing Anderson and
Linn counties, and served four years. He was chairman of the commit-
tees on Hygiene and Temperance, and much important legislation was
worked out through these committees during his term in the Senate. In
the session of 1909, the Hotel Inspection Bill was passed, and a bill pro-
viding for the compulsory reporting of tubercidosis cases to the State
Board of Health, and an appropriation of $20,000.00 was made for a
State wide educational campaign against Turberculosis. During that
session. Dr. Milligan was instrumental in getting an act passed, prohibit-
ing the sale of intoxicating liquors, without exception or reservation.
During the session of 191 1, he was chairman of the same committees, and
succeeded in working through this session, a State appropriation of
$50,000.00 for the erection of a State Tuberculosis sanitarium, which is
now located at Norton. His efforts while a member of both the house
and senate, in behalf of laws for the benefit of public health, is worthy
of the highest commendation. His eflforts were unceasing, until he had
made it possible for the establishment of the above mentioned sanitarium
at Norton. He had given the sanitarium method of treating tuberculosis
patients special studv for a long time before he became a member of the
legislature, and from the time he was elected to the lower house, until
the appropriation bill was passed, he directed his best energies to the
establishment of that institution. On June 14, 1914, Dr. Milligan was
])resent with a number of State officers, including the governor, at the
dedication of the sanitarium. The bill creating the instiUition, provided
for an advisory committee of five physicians for this institution, to be
ajijxjintcd by the governor and since the creation of that committee. Dr.
Milligan has been its president. He is a close student of the science of
medicine and keeps fully abreast of the rapid progress made in his pro-
fession. Lie has taken two post-graduate courses at the Chicago Poly-
clinic and also a special course in the post-graduate school of medicine of
New York. Dr. Milligan was married June i, 1887, at Greensburg, Tnd.,
to Miss Josie Parkison. of Rensselaer, Tnd., and they have one child:
Henry V., a graduate of the Garnett Lligh School and the State Agricul-
tural College of Manhattan, and now has charge of his father's farm,
which consists of six hundred and forty acres, located two miles south
of Garnett. They carry on an extensive dairying business, and arc also
extensive stock raisers. The Milligan farm is one of the finest to be
found in Anderson county. While a resident of Kiowa county. Dr. Milli-
gan was chairman of the Republican County Central Committee and
served as mayor of Greensburg one term. He has been local surgeon
284 niOGRAPHICAL
for the Santa Fe Railroad companj^ for twenty-tive years, and is a
member of the Santa Fe Railroad Surgeon Association, The County,
State and American Medical Associations, and holds membership in the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Work-
men and the Knights of Pythias.
George G. Fox, president of the La Harpe State Bank and an active
factor in the commercial life of Allen county, is a native of New York.
He was born in Lewis county, June 23, 1846, and is a son of John and
Anna (Hilman) Fox, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of
New York. The family removed to Livingston county. New York, when
George G. was about six years of age. The father was a farmer and
spent the remainder of his life in Livingston county. George G. Fox
received his education in the public schools and Geneseo Academy,
Geneseo, N. Y., and after completing school engaged in the manufacttire
of cheese in several States, and for a time operated in Xova Scotia also.
He was engaged in that business about eight }-ears, when he entered the
mrcantile business at Groveland, N. Y., in which he was engaged about
six years when he removed to East Groveland, where he remained until
1883. He then came to Allen county, Kansas, and settled on a farm in
Elm township, which he had purchased sometime previously, while there
on a visit. He engaged in farming and stock raising until 1899, when he
remo\ed to La Harpe, where he had an eighty-acre tract of land which he
])latted into town lots and sold. This subdivision forms a part of the
business and residence section of La Harpe. Mr. Fox was engaged in
the real estate business at La Harpe until 1910. When the La Harpe
.State Bank was organized, he was one of the promoters, and became pres-
ident of that institution, a position which he has since held. He was one
of the organizers of the La Harpe Shale Brick Company and was presi-
dent of that company three or four years. Mr. Fox was married, Febru-
ary 16, 1886, to Miss Mary E., daughter of James and Jane Egle, natives
of New York State, where the father was engaged in farming and stock
raising. Mrs. Fox was born in Livingston county, New York, where she
was educated in the public schools. Mr. Fox has been a life-long Repub-
lican and has taken an active part in local politics, but has never held
political office, with the exception of township trustee, having served two
terms in that office while he lived on his farm. He is one of the
large land owners of Allen county, and now owns over a thousand acres.
Mr. and Airs. Fox are members of the Presbyterian church of which he is
trustee.
John Herman Tholen, who departed this life, February 18, igii, was
one of the successful business men of Southeastern Kansas. He began
life a poor bo}-, and by his own unaided efforts succeeded to a marked
degree. He was a native of Germany, born at Harren, September 9,
1853, and was a son of J. H. and Helena (Fuhnstagle) Tholen, both
natives of Germany. The father was a teacher, and followed that pro-
BIOGKAI'HICAI. 285
fession throughout life. John 1 Icrman Tliolt-n was educale(l in his father's
school, and when a mere boy went to sea and was a sailor lor liiree years.
In 1872, he immigrated to America and after remaining a short time, in
Illinois, went to Milwaukee and attended college for two years, in order
to obtain an English education. He then went to Breese, 111., and taught
school two years. During vacations, and other times that could be
spared from his school work, he was engaged in buying and selling pro-
duce, and finally drifted into the produce business, exclusively. In 1877,
he came to Kansas, and located at Humboldt where he bought and
shipped butter and eggs, principally, to the St. Louis markets. In 1878,
he engaged in the restaurant and confectionery business at Humboldt,
and conducted this business about ten years, and during that time he
was also engaged in several other enterprises. He built two large ice
houses and engaged in the ice business, furnishing tiie Missouri, Kansas
& Texas Railroad Company with ice for years. He also conducted a
pop bottling establishment at Humboldt, and bought a grocery store in
Humboldt, which he conducted for a number of years, in partnership
with B. H. Achter and Henry Tholen. After this latter business was
well established, he started another grocery store, on a cash basis, and
retained his two partners in connection with this enterprise also. About
1889, he disposed of his restaurant and confectionary business, and the
following 3'ear sold his ice business and bottling works, and his interest
in the grocery business. In 1891, in partnership with B. H. Achter and
George Greeby he purchased the wholesale grocery house of Lehman &
Higgins \\'holesale Grocery Company, of Humboldt, and established the
Tholen & Achter \\'holesale Grocery house at Humboldt. In 1900. they
reorganized this business, and established the lola Wholesale Grocery-
Co., at lola, Kans., and Mr. Tholen became president of the company and
served in that ca])acity until his death. He was active in local affairs,
and took a prominent part in every movement for the betterment of his
town and county. He served as mayor of Humboldt one term. Mr.
Tholen was united in marriage February 7, 1878. at Humboldt, Kans., to
Miss F.llagunda Koppers, a native of Germany. Mrs. Tholen is a very
cajjable woman, and throughout her husband's busy and successful
career, he sought her counsel in all important business matters. She
was a daughter of Henry and Juhanna (Franklin) Koppers, natives of
Klepplin, Germany, where the father was a farmer until 1867, when the
family immigrated to America and located in Wisconsin. In 1870, they
came to Kansas, and located near Humboldt in Allen county. ]\lrs.
Tholen was educated in a private school in Germany, and after coming
to this country attended the public schools. To Mr. and Mrs. Tholen
were born five children. The Tholen family are members of the Catholic
Church and Mr. Tholen was a member of the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks. Knights and Ladies of Security, and the Modern Wood-
men of .America.
286 r.ioGUAriiiCAL
James H. Campbell, cashier of the lola State Bank, is a native of
Kansas. He was Ijorn in Anderson county, January 31, 1874, and is a
son of James H. and Bethia (Simpson) Campbell. For additional his-
tory of the Campbell family see sketch of Altis H. Campbell, eldest
brother of James H., of this review. James H. Campbell's opportunities
for an education were limited in early life, but he has ever been a student
of books, as well as of men and afifairs, and is a wtjrthy example of a
self-made man. He attended the district schools until he was twelve
years old, and for a few months attended school in lola. When twelve
years old he went to work in a store at Colony, and two years later the
family removed to lola, where the father died January 15, i88g, and
Aoung Campbell was compelled to give up school and go to work to assist
his mother. He found employment in a grocery store for a few months
and on May 7, 1889, went to work in a drug store for Dr. John W. Scott.
His salary was $2.00 per week to start and one and a half years later he
became manager of the store, Dr. Scott ha\ing been appointed to a federal
position, and on September 22, 1892, he purchased the drug store and con-
ducted the business alone until July, 1895. The business had grown to
such proportions that he required the assistance of a partner and sold a
half interest to Dr. R. O. Christian, and the firm became Campbell &
Christian, and about that time their business required larger quarters,
and they had a new building especially constructed for their require-
ments. In 1898. Dr. Christian sold his interest in the business, to S. R.
Burrell. and the firm name became Campbell & Burrell until 1906, when
Mr. Campbell sold his interest. July 1, 1905. Air. Campbell became
cashier of the lola State Bank, altliough he retained his interest in the
drug store about a year after that. The lola State Bank is one of the
substantial banking institutions of Southeastern Kansas, and was organ-
ized in 1903, by A. B. Roberts, of Abilene who was its cashier for two
years. In 1905, the controlling interest changed hands and L. E. Hor-
ville became its president, and shortly afterwards Mr. Cainpbell became
cashier, and has held that position to the present time. This institu-
tion has had a substantial growth, and its business has never been
affected by financial panics or money flurries. According to the official
reports of the bank, on August 25, 1903, the deposits amounted to $81,-
440.22, and on June 30, 1914, the deposits were $248,181.42, a comparison
of which con\-eys some idea of the rapid development of the business of
the institution. Mr. Campbell, in addition to his banking interests, owns
considerable land, in Allen county, as well as in other parts of the State.
Mr. Campbell was united in marriage June 29, 1903, to Miss Kate V.
Ausherman, a native of Alaryland who came to Kansas with her parents
when a child. Mrs. Cam])bell is a graduate of the lola High School, and
was a teacher in tlie lola scliools for a number of years before her mar,.-
riage. To Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have been born two children : Clifford
James, and Charles Altes. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are members of the
mOGUAI'HKAI. 287
I'resbj'terian church, and he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of
America. Mr. Campbell is interested in a number of other banking in-
stitutions besides the lola State ISank. He is a director in the Farmers
State Hank of Piqua, Kans., and tlie Lone Elm State Bank of Lone Elm,
Kans.
George Gould belongs to that t}"pe of men. who came to Kansas at a
time when it required courage and self-denial to lead the way of civili-
zation, in the then so called Great .American Desert. Me is a native of
the Buckeye State, and was born on a farm in Gallia county, Ohio,
!March 31, 1848, a son of Andrew and Nancy (Denra) Gould, both
natives of Ohio. They were the parents of fourteen children, all of
whom lived to maturity, and ten of whorn are now living: George, Seth.
Frank, .Sarah, Maria, Eliza, DeMarris, Ella, Xancy and Carrie. The
following are now deceased: Joseph, Daniel, Jeremiah and Susan. The
father came to Harper county, Kansas, in 1882, and after preempting a
homestead and proving up on the same, returned to Ohio. He died at
Point Pleasant, W. Va., August 20, 1913. his wife having preceded him
in death about a jear.
George Gould was reared on a farm in his native State, and came to
Kansas in 1870. At this time there were few railroads in the State, and
he walked from Emporia to Eldorado, there being no railroad in the
latter town at that time. He first located on government land in Cowley
county, where he remained about ten years. He then went to Kingman
county and also preempted government land, and the town of Rago is
now located on this property. In 1880, he bought land in Liberty town-
ship. Harper county, which is his present home. He owns 1,300 acres
all under cultivation and well improved. When Mr. Gould came to
Kansas, the State with the exception of the eastern portion, was prac-
tically a vast unbroken prairie. He experienced all the trials, hardships
and dangers of real pioneer life, lived in the saddle, rode the range and
htuited buttaloes. He was a man of natural self-reliance, and belongs to
that class of fearless pioneers who served as the van guard, in the settle-
ment and development of the west. He handled cattle extensively all
his life and has been successful in that branch of industry. He built the
first frame house in the town of Oxford, Kans. Up to that time sod
houses and dugouts were the only style of habitation there. He has had
a sucessful career and accumulated a competence, but more than that,
he has built up a rei)utatioii for honesty, square dealing and good citi-
zenshi]!, for which he will long be remembered.
Montraville Murphy, a pioneer merchant of Harjier, Kans., and a
veteran of the Civil war, jiassed to his reward, September 17, KpQ. He
was a native of Indiana, born at Milford, October 20. 1837, ''"<^ •* ^'^" '""^
Albert and Rosanna (Whitmyer) Murphy, the former a native of Ken-
tucky, of Irish descent, and the latter of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a descend-
288 BIOGKAPHICAL
ant of an Ohio pioneer family. They were the parents of fourteen chil-
dren. The father died when the children were young, and in 1855. the
mother removed with the family to Appanoos county, Iowa, where they
resided until 1863, when they removed to Linn county, Kansas, where
the mother died December 3. 1863. The entire family of fourteen chil-
dren are now deceased. When the family came to Kansas, the Civil
war was in progress, and they located in the heart of the stirring scenes
of the border war. While they were on their way to Linn county, Kan-
sas, they were encamped on the Kaw River at Lane and Montgomery's
mill, not far from the town of Lawrence at the time it was sacked and
burned b}' Quantrell, .August 22, 1863. However, they bravely went
their way, and lived amidst these stirring surroundings until the Civil
war was over. Shortly after coming to Kansas, Montraville Murphy
enlisted in Company E, Seventeenth Regiment, Kansas infantry, and
served until the close of the war, when he returned to Linn county and
followed farming until 1877. He then went to Barber county, and was
engaged in the cattle btisiness on a ranch there for four years. He
bought cattle extensively in Texas, drove them through to his Kansas
ranch, and did an extensive business which proved very profitable to
him in those days of free range. In 1881, he came to Harper, and en-
gaged in the mercantile business and prospered. He was united in mar-
riage January 24, i860, to Miss Ruth Jane Payne, a native of Darbyville,
Ohio, born June 2y. 1842. She is a daughter of Jesse and Lucinda (Long-
ley) Payne, the former a native of Maryland, born March 4, 1804, and
died at Centerville, Iowa, Januar}- 27. 1887, and the latter a native of
Pennsylvania, born May 10, 1812. and died at Centerville. Iowa. Janu-
ary II, 1884. They were the parents of ten children, five of whom are
now living, as follows : John Payne. Jesse. \\'illiam, Minerva. Wilkin-
son and Ruth Jane. To Mr. and Mrs. ^lurphy have been born the fol-
lowing children : Jesse, Peter. Frances, Elizabeth, Minnie L.. Emma
Josephine. Rhoda Xeoma. Ezra S.. and Milton O. Jesse, was born
March 30. 1861. He has been twice married. September 24. 1880. he
was united in marriage to Miss Annie Morris, and five children were
born to this union : Maud E.. born September 23. 1882 ; Jessie, born
October 12. 1884. married Mark Coffin May 20, 1912; Hazel, born Octo-
ber 6. 1887: Dewitt. born November 11, 1889, died July 13. 191 1. and
Josephine, born August 7, 1891. married Claud Bryant, September 20.
1912. and has one child. Paul Montraville. born June 22. 1913. The wife
of Jesse Murphy and the mother of these children died June 11. 1893.
On November 10, 1896. Mr. Murphy married Rose Fisher, and six chil
dren were born to this union as follows : Mary. Ora, Margaret. John,
Melvin and Elizabeth. Peter Murphy was born October 2, 1862. mai -
ried Ora Swingle, March 26, 1882. and they have seven children, as
follows': Mnntra\ille. born May 2},. 1883, a custom inspector in the Phil-
BIOGRAl'HU AL 289
ippines ; May. born January 5, 1885; Ruland, 1)orn Febrnary 13. 1890. a
])rivate in the Twelfth Regiment, U. S. infantry; Helen, Ijorn March i",
1896; Albert, born August 30, 1899;. Louis, born August 23, 1900, and
Melva, born February 17, 1905. Frances Murphy was born December
24, 1863 and died in infancy. Elizabeth Murphy, was born September
6. 1865, married Louis Lebrecht, November 3, 1883, and they have tliree
children, Hal R.. born July 30, 1884; Louise, born October 4, 1S94. and
("lould. born December 30, 1902. Minnie L. Murphy, was born July 7.
1S68. married Frank H. Wright, July 14, 1887, and they have four
children: Ruth, born September 25. 1888; Louise, born September 2,
1891 ; Frank, born August 11, 1899, and Luther, born October 13, 1903.
Emma Josephine Murphy, was born March 10, 1870, married H. D.
Johnson June 3, 1894, and to this union has been born three children:
William, born December i, 1897; Elizabeth, born October 15. 1899. and
Riibert, born F'ebruary 14. 1901. Mrs. Johnson is an artist of exceptional
abilit}', and of wide reputation. Rhoda Neoma Murphy, was born April
16, 1872. who is also a talented artist, well known in severaal States for
the excellency of her paintings. She married L. H. Fellowth, February
16, 1892, and they have three children: Neoma. born October 25, 1894;
Corine. born December 11. 1896. and Floranz, born April 11, 1900. Ezra
S. Murphy was born November 28, 1874, married Dora Barney, June 27,
1899, and they have two children, Marjorie, born September 20, 1900,
and Mildred, born November 12, 1907. IMilton O. IMurphy, the youngest
of the family, was born. June 30. 1880, married Ida Powers, March 20,
1905. and they have one child, Jane, born June 10. 1907. Montraville
Murphy had an extensive acquaintance throughout Southern Kansas
and during a long and honorable career made many friends. He will
long be remcmliered as a Kansas pioneer who performed his part nobly
and well. A\'hcther in the hum dnmi of every day life, or on the field of
battle, he did his duly conscientiously.
James Washington Campbell, a well-known successful farmer and
stockman of Attica. Kans., is a Pennsylvanian and was born on a farm
in Center county, July 21. 1855. He is a son of James Watson and
Mary Ann (Pennington) Campbell. The father was also a native of
Pennsylvania, born in Center county. February 20, 1814. and spent his
life in that .State. When a young man. he was a teacher and surveyor,
but in later life followed farming. He died, December 29, 1878. His
wife, Mary Ann Pennington, was a daughter of Henry and Margaret
(Potter) Pennington. She was born August 29. 1818, her mother was
of Irish stock, and was born on the Atlantic Ocean, while her parents
were cnroulc to .\merica. James A\^ashington Campbell is one of a
family of nine children, as follows: John, born December 16, 1840, was
a captain in the Forty-fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania infantry, and was
killed in battle. July 30. 18^4. in front of Petersburg. Va. ; Henry, born
290 BIOGRAPHICAL
June 26, 1842, died January 20, 1907; Hannali Margaret, born January
II. 1844, married J. B. \\'illiams, T)'rone, Pa.; George Boston, born De-
cember 2, 1845, died December 20, 19x2; Isaac Pennington, born No-
vember I, 1847, died June 18, 1908; Robert Potter, born August 17, 1849,
died January 21, 1880; Anne Eliza, born August 22, 1851, died November
25. 1907; James Washington, the subject of this sketch, and ^lary Laura,
born January 29, 1858, now the widow of Hamilton Proffett. James W.
Campbell was educated in the public schools of Pennsylvania and in
the Pennsylvania State College, and in early life followed teaching and
farming in his native State. In 1885, -he came to Kansas, locating on
government land in Greeley county. Here he followed farming until
1889, when he bought land in Liberty township. Harper county, where
he now owns a splendid farm of 560 acres, which is under a high state
of cultivation, with all modern improvements and is considered the
best improved farm in the county. He is a scientific farmer, who uses
modern methods, and obtains profitable results. The place presents a
well kept and prosperous appearance, with silos, large barns, and a com-
fortable, modern residence. He specializes in Hereford cattle, in which
he has been very successful. Mr. Campbell was married October 18,
1883, 3^t Alaryville, Mo., to Miss Mary E. Bloom, a native of Illinois,
born April 13, 1861. To this union have been born five children: James
Watson, born November 23, 1884, a graduate of Kansas University, class
of 1910, with the degree of Bachelor of Art and entered the Medical de-
partment of that institution the same 3eaar and was graduated in the
class of 1914 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, and is now practis-
ing his profession ; Nellie Greeley (the fTrst white child born in Greeley
county, Kans.), born July 31, 1886, was appointed a teacher in the Phil-
ippine service in 1910, a position which she has since held; Robert Prof-
fitt, born October i, 1889, graduated from the Kansas State Agricultural
College in the class of 1913; Hannah Margaret, born April 19, 1892, a
student in the Kansas State Agricultural College and a member of the
class of 1916. and Jessie, born February 12, 1901. The family are mem-
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Campbell is a Republi-
can. He is progressive in his political views as well as in other affairs.
Samuel L. Kimmel, a well-known and successful farmer and stockman
of Southern Kansas, is a native of Ohio. He was born in fiercer county,
that Slate, March 15, 1847, and is a son of Henry and Susan (Hinds)
Kimmel, the former a native of Pennsylvania, born in Indiana county,
April 30, 1817, and died in Mercer county, Ohio, August 29, 1878. The
mother was born in Ohio, September 28, 1831, and died in Mercer county,
Ohio, November 5, 1907. They were the parents of eleven children :
Samuel L., the subject of this sketch; Silas, died in childhood; W' illiam ;
Mar)' Ellen; Ann; Alice; Jane; Jacob; Absalom; Andrew and George.
Samuel L. Kimmel received his education in the public schools of Ohio,
and remained in his native State until 1883. He then came to Kansas,
BIOCJRAl'HICAL 291
practically, without any means and preempted government land in
Liberty township. Harper county. His first few years w'as a struggle
for existence, and a battle for a start in life. Drouths and crop failures
were frequent, apparently, more so, than an\' time since, but he per-
sisted and worked hard, and has been rewarded by success. He bought
additional land, from time to time, until he now owns 1,600 acres of the
most valuable land in Harper county, in one body. It is known as
"Kimmel's Ranch." The improxements are modern in every particular
and the land is very productive, and under a high state of cultivation.
Mr. Kimmel is one of the most extensive stock raisers in Harj^er
county, raising horses, cattle and swine on a large scale. He was united
in marriage November i, 1870, in Mercer county, Ohio, to Miss Jane
Tester, a native of that county, born February 16, 1850. She is a daugh-
ter of David and Betsy (Cluter) Tester, both natives of Ohio. To Mr.
and I\Irs. Kimmel have been born seven children: Mary Rosethy, born
July 22, 1871, married John Miller; Lucy Florence, born January 24,
1873, married Elkaney Cox ; Silas, born March 3, 1875, died December
14, 1876; David Henry, born March [6, 1878, died October 11, 1878;
John, born October 3, 1881 ; George W ., born February 27, 1884, and
Ada Dell, born March 19, 1888, married John Cox. IVIr. Kimmel is a
Democrat, and is a firm believer and a staunch advocate of the principles
and policies of his party, but has never aspired to hold political office.
However, he has incidentally served as treasurer, trustee and clerk of
his township. The family is prominent, socially, and Mr. Kimmel is one
of the substantial men of Harper county.
Richard H. Burke, a prominent farmer and stockman uf Danville,
Kans., is a native of Michigan, born on a farm in Marion county, March
17, 1877. He is a son of John .\. and Matilda (Mcintosh) l'>urke. The
father is a native of Pennsylvania, born January 7, 1845. His parents
were natives of New York State. John A. Burke has been a carpenter
and farmer all his life. He was married in Michigan, in 1870. His wife
was a native of that State, born .September 10, 1849. Tliey <ire the par-
ents of seven children: lUanche, born in January, 1872, married L. R.
Smithler. a farmer of Hari^er county, and to this union w-ere born three
children, ilelen. Joscjih and John; Lyda, born in 1874, married .\lvin
Tompkins, farmer, Benton Harbor, Mich., and they have one child,
X'irgil; Richard H.. the subject of this sketch; James E., born May 18,
1879, graduated from the Harjjcr High School, with the class of 1899,
served three years in the U. A. army, and is now farming in Harper
county; Theodore H., born August 19, 1885, resides on the old Imme-
stcad in Harper county; Charles A., born January 5, 1887, married Miss
T. Woolfnrd, in 1907, and they have four children, Leo, l'"llen, L(.>rene
and John, and John II., born August 12, 1889, graduated fmni the Harp-
er County High School in 1907. married Miss Maggie Oliver, in 11)13, is
now engaged in the mercantile business at Brownsville, Tex. Julm A.
292 BIOGRAPHICAL
Burke came to Harper county, Kansas, with his famil\- in 1S77, and
located on government land in Pilot Knob township, one and one-half
miles west of the present town of Danville. He remained on this farm,
and followed farming successfulh- until 1904, when he retired and now
resides in Harper. He has been a life long Republican and always takes
an active part in local politics. He represented Harper county in the
State legislature for two terms, and has been chairman of the Republi-
can County Central Committee several terms. During his term of serv-
ice as a legislator, he served on various legislative committees, and is
the author of several important laws. Richard H. Burke, the subject of
this sketch, was reared in Harper county, educated in the public schools,
and graduated from the Harper High School in the class of 1896. He
has followed farming all his life, and has met with success, equalled by
few men of his age, and now owns a well improved farm of over eight
hundred acres, located one mile from Danville. In 1912, he raised ii.ooa
bushels of wheat. These figures will serve to give the reader an idea oi
the magnitude of his farming operations. He is progressive in his
methods and represents the advanced type of farmer, who sets the pace
for the agricultural world. In addition to his farming, he buys and
feeds cattle and hogs on a large scale, and this line of endeavor has
proven very profitable to him. Mr. Burke was married June 8, 1895. to
Miss Gertrude, daughter of Rufus and Amanda Coleman, of Harper
county. Mrs. Burke was born on a farm in Harvey countj', Kansas,
September 26, 1879. To Mr. and Mrs. Burke have been born two chil-
dren, Arnold, born December 21, 1901, and Erna, born February 7, 1905.
Mr. Piurke's fraternal affiliations are with the Masonic lodge.
William M. Moore, president of the Farmer's State Bank and mayor
of Anthony, has been prominently identified with the affairs of Southern
Kansas for thirtj' years. He is a native of Tennessee, born in Jefferson
count}^, August 7, i860, and is a son of John and Amanda ^I. (Miller)
Moore. The father was also a native of Jefferson county, born July 8,
i8ig, of Xew Jersey parents and Scotch-Irish descent. John Moore was
a farmer throughout his life and prominent in the community where he
lived. He was a Republican and a strong Union man, during the Civif
war. He was a member of the Baptist church, throughout life, and died
in his native State in 1894, Amanda Miller to whom he was married in
1839, was also a native of Jefferson county, Tennessee, and a daughter of
Robert and Sarah Miller, both natives of that State. She was born April
16, 1821, and died May 20, 1896. She, like her husband, was a devout
member of the Baptist church. To John and .Amanda (Miller) Moore
were born ten children : Zacharias C, born March 3, 1840, and died in
1910; Robert Miller, born May 28, 1842. and died during the Civil war,
while serving in the Confederate army; Sarah, died in infancy; John
Porter, born in 1846, came to Kansas, in 1909. and died in Harper
county. February 29, 1911 ; Mary A., born in 1848, now the wife of F.
BIOGRAPHICAI. dj^
M. Slayton, farmer, Jefferson county, Tennessee; Joseph R., burn in 1850,
a farmer and merchant at Kodak, Tenn. ; Samuel Walker, born in 1852,
resides in Jefferson county, Tennessee; Martha, born in 1854, now the
wife of John Swedser, Knoxville, Tenn.; William Al., the subject of this
sketch, and Albert Henry, died in infanc}-. William M. Moore attended the
public schools of Jefferson county, and graduated from the Dandridge
High School in the class of 1877 (^'^^ town of Dandridge was named in
honor of Martha W ashington, Dandridge being her maiden namej. In
1880, young Moore entered Carson & Newman's college at Jefferson
City, Tenn., where he was graduated in the class of 1883. He then
taught school for one year in Jefferson county, and in 1884, came to
Kansas, locating in Harper county, and for three years taught the Llurch-
field school eight miles south of Anthony. This school became a dis-
trict high school in 1888, through his efforts as a legislator. In 1885, Mr.
Moore bought fifteen hundred acres of unimproved land in Spring town-
ship, which he improved and has carried on farming and stock raising on
an extensive scale since that time and still owns the place. He has
always been a Republican, and took an active part in local politics since
he came to Harper county. In 1890, he was elected a member of the
board of count}- commissioners, serving three years, and during the last
year was chairman of the board. He was a member of this body when
the fraudulent bonds which were issued against Harper county, were
finally compromised and cancelled, and it was largely through his efforts
that the final disposition of this problem, which had harassed the
county for years was reached. He represented Harper county in the
State legislature in the sessions of 1909, and 1911, and during the former
session was a member of five different Legislative Committees and chair-
man of the Committee on Charitable Institutions. In this session, he
was the author of "The County Demonstration ISill," which was passed.
This bill allowed the State Agricultural College to test, and experiment
with seeds. He was the author of other important measures which be-
came laws, notable, among which was the bill creating township high
schools, and his home township, Spring, voted bonds and built the first
township high school in the Slate, under the provisions of this .\ct. Dur-
ing the session of 191 1, he was a member of the Ways and Means, Banks
and Banking, Congressional Appropriation and Charitable Institution
Committees, and was chairman of the Committee on Penal Institutions.
During this session he was chosen by a Legislative vote, a member of
the conuTiiltee to represent Kansas at the Panama-Pacific Exposition at
San Francisco, in 1915. In 1912. he was one of the Kansas representa-
tives, appointed by Gov. Stubbs, to the World's Prison Congress, held
at Omaha, \eb. In 1909, he was one of the organizers of the Farmer's
State I'ank, of .Anthony, and at that time was elected president of the
Institution, and lias since been the active executive head of this bank.
The bank has had a substantial growth and has shown capable manage-
294 BIOGRAPHICAL
ment from its organization. Its l^oard of directors include ele\-en of the
most substantial business men and farmers of Harper count}-. Mr.
Moore is now mayor of Anthony, having been elected in 1913, when the
town adopted the commission form of government, and he is handling
the municipal affairs of Anthony in the same successful business-like
way that he handled his private affairs. Mr. Moore was united in mar-
riage, September 3, 1885. to Miss Parolse Burchfield, a native of Dand-
ridge, Tenn., born January 22, 1864. She was a daughter of Rev. J. R.
and Louise (Lee) l^urchfield. She died December 14, 1897. On Janu-
ary 6, 1907, Mr. Moore married Miss Sopha Bousher, of Cairo, Mo., a
daughter of Dr. D. P. and Sarah Bousher. Mr. Moore is a Thitty-second
Degree, Knights Templar Mason, and a member of the Mystic Shrine,
and belongs to the Baptist church. He is a public spirited citizen, and
is ever willing to do his part in promoting the public welfare.
Riley Lake, a well-known citizen of Barber county and chairman of
the board of county commissioners, is a native of Illinois. He was born
on a farm in Adams county, July 20, 1862, and is a son of Reuben and
Mary H. (Beal) Lake. Reuben Lake is a native of Canada and was
born December 6, 1839. His parents, James and Irene Lake were also
natives of Canada. The family came to the United States in 1858, lo-
cating in Adams county, Illinois, where the mother died in 1858, and the
father in 1864. Reuben Lake served in Company E, Fiftieth Regiment,
Illinois infantry, during the Civil war, and in 1865, came to Kansas and
located at Erie where he built the first livery barn in the town which
was one of the old landmarks of that locality, until it was destroyed by
fire in 1910. Mr. Lake was engaged in the livery business there five
years, and in 1870, went to the Osage mission, where he operated a saw
mill three years. In 1873, he went west, locating in Barber county, which
was not organized at that time, but was organized during that year, and
Mr. Lake was appointed the first sheriff by Governor Osborn, and was
elected to that office at the first regular election. He took an active part
in the early affairs of the county, and won the reputation of being one
of the fearless and efficient officers of the frontier. Later he was elected
a member of the board of county commissioners, and served as chairman
of that body a number of years. In 1878, he opened a general store at
Lake City, a town named in his honor. He also served as postmaster at
that place until 1890. Mr. Lake did an extensive business in this frontier
town, and his principal customers were cattlemen and he became well-
known throughout the west. He is still engaged in business at Lake
City, and has a branch store at Sun City. He has always been active in
furthering the best interest of Barber county, and is one of the most
successful business men of that section. He has accumulated a large
amount of land, and now owns over four thousand acres. Reuben Lake
and Mar\- II. Beal were married at Onincy, 111., July 4, 1861, and to this
union were born six children, two of whom are living, as follows : Riley.
BIOGRAPHICAL 295
the subject of this sketch; Irene, married F. H. Goodwin, stockman,
Medford, Okla. Riley Lake, whose name introduces this review was
about tiiree years old when his parents came to Kansas, lie was edu-
cated in the public schools, and when a boy assisted his father in the
store. At the age of twenty he engaged in the stock business on an
extensive scale. He bought cattle and horses in Texas, and drove them
north into Kansas where he sold them. From 1885, to 1892, he was a
star route mail contractor and had a number of government mail con-
tracts, throughout old Indian Territory, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas,
and conducted a number of stage lines in this connection. He was
well known and became a familiar character throughout the Southwest.
During recent years he has been engaged in the stock business in Bar-
ber county, in which he has been very successful. He has a fine farm of
over three hundred acres of valuable alfalfa land in the Medicine river
valley, near Lake City. He takes an active part in local politics and is a
staunch Democrat. In 1900, he was elected a member of the board of
county commissioners of Barber county, and has been chairman for thir-
teen years. Under his administration of the affairs of the county, the
county indebtedness has been reduced over three hundred thousand dol-
lars. He believes that, "public office is a public trust," and has endeav-
ored to carry out that policy. Mr. Lake was married June 17, 1895, to
Miss Pearl M. Tuckett, a native of Illinois, born October 14, 1875. To
Mr. and Mrs. Lake have been born three children: Russell B., born
July 12, 1896; Dan (}., born August 15, 1898, and Inet, born August 23,
1900. Mr. Lake is a Thirty-second Degree Knights Templar Mason, and
is well and favorably known in Southern Kansas.
Milton Higgins Clements, a veteran jjlainsman and Kansas pioneer,
wiiose cxiJcricnce on the frontier has few parallels in real life. To such
men as Milton II. Clements we owe a debt of gratitude for the services
they rendered in the cause of civilization. Mr. Clements is now living
retired at Sun City, Kans., near the scene of many of his pioneer adven-
tures. He is a native of Kentucky, born in liath county, November 7,
1834, a son of Roger T. and Xancy (lligginsi Clements, natives of Scot-
land. They were married in their native land and emigrated to America
in 1834, locating in Kentucky where the father was accidently killed, by
a falling tree in 1836. He was a cousin of Samuel Clements (Mark
Twain), the well-known American author and humorist. Two years
after the death of Mr. Clements, tlie mother removed with lier family of
small children to Macon county, Illinois, where she died in 1894. Milton
H. Clements was one of a family of five children, as follows: Thomas,
John. Jasper, William and Milton II. Milton II. remained at home
assisting on the farm and attending private schools imlil the Civil war
broke out, when he enlisted in Company E., Tenth Regiment, Illinois
cavalry. He was luomoted to sergeant and was in the service five years.
He took part in many important engagements, and after being mustered
296 BIOGRAPHICAL
out of service returned to his Illinois home. In 1866, he went to Pearce
City, Mo., a town just being organized. He took part in its early organi-
zation and development, and served as the first town marshall. In 1870,
he joined a United States surveying party who had the contract of sur-
veying the Osage Indian Reservation in Indian Territory. In 1872, he
joined a party of eleven who went to Western Kansas, for the purpose
of hunting bulTalo. This was purely a commercial enterprise, and they
killed thousands of buffaloes for their hides. They established a perman-
ent camp on Medicine river, where the town of Sun City now stands
That county was overrun with hostile Indians at the time, and the
buffalo hunters had frequent encounters, and many thrilling adventures
with the Indians. Their camp was a very substantially built affair and
aff'orded ample protection against Indian surprises. In 1874, a regiment
of State militia occupied the same camp while there, protecting settlers
during an Indian uprising. Mr. Clements was a member of that regi-
ment of militi-",, and served as quartermaster. January 8, 1875, while re-
turning from a trip to Hutchinson, where he had gone in an official ca-
pacity, after supplies for the garrison at Sun City, his party which con-
sisted of himself and three other soldiers, was caught in a blizzard. Two
of the party were frozen to death, and Mr. Clements and the other sur-
vivor were so badly frozen that their feet had to be amputated at the
ankles. He was granted a pension for this dissability by a special act of
Congress in 1884, and the State made a special appropriation of $500.00
for him. He took up government land near Sun City, which he im-
proved and still owns, in addition to other property in Barber and Pratt
counties and Oklahoma. He is a Republican, and has been active in the
jniblic life of Barber county. He served on the board of county commis-
sioners of Barber county four years, two of which he was chairman, and
in that capacity signed the first issue of script of Barber county. It was
for $2,500.00 issued in 1876, to Thomas P. Fenlon, attorney, for fighting
the fraudulent bond issue, that had been perpetrated on the county in
the early days. In 1882, Mr. Clements was elected sheriff of Barber
county and served one term. He was door keeper of the State Senate
during the sessions of 1893-5. ^" 1900, Mr. Clements retired. He was
united in marriage August 9, 1869, at Pearce City, Mo., to Miss Eliza-
beth Jane Cochran, daughter of H. II. and Millie (0'^^onnel^) Cochran.
Mrs. Clements was born on a farm in Ljreene county, Indiana, July 6, 1846.
To Mr. and Mrs. Clements have been born seven children, as follows:
Alfred; Lina, deceased; Caroline: Nettie; Orvell ; Ef!ie, and Plomer.
Mr. Clements is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
ha\ing joined that order in 1857, and is past grand master.
John Wesley Laury, register of deeds of Allen county, is a native of
the Keystone State He was born in Carbon county, Pennsylvania, Feb-
ruary 2, 1853, a son of Godfrey and Anna Marie (Dreisbach) Laury, both
natives of Pennsylvania. The former of Scotch, and the latter^ of Ger-
BIOGRAPHICAL 297
man descent. Godfrey Laur}- was a blacksmith and wagon maker, and
was engaged in the manufacture of carriages when the Civil war broke
out. He enlisted in a Jr'ennsylvania regiment, and served imtil the close
of the war, when he engaged in the mercantile business at Mahanoy
City, Pa., where he remained until 1878, when he removed to Kansas, and
located at Lawrence, for a short time, when he went to Humboldt and
engaged in farming. He was one of the successful farmers of Allen
county, and followed that vocation until his death, March 29, 1897. His
wife died, September 27, 1885. John Wesley Laury was educated in the
public schools of Pennsylvania and Union Seminary, New Berlin, Pa.
He began life as a traveling salesman with a line of tobacco and cigars.
After a year on the road, he became a clerk in his father's store, and was
engaged in various capacities in his native State until 1878, when he
came to Kansas, locating at Waterville. He remained there a short time
when he went to Allen county and settled on a farm, east of lola. Here
he engaged in farming and stock raising, in a small way, until 1885,
when he engaged in the butchering business. This enterprise proved a
success from the start, and he soon build up a large business. His busi-
ness extended over a large section. He continued in the meat business
until January, 191 1, when he assumed the duties of the office of register
of deeds to which he had been elected the preceeding fall. His sons
carried on the meat business about a year, when they disposd of it, and
engaged in farming and stock raising. Mr. Laury was reelected to the
office of register of deeds in 191 2, and is now serving in that capacity.
He is an efficient officer, and his courteous manner in serving the public
has won for him many friends. He was one of the organizers of the La
Harpe State Bank and has been vice-president of that institution since
its organization. This bank is capitalized at $10,000 and its business has
had a substantial growth since its doors were opened to the business
public. Mr. Laury was married May 16, 1882, to Miss Phoebe Alice,
daughter of William and Jane E. (Sparks) McCray, the former a native
of Iowa and the latter of Indiana. Tlic McCray family came to Kansas
in 1872, and located near Coyville, Wilson county. Mrs. Laury was born
in Iowa, and educated in the public schools, and taught school for a num-
ber of years before her marriage. She began teaching at the early age
of fourteen. To Mr. and Mrs. Laury have been born twelve children :
Lola Mariah. died in infancy; William Godfrey, a graduate of the Moran
High School and Baker University, married Phoebe Ellis, of Ottawa.
Kans.. and they have one child, Edna Marie; Charles McCray, a gradu-
ate of Moran High School and Baker University; Clara Olivia, a gradu-
ate of lola High School and Baker University; Ellen Rebecca, deceased;
John W. Jr., graduate of the lola High School and I?aker University,
now professor of science in the Montgomery County High School ; Emma
.Mice, a graduate of Baldwin High School, and now a student in Baker
Universitv; George Aldrich, was killed in a run away accident, July 11,
^98 BIOGRAPHICAL
1907 ; Raymond Hiiam, a graduate of the Ida High School ; Everett
Moses, a student in high school ; Ruth Jane, a student in the public
schools and Mary Evaline, died in infancy. The family are members of
the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Laury has been a steward
and trustee for a number of years. He is a charter member of the Moran
Lodge, Ancient Order of United \\'orkmen, and politically he is a Repub-
lican, and has been active in local politics for a number of years. He
has attended four State conventions as a delegate, and is a member of
the Republican County Central Committee.
James E. Matthews, a well-known farmer and stockman of Jackson
county, is a native of Illinois. He was born in Central county, Decem-
ber 16, 1864, and is a son of Adam T. Matthews, a native of Ireland, who
came to America at the age of twelve years, locating in Illinois, where he
spent his life as a farmer and stock raiser. He died in 1887. James E.
Matthews' mother died when he was a child, about two years old, and
about six years later, the family came to Kansas and settled near Win-
chester, Jeflferson county. Here the boy attended the district schools,
and worked on the farm with his father until he was twenty-one years
old when he began farming for himself. He removed to Wabaunsee
county and followed farming near Eskridge three years. He then went
to Topeka, where he was engaged in the grain and feed business for five
years ; when he again turned his attention to farming. He rented a farm
five miles south of Topeka, where he was engaged in the dairy business
about five years. He also owned a farm in Shawnee county, known as
the "Cloverdale farm," at that time. In 1901, he bought a section of
land in Wabaunsee county, near Vera, which he sold the following fall.
In 1909, he sold his Shawnee county farm at a handsome profit, when he
went to Jackson county and purchased the "Jerry Chub farm," near
Hoyt. This is considered one of the best improved farms in Jackson
county, and is his present home. He is engaged in general farming and
stock feeding, and does an extensive business. He prepares about 200
head of cattle and about the same number of hogs each year for the
market. His farm comprises 160 acres and is equipped with all modern
farm buildings and improvements including two silos with a capacity
of two hundred tons each. His barn is one of the largest and most
modern in the county. Mr. Matthews was married December 25, 1893,
to ]\Iiss Mary Ella Thompson, a native of Zanesville, Ohio. She is a
daughter of David and Elizabeth E. Thompson, also natives of Ohio.
The Thompson family came to Kansas in 1882, and settled near Win-
chester, Jefferson county, where the father was engaged in farming and
stock raising until his death, which occurred in September, 191 1. His
wife died in October of the same year. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews have
two children : Thomas Lee, born at Eskridge, Kans., now employed in
the general offices of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Com-
pany, at Topeka ; and Ester Hazel, born at Topeka, and resides at home
HIOGUAPllU AI. 299
witli her jiarents. Mr. Matthews' political views are Re])ublican. and he
is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, The family are
members of the Reformed Presl)yterian chnrch.
Richard Pierre Chevraux, who has faithfully and efficiently discharo;ed
the duties as Clerk <]f Harper county for the past nine years, is a native
of Starke county, ( )hio. He was born January 15, 1876, and is a son
of Louis and Fanny ( llreeson ) Chevraux. The father was a native of
France, and came to .America with his parents in 1853. They located in
Starke county, Ohio, on a farm adjoining the town of Louisville. Here
the parents spent their lives. The father died in 1894, aged eighty-
one, and the mother passed away in 1913. at the age of ninety-nine years
and nine months. The}' were the parents of seven children. Louis Chev-
raux farmed in Starke county, Ohio, until 1887, when he came to Kansas,
settling in Harper county. He bought land in Odell township, where he
was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising, until his death,
November 17, 1897. He was a Democrat and a member of the Catholic
church. His wife, Fanny Breeson, was born in Wayne county, Ohio,
November 2, 1849. ^h^ was a daughter of Peter and Malinda P>reeson,
natives of France. She died at Danville, Kans., January 15, 1905. Louis
and Fanny ( Rreeson) Chevraux were the parents of a large family, six
of whom are li\ing as follows: Joseph C. L., born April 21, 1873, now a
farmer in Canada; Mary A., born December 23, 1870, now the wife of
H. S. McDaniel, a farmer in Harper county; Richard P., the subject
'of this sketch; John J., born February 19, 1S81, farmer in Odell town-
ship. Harper county; Lucy L, born Decemlier 8, 1883, married .\lbert
Drouhard, a farmer in Odell township. Harper county, and Edith, born
January 25, 1884, married Michael Hemberger, a farmer in Odell town-
shij). Harper county. Richard P. Chevraux was about eleven years old
when his parents came to Kansas and here he attended tiie public schools
and was engaged on the farm, lie has always been a Republican, and
takes an active part in local politics, and in 1904, received the nomination
for county clerk, and was elected that fall, and is now serving his fifth
successive term. Mr. Chevrau.x has suffered the handicap of being crip-
pled since he was eleven years old, a condition which developed from a
severe case of the measles, and since that tiiue he has been unable to
walk without the aid of a crutch. He was married November 24. 1912, to
Miss Anna L. Gilbert, a native of Harper county, Kansas, born July 31,
1885. She is a daughter of P.yron N. and Jessie T. (Pennock) Gilbert, the
former a native of New York and the latter of Kansas. Mr. Chevraux has
won many friends by his courteous manner, during his career in |)nblic
life, and is ever ready to give the public the best possible service, which is
api)reciated by the citizens of Harjier county as evinced by his repeated
election to the office of county clerk.
William C. Alford, postmaster of Hazelton. Kans., is a native of
Tennessee, born in Rome county, September 12. 1848. He is a son of
Meshac T. and Rebecca (Edwards) Alford. The father was born in the
jOO BIOGRAPHICAL
same county and State, May 22, 1828. He was a Mexican war veteran,
and in early life removed to Illinois, where he followed farming until
his death, April 12, 1902. He was a successful farmer, a prominent
Mason, and a member of a Baptist church. His wife, Rebecca Edwards
to whom he was married in 1847, ^^'^s also a native of Rome county.
Tennessee. She was born in 1830, and died in 1862. They were the
parents of the following children : \\ illiam C., the subject of this sketch ;
Charles F. ; George W. ; Benjamin F. ; Samuel E. ; Robert E. ; Caleb C. ;
Sarah Jane, and Rebecca. William C. Alford was reared on his father's
farm in Illinois. His opportunities for an education in early life were
limited, but he acquired a habit of self study and thereby obtained a
good English education. He remained at home with his parents vmtil
1875, when he came to Kansas and located on government land in Sum-
ner county, seven miles south of Wellington. He remained there until
1884, when he removed to Barber county, locating where the town of
Hazelton now stands. He engaged in contracting and building and con-
structed some of the lirst buildings in the town of Hazelton. He bought
land quite extensively and engaged in the real estate business and pros-
pered. Mr. Alford is a Democrat and prominent in the local councils
of his party. He served as postmaster of Hazelton during the years
1887-8, and on January i, 1914, was appointed postmaster of Hazelton,
and is now serving in that capacity. He has served as clerk of the Hazel-
ton school board, continuously since 1884, and has held various other
local offices. Mr. Alford was married February 21, 1876, to Miss Ella
Hellwick. daughter of Rev. John W. Hellwick, of Palmyra, 111. Mrs.
Alford was born in \^ermilion county, Illinois, January 8, 1856. To
Mr. and Mrs. Alford have been born seven children : Belle, married J.
O. Webb ; Myrtle, married A. J. Ayres, Etta, married Fred L. Dicks ;
Benjamin F.. an attorney, Wichita Kans. ; Mary A., married Preston
Myers ; John T., Dodge City, Kahs., and W'illiam C. Jr., Hazleton, Kans.
Mr. Alford is a member of the Masonic lodge, and for seven years has
served as Worthy Master of Charity Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 263,
Hazelton. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Ellis Miller, now deceased, was a prominent citizen of Harper, Kans.
He was a native of Ohio, born at Liverpool, Medina county, March 15,
1850, a son of Anthony Lawrence and Catherine (Weber) Miller. The
father was a farmer and died in 1853 on board ship near Panama, while
on a voyage to California. His parents were both natives of Alsace,
France. Both grand parents were soldiers under Napoleon. The
mother died in 1903. The Weber family settled at Liverpool, Medina
county. Ohio, in 1831, and the Miller family located at Suffield, Portage
county, that State, about the same time. Ellis Miller was one of a family
of seven children, five of whom are now living: John B., Fruta, Calif.;
Odelia. the widow of J. N. Whetstone, Keokuk. Iowa ; Mar}', the widow
of G. M. Heller, Kahoka. Mo.; George. Hutchinson. Kans., and Anthony,
resides at Alameda, California. The Miller familv removed from Ohio
BIOGRAPHICAL 3OI
to Iowa, in 1842, and shortly after to Atliens, Mo., and here lUlis Miller
grew to manhood and was educated in the public schools, graduating
from the Athens High School. He then went to Louisiana where he
spent a few years on a sugar plantation and from there to Nevada, where
lie was engaged in gold mining and met with moderate success. He
returned to Athens, Mo., in 1875, and on March 16, of that year, he was
united in marriage to Miss !Marie Gray, a native of Missouri. She was a
daughter of Isaac P. and Eliza (Judgej Gray. The father was a native
of Kentucky, born October 10, 1825. He was a son of George \V. and
Nancy (Price) Gray, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of
South Carolina. Nancy Price, was a cousin of General Price, tlie well-
known Confederate general. He was a manufacturer in early life, and
lived for a time in Missouri and in 1868, removed to Iowa and died at
Croton, that State, November 12, 1893. The mother died at
Farmington. Iowa, December 16, 1912. Pier father was a Revolutionary
soldier, and at the time of her death there were only two or three other
daughters of Revolutionary soldiers living in the State of Iowa. In 1875,
Ellis Miller bought a farm in Montgomery county, Mo., where he was
successfully engaged in farming and stock raising fur nine years. The
present town of Bellfiower, Mo., is now located on the place that he
then owned. In 1884, he came to Kansas, locating in Harper county,
where he bought land three miles south of the town of Harper. Here
lie was engaged in farming and cattle raising on an extensive scale. He
was successful in his business undertakings, accumulating a competency
and in 1904, he retired and removed to Harper, where he resided luitil
his death, November i, 1907. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller were born three
children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are Arthu;- G., gradu-
ated from the Harper High School, in 181)4. He married Miss Flora
Essick, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and they have one child, .\rleta.
Arthur G. now resides in Harper county, and is engaged in farming.
Lena Miller was born in Montgomery county, Mo., and is a graduate
of the Harper High School. She married Henry C. Dryden, born in
Labette coimty, Kansas, and is a son of Henry C. and Frances ( I-'armer')
Dryden, who came to Kansas from Bates county. Mo., in 1869. 'i'hey
now reside at Chanute, Kans. Mr. Dryden is in the wholesale produce
business in Harper. Ellis Miller whose name introduces this sketch was
one of the sul)stantial citizens of Harper county, and made many friends
(hiring his life time. He was a life-long Democrat but never sought
public office. He was a member of the Methodist church to which he
was a generous contributor.
Benoni J. Dawson, of the firm of Dawson & Martlens. real estate
dealers, llnltdu. Kans.. is a native of Ohio. He was born in Columbiana
county, December 15, 1852, and is a son of Benoni and Margaret (Polick)
Dawson, natives of \'irginia. In early life the father was engaged in
boating on the Ohio river, but later engaged in farming, which he fol-
302 BIOGRAPHICAL
lowed until his death in 1875. The mother passed away in 1864. Benoni
J. Dawson, whose name introduces this review, received his education
in the public schools of Ohio, and when sixteen years of age, began life
for himself. He served an apprenticeship at the plasterer's trade at
Beaver Falls, Pa., where he remained until 1870, when he came to Kan-
sas, in February of that 3'ear, locating at W'amego. Here he entered the
employ of an uncle, who conducted a gun shop, and two years later the
uncle died, and -\lr. Dawson continued the business for five years. In
September, 1875, he entered the employ of the Kansas Pacific Railroad
Co., now Union Pacific, as brakeman, and in 1877, was promoted to
freight conductor, and in 188 1, became passenger conductor. He re-
mained in that capacity on that road, which was then a part of the
Union Pacific system, until 1893, when he entered the emploj' of the
Denver, Gulf & Colorado Southern, and resigned this position in 1894.
He ran the first passenger train into Belleville, Kans., November 27,
1884, and after retiring from railroading in 1895, he went to Belleville
and purchased the Hotel Republic, which he conducted about eighteen
months, when he went to Holton, and bought the Teer Hotel, where he
remained six years. In 1903. he went to Clay Center and opened the
Bonham Hotel, where he also remained six 3-ears, when he went to
Fairbtiry, Xeb., and in partnership with his son-in-law, Ross E. May,
engaged in the plumbing and heating business. He remained there un-
til February. 1910, when he disposed of his interest in the business and
returned to Holton, Kans., where he engaged in the real estate and in-
surance business, and in 191 1, entered into partnership with Mr. Mart-
lens, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. Mr. Dawson is also
extensively interested in farming and stock raising in Jackson county,
and has three farms, which he operates, in Jackson county He also
owns a farm in Logan and one in Grove county. He was married at
Wamego, September 23, 1877, to Miss Ada, daughter of Cornelius and
Elniira (Rushmore) Cummings, pioneers of Kansas, the former a native
of Penns3dvania, and the latter of Xew York. They came from Craw-
ford count}', Pennsylvania, to Kansas, in 1869, settling in Shawnee
county, and in 1875, removed to \\'amego, where the father engaged in
the hotel business. Mrs. Dawson was born in Crawford county, Penn-
syh-ania. and received her early education in the public schools, and
after coming to Kansas, attended the State Normal School at Emporia.
To Mr. and Mrs. Dawson have been born two children : Ina, married
Ross E. May, proprietor of the Bonham Hotel, at Clay Center, Kans.,
and they have one child, Ada Elizabeth ; and Jennie, married William F.
Keho, engaged in the plumbing and heating business at Superior, Neb.
Mrs. Dawson and daughters are members of the Episcopal church, and
Mr. Dawson belongs to the Masonic lodge. He is a progressive Repub-
lican, and line of the substantial business men of Jackson count}'.
James Meek, a successful farmer of Nemaha county, who is active in
the political life of Kansas, is a native of Ohio, born September 28, 1852.
BIOGRAPHICAI. 3O3
He is a son of Reason and Matilda (Mcllroy) Meek, also natives of
(Jliio, where the father was a farmer. On October 13, 1864, the Meek
family left their Ohio home, and started west. They made the trip in a
prairie schooner, the entire distance to ]^>lack Hawk county, Iowa. \\'in-
ler came on, unusually early that fall, and they met with bad weather
and considerable snow. The trip required six weeks. After spending
two winters in Iowa, they decided that the climate there was too rigor-
ous, and they decided to go south. In the spring of 1866, the\' went to
Xodaway county, Missouri. They settled on a farm there and both
parents spent the remainder of their lives in that county, the father
died in June, 1891, and the mother passed away the following year.
James Meek remained with his parents until he reached maturity. After
ciimpleting the district schools he attended high school at Maryville,
Mo., where he was graduated and later attended an academy. In early
life he taught school several terms, during the winters, while he followed
farming during the summers. During this time he also served as assist-
ant assessor of Xodaway county. In 1882. he came to Kansas, locating
in Xemaha county and settled on the farm which is now his home. He
first rented 80 acres, and bought a number of cattle, engaging quite
extensively in that business, it being quite profitable at that time on
account of so much free range, but the country settled up so rapidly
within the next few years that free range soon became a thing of the
past. The third year that he was in Kansas he bought eighty acres, and
since then had botight two additional eighties. He now has one of
the finest improved farms in Xemaha county. lie is one of the success-
ful farmers and stock raisers of Xorthern Kansas, and also an extensive
feeder, a business which he has followed since coming to the State.
He is also recognized as one of the successful breeders of Poland China
liogs in that section. He feeds about 125 head of cattle annually and
about 200 head of hogs. Since coming to the State, Mr. Meek has
taken an active interest in politics, and has ever been a staunch sup-
porter of the principles and policies of the Democratic party. Shortly
after coming to Kansas he was elected Justice of the Peace, and has
also served two terms as township trustee, and later was elected county
commissioner of Xemaha county, serving one term, and declined to
accept the nomination for the second term. In 1908, he was elected to
the State legislature from the Thirty-eighth District and was reelected
in 1910. He took an active part in the legislation of these two sessittns
and was recognized as a member of abilit\- in that body. He was the
author of House Hill, No. 519, relating to conveniences for persons
accom])anying live stock shipments, and was an earnest advocate of
many other desirable measures, many of which are now on the statute
books. During his membcrshi)") of the lower house he served as chair-
man of the Judicial .\i)portionment Committee, and as a member of
many other important committees. In 1912, he was elected to represent
304 iiincRArnicAL
the Eighteenth District in the Kansas senate, and served with chsliiiction '
in that body where he was active and influential. He was the author of
a number of bills among which were senate bills Nos. 132 and 324. and
he was one of the members of the Senate who made a hard fight for the
repeal of the inheritance tax which was in force at that time. Mr. Meek
is a capaljle parlimentarian. and he won a reputation for engineering
many desirable bills through the legislature, and it can be said of him
that he was an able, fearless and honest representative of the people in
both the lower house and the senate. Mr. Meek was united in marriage
July 3, 1879, to Miss Sarah A. Denny, a native of Nodaway county,
Missouri. She is a daughter of William and Margaret (.Storm) Denny,
natives of Indiana, who went to Missouri probably in the early fifties.
Mrs. Meek is a gradtiate of the Maryville High School, Maryville, Mo.
To Mr. and Mrs. Meek have been born eight children : Leslie Hay, was
for a time a teacher in Nemaha cotinty, now a banker at Mulhall, Okla. ;
Lois May, a former Nemaha county teacher, married Zephar Nolan and
now resides in Nemaha county; Reason A., in the employ of the railway
mail service, Kansas City ; Cassie Myrtle, married Tony Labbe, a farmer
of Nemaha county; William D.., deceased; one child died in infancy;
Samuel G., resides with his parents, and Margaret Blanche is also at
home. While Mr. Meek was a member of the house and senate his wife
acted as his secretar\' and was prominent in the aftairs at the capitol.
Mr. Meek is one of the public spirited citizens of his cotinty and willing
to support any movement for the betterment of his county or State.
His fraternal affiliations are with the Ancient Free and Accepted Ma-
sons, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Modern Wood-
men of America. The family are members of the Christian church of
which AFr, Meek is an elder.
William R. Guild. — The standing of William R. Guild, president of the
First National Bank of Hiawatha, as a private citizen and a man of
afifairs, is tmimpeachable throughout that section of the Sunflower State
which has been the scene of his activities. He is a native of Galva, 111.,
born in February, 1869. He is a son of the Rev. R. B.' and Susan
(Bergen) Guild and the fourth in a family of four sons and three daugh-
ters : George A., cashier of the Central National Bank of Topeka ; Harry
L.. cashier of the State Bank of Bern ; William R. ; Roy B., pastor of the
Central Congregational Church at Topeka, Kans., and a Chautauqua lec-
turer: Fanny G., the wife of the Rev. M. L. Laybourn. of Fort Morgan,
Col. ; Susan M., dean of Carroll College at Waukesha, Wis., and Jessie S..
a graduate of the Pratt .^.rt Institute in New York City, and now an in-
structor in the .Stanley Institute, Minneapolis, Minn.
A\'illiam R. Guild was reared at Galva until the age of eight and had
bare'ly entered the public schools when his father the Rev. R. B. Guild,
decided to remove to Kansas and take charge of the Congregational
cluu-ch at Seneca. But after two vears Reverend Guild decided to return
niOGKAlMIU AI, 305
to Illiimis, wIktc his children could be afforded better educational ad-
\anta,L;es. and remained in that State until 1881. when he again became a
resident of Kansas, taking charge of the Congregational church at Sterl-
ing, where he continued as a minister until his death, January i, 1889.
The mother was Susan Bergen, daughter of Mother Bergen, of Gales-
burg, 111., where Susan was born and reared. She survived the Rev. R.
B. Guild until August, 1908, when she passed away in Sabetha, Kans.
William R. Guild received his preliminary education in the public schools
of Sterling, Kans., until I he age of nineteen, when he accepted a position
as boc^kkeeper in the National Bank of Sabetha. He started in on a
salary of $10 per nmnth, out of which he had to pay his board. He
accepted that position in the fall of 1888, and remained with the bank
until i8go, when he was tendered the position of bookkeeper in the Cen-
tral National P>ank of Topeka, accepted the position, and remained with
that institution three years, until 1893. He then became cashier of the
State Bank of Bern, at Bern, Kans., where he remained thirteen years,
during which time he not only placed the bank on a paying basis but also
developed those qualities in a marked degree which are so essential to
successful banking. In 1906, he removed to Sabetha and at once entered
actively into the commercial life of the community. For about eighteen
months after his location there he was actively engaged in the real
estate, loan, and insurance business. Then he accepted the position of
cashier of tiie National Bank of Sabetha, and held that position until Janu-
ary I, 1914, when he bought a substantial interest in the First National
Hank of Hiawatha, Kans., and was elected president of that institution,
which position he now holds. He was the first mayor of Sabetha under
the commission form, and was president of the Sabetha Commercial
Club for six years. He also takes an active interest in church and Sun-
day school work, having been a trustee and treasurer of the Congrega-
tional church fnr a number of years, as well as superintendent of the
Sunday school. Politically he is a Republican, and fraternally he is a
Mason, a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Knights of
Pythias, and tlie Pliawatha Commercial Club.
Tn 18992, Mr. Guild married Miss Augusta Holland, of Sabetha, and
this union is blessed with a daughter, Helen, now a senior in Wash-
burn College, Topeka. The familv arc all mcmlicrs of the Congregational
church.
Wilber L. Hutchinson, one f)f tlie i^roprietors of the "Bulletin," of
.\nthuny, was born iJeccmber 30, 1864, at Griggsville, TIL, the second
son of Samuel and Sarah Elizabeth (Jones) Hutchinson. The father was
born in England in 1812. and came to the United States with his parents
when a small' l)ov. lie lived in Boston. Mass., until 1833. where his
father was city undertaker and a cabinet maker, and where he learned the
same business. Tn 1833, Samuel Hutchinson removed to Griggsville,
111., where he built a large factory fur the manufacture of agricultural
306 BIOGRAPHICAL
implements. He was the patentee of four different agricultural imple-
ments, and placed on the market the first gang plow ever made and sold
in Illinois. He was successful in this line, and retired in 1880, living in
Griggsville until his death which occurred in 1904. He belonged to
the Methodist Episcopal church. He was married three times. His first
wife was Abigail Winchester, whom he married in Philadelphia in 1840.
She was a sister of Oliver Winchester, inventor of the Winchester rifle.
She died in 1847. Three children were born of this first union — one son
and two daughters : James W., born in 1842, was educated at the United
States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. He was commissioned as an
officer in the navy and participated in the bombardment and capture of
Fort Fisher in the early part of the Civil war. He retired from the
United States naval service in 1864, and for a few years was a mineral
surveyor in Colorado. At the time of his death in 1883, he was engaged
in the banking business at Greenfield, 111. He was past grand com-
mander of the Knights Templars of Illinois; Caroline, deceased, was
born in 1844, and Ella M., born in 1846, the wife of Dr. Battles, of Griggs-
ville, 111. His second wife, whose maiden name was Edwards, died about
1850. He married Sarah E. Jones, as his third wife, in 1859, at Jackson-
ville, 111. She was born in 1832, at Memphis, Tenn., and died in March,
1888, at Griggsville, 111. She was of Welsh ancestry. Two children were
born of this third unicm — a son and daughter: Wilber L., who is the
eldest, and Irene, born in 1868, died in 1881.
\\'ilber L. Hutchinson was educated in the public schools of Griggs-
ville, 111., and began to learn the printer's trade at the age of eleven years.
He worked four years in the office of the "Reflector" at Griggsville, then
leaving home he worked in dift'erent States until 1883, when he came to
Kansas. In 1885-86, he was manager of a weekly paper at Abilene. In
1887, he removed to Anthony, becoming one of the publishers of the
"Harper County Enterprise" in which he remained interested until 1892,
when the name of the paper was changed to the "Anthony Bulletin."
The plant was burned in 1893, but was replaced with a more modern
equijiment without the paper missing a single issue. In 1898, the pub-
lication of the "Bulletin" was suspended and Mr. Hutchinson enlisted in
Company M, Twentieth Kansas infantry, entering the army at Salina,
Kans., June 16, 1898. He went with his company at once to San Fran-
cisco, and in October of the same year his regiment was ordered to ser-
vice in the Philippines. His transport sailed October 28, and stopping
four days in Honolulu, H. I., landed at Manila, November 17. His com-
pany was assigned to police duty in Manila until February 4, 1899, when
the Philippine insurrection broke out. He was with his regiment, under
Col. Frederick Funston in the thick of the battle of Manila, February 4-
5-6, 1899; Caloocan, February 10; defense of Caloocan, February 11 to
March 24; battle of Tulajan river, March 25; Polo and Malinta, March
26; Marilao, March 27; outpost skirmish, March 28; Bocave, March 29;
BIOGRAPHICAL 307
Guiguinto, March 29; advance on AFalolos, March 30-31; defense of the
same town April i to 24; Rio Grande, April 26-27; Santa Tomas, May
4; Bacalor, May 24. This concluded his field service in the interior. In
June his company with others of the regiment was assigned to guard duty
at Bilibib prison. About Atigust i, he was taken ill with typhoid fever
and acute dysentery and was confined to the hospital two months on
Corregidor Island, during which time his regiment had been returned
to San Francisco. In the latter part of October he became able to travel
and sailed for the United States on the transport Warren via Japan and
the Japan Island sea. He received an honorable discharge at San Francisco
in the latter part of November, 1899. He at once returned to Anthony,
Kans., and set about to reestablish his old paper, the "Bulletin," buying
modern machinery for the purpose. It is now published under the firm
name of "Hutchinson & McColloch" and is one of the brightest and most
influential weekly papers in Kansas, owning its own modern building,
erected expressly for a newspaper office. Mr. Hutchinson was married
September 18, 1902, to Miss Euphie Croft, daughter of Samuel M. Croft,
a successful farmer and cattle raiser of Harper. She was born September
12, 1881, at Henry, 111., and was a successful teacher in the Anthony
schools for two years before her marriage. They have two children —
W'ilber Buy, born October 28, 1904, and Samuel Croft, born July 5, 1909.
Mr. Hutchinson is a Mason, and historian of the Wichita camp of United
Sjiaiiish \\'ar \'eterans.
Robert P. McColloch. — The McColloch family is of Scotch origin and
is mentioned in the early annals of Scotland and in the writings of Sir
Walter Scott. It is identified with the early history of the Virginia
colony, with the American war of Revolution, with the Indian wars,
succeeding the Revolution, with the history of the territory of Ohio — a
member of the family being the first white child born in that territory —
and with the early history of the State of Ohio.
Robert P. McColloch was born at Bellefontaine, Logan county, Ohio,
and is a son of William McColloch and Nancy (Robb) McColloch, both
now deceased. The father was, during his lifetime, a merchant, and was
one of the first of the merchants of Bellefontaine. He held many posi-
tions of trust and honor in the city and county and was for many years,
and until his death, a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church of Belle-
fontaine. He was educated in the schools of the town, graduated from
the high school and continued his studies at Wittenberg College, Spring-
field, Ohio, where he w^as a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He
read law in the office of McLaughlin & Dow, at Bellefontaine, and having
])assed the examinations before the committee of the supreme court of
the State, was ofifercd and accepted a partnership in that firm. One of his
])receptors was the Hon. Duncan Dow, author of the Dow liquor law
of Ohio, and a man eminent in his profession. \\'hile reading law he was
elected a clerk of Bellefontaine and served in that capacity two terms. ,
308 BIOGRAPHICAL
In June. 1887, Mr. McCoUoch removed from Ohio to Anthony, Harper
tried in the district court of Harper county and having business in sixty-
ful, doing a large business and appearing in manj- of the impovtant cases
county, Kansas. There he practiced his profession and was very success-
five of the other judicial districts of the State and in the courts of appeal
and the supreme court of the State. His residence has been at Anthony
continuously, except for two years in \Vichita, where he was editor and
part owner of the "Wichita Star." In 1896, Mr. McColloch was the
Republican presidential elector for the Seventh Congressional district,
Kansas. In 1898, he was elected county attorney of Harper county, and
held that office for two terms, being the only Republican in office in the
county for a greater part of that time. He has always been an active
worker in the Republican party. Before reaching his majority he was
making speeches, in Ohio, under the direction of the State Republican
committee, and since locating in Kansas has taken an active part in the
speaking campaigns in the count)' and State. Since coming to Kansas
he has delivered an address on Decoration Day at some point in the
State, every year, except five. He is regarded as one of the best of the
Kansas orators and is in demand for addresses on Decoration Day, at
high school and college commencements, and other occasions. During
all the time that he has practiced law in Ohio and Kansas, Mr. McCol-
loch has been a contributor to the local press and to many of the Eastern
and Middle West dailies, besides writing for some of the periodicals and
magazines of the East and \\'est. So strong was the desire to enter the
field of journalism that he finall}' determined to give more of his time to
that and less to the practice of the law. Since 1907. he has been asso-
ciated with the '"Anthony Bulletin." In September, 1909, he purchased
a half interest in the Bulletin Printing House, owned then by W. L.
Hutchinson, and he and Mr. Hutchinson now carry on the job printing
business and publish the "Anthony Bulletin," under the firm name of
"The Bulletin Printing House." Mr. McColloch recently erected a brick
and stone building in the center of the business section of the city of
.\nthony for the exclusive use of the printing plant.
Mr. McColloch is happily married, his wife being a graduate of Glen-
dale College, Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs. McColloch's father was the late
James ^^^alker. many years mayor of Bcllefontaine. Ohio, United States
district collector of revenue under Abraham Lincoln, a lawyer of marked
ability, a partner for more than forty years, and until his death, of Judge
William H. West, "the blind man eloquent," of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs.
McColloch have one son, James ^^'alker, a graduate of the Kansas State
Agricultural College, at Manhattan, with the degree of Bachelor of Sci-
ence, and is employed by that institution as an instructor, and also as an
assistant in the department of entomology.
John Martin, a Civil war veteran and prominent farmer and stockman
of Ccntralia, Kans., is a native of Prussia. He was reared and educated
BIOGRAPHICAL 309
in his native land, where, at the age of fourteen, he became a farm
laborer and continued in that employment until he reached the age of
twenty, when he decided to immigrate to America, the land of oppor-
tunity. After coming to this country', he located at St. Lotiis, Mo.,
where he remained for a short time when he secured employment on a
farm in St. Charles county, Missouri, where lie worked for twelve dol-
lars a month during the harvest season, and the other months of the
year he received eight dollars per month. His employer was a fellow
countryman, and young Martin decided that if he remained in his
employ he would never learn to speak the English language. He accord-
ingly got a position with an English speaking farmer and soon learned to
speak the English language very fluently. During the time that he was
employed on the farm he became a member of a local militia company
which was organized to protect railroads and bridges from the Confed-
erate raids which were frequent at that time. In September, 1862. he
enlisted in Company B, Thirty-fourth Regiment, Missouri infantry, and
about two months later was transferred to Company K, Thirtieth Regi-
ment, Missouri infantry. He was with his regiment at Columbus, Ky.,
and Memphis, Tenn.. and later participated in the siege of Vicksburg.
In the spring of 1863, he was taken sick and spent six months in an
army hospital at Memphis, after which he was detailed as orderly to
Lieut. Col. George T. Allen, Inspector of Hospitals. Mr. Martin re-
mained in this service until October, 1865, when he received his dis-
charge at St. Louis, Mo. At the close of the war he worked for a time
in Cairo, 111., unloading river boats. He then went to Omaha, Nebr.,
expecting to obtain employment on the Union Pacific railroad, which
was then in course of construction, and tinally secured work as a team-
ster, hauling ties in Iowa, and later got a job moving a saw mill to
Laramie, \\'yo., a distance of about 350 miles, and worked for the own-
ers of this mill getting out bridge timber for the Union Pacific until
February, 1868. He then returned to Cheyenne, W'yo., which was the
terminus of the Union Pacific railroad. He bought a team here and re-
turned to Laramie. Here he received as high as $20 ])er day, l)ut grain
for his team cost twenty cents a pound and hay forty dollars a ton. and
most of his income went for the high cost of living. He then went to
Green River, where he worked on the grade of the Union Pacific Rail-
road, and after going as far West as Nevada, he sold his team and
returned to Omaha, and in December, 1869, came to Kansas and took a
homestead near Ccntralia. in Home township. Here he bought two
yokes of oxen and engaged in farming. During the year of 1872, his
crops were destroyed by jirairie fire and he sold his homestead and
worked at odd jobs and fed cattle for local men, and the following
year engaged in the cattle business for himself. This was in the days
of open range and cattle had to be herded in Trontier style. In 1879, he
bought 120 acres where he now resides. He engaged extensively in
3IO BIOGRAPHICAL
the cattle business and bought and fed a great many cattle for himself,
as well as being buyer for Mr. Rankin, the Missouri cattle King. He
bought more land from time to time and now owns 639 acres of pro-
ductive land. He has been one of the extensive cattle men of northern
Kansas and is considered the largest stock feeder in that section. His
business averages about $20,000 yearly, but the last few years he has
not been pushing his business as hard as in former times. He has
accumulated a comfortable fortune and does business now by force of
habit and for pastime. He is one of the substantial men of Nemaha
county. His genial good humor has won for him a host of friends, and
he is probably one of the best known men in the county. He is a
director of the Citizens Bank of Centralia, a member of the Grand Army
of the Republic, and politically is a Republican.
Frank L. Travis, who for a number of years has been active in the
affairs of ^Allen county, is a native of the Empire State. He was born
at Newburg, N. Y., July 28, 1868, and is a son of Henry F. and Elizabeth
(Malcolm) Travis, both natives of New York State. The father was
engaged in the mercantile business in his native State until 1877, when
he came to Kansas City, Mo., and followed contracting and building
about two years. April 14, 1879, he removed to Kansas and settled on a
farm in Allen county, five miles east of lola. Frank L. Travis began
his education in the public schools of Newburg, N. Y., his first teacher
having been his father's teacher also. After the family came west he
attended school in Kansas City and the Tola High School. He then
engaged in farming for a few years, and in 1892, was elected clerk
of the district court of Allen county, and reelected to that office in
1894. \\'hile district clerk he read law, but has never engaged in the
l)ractice. In 1897, at the expiration of his term of office, he engaged in
the insurance business at lola. in partnership with R. H. Bennett,
under the firm name of Bennett & Travis. This arrangement continued
about two years when the partnership was dissolved. Mr. Travis oper-
ated alone until 1900, when he formed a partnership with Frank E.
Smith, and this firm has been successfully engaged in the insurance
business to the present time, and are one of the largest agencies in
Kansas. They represent many of the leading fire, life, and casualty
companies. Mr. Travis was manager of the Missouri Fidelity and
Security Company, for Kansas three years, and is now the manager for
Kansas of the Southern Security Company, of St. Louis, Mo. In 1911,
he was appointed receiver for the Great \\'estern Portland Cement
Company by Judge Pollock, and later was trustee in bankruptcy for
that corporation, and closed up the business to the satisfaction of all
concerned. Mr. Travis is owner and proprietor of the Travis Drug Co.,
of Blue Mound, Kans., and is also interested in the Osborne Process
Liquid Carbonic Company, of Kansas City, Mo., and is a director in the
State Savings Bank, of lola, Kans. In 1908, he was elected State
BIOGRAPIIICAr. 3 I I
senator from tlie Fourteenth District and served in the Sixteenth and
Seventeenth sessions of tlie Legislature. While a member of that body-
he was active and influential in legislation and introduced several im-
portant measures which became laws, among which was the Wife
Abandonment I!ill. lie was a member of the committee on Cities, of
the Second and Third class, Commerce, Corporations, Labor, Manufac-
turing and Industrial pursuits, Military affairs, Oil and Gas, Rules,
and was chairman of the committee on insurance. He was a staunch
supporter of the Compensation Act, which became a law. and it so
happened that his was the one necessary vote which carried the submis-
sion of the Women's Equal Suffrage Amendment. He was the last of
the thirty-nine senators to vote, and when his name was called the vote
stood twenty-six for, and twelve against, and when his vote was recorded
in favor of the amendment that gave the necessary two-thirds majority.
Mr. Travis has been a life-long Republican and has taken an active
interest in the affairs of his party. He has served as a delegate to con-
gressional and State conventions and has been secretary of the County
Central Committee, and been secretary of the Congressional and Judicial
Committee. He was married June 24, 1905, to Miss Anna Belle Mc-
Donald, daughter of John ;\L and Lavina (Anderson) McDonald. John
AL McDonald was a Kansas pioneer, coming to this State and settling
in Allen county in 1857. He died June 2, 1910. Mrs. Travis was born
on a farm near lola, and educated in the public schools. Mr. Travis is
second lieutenant in the First Regiment, Kansas National Guard, and
is a Knights Templar Mason, and a member of the Knights of Pythias;
the Ancient Order of United Workmen ; the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks, and the Military Order of The Loyal Legion. Mrs.
Travis is a member of the Eastern Star, and Mr. and Mrs. Travis are
members of the Episcopal church of which he is vestryman.
Francois Oliver, Sr., of Danville, is a prominent representative of the
successful Kansas agriculturist. He is a native of France, and was
brought to America by his parents when six years old. He was born
October ii, 1S42. and is a son of .Alexander and Barbara (Mercier)
Oliver, bolh natives ni France, who came to America in 1848, locating in
Wayne county, Ohio, where the father was a successful farmer. He
died in Holmes county, Ohio, September 3, 1883. Francois Oliver was
one of a family of six children. He attended a I'rench Catholic school
in Holmes county, Ohio, until he was sixteen }ears old and then entered
an English school, where he learned to speak the English language and
received a very good general, education. W^hen twenty-five years of
age, he engaged in farming in Ohio, where he remained until 1884, when
he came to Harper county, Kansas, and bought unimi)rovcd land in
Odell townshiji, in which he invested $4,200.00 which he lirought with
him. He still f)wns this place and has bought additional land from lime
to time until he now owns 2,800 acres, all under cultivation and well
312 BIOGRArillCAl.
improved with good buildings. In i(;o6, he bought 600 acres of prairie
land, for which he paid $25,600.00. He broke this and planted it in
wheat and the proceeds from the lirst crop nearly paid for the land, the
yield being appro.ximately 26,000 bushels. In addition to his extensive
farming operations, he has been a successful breeder of pure blood
Poland China swine. He was engaged in this business in Ohio, before
coming to Kansas, and since coming to this State has sold for breeding
purposes about 2,000 head of Poland China swine. In 1914, he entered
twenty head at both the Kansas and Oklahoma State fairs and took
twenty-eight premiums. His male hog "Smuggler," whose pedigree is
traced back seven generations, all prize winners, won the grand cham-
pionship at the Oklahoma and Kansas State fairs for three consecutive
years, four States being represented in the exhibition contest. This is
undoubtedly the most valuable hog in the west. Mr. Oliver was united
in marriage November 15, 1866, to Miss Marie Blanchard, and to this
union have been born twelve children : Frank L., born September 4.
1867; Mary M., born July 22, 1869; Louis L., born October 5, 1871 ;
Harry J., born March 30, 1874; George A., born October 20. 1876; Paul
P., born January 24, 1879; Katherine M., born ^lay 7, 1881 ; Laura M.,
Ijorn September i. 1883; Lawrence L., born November 19, 1885; Louis
L., born November 3, 1888; Francis A., born ]\Iarch 24, 1892, and Joseph
H., born May 31, 1891. The family are members of the Catholic church,
and are well and favorably known in Harper county.
John W. Atwater, a representative citizen of Jackson county is a native
of Ohio. lie was born at Huron, Erie county, November 18, 1869. a son
of John and Patience (Peck) Atwater, the former a native of Ohio and
the latter of Vermont. The father was a farmer and stockman, and in
1884, the family came to Kansas and settled on a farm near Netawaka,
Jackson county. John W. Atwater was educated in the public schools.
He was engaged in farming with his father until 1897, when he was
elected county clerk and removed to Holton when he assumed the duties
of. that office. He was re-elected in 1899, and on account of a revision
of the election laws held the office five years in all. At the expiration of
his term in January, 1903, Mr. Atwater engaged in the land business at
Holton, in which he was very successful and did an extensive business.
He sold a great deal of Oklahoma land as well as doing a large local busi-
ness. For the last three years he has also been engaged in farming and
stock raising, making a specialty of pure-bred Herefords. In 1912, he
became interested in The State Bank of Holton, and is now secretary of
the board of directors of that institution. He is a Republican and has
taken an active part in local and State politics. He has served as a mem-
ber of the Republican County Central Committee and has frequently
been a delegate at judicial, congressional and State conventions. Mr.
Atwater was united in marriage December 25. 1902, to Miss Bessie E.
Dixon, daughter of William F. and Rebecca (Washburn) Dixon, natives
BIOGRAPIIKAI. 313
of Ohio, where tlic fatlicr was engaged in farming and fruil growing.
The Dixon faniil\- came to Kansas in 1872, and first settled in Brown
county, and removed from there to Sedgwick county where they remained
for a time when they removed to Netawaka where the parents now reside.
Mrs. Atwater was born at Netawaka, Kans., January 20, 1882. She was
educated in the Netawaka schools and taught school for a time prior to
her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. .\twater have been born two children:
I'^rancis, born September 21, 1905, and John W. Jr., born Februar}' 28,
1913. The great bereavement of Mr. Atawter's life came to him in the
death of his faithful and loving wife, who departed this life March 4, 1913.
Lycurgus L. Elledge, a well-known and highly respected citizen of
Denison, Kans., is a native of Iowa. He was born in Fremont county,
March 18, 1867, and is a son of Frank and Alartha (Ramsay) Elledge, the
former a native of Illinois and the latter of Missouri. The father was a
farmer and stock dealer, and at an early day, removed to Hitchcock
County, Nebraska, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising
several years. The mother died at Culverson, Neb., in 1881. Lycurgus
L. Elledge received his early educational discipline in the public schools,
and when a young man engaged in railroad work, in the bridge construc-
tion department. He began as laborer, and later became foreman. In
1884, he came to Kansas, and entered the employ of the Kansas Central
Railroad Company, and remained in their employ about five years, when
he went with the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, and for about eight
years had charge of the bridge construction, building most of the bridges
along the K. C. N. W. in Kansas. He remained with that company until
January, 1899, when he removed to Denison, Kans., where he has since
resided. While following railroad work he had saved enough out of his
earnings to buy a farm in Jackson county, and since then has invested
e.\tensi\'ely in farm mortgages, and is a stock holder in the Ilolton State
liank of Holton, Kans. He was married April 6, 1898, to Miss Jennie
Hradshaw, of Jackson county, and a native of Missouri. She died in
November, 1904, at Denison, Kans. She was a daughter of B. II. Hrad-
shaw, a Jackson county pioneer, who became an extensive breeder of
thorough-bred cattle and horses. In October, 1903, Mr. I'llledgc married
Miss Lucretia A. Bradshaw, a sister of his first wife. Mr. and Mrs. F.ll-
cdgc arc members of the Church of God.
Edward R. Sloan, a ])rominent Jackson county attorney, was born in
.Seward county. Nebraska, March 12, 1883. He is a son of G. \\'. and
ilanna J. (McClough) Sloan, the former a native of Pennsylvania and
the latter of Illinois. In 1886, the famil\- came to Kansas, locating in
SluTidan county, wdiere the father was engaged in farming and stock
raising and here Edward R. began his education in the jjublic schools
and later attended the Kansas State Agricultural College of Manhattan,
one year, lie then entered Campbell Cni\'ersily at Holton. where he
sttidied law two years, graduating in liie class of 1934. lie then took
314 BIOGRAPHICAL
a course in the law department of Washburn College, where he received
the degree of Doctor of Laws in 1905. He was admitted to the bar of
Kansas. June 22. IQ05. He was elected county attorney of Sheridan
county in the fall of 1904, and was re-elected to that office twice, serving
six years. In July, 191 1, the law firm of Hursh & Sloan was formed, and
they have since been engaged in the practice at Holton, Kans. They have
built up a large practice and rank among the leading lawyers of Northerr
Kansas. In April, 1912, Mr. Sloan was appointed city attorney of Holton,
and is now serving in that capacity. He was married January 24, 1906,
to Miss Julia L., daughter of Ira and Emily E. (DeLong) Wright,
natives of Illinois. They came to Kansas in 1898, where the father en-
gaged in farming and stock raising. Mrs. Sloan was born in Fillmore
county, Nebraska, August 16, 1887, and educated in the public schools,
and is a graduate of the Norton High School. She taught one term in
Norton county, prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Sloan have been
born three children, as follows: Eldon Raymond, born March 26, 1909;
Gordon \\'right, born April 9, 191 1, and Clarice Emily, born September
28, 1913. Mr. and Mrs. Sloan are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church and he is a inember of the board of stewards. Mr. Sloan is a
member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and he and his wife
are members of the Eastern Star.
Altes H. Campbell, a prominent lawyer of loia, is a native of Kansas,
born near Carlyle. Allen county. May 4, 1862. He is a son of James H.
and Bethia (Simpson) Campbell, natives of Indiana. James H. Camp-
bell, the father came from Switzerland county, Indiana, to Kansas in
i860. He was an attorney and located in Allen county, where he prac-
ticed his profession several years. He was prominent in early day poli-
tics in Allen county, and served as county attorney from 1865 to 1867.
During the years of 1863-64 he represented Allen cotmty in the State
Legislature. He continued the practice of his profession until 1870, when
on accotmt of failing health he was obliged to give up the practice of law.
He met and married Bethia Simpson, after coming to Allen county. The
Simpson family came from Park county, Indiana, to Allen county, Kan-
sas in 1859. Mr. Simpson was a teacher and new^spaper man in Indiana
and Illinois, and after coming to Allen county, took a homestead and
served as county superintendent of schools several terms. Altes H.
Campbell was reared in the midst of the pioneer surroundings of Allen
county, and attended the district schools near Carlyle, and on account of
his father's poor health was compelled to make his own way early in life.
He clerked in stores and worked at various odd jobs when a boy, and
about 1880, began reading law. About this time he was employed as a
hay-baler, and subsequently as assistant postmaster at lola. He con-
tinued to pursue the study of law while working at his various positions
until August 21, 1885, when he was admitted to the bar. He then began
the practice of his profession at Colony, and at the same time had an
BIOGRAPHICAL 315
office at lola. Three months later he removed to lola, where he has since
been engaged in the practice. He has been city attorney of lola three
terms, and was county attorne}- of Allen county one term, and was mayor
of the city of lola two years. He is a Republican and takes an active
interest in local politics. He has also been active in the commercial
development of lola. Mr. Campbell was married June 12, 1888, to Mrs.
Mary Jeanette Potter English, daughter of C. S. and Adelaide (W'aful)
Potter, natives of New York, where Mrs. Campbell was reared and
educated. She taught school for a time in New York State and later was
a teacher in an Indian school in Indian Territory. To Mr. and Mrs.
Campbell have been born three children: Leslie J., Carl B. and Helen.
The family are members of the Episcopal church and Mr. Campbell's
fraternal affiliations are with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks.
James A. Wheeler, secretary and assistant treasurer of the lola Port-
land Cement Company, is a native of New York. He was born at James-
town, July 12, 1864, and is a son of Aaron M. and Lucy (Fish) Wheeler,
natives of New York. In 1867, the family removed to Michigan where
the father engaged in farming. James A. Wheeler received his education
in the district schools, and the high school at St. Louis, Mich. After fin-
ishing school he became a clerk in a bank at St. Louis, Mich., and later
became assistant cashier of the bank and remained with that institution
seven 3'ears. In 1891, he resigned to accept a position in the office of
^\'illiam L. Holmes, an extensive real estate dealer of Detroit, Mich.
Later Mr. Holmes organized the American Construction Co. and Mr.
Wheeler had charge of the office part, of both the real estate and con-
struction business in Detroit, until July, 1899, when he came to lola,
Kans., to make arrangements for the construction of the lola Portland
Cement Company's plant at Bassett. This work was commenced in
September, 1899, and Mr. W'hecler had charge of the financial end of the
construction of that plant, ^^'hen the plant was comi)leted, he became
secretary and assistant treasurer of the lola Portland Cement Com])any,
a i)osition which he has since held. In the discharge of the duties of his
office, in connection with this extensive industrial institution, Mr. Wheel-
er has demonstrated unusual business ability. In addition to his other
duties, he has charge of a four hundred acre farm, near lola, which his
company o])erates. Mr. Wheeler takes an active part in the local affairs
of Allen county, and has served as president of the Allen county Agricul-
tural Association for eight years, and has been mayor of Bassett since
the organization of that town. He was married .'September 8. 1887. to
Miss Minnie M. Slebbins, daughter of W. L. and Margaret (l-'rancisco)
Stebbins, natives of New York. The Stebbins family removed to Michi-
gan and located at St. Louis where Mrs. Wheeler was born. To Mr.
and Mrs. W^heeler have been born two children : Florene and Louis J.
The famih .irc members of the Presbvterian church, and Mr. Wheeler is
3i6 nioGRAi'incAL
a Thirty-second Degree Scottish and York Rite Mason, and a member
of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Joseph Mann, a well known Jackson county pioneer, now living retired
at Denison, Kans., was born in county Antrim, Ireland, September 28,
1847. He is a son of James and Margaret (Linn) Alann, also natives of
County Antrim, Ireland. The mother died when Joseph was a boy five
years of age. His father remarried, his second wife being Jane Lockhart.
In 1863, the family immigrated to America, and settled in Ohio. Here
the father, who had been a farmer in Ireland, rented a farm, where he
remained about a year when he removed to Waukesha, Wis., where he
engaged in farming and dairying and spent the remainder of his life.
Joseph Mann was about fifteen years of age when he came to America
with his parents, and he remained at home and assisted his father until
he was nineteen, when he and a brother rented a farm in Wisconsin and
began life for themselves. In March, 1871, he came to Kansas, in com-
pany with his sister. Two brothers had preceded them, coming here in
the fall of 1870, one locating in Jackson county, and the other in Clay
county. Joseph and his sister went to Jackson county, and located in
Cedar township, on a farm which his brother had bought for him, with
money that he had gix-en him for that purpose. Here he engaged in
farming and stock raising. He passed through periods of droughts,
grasshoppers, and other agencies of failure, and endured all the hardships
with which the Kansas pioneer was confronted in those days. He began
with one hundred and si.xty acres, and has since added several fine farms
to his holdings, and is now one of the large land owners of Jackson
county. He remained on the farm until 1891, when he removed to Deni-
son where he is now living retired, and enjoying the fruits of former toil.
His home is located on a small tract of land adjoining the town of Deni-
son. Mr. !\Iann never married. He is a member of the Covenanter
church.
Herbert O. Tudor, one of the most e.xtensive farmers and dairymen
of Jackson county, is a native of Ohio. He was born at Greenfield,
November 3, 1856, and is a son of Lewis and Sallie (Walker) Tudor,
natives of Ohio. Lewis Tudor was a farmer in Ohio and followed that
occupation throughout life. His wife, Sallie Walker, was a sister of
.\ndrew D. Walker, a sketch of whom including the Walker' family
history appears in this volume. Herbert O. Tudor was only ten years
old when his father died. He attended the district schools near Green-
field, Ohio, and also high school, but on account of his father's death
the boy was compelled to give up school in early life, and turn his
attention to the real problems of making his way in the world at an early
age. He engaged in farming in his native State until the spring of
1887, when he came to Kansas. He settled in Jackson county, on the
place where he now resides, and for ten years folowed general farming
and stock raising, feeding a large number of cattle for market. Some
vears, lie marketed as high as five hundred head of cattle, and seven
BIOGKAPHICAI. 31/
Iniiiilrcd and UiW head nf Iidgs. all (if which he raised. About 181)5, ^^^
he^an hrccdins^- Slmrt Iluni cattle makini;- a specialty of that breed,
until he had one of the largest herds in that section of the State, and in
1902; sold his herd of Short Horns. Until recently he has confined his
hog' raising to Poland China stock but during the last few years has
raised the Durock Jerseys, quite extensively, and has been very success-
ful with them. He followed general farming and stock raising, including
feeding, from 1902, to 191 1, when he engaged in the dairy business on an
extensive scale. He thoroughly equipped his place for modern dairying,
and for convenience, sanitation and all modern methods, Mr. Tudor's
farm is without a parallel. His barns are modern in every detail, with
three large substantial silos in connection and line sheds and 1)arns,
conveniently arranged for the accommodation of a large number of sheep
and hogs. His farm which is well improved consists of thirteen hundred
acres, and is located in Garfield township, Jackson county. About five
years ago, Mr. Tudor, added shee]) raising to his other enterprises, and
has made the same success of that department which has characterized
his other efforts. During the year 1914, he prepared for market and
sold eighteen hundred head of sheep. Mr. Tudor married Miss Ida
Patton, daughter of William \'. and A'ictoria ((llascock) Patton, of
Highland county, Ohio, where the father was a farmer and stock
raiser. Mrs. Tudor was educated in the public schools and was gradu-
ated from the Hillsboro, Ohio, High School. She was a teacher for a
few years before her marriage. Mrs. Tudor died in Septemlier, 1907.
To Mr. and Mrs. Tudor was born eight children, six of whom are living:
Ruth, married Ed. C. I.atta, a farmer of Franklin township, Jackson
county ; William, a farmer of Garfield township, Jackson county, mar-
ried ^'era W'yble ; Herbert O. Jr., graduate of Kanas University, now
assisting his father on the farm ; Walter P., a student in the Kansas .State
Agricultural College. Manhattan. Kans. ; Mary and Ida, students in the
Holton High School. The family are members of the Presbyterian
church, and Mr. Tudor is a member of the Elk Valley Grange, of Jack-
son county. He is a strong advocate of better agricultural conditions
and more scientific farming methods of a practical kind. He is a close
student of the advances along all lines of agriculture, and has m;ide an
luiusual success in his chosen field of endeavor.
Capt. John Schilling a Kansas ])ioneer. died at his home near Hia-
watha. Kans., November 26, 1911. He is survived by his second wife,
and four sons by his first, who are: .Mbcrt, of Leavenworth. Kan.;
Mark, who lives near Tonganoxie, Kans., William, who is on the home
place, and Jacob G.. a sketch of whom follows this article. He is also
survived by two daughters, Mrs. .^nna Candall, resides near the home
place, and Mrs. Ella Simanton, of Globe, .\rizona, Capt. Schilling was
born in Germany, near Bingen on the Rhine, January i, 1837. He
attended school in his native land until 1S48, when his parents immi-
grated to the I'nited States, settling at Hudson. X. Y.. where they made
3l8 BKICRAl'inCAL
their home until 185 1. when they removed to Kalamazoo, Mich. He
attended the common schools both in New York and Michigan, and
removed to Kansas, March 6, 1857, and settled on the place where he
died. He married Miss Susan Meisenheimer in the following November.
She was a daughter of Martin Meisenheimer, a Brown county pioneer,
who was a soldier under Napoleon, in 1815, and was wounded at the
battle of Waterloo. Mr. Schilling enlisted in Company i. Thirteenth
Kansas infantry at the outbreak of the Civil War, and served until its
close. He was elected captain of this company and served in that
capacity during the war. After the close of the war he engaged in the
mercantile business and established the firm of Schilling & Meisen-
heimer. The firm was changed in 1870, to J. Schilling & Co., and later
to J. Schilling & Bro. He disposed of his interest in the mercantile
business to his brother Adam, in 1882, and organized and became
president of the Union Loan and Trust Co. In 1892, he retired from
this and returned to his country home.
Capt. John Schilling was a prominent Republican and was known all
over the State as one of the Republican war horses. He served on the
school board of the city of Hiawatha for twenty-one years, and was also
the first mayor of Hiawatha. In 1896. he was appointed county com-
missioner to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Capt. A. \\'alters,
and served as chairman of the board of commissioners for four years.
He was a presidential elector in 1880, and cast his vote for Jas. A. Gar-
field and Chester A. Arthur. In 1888, he was elected to the State senate
from the district composed of Brown and Doniphan counties. He was
also a delegate to the Republican National convention at St. Louis in
1896, that nominated Wm. ]\IcKinley for the presidency. Capt. Schilling
was a member of Mt. Horeb Chapter No. 46, and a charter member and
past eminent comamnder of Hiawatha Commandry No. 13 Knights
Templar. He was also a member of Diamond Lodge Knights of Pythias
and Hiawatha Post No. 130, G. A. R.
Jacob G. Schilling, is a native of Kansas. He was born in Hiawatha
township. I'.rown county. May 5. 1862, and is a son of Captain John and
Susan (Meisenheimer) Schilling, the former a native of Germany and
the latter of Ohio. The father was a farmer and stock raiser for a time,
but most of his life was spent in the mercantile business at Hiawatha,
Kans. Captain John Schilling was a Kansas pioneer. He came to Kan-
sas in 1856, and settled on a homestead in Brown county within a half
mile of where the town of Hiawatha is now located. Jacob G. Schilling
received his early education in the public schools of Hiawatha and was
the first graduate from the High School of that place. After com])leting
high school, he received the ajjpointmcnt to the United States Military
Academy at West Point, N. Y. After spending two years in that insti-
tution, he returned to Brown county, Kansas, and engaged in farming
and stock raising, and soon became one of the large stock raisers of the
countv. In 1908, he was nominated for county treasurer on the Repuljli-
BIOGRAPHICAL 3I9
can ticket and elected. He then removed to Hiawatha, and in 1910 was
re-elected to the office of county treasurer, serving two terms. At the
expiration of his second term he was elected city engineer of Hiawatha,
and in 1913, was elected county engineer of Brown county, and is now
holding these offices. He is also engaged in the farm loan and fire insur-
ance business at Hiawatha, being a member of the firm of Meisenheimer
& Schilling. This is one of the extensive loan and insurance concerns
in that section of the State. Mr. Schilling is a Republican and takes an
active part in local politics. He has served as delegate on numerous
occasions to comity, congressional and State conventions, and has been
a member of the Republican Central Committee. He was married De-
cember 24, 1889, to Miss Lettie, daughter of Alex and Mary Moore,
natives of Indiana. To Mr. and Mrs. Schilling have been born two chil-
dren: John, deputy treasurer of Brown county, and Leland, a student at
Highland Park in the University of Iowa, where he is studying civil
engineering. Mr. and Mrs. Schilling are members of the Reform church,
and he is a member of the time-honored Masonic lodge.
David C. Hawk, Probate Judge of Harper county, is a native of the
Buckeye State. He was born at Athens, Ohio, March 2, 1867, and is a
son of William J. and Mary Jane (Kitchen) Hawk, both natives of
New Jersey. The father was born' in Hunterdon county, November 13,
1831, and his parents were also natives of that State and of German
descent. William J. Hawk was a farmer and teacher. In 1852, he re-
moved w ith his parents to .\thens, Ohio, where he followed farming and
school teaching until 1899, when he removed to Bluflf City, Kans., and
bought a farm near Bluff City and also some town property. He im-
mediately became a factor in the political, educational and religious life
of Harper county. He was a life-long Democrat and a member of the
Baptist Church. He died at Bluff City, June 13, 1911, his wife having
passed away March 19, 1899. at Athens, Ohio, at the close of a con-
sistent Christian life. She too, lived and died in the Baptist faith. They
had eight children, as follows: Elizabeth, nnw the wife of Dr. TI. F.
McCoy, Houston, Tex.; Lewis C, was killed in a railroad accident in
Texas, in 1902; William J. Jr., resides at Athens, Ohio; Isaac M., died
in 1879; George B., died in 1913; Dr. Benjamin F. and David C. (twins),
born March 2, 1867, the latter the subject of this sketch. Dr. Benjamin
F. Hawk was educated in the University of Ohio and Sterling Medical
College, of Columbus, Ohio, and is now superintendent of the Kansas
State Hosi)ital at Larned, having been appointed to that position when
the new institution was opened in 1913. The youngest child born to
William J. and Mary Jane (Kitchen) Hawk is Hadley C, born February
10, 1873, and now resides at Winfield, Kans. David C. Hawk received
his education in the public schools at Athens, Ohio, and on October 2,
1882, when he was about fifteen years old, he fell from a moving con-
struction train, and the entire train ])a^sed over him and the accident
323 DIOGRAPHICAL
resulted in the loss of his right arm and leg. The following year he
entered the office of the Toledo & Oliio Central railroad at Athens, Ohio,
and learned telegraphy and station office work. Within eight months
he had become the operator in charge of the station and within one year
was telegraph operator in the office of the General ^lanager of the road
and short!}- afterwards became train dispatcher and by the time he had
been in the employ of the railroad two j^ears he was chief train dis-
patcher of the entire system. He held this responsible position for six
years, and in 1893, accepted the position of chief train dispatcher for
the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad at Xeodesha, Kans. He re-
mained in this position until 1897, when he resigned and came to Bluff
City, where he bought land and served as station agent for the St. Louis
& San Francisco Railroad Co. until 1910. He had taken an active part
in local politics since coming to Harper county and in 1910, became a
Democratic nominee for the office of Probate Judge of Harper county,
and was elected, and his career as a public official was approved by his
reelection to that office in 1912. Mr. Hawk was married Xovember 27.
18S7, to Miss Nellie Martin, a native of Athens, Ohio, born September
9, 1866. She is a graduate of Drake L'niversity. of Des Moines, Iowa,
in the class of 1884. She is a daughter of Abraham and Charlotte ( Rob-
innette) ]\Iartin. natives of Ohio. The father died in \\ichita. Kans.,
Februarj- 20, 1895. He came to Kansas in 1887. and located on a farm
in Harper county. He was prominent in local politics and was a staunch
Re])ublican. In 1888, he was elected to the legislature from Harper
county, and served as Post blaster of Bluff City, from 1890 to 1896. his
wife died January 20. 1910. To Mr. and Mrs. Hawk have been born
three children: Ralph ^Martin, born July 31, 1891. married Helen Xold.
Xovember 24. 1912. and is now station agent for the Kansas Southern
Railroad at Bluff City. Kans.; Harry M., born December 5. i8<^)3, now
a telegraph operator, and Olin La\'erne, born January 5. i8g6. Mr. and
Mrs. Hawk are members of the Christian church and are well and favor-
ably known in the community.
Alonzo J. Fipps. — Thirty-six years ago, Alonzo J. Fipps left his
nati\e State, and since that time Kansas has been his home, and he
has never had cause to regret that move. He was born on a farm in
Bartholomew county. Indiana. Xovember 18. 1856. His parents were
John H. and Martha A. (Rown) Fipps. both natives of Indiana. They
had four children. Sarah, born in 1851. died in infancy; William, born in
1853, farmer, resides at Liberty, Ind. Alonzo J., the subject of this
sketch, and John, born January 12, 1859, and died June 20, 1859, Alonzo
J. Fipps received his early education in the public schools of Indiana
and Ohio, and in 1878 came to Kansas, and rema'ined one year in Wichita.
He then went to Harper county, and preempted a claim in Pilot Knob
township, five miles east and two miles south of Harper, where he
BIOGRAPHICAL ^21
has since li\cd and i>ros])ered, and ncnv owns a home and other property
in the town of ]Iar])cr. He was married February 22, 1894, at Harpei,
to ^liss Anchor, daugliter of Joseph and Mary (Knotts) Montgomery.
Mrs. Fipps is also a native of Indiana, born in FrankHn county, and
came to Kansas with her parents, both now deceased, in 1876. To
Mr. and Mrs. Fipps have l:)een born two children: Edna Arvilla, born in
1895, died in infancy, and John Everett, born July 7, 1896, a graduate of
the Harper High School, class of 1914, and now resides at home. Mrs.
Fipps is a member of the Christian Church, and is active in church work.
Politically Mr. Fip])s is a Democrat, and has served as trustees of Pilot
Knob township several terms. His fraternal affiliations are with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
William H. Mitchell, the present mayor of Beloit, Kan., is a native of
New York. He was born on a farm near Elizabethtown, Essex county.
New York, January 22, 1835. His parents were William N. and Mary
f Hillock) Mitchell, the former a native of Chittenden, Vt., of New Eng-
land ancestry. William N. Mitchell was a printer in early life and foi
a time published the Essex County "Republican" at Essex, N. Y. About
1832 he engaged in farming, which he followed until his death in 1892, ai
the advanced age of eighty-two years. He spent his life in Essex county.
Mary Hillock, our subject's mother, was born in Ireland in 1817 and
was brought to this country by her parents when she was two years of
age. They settled in Essex county. New York, wliere they spent their
lives.
\\'illiani II. Mitchell received a common school education and when
a boy learned the carpenter's trade and followed that vocation until
the great Civil war broke out, in 1861, when, in answer to President
Lincoln's call, he enlisted in Company K, Thirty-eighth regiment. New
York volunteer infantry. At the organization of the company he was
elected sergeant and received his baptism of fire at the first battle of
P)ull Run. He was in the army two years and was in several engage-
ments and saw much service, but was one of the fortunate who came
out of the conflict with honor and without scars. In 1865 he came to
Kansas City and was engaged in the livery business until 1867. From
1867 until 1870 he was interested in the patent-right business. He then
went to Abilene, where he erected the first business house in that town.
In the fall of 1870 he located in Beloit and opened the first hotel in the
place, which he conducted four years, and in 1874 was appointed post-
master of I'eloit, serving in that capacity twelve years. In 1886 Mr.
Mitchell turned to an entirely new business venture, buying large tracts
of i)inc timber land in Arkansas and engaged extensively in the saw
mill and lumber business, which he carried on for thirteen years. He
retained his residence in Beloit all this time. His .\rkansas lumber
business proved vcrv successful financially, but on account of failing
health he was compelled to dispose of his interests there. He invested
1,^2 BIOGRAPHICAL
the proceeds in Kansas land in ^Mitchell and Jewel! counties, which also
proved to be a very profitable move from a financial standpoint. Mr.
Mitchell has had a remarkably successful business career and at the same
time has always taken an active interest in public affairs. He is ever
ready to lend his aid and influence to any worthy enterprise for the bet-
terment of his town and community. In 1901 he was elected mayor of
Beloit and the fact that he has been continuously reelected to that office
ever since is sufficient evidence that he has made good. He served seven
years on the school board, five years of which he was its president. He
has been a lifelong Republican, casting his first vote for John C. Fre-
mont for President in 1856, and since that time has taken a keen interest
in the welfare of his party and active in its councils, casting his last
ballot for William H. Taft for President in 1912. He has served two
terms as chairman of congressional committee of the Sixth district, and
has the distinction of having been a delegate to two Republican national
conventions, the Philadelphia convention in 1900 and the convention of
1904. He has served as a delegate to numerous State and county con-
ventions. He is a member of Beloit Post, No. 147, of which he is past
commander, having served as commander four years in succession.
Henry Williams, capitalist, and one of the best representatives of the
agricultural interests of Smith county, has liv^ed in Kansas over a quarter
of a century. He is a type of the sort of men who came to the State
at an early day, suffered all the privations and hardships of a new
country, and who was courageous, and had faith enough in Kansas to
stay through the hard years of droughts and grasshoppers until the earth
returned bountiful crops and verified his faith. He was born in Carroll
county, Illinois, July 3, 1858, and was reared upon his father's farm,
attending the public schools until sixteen years of age, when he removed
to Jo Daviess county, Illinois. Four years later he came to Kansas,
arriving in November, 1878. He at once located on a homestead in
Smith county, where he built a dug-out house and barn. Mr. Williams
made the trip west with a wagon and team, as railroads were few in
Kansas in the early '70s. Within a few hours after arriving he lost one
of his horses, which was a serious matter, as he had but little money and
found it difficult to buy another. He began to farm his land and soon
proved up his claim. For a time Mr. ^^^illiams worked for a contractor
of the Burlington railroad, which was being built, but the contractor
cheated him of his honestly earned money. Mr. Williams stored some
of his grain in his barn, and while away the cattle of one of the nearby
settlers hooked the roof off and ate all the grain which he had for his
own horses. In addition he found the roof of his house full of holes,
where the cattle had dug it with their horns. The owner of the cattle
offered to pay for the damage, but with the big heartedness of frontier
men, Mr. Williams refused the money, as he knew they would help him
if he ran short of provisions. The spring after his arrival in Kansas,
BIOGRAPHICAL 323
Mv. Williams drove from Bloomington, Neb., to Oberlin, Kan., a dis-
tance of 125 miles, for which he received $24.00, boarding himself on
the ten-day trip. The nearest railroad at this time was at Red Cloud,
Neb., forty miles awa}', where supplies were purchased and produce
marketed, a trip of several days when' a farmer went to market. Food
was often scarce, and Mr. Williams lived for many days on "sow belly
and corn dodgers," being glad to get them. He had great faith in the
country and while some settlers returned to the East, in defeat, he re-
mained to gain a comfortable fortune. Mr. Williams early saw the
advantage of allied business interests and bought a threshing outfit,
which he ran for a number of years. In addition to this he began feeding
cattle and hogs, which, under his able management and thrift, became
profitable. The first money he borrowed for business purposes was in
1879, the amount being $25.00, on which he was obliged to pay five per
cent, interest per month, but he was a good manager and soon paid off
the debt. I\Ir. \\'illiams attributes all his success to his honest policy,
as he met all his obligations as he would wish other men to meet theirs,
paying every note as it fell due. Because of this policy he has unlimited
credit, which has been of great advantage to him in business. For many
years he has bought cattle all over the country. Sixteen years ago he
purchased over a thousand head in New Mexico, which he shipped to
Kansas and sold over a large part of the country. Since 1877 he has
been rated as one of the most prosperous cattle men of Northern Kansas,
being the first to ship on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad
from Smith county. His business increased to such an extent that he
moved to town in order to more easily handle it, and soon entered the
milling industry, and has been president of the mill company since the
time of its organization. At the present time the company has over
$50,000 invested. They also operate the electric plant which lights the
city. Mr. Williams has not confined his interests to one line, but is
also the proprietor of the largest clothing firm, under the name Williams
& Company. He is interested in three banks, being a director of the
First National Bank of Smith Center; vice-president of the First State
Bank of Athol, Kan., and vice-president of the First State Bank of Portis,
Kan. Since coming into town Mr. Williams has become the local agent
for the Ford automobile, great numbers of which his local company have
sold, in connection with the garage which he has started. Although such
a busy man, Mr. \\'illiams still manages his 1,500-acre ranch, where he
is engaged in feeding cattle, usually having about 500 head. This land
is some of the finest in the county, being worth about $75.00 an acre.
On June 12, 1882, Mr. Williams married Mary, the daughter of Rhin-
hardt Sinsel, of Kearney county, Nebraska. They started housekeeping
in the little sod house which Mr. Williams first erected, but two years
later he built a frame dwelling on the homestead which he still owns.
There are five children in the family: Bertha A., the wife of George B.
324 BIOGRAPHICAL
Morgan, of Smith county ; John H. : Iva M., wife of Otho H. Plunger, of
Smith Center; Leo E., and Roy R. John H. and Leo E. have rented
their father's farm for the next year. In politics Mr. WilHams is a stanch
Democrat, although he has never held office, but has devoted his entire
time to his vast business interests.
J. L. Raines, president of the Bank of Perry, is one of the progressive
business men of Jefferson county. He was born at Sedalia, Mo., Decem-
lier 24. 1852, and is a son of Henry C. and Hester Ann ( Stringfield")
Raines, the former a native of Missouri and the latter of Kentucky. The
Raines family came to Kansas in 1866, and settled on a farm near Pleas-
ant \'alley. The family had removed from Missouri to Malvern, Iowa,
in 1853, and resided there until they came to kansas in 1866. J. L. Raines
received his early education in the public schools of Iowa and after com-
ing to Kansas attended Kansas University at Lawrence. He then en-
gaged in teaching in Perr}- and followed that occupation there until 1875.
He then went to California and taught school in San Luis. Obispo county,
until 1883, when he returned to Perry and engaged in teaching there
again, and later was elected county superintendent of Jefferson county,
serving in that office four years. He then engaged in the mercantile busi-
ness at Perry until 1893, when he and Thomas Lee and John F. Goeffert
organized the Bank of Perry, Mr. Goeffert becoming the president of
the institution, and !Mr. Raines, cashier. The bank was organized with a
capital of $10,000, and the capital and surplus is now over $25,000. The
bank has done a generaf banking business and prospered from the begin-
ning, and the policy of the institution has been largely directed by ]\Ir.
Raines since its organization. He remained its cashier until 191 1, when
upon the death of Mr. Goeffert, he succeeded to the presidency of the
institution, and his son V. C. Raines became the cashier. The bank owns
its own building and has been remodeled recently, and is now thoroughly
equipped with all modern banking fi.xtures, and is a model of conven-
ience. Mr. Raines was married February 21, 1877, to Miss Fannie E.
Carson, of Perry, Kans., a daughter of G. B. Carson who was a pioneer
merchant of Jefferson county and for several years engaged in business
at Perry. He later removed to Joplin, Mo., where he died. To Mr. and
Mrs. Raines were born four children, two of whom are living: V. C,
cashier of the Bank of Perry, a personal sketch of whom follows this
article, and Edna, assistant cashier of the Bank of Perry. Mr. Raines
has been a life-long Republican and has taken a keen interest in political
affairs. He is a Mason, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows, the Fraternal Aid. the Knights and Ladies of Security and the
Modern Woodmen of America, and the family are members of the Meth-
odist F])iscopal church.
V. C. Raines, cashier of the Bank of Perry, has been brought up in
the banking business. He is a son of J. L. Raines, a personal sketch of
whom ])recedes this article, and was born at Morro, San Luis, Obispo
BIOGRAPHICAL 325
county Calif., October 5, 1880. When three or four years of age his par-
ents returned to Jefferson county, Kansas, where he was reared and edu-
cated. After completing high .school, he took a business course in Kansas
City. Since he was fifteen years old, he has worked in the bank of which
he is now cashier, with the exception of the years 1909 and 1910, during
which time he served as State bank examiner under J. N. Dolley. In 191 1
when his father became president of the Bank of Perry, V. C. succeeded
to the cashiership. .Although a young man, Mr. Raines has had a broad
range of experience in all phases of the banking business, which together
with his genial disposition and knowledge of men and affairs, well quali-
fies him for the responsible position which he holds. He was married
December 7, 1910, to Miss Linnie Colley, of Perry. She is a daughter of
J. W. Colley, a pioneer of the Kaw valley, now a prominent business man
in Perry. .Mr. and Mrs. Raines have one child, James L. Mr. Raines is
a slauncli Republican, and since casting his first vote has supported the
principles of that party. His fraternal affiliations are with the Independ-
ent Order nf Odd Fellows.
Walt Mason. — There are few people today who have not, at some
lime or other, heard of Walt Mason. For the benefit of those few it
might be well to explain that Walt Mason, familiarly known as "L'ncle
Walt," is the Emporia, Kan., poet whose inimitable wit has brought him
National reputation. ^Villiam .\Ilen White, editor of the Emporia "Ga-
zette," some years ago called Mr. Mason the "Poet Laureate of American
Democracy," and admirers of Mr. Mason's work have voiced their ap-
proval of the title. W'hile Walt Mason has restricted himself almost
wholly to the writing of prose poems, he has done considerable other
newspaper writing. For a time he was connected with the Washington
D. C, "News." His book, called "L'ncle Walt's Book," and his "Rh3'mes
of the Range" were published several years ago and are still in great
demand. Asked, a short time ago, to write a sketch of himself for the
Detroit "News-Tribune," Mr. Mason, though very busy, responded
promptly. AVhat he had to say regarding himself follows :
"I was born at Columbus, Ontario, May 4, 1862. My parents were
poor. I was the fifth of a series of si.x sons. My father was a dyer in
a woolen mill, and was accidentally killed in that establishment when I
was four years old. He was W'elsh and my mother of Scotch descent.
My mother was fond of books and poetry and old songs, and knew
many of the latter. She died when I was fifteen years old. Meanwhile,
during my childhood. T had been going to a country school, and work-
ing for farmers, and also in the woolen mill, .\fter my mother's deatii
I went to Port Plope, Ontario, and worked in a hardware store for a
year and a half, drawing the princely salary of two and a half dollars a
week and boarding myself. When I was nine or ten years old I was
nearly drowned, and was hauled out of the water, unconscious, by an
326 BIOGRAPHICAL
older brother. I have had defective hearing ever since, and it is prob-
abl}' due to this that I never became a merchant prince. Anyhow. I
was not a success in a hardware store, and when I told my employer I
was going to leave he said it was the proudest and happiest moment of
his life. Having severed my diplomatic relations with the hardware
man, I crossed Lake Ontario, in 1880, going to New York State, where I
hoed beans for a summer. It was the poorest fun I ever struck. The
soil was stony, and the hoe was dull, and the sun was as hot as blazes,
and there didn't seem to be any sense in hoeing beans, anyhow. From
New York I took my way westward, arm in arm with the star of empire.
I stopped a while in Ohio, then in Illinois, and finally reached St. Louis,
where I went to work in a printing establishment and 'kicked' a job press
through the hottest summer ever invented. There was a humorous
weekly, called the 'Hornet.' in St. Louis, and I sent some stuff to it. The
'Hornet" printed it, and the editor wrote to me and asked me to call. He
offered me five dollars a week to go to work in the office, writing gems
of thought, reading proofs, sweeping the floors, and otherwise making
myself useful. I took the job and remained with the 'Hornet' until it
went broke. Not being able to get another job in St. Louis, I went to
Kansas and worked around the State for three years as a hired man.
Disgusted with that sort of work, and being ambitious to get into news-
paper business, I managed to get a job with the Leavenworth 'Times.'
Later I became a reporter on the Atchison 'Globe,' and there learned a
great deal that was useful to me. From that time forward I was chas-
ing myself all over the country, and was connected with newspapers in a
dozen cities, but always had the idea that the next town would be a
little better, and kept moving around. I was mixing up farming with
newspaper work in Nebraska for a good many years, and making a
failure of both. It took me a good while to discover that pigs and poetry
won't mix. When I did find it out I came to Kansas, and went to work
for William Allen ^Vhite, writing stuff for the editorial page of the
Emporia 'Gazette.' The 'Gazette' always printed on its first page an
item of local news with a border around it, called a star head. One
day the city editor was shy of a necessary item, and asked me to write
something to fill that space. I wrote a little prose rhyme, advising peo-
ple to go to church next day, whicli was Sunday. The prose rhyme
attracted some attention, and on Monday I wrote another one. and a
third on Tuesday, and so on, and the star-head rhyme became a feature
of the 'Gazette.' Thus originated the prose poem."
Walt Mason's prose poems are widely circulated throughout the L^nited
States and Canada. As an example of his work the following, entitled,
"The Funeral," is given:
"When I have slipped my tether, and left this vale of tears, to see
what sort of weather they have in other spheres. I want no costly casket
with silver trappings bound ; just put me in a basket and chuck me under-
BIOGRAPHICAL 327
ground. Death would be far more jolly and pleasant every way, but
for the idle folly of making big display. It takes a roll unending to
make a graveyard spread, and all the fuss and spending don"t help the
man who's dead. 'Twere best to keep the stivers safe hidden in a tub,
to comfort the survivors and buy them duds and grub. I know that it
would grind me when on the other shore, if those I left behind me had
wolves before the door; if I looked down and found them, immersed in
tears and woe, with creditors around them all howling for the dough.
So when I up and trundle down to the sunless sea, let no one blow a
bundle to pay for planting me. I'll slumber just as sweetly in some old
basswood box as though trussed up completely with silver screws and
locks."
Air. Mason was married in 1893 to Ella Foss, of \\'ooster, Ohio, and
lives in Emporia's finest residence district.
James Nelson Fike. — Success in any line of occupation, in any avenue
of business, is not a matter of spontaneity, but represents the results of
the application of definite subjective forces and the controlling of ob-
jective agencies in such a way as to achieve desired ends. To have ac-
complished so notable a work as has Mr. Fike in connection with the
development of northwestern Kansas should give precedence and repu-
tation to most men. To have reached the position of the world's most
extensive grower of hard winter wheat should fill to full the cup of
his ambition. Since the days of its first settlement he has been Thomas
county's most aggressive and enterprising citizen, possessing in abund-
ance physical strength, indomitable pluck, untiring energy and initiative.
It is probable that no one man through his own success in any given line
of endeavor has drawn upon himself and the State of Kansas as well as
the favorable comment which has attended upon the agricultural enter-
prises of the subject of this article.
James Nelson Fike is a native of Iowa and was born on his father's
farm near La Porte, Black Hawk county, on November 11, 1858. He is a
son of William and Mary J.. (Harmon) Fike. The father was a native
of Center county, Pennsylvania, born in March, 1830, and by trade a
cabinet maker. He became a resident of Carroll county, Illinois, in
1852, and there married Mary Jane Harmon, a native of Indiana, born
in 1834. In 1856 he removed with his family to Iowa, and located near
La Porte, Black ITawk county. He engaged in farming and became a
successful and influential citizen. His death occurred in March, 191 1, at
the age of eighty-one, and that of his wife in 1906, at the age of seventy-
two. The following children survive : George W. Fike, editor and pub-
lisher of the "Western Wave," of Saline county, Nebraska ; James N., of
this record; Phoebe, wife of William R. Hamilton, a real estate dealer, of
Los Angeles, Cal. ; Ann F., wife of J. F. Light, cashier of the Winona
State Rank, Winona, Kan. ; Nora L., wife of Elisha Wilcox, of Los An-
geles, Cal., and Mae, wife of William Taylor, of Salt Lake, Utah, an em-
ploye of the Western Pacific railway.
328 BIOGRAPHICAL
James Nelson Fike acquired his education in the public schools of
his native county and in La Porte Academy. In 1871 he located
in Saline county, Nebraska, where his father had located. He married
there in 1879 and in the following year embarked in farming on his
own account. In 1885 he came to Kansas, driving, with his wife and two
small sons, across country. He took a homestead four miles east of
Colby, Thomas county, then in its first days of settlement. Shortly
after his becoming a resident of this section the count\- was organized,
and he was elected its first county clerk by a non-partisan vote. He
then became a citizen of Colby, which has continued to be his home.
In 1887 he was appointed postmaster at Colby by President Cleveland,
and served two years and eight months, a change in administration
providing a Republican to succeed him. On conclusion of this service
he engaged in the hardware and implement business, but disposed of
this interest in 1894 in order to fill the office of register of the United
States Land Office at Colby, to which he had been appointed by Presi-
dent Cleveland. This office was the result of a consolidation of the
land offices at Oberlin and Kirwin. Mr. Fike served in this capacity
until 1898, when a Republican administration appointed a successor.
He was elected a member of the Board of Railroad Commissioners in
1900 and served until an amendment to the laws was made in 1903.
Since his locating in Thomas county in 1885 he has been a consistent
and earnest advocate of the agricultural possibilities of this section of the
State and had been steadily acquiring land. He had become not only a
large land owner, but an extensive cattle breeder and feeder, and had
realized a substantial financial return. It was not until 1906, however,
that he began the raising of hard wheat on an extensive scale, a line of
endeavor which in the next five seasons was to place him at the front
as the world's largest individual producer of the cereal. The following
from the report of J. C. Mohler, assistant secretary of Kansas State
Board of Agriculture, of September, 1910, gives a comprehensive idea
"not only of Mr. Pike's operations in this, line, but the value of his
efforts to the State at large:
"Probably the most extensive grower of hard winter wheat in the
world is J. N. Fike, of Colby, Thomas county, Kansas. In 1910 he har-
vested nearly 14.000 acres of the kind that has made Kansas famous and
its producers prosperous. This is a larger area of wheat than was har-
vested in 1909 in the states of Maine, New Hampshire. \'ermont. Massa-
chusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Mississippi combined.
"Naturally, in the course of making her record as the great producer
of breadstuffs, Kansas has had numerous extensive wheat growers. A
State with Kansas's rural population that has raised the record wlieat
crop of America, more than 99.000 bushels in 1901, or nearly as much
as was produced by the whole United States fifty years before ; ranked
first in yield six years of the ten ending with 1909, and in the decade
BIOGRAPHICAL 329
threshed 770,590,197 bushels, as Kansas did, or nearly 62,000,000 bushels
more than the State next, which was Minnesota, must have a considerable
number of farmers who conduct wheat farming on a large scale, for
otherwise there would not be the six or seven million acres annually de-
voted to this grain.
"Fields of five hundred to a thousand acres under one management
have been not uncommon. In 1903, J. T. Stewart (since deceased), of
Sumner county, had 18,000 acres, and the same year A. J. Rice, whose
home is in Atchison, harvested 8,000 acres on his Graham count}' farm.
Notwithstanding his considerably smaller acreage, it was reported that
Mr. Rice actually threshed out more wheat in 1903 from his 8,000 acres
than did Mr. Stewart from his 18,000, the crop conditions having been
unfavorable in Sumner count}-. Both of these gentlemen were heavy
holders of realty in the counties where their crops were produced, but
they did not wholly grow the wheat themselves, as Mr. Fike does, but
depended mostly upon tenants.
"It is through a favoring combination of ability, land, conditions,
funds and machinery that has made J. N. Fike a leader in his line. His
practices differ from those in common use in that instead of depending so
largely upon horse power in the preparation of his seed beds he uses
principall}' steam ; otherwise they are much the same, only more exten-
sive, applied to larger acreages, requiring more harvesters, more men,
and, of course, able management.
"But his practices are radically different from those followed by
farmers thirty-five years ago. They plowed with oxen; Fike turns the
soil with gangs of plows drawn by steam. One of their outfits might
possibly plow three acres a day, while one of Fike's turns forty-five to
fifty acres, at much less cost per acre. The one was a stranger to the
header, while the other employed forty of these machines for harvesting
his 1910 crop. They raised soft wheat, while Fike grows the hard,
red, flinty 'Turkey' wheat, which has displaced the soft varieties in
nine-tenths of the fields of Kansas, and which they adopted in 1877.
Besides, Mr. Fike's location is in a region which for years was con-
sidered only adapted to grazing. Hence the latter's wheat experiences
are at this time, like those in the '70s, important and significant, because
his methods are regarded as practicable to a large portion of western
Kansas, where in counties wholly west of the one hundredth meridian
perhaps eighty per cent, of the prairie has not as yet felt the touch of the
plowshare. Mr. Fike's judgment should be good, too, for he located in
Thomas county twenty-five years ago, and has raised more or less wheal
for the past ten years.
"He first used the steam traction engines in the fall of 1906. sowing
1,600 acres that year; the following year the area was increased to 2.500
acres, in 1908 to 4,000 acres, in 1909 to 10,200 acres, in 1910 to 13.790
acres, and his plans were for sowing 17,000 acres in the fall of 1910 for
2SO BIOGRAPHICAL
the crop of 191 1, and at the time this was written (September) condi-
tions for seeding were excellent.
■'The Fike lands are to the west and north of Colby; the 14,000 acres
are not all in one field, but consist of numerous tracts of 200 to nearly
4,000 acres each, all 'divide' or upland, worth on an average pierhaps $25
per acre. The largest field is nine miles west of Colby, and contains al-
most 3,800 acres.
"That everything is handled on a large scale on the Fike farms is
suggested by the following data regarding them :
"Actual wheat area, 17,000 acres.
"Number of men employed in harvesting alone, 185.
■'Number of men employed in threshing, 20.
"Number of men employed in plowing with steam plows, 30.
■'Number of horses and mules employed in harvest alone, 325.
■■Number employed in plowing and seeding for new crop, 200.
"Headers used in harvest, 40, each cutting 30 acres a day.
"Steam plows used, 5.
"Gasoline plow, i.
■'Capacity steam plows. 45 to 50 acres a day each.
"Capacity gasoline plow, 25 to 30 acres a day.
"Capacity steam discs, 90 to lOO acres a day.
"One threshing machine, capacity, 2,000 bushels a day.
"Probable total yield for 1910. 120,000 bushels.
■'Pike has one of the largest threshing outfits made. It has a 36-inch
cylinder and has threshed 2,400 bushels a day. The usual run is a little
over 2,000 bushels a day. The machine begins to hum about 6 o'clock
every morning and keeps going until simdown every night, all through
August and September, every day the weather will permit. Heretofore
the wheat was hauled directly from the machine to the cars and shipped
at once, and this obtains yet for large quantities, but Mr. Fike this year
(1910) built a 30.000-bushel elevator at Levant, the first station west of
Colby, and nearer his fields, which will enable him to hold a goodly per-
centage of his crop should conditions make it desirable. Previously he
has been compelled to sell at threshing time, owing to lack of storage
facilities.
"As they constitute the main essential in which Mr. Pike's practices
differ from those on most Kansas farms where small grain is raised,
interest centers in the steam and gasoline plowing machinery. The steam
engines are of fifty horsepower, and move at a speed of five miles an
hour, carrying enough coal and water for that distance. To the steam
engines are hitched thirty disc plows, coupled in gangs of six plows or
discs each, and one lever controls all the plows in each gang, or one lever
is coupled so that all the plows are thrown into or out of the ground at
the same time. One man drives the engine, another sees that a good
head of steam is kept up, and a third watches the plows. There is a run-
BIOGRAPrilCAL 3^1
ning board a foot wide over the entire length of the plow gangs so that
the plow operators can walk along and watch each disc at its work. The
plows are coupled to the engine with cables, and other cables keep the
plows pulling evenly, and still others pull the harrows. Each gang of
the plow cuts six furrows eight inches wide, or four feet, the whole group
inverting at once a strip of ground twenty feet wide.
"The gasoline plow is of thirty horsepower and pulls three gang plows
of six discs each, cutting twelve feet. It is much more ecomonical than
the steam engine, and it is the intention to early displace the steam outfits
with the others. The gasoline engines are not only operated more
cheaply, but the first cost is less, and they are easier to manage. The
steam otitfits for plowing cost $3,800, and the gasoline engine $3,000."
Mr. Pike's interest in fine cattle is still in evidence, although his wheat
interests prevent his keeping up as large a herd as in former years. He
has attained the Knights Templar degree in Masonry and is affiliated
with Isis Temple Shrine at Salina. He married at Wilber, Neb., on
December 31, 1879, Miss Jennie Noll, a daughter of John Noll, a farmer,
of Lycoming county, Pennsylvania. They are the parents of three chil-
dren : Harry M. Fike, born October 24, 1880, a stock buyer for Swift &
Company at Los Angeles, Cal. ; Guy E. Fike, born February 15, 1883, a
conductor with the Rock Island lines, who resides at Goodland, Kan.,
and Blanche A., born July 16, 1892, a graduate of the Sacred Heart Con-
vent at St. Joe, Mo. Mrs. Fike is a woman of broad education, a mem-
ber of the Presbyterian church, and popular in the social circles of her
home county, in which she and her daughter are leaders.
Mr. Fike is in all respects a high type of the conservative, unassum-
ing American, diligent in his various duties and commercial affairs, and
conscientious in all things. To him Kansas is indebted not only for
an object lesson in scientific agriculture, Init for unselfish jiublic service
in which he was of material value as a constructive element in legislation
of value. He has realized a substantial success from his labors and is
rich in the possession of a well-earned popularity and the esteem which
comes from honorable living.
James W. McGhee, the well known register of deeds of Mitchell
county, is a Pennsylvanian by birth. He was born August 24, 1844. at
Salona, Clinton county, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Thomas and
Elizabeth (Driesbach) McGhee, both also natives of the Keystone State.
The father was born on a farm in Clinton county, Pennsylvania, in Sep-
tember, 1808. His father and mother were natives of Ireland and Scotland,
respectively. Thomas McGhee was engaged in the mercantile business
in Clinton county in earh^ life and later entered politics and was elected
to the office of prothonotary (clerk of the district court), serving in
that capacity four years, when he was elected registrar of wills and
recorder of deeds. He also served four years as sheriff of Clinton. He
was a Thirty-second degree Mason, an Odd Fellow and a member of
_532 BIOGRAPHICAL
the Methodist church. He died April lo, 1878. His wife, to whom he
was married at Lock Haven, Pa., was also a native of that State and
was born in Carbon county -in 1824, of German ancestors. They had
fourteen children, four of whom are living, as follows: Mary M., born
in 1838, now the widow of John L. Doty, Lincoln, Neb.; Ella, born in
1840, married M. M. Trout, Canton, Pa. ; James W., born August 24,
1844, and Robert H., born in 1846.
James W. McGhee was educated in the public schools of Clinton
county, Pennsylvania, and while yet a mere boy enlisted in Company
C, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Pennsylvania volunteer infantry,
which served in the army of the Potomac, under Generals McClelland
and Hooker. He participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, South
Mountain, Crampton's Gap, Chancellorsville, Antietam and a number
of minor engagements. At the close of the war he received an honorable
discharge, and in 1867 he enlisted in the regular army and served in
Company D, Thirty-first L'nited States infantry, for two 3-ears, when he
was discharged on account of disabilities received in the service. He
served in various Indian troubles on the plains and was in the campaign
against the Sioux Indians in Dakota. W'hen he received his discharge
from the army he returned to Lock Haven, Pa., where he clerked in a
store for a short time, when he entered the employ of the Pennsylvania
railroad as brakeman and later as locomotive fireman. He fired on the
construction train that hauled the material to build the railroad from
Harrisburg to Erie, and was the brakeman on the first train run into
Lock Haven over the Bald Eagle Valley branch of the Pennsylvania
railroad. In 1871 Mr. McGhee came to Kansas and took a homestead
on Government land in Mitchell county two miles northwest of Cawker
City, which was a wild and unbroken prairie at that time. He experi-
enced a great deal of frontier life in his day. The two years that he
spent in camp and on the trail as a soldier in the United States army,
followed by an early settlement on the frontier, brought him into con-
tact with the great plains of the Middle West at a time that tested
men's mettle and developed the quality of self-reliance, so indispensable
to those who blazed the way of civilization. There were still some
buffaloes, elk and deer in Mitchell county when he settled there. In
the winter of 1872-3 he killed two buffaloes on the ground where Cawker
City now stands, and in 1873 he was a member of a hunting part}' that
killed 138 buffaloes within three weeks' time in the counties of Osborne,
Rooks and Russell. In 1873 he was appointed postmaster of Cawker
City. The emoluments attached to the position at that time were twelve
dollars per year. He held the office twelve years. He was also engaged
in the mercantile business in Cawker City, and at the same time acted in
the capacity of public auctioneer. He served as clerk and treasurer sev-
eral times and in 1883 was elected mayor. In 1898 he was appointed
deputy county treasurer of Mitchell county and removed to Beloit, where
BIOGRAPHICAL 333
lie has since resided. He was elected registrar of deeds in 1905, re-
elected in 1907, 1910, and 1912, in which capacit)' he is now serving.
Mr. McGhee was united in marriage March 3, 1873, to Miss Xaomi,
daughter of James G. Closon, of Osborne count)', Kansas. She was
born April 2, 1856, at Binghamton, N. Y. She came to Kansas with
her father in 1872, her mother having died in their eastern home before
the father came west. The father died in 1897. Mr. and Mrs. McGhee
have two children: Frank J., born February 23, 1882, and Helen M.,
born February 3, 1895. Mr. McGhee is a Knight Templar Mason and has
served as high priest of Beloit Chapter Xo. 48, and is a noble of the My-
stic Shrine. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and has
served two terms as post commander of Reynolds Post, No. 145, of Caw-
ker City, and two terms as post commander of Beloit Post, No. 145, and
is the present adjutant of the latter post. He assisted in the organization
of the first Masonic lodge and the first Grand Army of the Republic
post in Mitchell county. Since he came to Kansas he has taken an
active interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his adopted
Slate and is a thorough Kansan.
George Lee Calvert. — The semi-centenary of Kansas's statehood con-
cludes an epoch in her history wherein were developed men, who, from
the standpoint of constructive, initiative and executive talent, rank with
the most forceful in the annals of her sister commonwealths. Among
those who have realized a large and substantial success is the subject
of this article. His work in connection with the colonizing of Sherman
county and with the development of her agricultural resources would
prove sufficient to give precedence and reputation to any man were
this to represent the sum total of his efforts, but Mr. Calvert has not
only been of material value in the field mentioned, but has also been
a most potent factor in the commercial, political and social life of the
county, where he took up his residence in 1885.
George I.ee Calvert is a native of Virginia, and was born on the
Calvert homestead near Winchester, Frederick county, on October 26,
1863, and is a son of Israel and Maria (Kackley) Calvert. His ancestors
were among the early settlers of America and numbered among them
have been those who have filled position of usefulness in the town. State
and Nation. His great-grandfather, Jesse Jay Calvert, was a pioneer of
Frederick county, \'irginia, an extensive land owner, and a man of influ-
ence. He took an active part in the war for independence, and gave freely
to the cause. He was the father of eleven children. Jesse Jay Calvert.
Jr., his son, and grandfather of our subject, born in I'rederick county,
was a plantation owner and inventor. A fanning mill, built by him,
entirely of wood, was for many years a treasured heirloom in the fam-
ily. He also was the father of eleven children. His son, Israel, the father
of our subject, and the eldest child, became the practical head of the
familv on his father's death, when but a lad of seventeen. He built
334 BIOGRAPHICAL
the first macadam road across the Alleghany mountains and was a suc-
cessful contractor. Later he engaged extensively in the cattle business,
buying in Ohio and driving to the Baltimore markets. He died at the
old home in Frederick county in 1907, aged seventy-seven. One of his
marked characteristics was his aversion to bookkeeping in his com-
mercial affairs, and his expertness in mental arithmetic was such that
he suffered no losses. He was a stanch Democrat, active in the civic
and social life of his county, and held in high esteem by his fellow
citizens. ' He married, when a young man, Maria Kackley, of Frederick
county, who died in 1908. They were the parents of eleven children,
nine of whom are living: Lafayette, a farmer of ^Mineral county, West
Virginia ; London D., a farmer, residing on the old home place in Fred-
erick county, \'irginia ; John L., an attorne}' of Guthrie, Okla., secretary
of the Democratic State Central Committee of Oklahoma, and whose
son, Curtis C, is clerk of the circuit court of Sherman county. Kansas;
Fannie, wife of Pierce A. Farrabee, a prominent fruit culturist of
Kaiser, \\'. Va. ; Emma, wife of Thomas Pugh, a retired farmer of High
View, W. Va. ; Media, wife of Frank Blakeslee, of Ashtabula, Ohio ;
Matilda, wife of Arthur D. Kackley, a retired farmer of Peoria, 111.;
Mary, wife of Zeb Scott, of Burr Oak, and George Lee, of this record.
Two daughters are deceased ; Adelaide, wife of \\'illiam Boggs, a farmer
of Sherman county, Kansas, died in 1910, and Lorena, wife of Riley Oren-
dorff, of Hardy county, ^^'est \'irginia, died in 1912.
George Lee Calvert was reared on his father's farm and acquired his
education in the public schools of his native county. In the fall of 1885
he came to Kansas and on December 6 filed on a homestead four miles
northwest of the present city of Goodland. Sherman county. This section
of the State was at that time in the earliest stage of development. Ante-
lopes were abundant and a few buffaloes remained. While holding
down his homestead, Mr. Calvert read law with John E. Bogley, located
settlers, made up their timber culture, preemption and homestead entries
and practiced before the different land departments. He was admitted
to the bar in November, 1888, by Judge C. W. Smith. Subsequently he
established in connection with his law practice a real estate and abstract
business, which has since become the most extensive in northwest
Kansas. He was appointed local immigration agent for the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific railroad in 1892, and is still serving in this
capacit}-. This connection has enabled him to bring to the county a
large number of settlers who have rapidly changed the raw prairies into
an agricultural section second to none in the State. Mr. Calvert, during
the early years of his law Avork, gave especial attention to land practice,
and is conceded to be the most successful land attorney in the State.
As a real estate dealer he has become well and favorably known in
many states. From 1900 to 1912 the sales through his Goodland office
alone have been in excess of $1,200,000. He is also the owner of some
BIOGRAPHICAL
335
of the choicest farm lands in Sherman county and operates some 3,500
acres devoted to wheat, oats, alfalfa and stock feeding. He has given
to his farming interests the close attention to detail and broad, pro-
gressive management that has characterized his professional and com-
mercial affairs, and his properties represent modern farming, at its best.
In 1905 he began the breeding of pedigreed Hambletonian horses, and
his breeding establishment at Goodland has produced some of the
best light harness stock within the State. The increasing demands of
his affairs have caused him to dispose of the bulk of his breeding farm,
however, and at this writing, 1912, this activity is practically closed.
Mr. Calvert has been a lifelong Democrat, and during the early years
of his residence in Sherman county received recognition at the hands
of his fellow citizens. He has filled various offices within the gift of
the people of Sherman county and the city of Goodland and has served
with honor and distinction. Beginning with the year 1890 to the fall
of 1900 he served continuously, with the exception of one year, as jus-
tice of the peace of the city of Goodland, and was also police judge a
part of that time. He was elected the first city clerk under the reor-
ganization of Goodland as a city of the second class in 1892. He was
elected probate judge of Sherman county in 1900 and reelected in 1902,
was county attorney in 1904, reelected in 1906, and declined renomina-
tion to that office in 1908, owing to the demands upon his time made
by his real estate, loan and abstract business. Upon the urgent requests
of his many friends he accepted nomination for the office of county
attorney in 1912, and was elected by a flattering majority, this making
his third election to this office. He has attended as a delegate several
State and Congressional conventions of his party and served as assistant
sergeant-at-arms of the Baltimore convention of 1912, which nominated
Wilson and Marshall. On the organization of the Goodland Commercial
Club in 1907, he was the unanimous choice of its members for the office
of president and has continued to serve in that capacity. He has at-
tained to the Knights Templar degree in Masonry, is a member of
Concordia I^odge, No. 586, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ;
Sparks Lodge, No. 175. Knights of Pythias, of Goodland, and Modern
Woodmen of America.
Mr. Calvert married, on November 2, 1892, Miss Etta Allen, daughter of
Rhodes Allen, a pioneer of Sherman county, and granddaughter of
"Land Bill Allen," first advocate of the homestead law. She was born
in Russiaville, Ind., and came to Sherman county in 1886. A sister,
Emma Allen, is the wife of Hon. Charles C. Butler, judge of the dis-
trict court of Denver, Colo., vice-president of the State Bar Associa-
tion of Colorado, and a well known contributor to legal publications.
They are the parents of three children: Opal Virginia, born August
9, 1895, a member of the class of 1913, of Goodland High School ; Leonard
B., born July 31, 1901, and Allen G., born March 9, 1908. Mrs. Calvert is
336 BIOGRAPHICAL
one of the social leaders of Sherman county, a member of the Christian
church and active in its various affairs and support. The Calvert resi-
dence in Goodland is one of the most modern homes in western Kansas
and from it is dispensed a charming hospitality.
Air. Calvert is in all respects a high type of the conservative, unassum-
ing American, diligent in his various duties and commercial affairs, and
conscientious in all things. He is one of the most progressive citizens
of western Kansas, a leader in the development of his home county, and
is at all times ready and willing to assist any commendable enterprise
which will aid in its growth and betterment.
Thomas P. Downs, assistant cashier of the German National Bank,
of northern Kansas, located at Beloit, is a native Kansan and was born
June 9, 1881, in a dug-out on his father's farm in Graham county, six
miles south of Densmore. He is a son of Frank and Mary (Curley)
Downs, both natives of Ireland. Frank Downs was born September 20,
1834, and came to America with a brother in i860, locating in Knox
county, Illinois, where he followed farming until the spring of 1881, when
he came to Kansas and took a homestead in Graham county, where he
continued the occupation of farming until his death in 1908. The mother
now resides in Beloit. She has just returned from southeastern Wy-
oming, where she and her datighter, Nora, homesteaded and proved
up on a claim, an exceptional thing for a woman of seventy-two years
of age. She was born in Ireland, November 11, 1841, a daughter of Pat-
rick and Mary Curley. both natives of that country. She came to America
in 1862 to join her brother, Thomas, who resided at Galesburg, 111.,
which at that time was a wild prairie country. In 1881 she came to
Graham county, Kansas, on the frontier, and in 1908 went to Wyoming
and located on her claim, where she remained until 1912. Thus she has
followed the frontier on its westward march for full half a century.
Thomas P. Downs is one of a family of nine children, as follows : James,
born September 9, 1866, and died September 10, 188 1 ; Margaret, born No-
vember 10, 1868, was a teacher for ten years, and is now the wife of J. C.
Cambridge, farmer, Sharon Springs, Kan. ; John, died in infancy ; Nora,
born February 28, 1872, has been a teacher in Kansas and Wyoming for
twenty years and now resides in Wyoming; Francis Leo, born September
7, 1874, farmer, Phillips county, Kansas ; Mary, born October 4, 1876, who
was also a teacher for twelve years in Kansas and now the wife of S. P.
McGee, farmer, Wallace county, Kansas; Katherine, born in 1878. and
died at the age of two years; Thomas P. (subject), and a child who
died in infancy.
Thomas P. Downs was educated in the public schools, graduating
from the Cawker City High School in the class of 1899. After teaching
three years in Mitchell county he was elected principal of the second
-ward school of Beloit. After serving in that capacity two years he
became head of the mathematical department of the Beloit High School
BIOGRAPHICAL 337
and atter two years in that department became principal of tliat insti-
tution. He served with entire satisfaction in this position until Decem-
ber, 1909, when he resigned to accept a position as clerk in the First
National Bank of Beloit. In January, 191 1, he became teller and the
following; April was promoted to assistant cashier, which position he
held until July i, 1912, when he accepted his present position at the
German National Bank. While Mr. Downs was engaged in teaching he
was very active in general educational work, having devoted his time
between school years to institute work as instructor in Mitchell and
Ottawa counties. He was one of the best qualified educators in the
State, having taken special courses at the State Normal School at Em-
poria and in the Kansas University at Lawrence. He also studied law
at the latter institution. Mr. Downs was married June 10, icpS, to Miss
Marie Elizabeth, daughter of William C. and Elizabeth (Tennis) W'alsh,
the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Holland. They have
one child, T. P. Downs, Jr., born Jul)' 4, 1910. Mrs. Downs is one of
a family of six children, all of whom now reside in Beloit, Kan. Mr.
Downs is one of the progressive young men of central Kansas who justly
merits the confidence and esteem in which he is held by all who have
had an opportunity of knowing him. He is a member of the Knights
of Cnlunilnis and the family are communicants of the Catholic church.
Anson G. Mead, a prominent attorney of Beloit, Mitchell county,
Kansas, is a native of the Buckeye State. He was born on a farm in
Belmont county, Ohio, August 22, 1853, a son of Enfield S. and Lucy
(Dearborn) Mead. Enfield S. Mead was born in Loudoun county,
Virginia, in 1817, and died in Barnesville, Ohio, in 1897. Farming had
been his chief occupation. Lucy Dearborn, to whom he was married
in 1848, was a native of New Hampshire. She died in 1903. Anson G.
Mead was one of a family of eight children, as follows: Corwin Dear-
born, born in 1849, now an attorney at Pierre, S. D., was a member of the
constitutional convention that drafted the constitution of that State when
it was admitted; Clarkson Oregon, born in 1851, now a farmer. Chase
county, Nebraska; Anson G. ; Ida S., born 1855, married T. T. Culpitt,
contractor, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Anna, born in 1857, married IT. C.
Evers, died in 1887; V^irginia S., born in 1861, married William Biu-ns,
farmer, Greene county, Iowa ; Edward Lloyd, born in 1859, resides on
the old homestead in Belmont county, Ohio, and Belle, born in 1863,
now the wife of H. C. Ewersr capitalist, Topeka, Kan.
The subject of this review was reared on the farm and received his
early education in the public schools of Ohio, and when sixteen years
old began teaching school, which he followed about fotir years. He
then took a four-years college course, graduating in the law department
of the University of Iowa, June 23, 1879. He was then admitted to
practice by the supreme court of Iowa. During the same year he came
to Beloit and engaged in the practice of his profession, and immediately
338 BIOGR.-\PHICAL
built up an extensive law business, to which he still devotes himself.
He is also interested in other local enterprises, perhaps the most im-
portant of which is a loan brokerage business, having loaned vast
amounts of money on central and western Kansas land. Mr. Mead was
united in marriage August i, 1880, at Somerton, Ohio, to Miss Elma,
daughter of John and Elizabeth (Benson) Lee, natives of Baltimore, Md.
To this union were born five children: Mary Pearle, born May 8, 1881,
married George E. Hartshorn, attorney, Cleveland, Ohio, is a graduate of
the Beloit High School and later attended the Denison University, Gran-
ville, Ohio; Enfield Blaine, born April 12, 1883, who is with the Inter-
national Harvester Company, resides at Beloit, Kan. He married Miss
Hazel Gondy, and they have two children, Virginia, born December 20,
1907, and Harry Forest, born October 3, 1909. Forest Dearborn, born
September 10, 1887, graduated in the Beloit High School in the class of
1905 and then took the civil engineering course in the University of Kan-
sas at Lawrence. He has served as city engineer of Beloit, also deputy
county surveyor of Mitchell county, and is now an assistant civil engi-
neer in the Kansas City Southern railroad with headquarters at Texar-
kana, Tex. Elizabeth, born February 20, 189P, educated in the Beloit
High School and Denison University, Granville, Ohio, married Clarence
R. Hubbard April 7, 1912. Mr. Hubbard is teller in the Beloit State
Bank, Beloit, Kan. Lucy Hazel, born November 16, 1892, graduated in
the Beloit High School, class of 191 1, and made a special study of music
and is an accomplished pianist. Anson G. Mead is one of the men who
came to Kansas in an early day and has had an active professional career.
He is public-spirited and has always taken a keen interest in all move-
ments tending to the betterment of his community and State. He has
also been active in politics, having been a lifelong Republican. He has
served as mayor of Beloit one term and represented Mitchell county in
the State legislature three terms, from 1901 to 1905. While a member of
the legislature he served on many important committees, including the
judiciary committee and the committee on taxation, having been chair-
man of the latter during the session of 1905. Mr. Mead is a director in
the First National Bank of Beloit, and has extensive financial interest in
Kansas and Oklahoma. He is a Thirty-second degree Alason, and a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Herman Lesley Patterson, the well known and popular county clerk
of Mitchell county, is a native son of Kauisas. He was born on a farm
sixteen miles southeast of Beloit, on March 7, 1875, a son of Carl and
Charlotte (Johnson) Petterson, both natives of Yonkoping, Sweden.
Carl Petterson is an example of what thrift and industry will accom-
plish for a poor emigrant boy who begins the battle of life in a land
of opportunities with a will and determination to win. He remained
in his native land until after he was married, in 1871, and the following
year borrowed money with which to pay the passage for himself and
BIOGRAPHICAL i^<J
wife to America. They came directly to Mitchell county, Kansas, ami
located on Government land in Logan township. He still owns his
original homestead and has added to it until he now owns several hun-
dred acres of well improved and valuable land in Mitchell county. He
is a Republican and has held various local offices. The wife and mother
died February 21, 191 1, aged sixt}'-two years, and he resides on his old
homestead in Mitchell county. They had a large family of children :
Charles J., born August 3, 1872, and died November 8, 1908, married Josie
Kilpatrick and they had six children; Earl J., Ethel, Frank L., Violet V.,
DeElta and Edna; Hannah C, born December 15, 1873, married Harrison
McKim in 1895. They have ten children, all living in Mitchell county.
Herman Lesley, the subject; Alfred, died in infancy; David, born No-
vember 30, 1870, married Edna Ramsey in 1904, is chief clerk to train-
master for Santa Fe railroad at Chanute, Kan. ; Peter, died in infancy ;
William Arthur, born March 2, 18S7, resides on the old homestead in
Mitchell county; Andrew O., born December 17, 1887, also resides on
old homestead; Francis L., born August 12, 1890, farmer, Mitchell
county; Leoti B., born December 31, 1892, graduate of the State Normal
School at Emporia, and now a teacher in Mitchell count}-, and Edward
C. and Ester E., twins, born November 8, 1895.
Herman Lesley Petterson was educated in the public schools of
Mitchell county and after attending the State Normal School at Emporia
two years he matriculated at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kan., and
after two years was compelled to give up his course on account of fail-
ing health. While he was at college he was a close student and also
took an active part in college athletics. Fie was the cajHain of the col-
lege football team, which was known as the "Terrible Swedes," and were
the champions of the State that year. After leaving college, Mr. Pet-
terson returned to the farm, where he remained three years. In 1906
and 1907 he served as a clerk in the office of the Secretary of State
at Topeka. He then returned to Mitchell county and was engaged in
farming until 1908, when lie received the nomination for county clerk
on the Republican ticket, and was elected without opposition. He has
made an efficient officer and is giving entire satisfaction in the adminis-
tration of his office. He was married August 4, 1903, to Miss Hollis L.,
daughter of James Monroe and Emma C. (Hayes) Edmundson, botli
natives of Ohio, and now residents of Edna, Kan. The mother is a
distant relative of ex-President Hayes. Mrs. Petterson was born Sep-
tember 12, 1878, in Labette county, Kansas. • She is a graduate of the La-
bette County High School, class of 1900, and later attended the State
Normal School at Emporia, Kan. She taught several terms of school
prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Petterson have been born four
children : Emmy Lou, born June 13, 1904 ; Edmund Lesley, born Septem-
ber 20, 1905 ; Ethel Helen, born October 16, 1908. and Carl James, born
December 12, 1910. Mr. Petterson is one of the progressive young men of
343 BIOGRAPHICAL
Mitchell county and his straightforward methods and genial manner have
made many friends for him. He and his wife are members of the
Christian church.
Delbert J. Bussell is clerk of the district court of Mitchell county. This
popular young county official was born November 21, 1882, on a farm in
Brown county, Kansas. He is a son of Pryor N. and Minnie V. (Conn)
Bussell, now residents of Mitchell county. Pryor N. Bussell was born
March 31, 1849, ^^ Christian county, Illinois, and came to Kansas with his
parents about i860, who settled in Brown county. They were among
the very first settlers of that section of the State. The father died in
Kansas in 1892 and the mother passed away in Texas in 1900. They
reared a family of six children, as follows : John, enlisted as private
in an Illinois regiment during the Civil war and died from a wound
received on the field of battle; Charles, Rhoda and James (twins);
Pryor N., father of the subject of this review, and Isabel, now the wife
of Abraham Helsby, florist. Sulphur Springs, Tex. On November 24,
1878, Pryor N. Bussell and Minnie \". Conn were united in marriage in
Brown county, Kansas. She was a daughter of John A. and Amanda
(Daily) Conn, of Hiawatha, Kan. The father was a native of Kentucky,
followed manufacturing in that State for a number of years, and served
m the Confederate army during the Civil war. He came to Kansas in
an early day and located near Robinson, where he died in 1875. The
mother resides with her daughter, Mrs. Pryor Bussell, in Mitchell
county. They had a family of four children.: Claudie A., born Septem-
ber 24, 1879, in Brown county, Kansas, married J. A. Nation March 9,
1890, and resides in Chanute, Kan.; Delbert J., subject; Granville, born
January i, 1893, resides on a farm in Mitchell county, and Eldred, born
March 6, 1906.
Delbert J. Bussell is a high type of the self-made young man of
Kansas. In early life his opportunities for education were limited. He
attended the district school very little, when he was not needed on the
farm, remaining with his father until he was twenty-one years old. In
1905 he was injured in an accident which necessitated his giving up farm-
ing. In 1906 he took a mail contract, at which he was engaged for
a few years, at which time he also took a correspondence business
course. On December 24, 1903, he married Miss Flora F., daughter of
James and Mary (Bain) Skidmore, of Marysville, Kan. She was born in
Wheeling, W. Va., June 7, 1880, and her parents were both natives of
that State. They came to Kansas in 1886 and located in Tliomas county,
and in 1899 removed to Marysville. The father died suddenlj' iji Xovtni-
ber, 1899, near Beloit. The mother now resides at Marysville. To Mr.
and Mrs. Bussell has been born one child, Clifford N., born May 9,
1905. In 1910 Mr. Bussell was nominated for clerk of the district court
of Mitchell county and elected over his Republican opponent by a hand-
some majorit}^, assuming the duties of the office January i, 191 1, and in
BIOGRAPHICAL ' 34!
1912 was reelected without opposition. He is a capable and obliging
official a-nd is deservingly popular with all classes. He is a close
student, and has devoted all his spare time to study and has taken
special correspondence courses in the leading educational institutions
of the country. He has completed a business course and a course in
commercial law, and at the present time is taking a three-years course
in law. Mr. Bussell has made careful investments of his savings and
now owns a well improved farm in Mitchell county, also a farm in the
fruit belt of eastern Oklahoma. He is a member of the Modern Wood-
men of America and the Order of Owls and secretary of the local nest.
Politically he has always been a Democrat.
Weslie Harbison. — Great indeed have been the changes which time
and man hax'c wrought in Kansas since Weslie Harbison came to cast
his lot with the Sunflower State, and no man has been more actively
identified with the great work of improvement of Jewell county than he.
While others have been pushing the frontier to the west, he has led the
way to the substantial development, progress and upbuilding of the
northern part of the State. Mr. Harbison was born in Armstrong coun-
ty, Pennsylvania, November 27, 1840, a son of John and Sarah Harbison,
both natives of the Keystone State. The family removed to Iowa in 1849,
locating at Marion, L3nn county, where the father entered the milling
business. \\'eslie Harbison was engaged in the business with his father
until 1861, when he responded to President Lincoln's call for volunteers
to protect and preserve our country, and enlisted in Company F, Twen-
tieth Iowa infantry. While in the army he took part in the heavy fight-
ing at Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, and then took part in the long siege of
Vicksburg. After the city fell he participated in the Yazoo campaign,
was at New Orleans, and from there went to Texas, where his regiment
took part in some skirmishes. From Texas they were ordered back to
New Orleans, to start for Pensacola, Fla., and then entered the campaign
around Mobile. On August 8, 1865, Mr. Harbison was honorably dis-
charged from the service at Mobile, Ala., having been promoted to ser-
geant during his service. Returning to his home in Iowa he again
entered the milling business with his father, and remained there until
1870, when he came to Kansas, arriving at the homestead he had taken
on May 8th of that year. At the time he located' on the southeast quar-
ter of section 32, township 5, range 8, Jewell county, buffaloes were rov-
ing over the prairies, but Mr. Harbison was one of the courageous pio-
neers who have made Kansas the great State it now is, and was not dis-
couraged by hardships or Indians. He built a log house, as logs were
the only available material, besides sods, and at once began the improve-
ment of his land.
At one time Mr. Harbison killed a buffalo on his own farm. On
June 4, 1870, accompanied by five other men, lie went on a hunting expe-
dition to the forks of the Solomon river, where thev saw vast herds of
342 BIOGRAPHICAL
buffaloes, extending as far as the eye could see. Buffalo meat was about
the only kind to be obtained by the early settlers, though some antelopes
and deer were killed. The buffaloes killed in the summer were cut up
and the meat salted and dried for use in the winter. Sometimes as much
as a ton was cured at one time. Both Mr. and Mrs. Harbison went on
hunting expeditions, one of which resulted in a large kill. Soon after
settling in Jewell county, Mr. Harbison engaged in the milling business,
but after nine years gave it up, devoting all his time to farming. He is
now the only one of the settlers of 1870 left, and has lived on his old
homestead continuously until three years ago, and built a beautiful
country home there years before. It is one of the model farm resi-
dences and Mr. Harbison is justly proud of it. He still can tell thrilling
adventures of the time when the people had to drive to Junction City for
supplies and to market their produce, as that was the nearest railroad
town. During those days he says the justice of the peace was the law
maker of the community, and also the officer to see that his laws were
enforced, making laws that suited the occasion rather than using those
on the statute books.
On May 30, 1868, Mr. Harbison married Julia, the daughter of Jacob
Pressler. The young married couple came to Kansas with other mem-
bers of their families to seek what fortune had in store for them in the
prairie country. There were two children : Cora B., born in March.
1874, and Pearl May, born in March, 1880. The older daughter is the
wife of E. H. Brunnemer, who farms the old Harbison homestead, and
Pearl is married to Bert Cluster, who resides at Jewell City. IMrs. Har-
bison passed away at the old home, June 2. 1909. Mr. Harbison is a mem-
ber of the Masonic order, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
which he joined in 1866, and the Grand Army of the Republic, S. R.
Deach Post, Xo. 541. In politics he is a supporter of the Republican
party.
Roland Max Anderson, Beloit. Kan., a leading attorney of Mitchell
county, was born at Beloit, June 8, 1879, and is a son of George \\'. and
Mary A. (Townsend) Anderson, the former a native of Ohio and the
latter of ^^'isconsin. George W. Anderson was born in Hancock count}',
Ohio, September 15. 1844, and came to \\isconsin with his parents when
a child. They both died, leaving him an orphan when he was eight years
old. When the Civil war broke out he enlisted in the cause of the Union,
serving in the Fifth regiment, Missouri cavalry. He participated in the
battles of Pea Ridge, Pilot Knob. Iron Mountain, and a number of minor
engagements and several expeditions incident to cavalrj- service. At
Pea Ridge he was wounded and taken prisoner, but escaped in a few
days and returned to the Union lines. At the close of the war he re-
turned to Wisconsin and continued his education until he completed a
college course. After graduating from college he taught school for a
number of years, making a specialty of mathematics, of which he was
BIOGRAPHICAL 343
an instructor in one of the academies of Wisconsin. He was mar-
ried at Mt. Hope, A\"is., in 1864 and in 1870 came to Kansas and located
on government land in Mitchell county seven miles northwest of Beloit.
For the first year he lived in a stockade and remained on his claim
until 1876, when he bought the Beloit "Gazette," which he published
until 1880, when he sold it to Don Cameron. He then bought the Lincoln
County "Pioneer" at Lincoln, Kan., which he published a few years,
when he disposed of it, and in 1884 purchased the Smith County "Pio-
neer" at Smith Center, Kan. He published this paper until 1890, when
he returned to Beloit and became the editor of the Beloit "Courier"
and conducted this newspaper until 1895. During this year he sold his
interest in the "Courier" and removed to Walnut Ridge, Ark., where
he established the Lawrence County "Telephone." Later he removed
the plant to Black Rock, Ark., the county seat, remaining here until
his death, which occurred January 27, 1907. He was truly a pioneer
newspaper man of central Kansas. He was a thorough scholar, a deep
thinker and an able writer, and wielded a strong influence in the public
affairs of his community. Roland Max Anderson is one of a family
of four children, as follows: Caddie, born in 1869, now the wife of M.
Schreider, merchant, Hiawatha, Kan. ; Grace E., married H. S. Bockes,
miller and postmaster, at Duncan, Okla. ; George Roy, born July 12,
1873, stock dealer. Little Rock, Ark., and Roland Max, subject of this
review.
Mr. Anderson received his early education in the public schools of
Beloit and later attended the University of Kansas, where he was grad-
uated from the law department in the class of 1900. He immediately
engaged in the practice of his profession at Duncan, Okla., and about
a year later went to Lawton, which was just in its infancy. After a
short time here he was compelled to return to Beloit on account of
failing health. He then engaged in the practice of law at his home town,
and in 1904 formed a partnership with Charles L. Kagey, under the
firm name of Kagey & Anderson. This partnership still exists and they
have built up an extensive law practice, not only in Mitchell county,
but in adjoining counties throughout this section of the Stale. He was
married May 10, 1904, to Miss Mary Findley, daughter of Samuel Parker
and Klla (Wray) Findley. Mr. Findley and faiuilv came to Beloit, Kan.,
in 18S5. They are both natives of Iowa and the father is now engaged
in the jewelry business in Beloit. Mrs. Anderson was born at Bloom-
field, Iowa, graduated in the class of 1900, Beloit High School, and in
1903 graduated from the music department of the Universitj' of Ne-
braska. To Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have been born two children: Park
Findley, born August 2, 1907, and Roland Max, born June 6, 191 1. Mr.
Anderson is a member of the Sigma Nu, Phi Delta Phi fraternity ; the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Indejiendcnt Order of Odd
Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America, and the Fraternal Order of
311 ■ BIOGRAPHICAL
Eagles. Politically he is a Republican and is the present cit} attorney
of Beloit. having held that office since 1909.
William Channing Perdue, better known as "Chan" Perdue, Uncle
Sam's capable and courteous postmaster of Beloit, is a native of Ohio,
born at Alliance, that State, in 1854. He was the only child of Dr.
Charles A. and Ann Viola. (Munks) Perdue. Dr. Perdue was a native
of Berks county, Pa., and is of French ancestry. He came to Greens-
burg, Ohio, when a youth and later took up the study of medicine.
He graduated from an Ohio medical college, and engaged in the prac-
tice of medicine, which he followed for fifty years, and was one of the
pioneer physicians of that part of Ohio. In 1862 he was commissioned
a surgeon in the One Hundred and Fourth regiment, Ohio volunteer in-
fantry, with rank of first lieutenant, and served in that capacity until
the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged and returned
to his practice at Greensburg. In 1872 he removed to Oskaloosa, Iowa,
where he remained six years, when he became interested in coal mining
at Avery and Muchakinock, Iowa, remaining there until 1878, when he
came to Beloit, where he spent the remainder of his days in retirement.
"Chan" Perdue was educated in the public schools of Ohio, the Greens-
burg Seminary and the Iowa State College, when he entered the employ
of the Iowa Central Railwa}- Company in the civil engineering depart-
ment. He was engaged in the locating and the construction of that rail-
road, and later he, with his father, became interested in the Muchakinock
Coal Company, and for several years was manager of the company's
general store at Muchakinock, Iowa. In 1875 Mr. Perdue married Sadie,
daughter of Dr. Charles A. and Caroline Acheson, of Albia, Iowa. In
1884 his young wife passed away, leaving one child. Cresengia, who
grew to womanhood and in 1895 became the w'ife of ^lilton Walter
Mason, son of Judge A. A. Mason, of Albia, Iowa. To this union were
born three children: Allen, Caroline and Channing. The mother died
December 30, 1909, and the children, with their father, now
reside at San Diego, Cal. In 1878 "Chan" Perdue, in company with
Andrew Manifold, came to Kansas, locating at Beloit. Here they estab-
lished the firm of Manifold & Perdue and engaged in the jewelry busi-
ness. In 1889 Mr. Perdue received his commission from President Har-
rison as postmaster of Beloit and, with the exception of four years,
during President Cleveland's last term, he has been connected with the
post office at Beloit either as postmaster or assistant postmaster up to
the present time. During two years of the interval he served as county
clerk of Mitchell county. In 1894 he married Miss Jane M. Ellis, of
Ionia, Mich. Mrs. Perdue is a daughter of Elmer E. Ellis and Jane M.
(Halstead) Ellis and a sister of the later Judge A. H. Ellis. Mr. Perdue
is a Mason, a Knight Templar, and a member of the Shrine; the Inde-
• pendent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias. Ancient Order of
L'nited Workmen. Politically, he is a Republican. In his long and
r,inGR.\riiicAi, 345
faithful career as a public official Mr. Perdue has gained a wide acquain-
tance, and to be an acquaintance of "Chan" Perdue is to be his friend.
He is a man of pleasing personality and it is no effort for him to be
obliging, to which the hundreds of patrons of his office will bear testi-
mony. People who know Mitchell county and Beloit will affirm that
he has one of the finest suburban homes in that section of Kansas.
Daniel S. O'Brien, M. D., Beloit, Kan., a leading physician of central
Kansas, is a native of Wisconsin, having been born at Eagle, that State,
March 22, 1858. His parents were Torrence and Mary (Smith) O'Brien,
both natives of Ireland. The father was born in County ]\Ieath, Ireland,
in i8o8, and immigrated to America during the '40s, first locating at
Clinton, N. Y., where he was engaged in farming for a few years. Later
he came to Wisconsin. For a time he lived in Minnesota, but, returning
to Wisconsin, followed farming for several years. He died at Doyles-
town, Wis., July 7, 1886. His wife survived him several years and
departed this life February 13, 1904. They were the parents of fourteen
children, twelve sons and two daughters.
Dr. O'Brien spent his early life on his father's Wisconsin farm, at-
tended the public schools and later pursued his literary education at St.
John's College at Prairie du Chien and at Pio Nono College, at Mil-
waukee, Wis. He then entered Rush Medical College at Chicago, where
he was graduated in 1880, and immediately located at Columbus, Wis.,
where he remained until 1882, when he came to Kansas, locating at
Beloit. From the very first his skill as a physician was recognized. He
enjoyed an extensive practice, and made a reputation for himself as a
physician and surgeon which is by no means confined to his home town.
He was married November 15, 1904, to Miss Cora E., daughter of Ben-
jamin Bragdon, retired merchant, Beloit, Kan. While Dr. O'Brien has
devoted his best efforts first to his profession, in which he has been pre-
eminently successful, he has by no means been idle in other lines of
development. He owns several well improved and valuable farm? in
Mitchell county and also conducts a large drug store in Beloit. Dr.
O'Brien is public spirited and is always ready to cooperate in the sujiport
of any worthy enterprise. He is a member of the Catholic church.
Charles L. Kagey, of the firm of Kagey & Anderson, attorneys at law,
Heloit. Kan., is a native of Virginia and was born near New Market,
that State, December 22, 1876. He is a son of John H. and Emma F.
(Foltz) Kagey, both natives of Virginia and descendants of old \Mrginia
stock. John H. Kagey was born August 6, 1842, in the same house
where the subject of this sketch first saw the light of day, on a farm
that had been owned by his ancestors since 1743, when it was purchased
by his great-great-grandfather from Lord Fairfax, atid for over a century
and a half was known as the "Kagey Homestead." John H. Kagey
was a farmer and followed that vocation throughout life, with the excep-
tion of that period when the country was rent by the great Civil war,
346 BIOGRAPHICAL
at which time he cast his fortune with his native State and received a
commission in the Confederate army. At the close of the war he re-
turned to the old homestead, where he died March 17, 1895. His wife,
Emma Foltz, born August 15, 1854, was a daughter of Walton and
Jane (Stoner) Foltz, natives of Virginia, both now deceased. They
had five sons and one daughter, as follows : Harry W., farmer, Shenan-
doah count}', \^irginia ; Charles, of this record ; Anna K. resides with her
mother, at Newport News, f'a. ; Thomas J., physician, Newport News,
Va. ; John H. died in 1905, aged twenty-four years ; and David F., dental
surgeon, Kansas City, Mo.
Charles L. Kagey was educated in the Polytechnic Institute at New
Market, Va., and the University of Virginia, at Charlottesville, complet-
ing his course in law in the latter institution in 1898. While a student
there he won the Washington Society medal, a prize for excellence as a
debater. In 1898 he came to Kansas and engaged in the practice of
law at Hays City, and in March, 1899, was appointed county attorney of
Logan county by Judge Lee Monroe. He then removed to Russell
Springs, where he remained two years, and came to Beloit in 1901. con-
tinuing the practice of law. In 1904 the firm of Kagey & Anderson was
formed. These gentlemen confine themselves strictly to the practice of
the law and rank among the strongest and ablest law firms of the State.
Their law library is very complete and will compare favorably with the
best equipped law offices in the country. Their practice is not confined
to any particular locality, but extends throughout the entire State. They
are the local attorneys for the Union Pacific and the Missouri Pacific
railroad companies, and general counsel for the Scott City Northern Rail-
way Company. Mr. Kagey w-as married March 4, 1901, to Miss Phoebe
M., daughter of T. F. Wanzer, a Mitchell county pioneer, and native of
New York. Mrs. Kagey was born July 28, 1880, at Simpson, Kan. To
Mr. and Mrs. Kagey has been born one child, Lloyd M., born April 18,
1902. Mr. Kagey is a member of the State and American Bar Associa-
tion, the Academy of Political Science of New York City, the National
Geographic Societj^ of Washington, D. C, the American Societj- for the
Judicial Settlement of International Disputes, Knights of Pythias, Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks, and is a Thirty-second degree Mason, Knight Templar and Noble
of the Mystic Shrine. He is a Republican and takes an active interest
in political affairs. He was prominently mentioned for the Republican
nomination for attorney-general of his State in 1910. but declined to
become a candidate.
Frank Hobart, postmaster. Glen Elder, Kan., is a Kansas pioneer who
saw a great deal of the early day life on the plains and in the moun-
tains of the West. He was born on a farm in Oswego county, N. Y.,
February 26. 1845, ^""^ '^ a son of Edward and Mariam f McCall) Hobart.
Edward Hobart, the father, was a native of Ireland, born in Dublin in
GIOGRAPHICAL 347
1794. The building in which he was born has been used for a city
hospital for the last half century. When a young- man he entered in
the British navy as a midshipman and later became a captain, having
been promoted through the various offices in line. He was in the service
at the time of the War of 1812 and about the time that peace was
declared he resigned and engaged in the merchant marine, his father
having presented him with a vessel plying between Liverpool and New
York. His father, Richard Hobart, was said to be one of the wealthiest
men in Dublin and was related to the Duke of Buckingham. About
1824 Edward Hobart abandoned the sea an-d located in New York, where
he engaged in the milling business, remaining in that State until 1850.
He then came to Illinois and located at McComb, where he died March
4, 1885. His wife, Mariam McCall, was a native of New York and a
daughter of John McCall. They reared a family of twelve children,
Lewis, Richard, Robert, Henry, Edward and Elizabeth, all of whom
are deceased, and the following ones who are living : John, Nelson,
Wesley, Albert D., Frank and Martha. The mother died ^L-iy 4, 1895,
at Macomb, 111.
Frank Hobart was educated in the public schools of McComb, 111.,
and spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, where he was living
the peaceful life of the average farmer boy when the Civil war broke
out. He enlisted in Company D, Sixty-fourth regiment, Illinois volun-
teer infantry, known as "Yates Sharp Shooters." This regiment took
part in many hard fought engagements, among which was the battle of
Atlanta, where one-third of its number were killed or wounded. Mr.
Hobart was with his regiment in all the principal engagements in
which it took part and escaped without a wound. He was discharged in
July, 1865, and returned to his Illinois home, where he remained until the
following year, when he and his brother, Richard, fitted themselves out
with a team and drove from McComb, 111., to Helena, Mont., for the
purpose of engaging in gold mining. The trip across the plains and
mountains occupied a hundred days. They joined several other parties
en route for the same destination, forming quite an extensive train for
mutual protection against the Indians, who were plentiful, and some-
what hostile at that time. The Hobart brothers were very successful in
the mining business, taking out as much as $100 in gold some days.
After remaining there about a year our subject was compelled to aban-
don the mines and return home on account of an injury which he re-
ceived. On his return trip he came from Fort Benton, Mont., to .St.
Joseph, Mo., by boat, thence returning to Illinois. In 1868 he went to
Iowa and located in Poweshiek county, where he followed farming until
1872, when he came to Kansas and located on government land in
Mitchell county, one mile east of Glen Elder. He still owns his original
homestead. Mr. Hobart has been extensively engaged in farming, grain
and stock shipping, and in 1907 he built the Hotel Hobart at Glen Elder,
348 BIOGRAPIIICAI,
which he now owns. It is a modern hotel wliicli was built at a cost of
$14,000. Since coming to Kansas he has been active in public affairs as
well as in private enterprises. He was elected sheriff of Mitchell county
in 1877 and reelected to that office in 1879. 'This was at a time when
the sheriff of a western Kansas county was a border peace officer and
frequently had things to do. He has served two terms as mayor of
Glen Elder and was appointed postmaster of that town in 1897, which
office he still holds. Mr. Hobart was married September 15, 1873, at
Beloit, Kan., to Miss Lizzie E., daughter of Caleb and Mary F. (Pratt)
Harvey. Mrs. Hobart is a native of St. Johnsbury, Vt., and was born
April 24, 1851. Three children have been born to this union, as fol-
lows : Sylvester E., born February 18, 1875, a graduate of the Glen Elder
High School, now postmaster and mayor of Nunn, Colo; Earl, born De-
cember 20, 1876, and died June i, 1879; Albert Lyle, born May 20, 1879.
Mr. Hobart is a Master Mason of Glen Elder Lodge, No. 294, Ancient
Free and Accepted Masons, and politically is a Republican and has taken
an active and prominent part in political affairs.
Charles W. Landis, cashier of the First National Bank of Osborne, is
an active factor in the material progress of the central part of the State.
He is a Pennsylvanian, having been born at Mechanicsburg, that State,
October 21, 1867. His parents, Philip and Christiana E. (Shelly) Landis,
were also natives of the Keystone State. The father was born in Cum-
berland county, Pennsylvania, July 10, 1836. Tn 1880 the family came to
Kansas, locating in Osborne county, where the father farmed until 1896.
He then removed to Osborne and engaged in business until 1905, when
he went to Mountain View, Cal., where he is now living retired. Charles
W. Landis is one of a family of four sons and two daughters, as follows :
Florence S., born November 23, 1862, died March 21, 1912; John Milton,
born February 18, 1864, merchant, San Francisco, Cal.; Austin Grant,
born August 20, 1866, died November 20, 1886; Charles W., of this
record; Daniel Marvin, died in infanc}', and Martha Elizabeth, born
May 15, 1879, resides with her parents at Mountain View, Cal.
Charles W. Landis was educated in the public schools of Osborne and
on September 3, 1883, he entered the office of the Osborne County
"Farmer" to learn the printing business. In July, 1887, he became one
of the editors and owners of that publication, and in January, 1896, he
became the sole owner and proprietor of the publication, which he
retained until April 12, 1901, when he sold the plant to Mr. B. P. Walker,
the present editor and owner. After disposing of his newspaper inter-
ests Mr. Landis entered the employ of the First National Bank of Os-
borne as assistant cashier, and in 1902 became its cashier, which position
he still holds. He was united in marriage July 12, 1892, to Miss Eva
May Patterson, of Stockton, Kan. She-was born in Jackson, Mich., July
12, 1868, and came to Rooks county, Kansas, with her parents in 1874,
where her father farmed until his death in 1878. The mother resides
BIOGRAPHICAL 349
with Mrs. Laiidis. Mr. Landis is a director in the Bank Savings Na-
tional Life Insurance Compao)' of Topeka ; director of the First State
Bank of Harlan, Kan., president of the Osborne Commercial Club, and
politically he is a Republican. He was supervisor of the twelfth na-
tional census for the district of Kansas, and in 1908 he was a delegate
to the National Republican convention at Cbicago from the Sixth Con-
gressional. District of Kansas.
George W. Martin, secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society,
was born at Hollidaysburg, Pa., June 30, 1841, a son of David and Mary
(Howell) Martin, and is of Scotch-Irish lineage. His great-grandfather,
\\"illiam Martin, went from Scotland to Ireland, where his son, John,
married Elizabeth Martin, belonging to another family, but also from
Scotland. Their son, David, the father of George W., was born near
Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland, December i, 1814. When he was
about five j'ears of age the family came to America, locating in Indiana
county, Pennsylvania. Mary Howell was born near Pittsburgh, Pa., in
the year 1822. Her mother was a Spargo, whose family came from
Wales and settled in Pittsburgh in 1820. David Martin and Mary
Howell were married near Cresson. Pa., September 16, 1840. They
reared a family of seven children, George W., being the eldest. Mary
Martin died on July 29, 1892, and her husband departed this life on the
following day. They were both buried in one grave.
George W. Martin began learning the printer's trade in his native
town. In 1855 his father came to Kansas and located a claim near Le-
compton, upon which he made some improvements and then returned to
Pennsylvania for the family. The}' arrived at Kansas City on April 7.
1857, and the next day George, in company with another boy and four
men. started to walk to Lecompton, where he arrived about 4 o'clock
on the afternoon of the 9th, tired and footsore, but happy in the thought
that he had reached his destination. Since that time he has been inti-
mately identified with Kansas affairs. He secured a position in the
office of the Lecompton "Union," a rabid pro-slavery paper, and re-
mained connected with that publication and its successor, the "National
Democrat," until the fall of 1859. He then returned to Pennsylvania
and for some time worked in a book office in Philadelphia, completing his
apprenticeship. Returning to Kansas, he established himself at Junc-
tion City, where he founded the Junction City "Union," the most west-
erly newspaper in the State until 1867, when the Salina "Herald" was
established. For five years the "I'nion" was the only paper between
Junction City and Denver. Concerning some of his editorials in those
early days, showing the agricultural possibilities of western Kansas, Mr.
Martin says: "The}' were marvels of nerve and ignorance. I was then
an unblushing prevaricator and was held responsible for all the crop
failures up the Smoky Hill, but I can now claim that I was a ])rophet.
I have lived long enough to see those editorials vindicated." In Feb-
350 BIOGRAPHICAL
ruary, 1869, J\lr. JMartin issued a "boom" edition of the "Union," prob-
ably the first in the State. With regard to Mr. Martinis courage and
character as a journaHst W'ilHam E. Connelly says: "As a newspaper
man Martin has never been surpassed in Kansas. He was a vigorous
and sometimes a violent writer, always saying something worth while,
and constantly stirring things up. From August, 1868, to August, 1870,
he carried his life in his hands because he called attention to a gang of
horse thieves in the vicinity of Junction City. The headquarters of the
gang were in Junction City, in a saloon called 'The Unknown.' The
north end of the route was Nebraska City and the south end at Douglas,
in Butler county. On the 22d of August, 1868, a prominent citizen was
hanged by parties unknown. Immediately the impression was manufac-
tured that the hanging waS done by a Republican vigilance committee,
and because of certain expressions in the 'Union^ Martin was held re-
sponsible by this manufactured sentiment. For 3-ears the friends of the
dead man made life uncomfortable for Martin, and many nights the
authorities had special policemen about his home. Two years later
(August, 1870) the friends of the dead man concluded they were on the
wrong scent. They secured from St. Louis two detectives, and Martin
became their principal adviser. The result of the fight was that the
leader of the gang, w^ho had for years been a notorious outlaw defying
the officers all over central Kansas and out to the Pike's Peak region,
was killed. Some eight men were sent from that neighborhood to the
penitentiary, and fifteen more were run out of the countrv. At Douglas,
the south end of the route, in November following, seven men were
hanged by the citizens. After that, horses had some value in Kansas."
On April i, 1865, Mr. Martin was appointed Register of the I'nited
States land office at Junction City and served until in November, 1866,
when he was removed b}' Andrew Johnson, being the first official to be
removed for political reasons. He was the first to be reinstated by
President Grant, in 1869, and continued as register until the office was
removed to Salina, in 1871. In 1867-68. after his removal from the land
office and before his reinstatement, he was assessor of internal revenue
for all that portion of Kansas west of Manhattan. In January, 1873, he
was elected State printer, after one of the most spirited contests that
ever occurred in the Kansas legislature, and was three times reelected.
Prior to his election the State had been paying fancy prices for very ordi-
nary work, and Mr. Martin immediately set about reforming the prac-
tices of the office. He was offered a bonus not to qualify, but his re-
sponse came promptly and emphatically: "The men who voted for me
meant something, and I will not sell them out." Each time he was
reelected a fight was made against him, and some of the members of
the legislature never lost an opportunity to harass him by the introduc-
tion of bills and resolutions calculated to interfere with the successful
conduct of his position. Notwithstanding this, when Mr. Martin's sue-
BIOGRAPHICAL 351
cesser was elected, January i8, 1881, James F. Legate, who had always
opposed Mr. Martin, introduced the following resolution, which was
adopted by the joint convention : "Resolved, That George W. Martin,
the retiring State printer, is entitled to, and we tender him, the warmest
commendation of the legislature of the State of Kansas in joint conven-
tion assembled, for the high standard to which he has raised the State
printing: for his integrity of character as State printer, being ever
watchful of the rights of the people, even to his own expense. He com-
menced his career eight years ago with an untarnished character, and
leaves it today with a character unblemished, even by the severest
critic."
That was the only time a joint convention of the legislature ever
adopted a resolution of such a character. In 1888 Mr. Martin removed
to Kansas City, Kan., where he engaged in newspaper work until
elected to his present position. He was one of the founders of the His-
torical Society and always took a deep interest in its success. Upon
the death of Franklin G. Adams, in December, 1899, the directors of
the society selected Mr. Martin as his successor, and subsequent events
have shown that the choice was a wise ope. The collections of the
society have been increased under his administration, and the society
has been brought into closer touch with the people. Although always
a Republican in his political views he has on several occasions refused
to support the party nominee or principles advocated. He bolted when
prohibition was made a part of the Republican platform; he voted for
George W. Glick for governor in 1882; he supported John A. Ander-
son for Congress in 1886, after he had been defeated in the convention
by underhand methods ; and after going to Kansas City he denounced
his party in the selection of a congressional candiate and contril:)uted
to the election of Mason S. Peters, a Democrat. Yet he is profoundly
grateful that, after all the political contests in which he was engaged,
contests in which he, no doubt, was at times an unreasonable participant,
he retains the respect and good will of all. Mr. Martin was grand
master xif the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1872-73, having
been admitted into that order at Junction City in 1867. In 1883-84 he
was mayor of Junction City, and just prior to his election to that office
he served a term in the lower house of the State legislature. In the
Republican State convention of 1894 he received 122 votes for governor.
Mr. Martin has been twice married. His first wife, with whom he
was united on December 20, 1863, was Lydia Coulson, a daughter of Allen
and Catherine Coulson. She was born at Minerva, Columbiana county,
Ohio, March 16, 1845, ai^' '^^^^'^ '" Kansas City on June 7, 1900. She
was the mother of five children : Lincoln, Amelia, Charles Coulson,
Elizabeth and Ruth, the last two dying in infancy. On October 10, 1901,
Mr. Martin married Mrs. Josephine Blakely, who was the first girl he
met when he went to Junction City in 1861. Her first husband, Maj.
352 BIOGRAPHICAL
William S. Blakely, was Mr. Martin's partner for three years in tlie
publication of the Junction City "Union." Later he went into the hard-
ware business, and died on June ii, 1885. Mrs. Martin's maiden name
was Morgan.
Owen A. Brice, editor and owner of "The People's Sentinel," Glen
Elder, Kan., was born August 23, 1886, on a farm two and one-half miles
east of Glen Elder. He is a son of John T. and Margaret A. (Adams)
Brice. John T. Brice is a native of Ohio and was born in Crawford
county, that State, September 25, 1847, 'ind his parents were William
Harvey and Jane (Kelly) Brice. The father was born in Juniata county,
Pennsylvania, April 28, 1819, and died in Marion county, Iowa. Septem-
ber 21, 1895. He was a cooper in early life and later a farmer. His wife
was born in Wayne county, Ohio, February 12, 1821, and died in Marion
county, Iowa, May 3, 1873. They were married in Crawford county,
Ohio, August 24, 1843, s^d to this union were born seven sons, six of
whom grew to manhood, as follows: \Villiam C, born February 21, 1845,
now a farmer near Glen Elder, Kan.; John T., father of the subject of
this review; Thomas K., born October 10, 1849, now a farmer at Geary,
Okla. ; Samuel M., born March 8, 1852, resides at Siloam Springs. Ark.;
Hiram W., born January 21, 1854, now a bridge contractor at St. Johns,
Ore.; Charles M., born February 8, 1858, died October 6, 1862. and Jay,
born July 6, i860, now resides at Pleasantville, Iowa. John T. Brice, the
father of our subject, was educated in the high school of Knoxville, Iowa,
and when a young man engaged in building and contracting, which he fol-
lowed until 1873, when he became a farmer in Marion county, Iowa. He
remained there until September 29, 1878, when he removed to Kansas
and located in the western part of Mitchell county, near the station of
Glen Elder. This was a wild and unbroken country at that time and Mr.
Brice has witnessed all the great development of this section of the State.
At one time he went to Phillips county and filed on Government land,
but was forced to relinquish on account of severe drought, when he re-
turned to Mitchell county, which he has since made his permanent home.
He bought an improved farm and resided on it until 1898, when he
removed to Glen Elder, where he is now living retired. He is a member
of the Masonic order, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a member
of the Alethodist church. Politically he is a Republican, but has never
sought office and never held any except township offices. He was mar-
ried in Marion county, Iowa, September 17, 1871, to Miss Margaret .\.
Adams. She is a daughter of Edwin and Jane (Seber) Adams, the
father a native of New York, born in Wayne county, March 17, 1828,
and died in Cass county, Iowa, June 11, 1884, and the mother was born
in Herkimer county. New York, October 23, 1825. She died November
21, 1858, at Utica, N. Y. John T. and Margaret A. (Adams) Brice are
the parents of four children : Charles M., born December 13, 1873, now a
prosperous farmer in Boone county, Nebraska ; Hudson S., born Novem-
BIOGRAPHICAL 353
ber 4, 1880. and died l'"L-l)ru:iry 21, 1882; Owen A., subject, and \\'illiam
H.. liorn December 21, 1888, a graduate of the Glen Elder High School
and the University of Kansas, now a pharmacist.
Owen A. Brice was educated in the public schools of Glen Elder
and was graduated in the high school in the class of 1905. He began
learning the printer's trade when eleven years old and worked at it in
Kansas City, Mo., and various other places throughout Kansas. He
purchased the "People's Sentinel" August i, 1909. This is one of the pio-
neer papers of Mitchell county and is a live, up-to-date weekly, and the
plant is modern in every particular, equipped with a type setting machine,
etc. Mr. Brice is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and the Methodist church and politically ife a Republican. He was
married September 5, 1912, to Mabel C. Barrett, a daughter of Henry
Barrett, of Glen Eider.
Frank B. Denman, president of the First National Bank, Osborne,
Kan., one of the representative financiers of central Kansas, was born
May 25, 1868, at Circleville, Ohio. He is a son of Samuel and Charlotte
(Bechtel) Denman, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Mary-
land, both born in 1827. The father was born at Newark, Ohio, and was
a carriage manufacturer at Circleville, in that State, in which business
he was engaged up to the time of his death in 1894. He served in the
Mexican war and during the Civil war acted as a drillmaster, ranking
as captain. Samuel and Charlotte (Bechtel) Denman reared a family
of eight children : James Wesley, George F. and William E., twins ;
Charles H., Frank B., Julia, Mary E., and Emma.
Frank B. Denman received his education in the public schools of
Circleville, Ohio, and when sixteen years of age went to work in a
printing office, and at times worked in a store as clerk until 1886, when
he came to Kansas, located at Harland and accepted a position as book-
keeper in a bank one year. He then went to Gaylord, Kan., and ac-
cepted a position as bookkeeper in the State Bank, now the First Na-
tional Bank of Gaylord. He remained there until 1888. when he
came to Osborne, Kan., and acepted a position as bookkeeper
in the State Bank of Osborne, where he remained until 1893, when he
went to St. Louis as clerk in the general offices of the Missouri Pacific
Railroad Company. The next year he returned to Osborne and was
elected assistant cashier of the First National Bank, and in 1895 became
the cashier of this institution, holding that position until 1898, when he
resigned to engage in the mercantile business in Osborne. He was thus
engaged until 1904. He then returned to the banking business, this time
becoming president of the First National Bank of Osborne. The bank
is one of the oldest and most substantial institutions in central Kansas.
It was organized in 1884 as the Osborne County Bank, and later was re-
organized and became a National bank under its ]iresent name. Mr.
Denman is also the ])resident of the State Bank of Harlan, Kan., which
J54 BIOGRAPHICAL
was organized in 1910. He was married May 3, 1893, to Miss Meliscent,
daughter of William P. and Mary E. (Botefuhr) Gillette, of Osborne,
Kan., where she was born December 18, 1874. The father was a native
of New York and the mother of New Jersey. They came to Kansas in
1871, locating at Osborne, where the father was engaged in the mercantile
business until his death in 1889. To Mr. and Mrs. Denman has been born
one child, Edgar G., born July 22, 1896. In 1890 Mr. Denman was ap-
pointed deputy county treasurer and served one year, and in 1903 he was
appointed a member of the Kansas State Board of Charities and Correc-
tions and served as secretary of that board two years. He is one of the
substantial business men of the community and his success in life is
due. to his own efforts.
Edgar Owen Henshall, M. D., the present mayor of Osborne, Kan.,
was born at Council Bluffs, Iowa, October 12, 1858. He is a son of
Thomas and Margaret Ann (Owens) Henshall. Thomas Henshall was a
Virginian, born at Richmond December 13, 1832, of English parents, who
immigrated to America in 1825. For a time young Henshall, the father
of our subject, was a clerk in the postoffice in Richmond, Va., and when
about twenty-one years of age went to Louisville, where he worked as
clerk in a clothing store until 1850, when he- went to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
There was no railroad there at that time and the town was new. He
engaged in the mercantile business there and was in business across
the river in Omaha, Neb. He was a pioneer merchant in both of these
cities, remaining and prospering until 1864. He then removed to St.
Joseph, Mo., established an overland freight transportation line to Den-
ver, Col., and Pike's Peak, and hauled a great deal of Government sup-
plies. He continued in this line of work until his trains were attacked
by hostile Indians, who killed his oxen and burned the wagons. He
then abandoned the enterprise, went to Doniphan county, Kansas, and
bought land. This was in 1869. and he farmed there until 1887, when he
sold out, went to Kansas City, Kan., and engaged in newspaper work
with George W. Martin on the Kansas City "Gazette." After a few
years as an editorial writer he engaged in the insurance business, which
he followed until the time of his death, at Kansas City. Kan., December
13. 191 1. His wife, Margaret Ann Owens, was a native of Baltimore, Md.,
born in 1838. She was a daughter of Benjamin Owens, who before the
Civil war was a prosperous planter and slave owner in the South. After
the war he came west to Kansas, and died in Doniphan county in 1875.
Dr. Henshall was one of a family of two daughters and four sons, as
follows: Mary Clara, born in 1857, died in infancy; Edgar Owen, of this
record; Howard, born in 1862, killed by a falling horse August 20, 1869;
Charles Thomas, born in 1864. now an oil operator in California; James
B., born in 1866, died August 26, 1904, from injuries received in a wreck
and falling bridge while a commercial traveler in Georgia, and Lizzie
May, bbrn in 1868, now the wife of W. C. ^^'alker, a farmer in Colorado.
BIOGRAPIIICAI, 355
Dr. Henshall was t-ducated in the public schools of Doniphan county,
and when eighteen years of age began teaching school, and followed
that vocation six years. He then attended medical college at the Keokuk
iVIedical College, Keokuk, Iowa, and Rush Medical College, Chicago,
111., graduating- at the latter institution in 1885. He immediately lo-
cated at Portis, Kan., where he built up an extensive practice and also
conducted a large drug store until 1897, when he disposed of his inter-
ests there and removed to Osborne. He has made an extensive study
of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, and since coming to Osborne
has made a specialty of that branch of medicine and surgery, in which he
has been eminently successful. While Dr. Henshall has first of all been
occupied by his profession he has made a great many judicious invest-
ments in Osborne and Smith counties, which have proved very valua-
ble. He was married May i, 1887, to Miss Emma Silverwood, of Old-
ham, England, She was born February 22, 1864, and while on a visit to
the United States met and married Dr. Henshall, at Portis, Kan. They
have three children as follows: James Edgar, born April 4, 1888, a
graduate of the Osborne High School, class of 1908, and Kansas Uni-
versity, class of 1912; Ethel Silverwood, born August 20, 1890, grad-
uated in the Nazareth Academy, Concordia, Kan., in 1910, was killed
in an automobile accident near Osborne on November 12, 1910; and
Lizzie Irene, born February 20, 1895, graduated from the Osborne High
School, class of 1912. Dr. Henshall takes an active part in public affairs
and the advancement and welfare of his city and county. He has served
as coroner of Osborne county ten years and has served on the Osborne
city council, is a member of the school board, and in 191 1 was elected
mayor, which office he still holds. As a public officer he is progressive
and it was largely through his efforts that the municipal ownership of
the city electric plant was carried through to a successful culmination.
He was also instrumental in securing for the city of Osborne the six
thnusand-dollar Carnegie library. Politically he is a stanch Republican.
William P. Gillette, one of the progressive business men of Osborne,
Kan., is a native son of Osborne county, where he was born August 4,
1876. He is a son of William P. and Mary E. (Botefuhr) Gillette. The
father was one of the ]3ionecr merchants of Osborne. He was born in
Orleans county, New York, March 14, 1840, and followed farming as a
vocation in that county until 1871, when he came to Kansas and located
at Osborne and engaged in the mercantile business as a member of the
firm of Watson, Gillette & Co. This was the second general mercantile
business established in the town of Osborne. William P. Gillette, Sr., re-
mained in the mercantile business in Osborne until his death, which oc-
curred December 28, 1899. He had a very successful business career and
was one of the substantial men of central Kansas. He was a member
of the first city council of Osborne. He was public spirited and took an
active part in the development of the new country with which he cast
356 BIOGRAPHICAL
his lot in its infancy. He married Mary E. Botefuhr at Cawker City,
Kan., in 1873. She was a daughter of Jacob Botefuhr and a native of
Boston, Mass., where she was born October 19, 1844. She now resides on
the old homestead in Osborne county.
William P. Gillette, the subject of this review, is the only son in a
family of three children. He received his education in the public schools
and graduated from the Osborne High School in the class of 1894, and
after leaving school he worked in the capacity of salesman about a year,
when he went to Denver, Col., where he was also employed as sales-
man a year, when he returned to Osborne. He continued to work in
the capacity of salesman until 1898, when he, in partnership with Frank
B. Denman, purchased a mercantile business in Osborne, which had been
founded by his father and an uncle and conducted for years by them
under the firm name of Gillette Brothers. The new firm bore the name
of Gillette & Denman until 1906, when Mr. Denman retired and
the firm became Gillette & Broderack. and in 1908 it was incorporated
under the title of the Gillette Mercantile Company, with William P.
Gillette as its president. The company conducts an extensive general
mercantile business. It is the largest department store in Osborne
county. Mr. Gillette is extensively interested in other business enter-
prises. He owns and conducts a large lumber yard in Osborne under
the title of the Gillette Lumber Co., which began business in 1909. He
is also a director in the First National Bank of Osborne. On November
5, 1902, Mr. Gillette was united in marriage to Miss Maggie, daughter of
Joseph N. and Luella (Miller) Eckler, of Osborne, where the father is
engaged in the mercantile business. He is a Kansas pioneer, coming
to this State from Iowa in 1870, and for a time was engaged in business
at Scandia, where Mrs. Gillette was born, July 19, 1880. She is a grad-
uate of the Scandia High School and is an accomplished musician. IMr.
and Mrs. Gillette have one child, Josephine Labelle. born September 5,
1907. Mr. Gillette is a Republican and takes a keen interest in party
affairs, but has never sought public office. He is chairman of the Osborne
county central committee, also chairman of the Sixth congressional dis-
trict committee. Fraternallv he affiliates with the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows.
George Johnson, one of the pioneers of northern Kansas, and a lead-
ing farmer and capitalist of Republic county, is a native of the Empire
State. He was born on a farm near Dayton, N. Y., June 8, 1834, the
son of Gile and Filena Salisbury Johnson. The parents were natives of
Connecticut who removed to New York, where the father was engaged
in farming. George Johnson attended the public schools of his native
State and the academy at Herkimer, N. Y. After completing his educa-
tion he helped his father on the farm and assisted in rearing the younger
members of the family. The young man had heard of the opportuni-
ties of making a fortune in the West, and when only twenty-three years
BIOGRAPHICAL ' 357
of age started for California. F"rom there he went to Oregon and NVash-
ington, also up into British Columbia, a trip which took about ten }ears,
before he returned to Xew York. He remained there but a
short time and then came to Missouri, where he remained long enough
to become accustomed to the country and then located in Republic
county, Kansas, in September, 1869. He took up a homestead near
Republic City, which has been in the family ever since. This land Mr.
Johnson bought from a man who had filed on it with the intention
of clearing it up. Few today realize the courage, perseverance and.
tenacity needed by the pioneers of the '60s and '70s who settled on what
was practically the frontier, where they suffered from droughts, grass-
hoppers and Indian raids. While he was never driven from his place
by Indians Mr. Johnson heard of their frequent raids near by, when they
frequently terrorized the frontier settlements. He saw the immense herds
of buffaloes that roamed over the plains, and the first piece of furniture
he made was a chair with a buffalo-hide seat, which has been promised
to the Kansas Historical Association. Buffalo was the principal meat of
those days, although a lew antelopes and wild turkeys were also found.
Mr. Johnson passed sucessfully through the grasshopper years, although
his wife returned to her people for a period. From time to time he
added to his original farm, where he engaged in general farming and
stock raising, a line in which he has gained well deserved success. At
the present time he owns about 1,000 acres of the finest land in Republic
county, one of the garden spots of Kansas. He is a stockholder in
the Republic State Bank and for a time was president of that institu-
tion, but resigned to devote his entire time to agricultural pursuits. For
over twelve years Mr. Johnson was justice of the peace, an office which
he filled with great credit. On Nov. 19, 1881, he married Flizabeth, the
daughter of Lawrence and Mary Yoar Walsh. Mr. Walsh, when a
young man, enlisted in the British army and was under Wellington at
the battle of Waterloo. Mrs. Johnson's grandfather, Michael Walsh,
was a colonel in the British army, being stationed at Gibraltar for
some time. lire father was with the famous Scotch grenadiers, which
saw gallant service in many important battles and was with Wellington
at Waterloo. For a time he was collector in the counties of Leinster
and Ulster, Ireland, .\fter coming to America Mr. Walsh was con-
nected with the coal business in Xew York City, but in 1864 removed to
Wisconsin, where he invested his money and retired from business. Mrs.
Johnson's ancestors on her mother's side of the famih' were of ancient
and honorable stock. The old family seat was built at Mountanpole,
County Meatli, in the Ninth century, and has remained in the family
to the present day. Mrs. Johnson was born in Xew York City, March
14, 1853, but was reared principally in New Brunswick, N. J., where
she attended the public schools and later the Sacred Heart Convent at
Newark, N. J. After she left school the family moved to Wisconsin,
358 BIOGRAPHICAL
locating at Manitowoc county in 1864. They lived there until February,
1871, when they removed to Missouri, where Mrs. Johnson was mar-
ried. The Johnsons have one child — Mary, the wife of W. S. Lower,
the president of the Republic State Bank. Mrs. Johnson has taken a
great interest in all historic matters, being one of the first to discover
the location of the Pawnee Republic, where Pike raised the American
flag. She donated to the State the land on which the Pike monument
is erected. She is a member of the Kansas State Historical Society
and has been on the board of directors for several years.
John L. Travers, a well known attorney of Osborne, Ivan., is a native
of the Empire State. He was born at Syracuse, N. Y., August 25, 1863,
and is a son of Thomas and Margaret (\\'oods) Travers, both natives
of New York State. The father was a successful farmer in the vicinity
of S_vracuse, where he died in 1903, aged sixty-eight years. He was of
Irish parentage. Thomas and Margaret (Woods') Travers were the
parents of six children, as follows: Mary. John L., Francis, William,
deceased; Ella and Agnes. John L. Travers was educated in the public
schools of New York and graduated from the high school of Syracuse
in the class of 1885. He then entered Columbia University, New York
City, graduated in 1887 with the degree of P>achelor of Laws, and the
same year was admitted to the New York State bar and immediately com-
menced practice in Syracuse. He remained there until 1889, when he
came to Kansas, located in Topeka, and followed the practice of his pro-
fession until he removed to Osborne, continuing the practice of law. He
has built up a large practice and is regarded as one of the ablest lawyers
of central Kansas. He has handled some of the most important cases that
have been litigated in Osborne and adjacent counties in recent years.
Mr. Travers was married June 22. 1898, to Miss Marie A., daughter
of Benjamin and Katherine (\\'agner) Bower. The father was born in
Buffalo township. L'nion county, Pennsylvania, in 1836, and was the
son of John Bower, who was the son of Christian Bower. Christian
Bower lived at one time in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where the
Bower family settled on coming from Europe. .\ number of them served
in the Revolutionary war with the troops raised from Lancaster county,
notably Lieut.-Col. Jacob Bower, Maj. Adam Bower and Ensign Abram
Bower. Christian Bower moved to Union county, Pennsylvania,
about 1800. He had five sons: Samuel and Isaac, who re-
moved to Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where their descendants live;
Abraham and John, who removed to Stephenson county, Illinois, about
1848, and Benjamin, who removed to Ohio, locating near Akron. John
Bower, the grandfather of Mrs. Travers, settled at Orangeville. 111. This
place was founded by him. and at one time was called Bowersville. He
was a prominent man in that section. He had seven children, of whom
Benjamin, father of Mrs. Travers, was the fourth. Benjamin was a
vouth of twelve when he came to Illinois with his father and assisted
BIOGRAPHICAL 359
him in clearing his land, building a grist mill and otherwise improving
the property. He learned the miller's trade and operated the mill owned
by his father. Later he operated other mills in Stephenson county. In
1884 he moved to Osborne county, Kansas, where he farmed until about
1890. He then returned to Orangeville, 111., and lived there until 1901,
removing at that time to Grand Island, Neb., where he died in 1902, and
was buried there. During the Civil war he wished to enlist but was
rejected for service on account of poor health and became a member
of a home guard company. In January, 1864, he married Katherine A.
Wagner, a native of Pennsylvania, whose parents came to Green county,
Wisconsin, in an early day. To them were born five children, as follows :
Elizabeth Belle, wife of Dr. John W. Straight, of Hastings, Neb. ; James
McKesson, of Chicago, an ex-officer of the United States Navy; Jerome,
deceased ; Jeanette, wife of Clarence Jackson, of Downs, Kan., and Marie
Adella, wife of J. L. Travers. Mrs. Travers was educated in the public
schools of Kansas and graduated from the Downs High School. After
her marriage slie took up the study of law in her husband's office and
was admitted to the Kansas bar in 1900. ■ She is one of three women
who have been admitted to the bar from the Sixth congressional dis-
trict and the only one now engaged in active practice. Mrs. Travers is
a close student, and not onl}- a capable lawyer, but also an able writer.
She was assistant editor of the Osborne County "News" for eighteen
months, when Mr. Travers owned and published that paper, and at
present does special department writing for newspapers. Mr. Travers
is a Democrat and has been chairman of the Osborne County Demo-
cratic Central Committee for eight years. He is also a member of the
Democratic State Central Committee. He was offered the nomination
for Congress in his district, but declined. He does not regard politics
as a business, but rather as an element of citizenship.
Alfred C. Dillon, M. D. — More than a quarter of a century has passed
since Dr. Dillon came to Kansas, and during this period he has witnessed
much of the growth and development which has placed the State in the
front rank agriculturally. He is one of the honored veterans of the
greatest civil war in the world's history, and has been as stanch and
true in all relations of life as he was to his country when he followed
the stars and stripes on the battle fields of North and South. Today he
is one of the oldest and most highly respected citizens, as well as a
leading member of the medical fraternity of Osborne county, being one
of the first physicians to settle in this section of the country. Dr. Dillon
was born on a farm in Mahoning county, Ohio, October 11. 1844, a
son of Jesse O. and Tina Jones Dillon. The paternal grandparents
located, at an early day, on a farm in Trumbull county, Ohio, where
they spent their lives, until death touched them in tlic early '30s. Jesse
Dillon was born in Virginia in 1801 and removed to Ohio with his par-
ents while still a small boy. He grew up on the farm, learning the prac-
360 BIOGRAPHICAL
tical side of agriculture, and when old enough began to run a farm
of his own, in Champlain township, Trumbull county, Ohio, where he
lived until his death, in 1887. He was a Republican in politics and held
the office of justice of the peace for many 3'ears. Mrs. Dillon was
born in Trumbull county in 1802. Her parents were natives of the Old
Dominion and emigrated from Virginia to Ohio at an early date, locating
in Trumbull county, where they passed their lives. Dr. Dillon's parents
were married in 1823 and became the parents of the following children:
David, deceased ; Horace, deceased ; Emery, now a farmer in Trumbull
county; Homer, deceased; Alfred, and Hine, a farmer living near War-
ren, Ohio. Dr. Dillon received his elementary education in the public
schools of Trumbull county, then taught school four terms to earn
enough money to pay his expenses at the seminary of Farmington,
Ohio. At the outbreak of the Civil war he responded to President Lin-
coln's call for volunteers to preserve the Union and enlisted in Company
E, One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Ohio infantry. After serving a month
he was promoted to the rank of corporal, in which capacity he acted until
honorably mustered out of the service. At the close of the war he again
took up academic work, graduating from the academy in 1867. Having
determined some time before to make medicine his profession, the young
man had studied with his brother. Dr. Horace Dillon, of Warren, Ohio,
for two years before entering school at Farmington, and thus was well
prepared to enter the Cleveland Medical College in the fall of 1868, where
he graduated two years later. Dr. Dillon first located at Marcellus,
Mich., but a year later came to Osborne, Kan., locating on a soldier's
claim in the beautiful Solomon valley, and was the first physician in
this locality. He soon proved up on the claim and engaged in the active
practice of his profession from that time on. Dr. Dillon is the ideal phy-
sician, as the day has never been too hot, the night too cold or the ride
too long for him to respond to a call. In the early days of Kansas a
doctor had many hardships to endure and discouragements to overcome,
but this sturdy man was not faint-hearted and his faith in the country
was not misplaced, for he has gained a comfortable fortune and has a
gratifying practice. Dr. Dillon has served as county coroner for six
years; is a Republican in politics; a member of the Benevolent and Pro-
tective Order of Elks ; and of the Grand Army of the Republic, and a
member of the United States pension examiners for the last twenty
years. On June 26, 1866, Dr. Dillon married Mar}- A., the daughter of
John and Anna Shafer, of Champion, Ohio. There are five children in
the Dillon family: Nellie M., born May 14, 1868; Alberta, born 1870,
died in Topeka, Kan., in 1896, at Christ's Hospital, where she was a
graduate nurse; John A., born in 1872, a graduate of the Topeka Medical
College in 1891, now practicing at Larned, Kan.; Harry D., born May
II. 1881, a dentist at Osborne, who married Rena Hatfield August 31
iqo8. and now has a son, Michael O., born July 10, 1910, and Emma, born
in 1876, the wife of John Belk, of Cloudcroft, N. M.
BIOGRAPIIICAI, 361
Asa Brade Dillon, the popular county superintendent of Osborne
county, was born in Pennsboro, W. \'a.. May 2, 187^, a son of Asa and
Catharine Simonton Dillon. The father was born near Mansfield, Rich-
land county, Ohio, January i, 1850. During his early life Mr. Dillon was
engaged in farming and as a cooper, but, in 1884, gave up these occupa-
tions to become a railroad man and today is- the vice-president of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen of the United
States, Canada and Mexico, which position he has filled with credit seven
years. Mr. Dillon, his father, and only brother, served in Company E,
Seventeenth West Virginia volunteer infantry, during the Civil war.
Mrs. Dillon was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, near Warrens-
burg, February 13, 1S50. Five of her brothers served in the Union army
during the Rebellion ; three of them were killed on the battle field, while
a fourth received a gold medal for bravery during the siege of Richmond.
The Simonton family removed to Pennsboro, W. Va., where Mr. and
Mrs. Dillon were married February 27, 1868. There were seven children
born to this union : Harvey Walter and Katie died in infancy ; W. E.
Dillon lives in Denver, Colo.; Artie is the wife of D. B. Harrison, of
Downs, Kan.; Asa B.; Creed M., of Downs, Kan., and Jeimie, the wife
of Mr. A. P. Cotton, of Downs.
When Asa Brade Dillon was but five years of age his parents removed
to Lawrenceburg, Ind., where he attended school until ten years of age.
In 18S5 the family came to Kansas, locating at Downs, where twenty-
seven years of Brade's life have been spent. He graduated from the
Downs High School in 1895, with the second graduating class, and has
taught every year since, four years in the district schools, six in the
graded schools and four years acted as superintendent of the Downs
.schools. He is the oldest teacher, in point of service, in Osborne county,
and is the holder of the first professional certificate issued to a teaclier
in the county. In 1908 Mr. Dillon was a teacher in tlic county normal,
and in June, 1907, was elected president of the teachers' association, a
position which he still fills with credit, for the association has had its
best sessions since his election to the office of chief executive. In addi-
tion to his other duties Mr. Dillon served six years on the county
examining board. He has done much to bring the Downs schools to the
present high standard, for under him the teachers worked in harmony,
the pupils respected him and the best results were thus oI)tained. His
policy from the beginning has been to require thoroughness in school
work, where pupils gain honest grades, and this policy he has enforced
throughout the county. A\'hen promotions come under Superintendent
Dillon everyone knows that the reward is just. As a result of this no
high school in Kansas turned out a better class of pupils than that at
Downs, and today he is gaining the same results in the rural schools of
Osborne county. The ])eo[)le should be grateful for the high standard
lie sets and insists upcju, for since he was elected, in 1908, there has Ijeen
362 BIOGRAPHICAL
an appreciable raising of the scholarship throughout the county. Mr.
Dillon is today recognized as one of the leading educators of north cen-
tral Kansas, where he is gaining a wide reputation in educational circles.
On September 17, 1899, Mr. Dillon married Cora May, the daughter of
Justin E. and Alary Stanford Putnam, at Downs. Mrs. Dillon was born
at Lake City, Minn., September 13, 1877. When a small child her par-
ents came to Kansas, first locating at Gaylord, where they lived until
1894 before coming to Downs. Mr. and Mrs. Dillon have one child.
Dean Dwight, born November 8, 1903.
Charles W. Wells, owner and editor of the Alton "Empire," the lead-
ing journal in the northwestern part of Osborne county, is a native of the
Sunflower State, born at Osborne December 17, 1884, the son of Frank
P. and Mary S. Fuitz Wells. The father was a native of New York
State, born there February 28, 1850, and came to Kansas with his par-
ents in 1879, when they located at Osborne. Frank Wells was a har-
ness maker by trade, for some years living at Brookville, Kan. At one
time, before the railroads ran across Kansas, he was a government
freighter in Colorado and Mexico, spending weeks on the long trips re-
quired to carry government supplies to the posts on the frontier. He is
now engaged in the harness and implement business at Osborne. In
1878 Mr. \\'ells married Mar}^ S. Fultz, of Marquette, Kan., the daughter
of Edward and Julia Fultz, of that city. Mrs. Wells was born at Michi-
gan City, Ind., October 14, 1861, and accompanied her parents to Kansas
in 1879, where she lived until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. \\'ells became
the parents of six children: Mary Alice, born November 4, 1880, a grad-
uate of the Osborne High School, and of the State normal at Emporia,
who taught six years before her marriage with Dr. S. J. Schwaup, of
Osborne, on July 20, 1908, and now has one child, Frances Josephine,
born September i, 1910; Frank Edward, born October 5, 1882, now en-
gaged in business with his father ; Charles W. ; Nettie J., born July 28,
1886, a graduate of the Osborne High School in 1905, now the wife of
R. Roy Hays, of Osborne, and has one child, Mildred, born in October,
1910; Wallace Arthur, born January 20, 1888, now a printer at Clay
Center, Kan. ; Gertrude Grace, born February 22, 1890, now the assistant
postmaster at Osborne.
Charles Wells received his education in the public schools of Osborne,
and when only a lad of sixteen entered the office of the Osborne "Farm-
er" to learn the printer's trade. He worked in Osborne as an apprentice
three years, then decided to go West, reaching Idaho in 1906. He
worked in Utah, at Salt Lake City, for a year, and in other cities for
about the same time, but was forced to return to Kansas because of ill
health. Mr. Wells worked in several different States at his trade until
1910, when, on June 6, he purchased the Alton "Empire," which had
been established in 1881, the only paper in the town. He at once began
improvements, replacing the old plant with the most modern equip-
BIOGRAPHICAL 36.^
ment that money could buy, typesetting machines and many con-
veniences for the printing and editing of the paper, which, under his able
management, has increased in circulation until today it wields a wide
influence in this section of the State. Mr. Wells is a Republican in poli-
tics and works earnestly in the interests of the party. Fraternally he is
a Mason. On November 24, 1910, Mr. Wells married Lela M., the
daughter of Rev. James and Adeline Kerr. Mrs. Wells was born at
Enosdale, Kan., November 26, 1890; her father was a native of Illinois
and her mother of Indiana, and at the present time they are living at
Sylvan Grove, where Mr. Kerr is pastor of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Mrs. Wells graduated from the Alton High School with the
class of ir)o8, and taught one year before her marriage.
William Henry Feather is a man of superior business ability and
executive force, whose labors are bringing him credible and gratify-
ing success. For several years Mr. Feather was an able representative
of the agricultural interests of Seward count}', while today he is the
leading and exclusive furniture dealer of Liberal. He was born near
Youngstown, Trumbull county, Ohio, September 5, 1865, a son of James
R. and Margaret Hawk Feather. The father was born in Ohio Septem-
ber 20, 1842, and when grown became a coal miner. At the outbreak of
the Civil war he enlisted in Company G, Tenth Pennsylvania Reserves,
serving three years. He was severely wounded at the battle of Bull
Run and for eleven months was in the hospital. Most of his service was
with the .A.rmy of the Potomac and his regiment participated in thirty-
five engagements, among them Gettysburg, Seven Days' Battle, and
the siege around Richmond. At the close of the war he again worked
as a coal miner in Ohio until 1878, when, with his family, Mr. Feather
came to Kansas, locating on government land, in Ottawa county, and
now resides at Alinneapolis, Kan. He was register of deeds of Ottawa
count)^ four years, being elected on the Republican ticket. He is com-
mander of his post of the Grand Army of the Republic, an office which
he fills with merit. James R. Feather married Margaret Hawk in 1862.
She was the daughter of John and Polly Crawford Hawk, the former a
native of Germany and the latter of Ireland. Mrs. Feather was born in
Mercer county, Pennsylvania, June 30, 1845, and died on the Kansas
homestead, December g, 1886. There were nine children in the Feather
family: John Ellsworth, now a' merchant at May, Okla.; \\'illiam
Henry; Mary Armena, now the wife of J. B. Lane, a merchant of Kansas
City, Mo.; Clara Eva, the wife of Ford Morris, a farmer of Ottawa
county; Anna Jane, the wife of Richard Koppmans, Pella, Towa ; Bernice,
deceased ; Joseph Crawford, deceased ; James Roy, a salesman of Kansas
City, Mo., and Margaret, the wife of William Nye, a farmer of Ottawa
county. William Feather's father was married a second time, in 1888,
to Mrs. Sina Nye, of Ottawa conntv. who has one child, Elfie, born in
1891.
364 BIOGR.\PHICAL
William Feather received his education in Ohio and the public schools
of Kansas. He removed from Ottawa county in July, 1887, to locate on
a government claim in Seward county. For five years he worked on a
cattle ranch, thoroughly learning the business, and in 1892 started to
raise cattle himself, having bought grazing ground for this purpose.
Mr. Feather took an active part in all public affairs of the country and
in 1899 was elected county treasurer on the Republican ticket, an office
which he filled five j-ears. He served as a member of the city council
of Liberal five 3"ears, and has been chairman of the school board nine
years. For five years before coming to Liberal to live Mr. Feather was
trustee of Fargo township and acted as Federal census examiner in 1900.
On retiring from public office he established the first and only exclusive
furniture store in Liberal, where he carries on an extensive and growing
business, being regarded as one of the most enterprising men of the
community. Air. Feather is a Thirty-second degree Mason and a Knight
Templar, a member of the Wichita Consistory. At the present time he
is Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Kansas, Ancient Free and Ac-
cepted Masons. On July 2, 1893, Mr. Feather was married at Liberal to
Pearl Brown, who was born at Altoona, Kan., July 18, 1875. She was
educated in the public schools of Seward county and at the State normal
at Emporia. Mr. and Mrs. Feather have two children : Mildred, born
June 2j, 1894, and Marguerite, born November 25, 1895. They also have
an adopted daughter, Evelyn, born June 3, 1907. Mr. Feather is one of
the progressive men of business who are doing a great work in building
up the Southwest, carrying civilization to the "short grass" country as
did the earlier pioneers to northern and central Kansas.
Preston B. Plumb, L'nited States senator from Kansas from 1877 to
1891, was a man whose life history was closely identified with that of the
State. There will be other senators in Congress from the State, but
there can never be one more devoted to the interests of her people, more
faithful or loyal to the welfare of the whole country, who will love his
work and perform it better than did Senator Plumb. He was born at
Berkshire, Delaware county, Ohio, October 12, 1837. He was a son of
David Prince and Hannah Maria (Bierce) Plumb, of old Xew England
families, and the parents of whom were pioneers in Ohio. David Plumb
was a wagon maker; and in youth the future L'nited States senator
worked for a part of the time in his father's shop. At the age of twelve
he went into the world to make his own way. He realized that he
would need education, and attended Kenyon College, Gambler, Ohio, an
Episcopal institution which issued a small paper, in the office of which
young Plumb worked to support himself while attending Milnor Hall
of that school. He was at Kenyon almost three years, became a good
printer, and then returned to Marysville (Delaware county), where his
father then lived, and secured work as a compositor in the office of the
"Tribune," a local newspaper. A rival paper was established there, but
BIOGRAPHICAL 365
failed, and Plumb and another printer bought the office and moved it
to Xenia, Ohio, and founded the "'Xenia News." Plumb was then about
sixteen, full of energy and enthusiasm, and with business ability far
beyond his years.
The Plumbs were pronounced anti-slavery people, and the community
in which they lived was strongly of the same sentiment. Preston B.
Plumb never had any doubt regarding his duty, and when the Kansas
conflict came on he became a champion of the Free-State cause. His
paper reflected his views in vigorous terms. On the evening of June
14, 1856, Marcus J. Parrott addressed the people at Xenia, making a
powerful appeal for the Kansas people who were struggling against the
hordes of slavery and border-ruffianism. The next morning Plumb went
into his office and said to his partner, "Joe, I am going to Kansas and
help fight this outrage down, or die with the Free-State men." "I pro-
tested," his partner afterwards wrote, "but go he would, and go he did."
That was characteristic of Plumb. He was always quick and usually
unerring in his judgment, and when he had decided to do a thing he
did it at once and with all his strength. Plumb arrived at Leavenworth,
on the steamer "Cataract," July 4, 1856. He visited Lawrence, Lecomp-
ton. Topeka, and other towns. He was delighted with the country; his
determination to aid the Free-State cause was confirmed, and he resolved
to make Kansas his future home. On his return to Ohio he went down
the Missouri river, a dangerous thing to do at that time. On the boat
he fell imder the suspicion of the border-ruffians and might have lost
his life but for the interference of Col. Philip D. Elkins, father of the
late -Stephen B. Elkins, who lived at Westport and was himself a border-
ruffian. Plumb started again to Kansas almost immediately. He was
enlisted in the Kansas cause heart and soul. The Missouri river was
then closed to Free-State immigrants. Plumb went to Chicago and
offered his services to the National Kansas Committee and was sent on
to Iowa City with letters to Dr. Bowen, the forwarding agent there.
At Iowa City he purchased three wagons and three teams of horses
One wagon was loaded with supplies for the journey. Into the others
were loaded one brass cannon (12 pounder) and carriage, 250 Sharp's
rifles, 250 Colt's navy pistols, 250 bowie knives, and 20,000 rounds of
ammunition for the rifles. Plumb recruited a company of ten young
men, anifing them the father of Senator Charles Curtis, and Capt. A. C.
Pierce, now of Junction City, to help him take his warlike cargo to
Kansas. This company was known as the "Grizzlies," and Plumb was
the captain. When the wagons were ready to take the road. Dr. Bowen
made the company a speech, in which he said: "If the border-ruffians
succeed in taking your lives, may the noble cause in which you die give
you a passport to a better world." To this speech Plumb replied, clos-
ing with these words: "I have seen Kansas. I know the i)erils of her
liberty-loving people. I have seen the border-ruffians and the desola-
366 lilOGKAI'IIlLAL
tion of their work. I need no introduction to them. I accept the re-
sponsibility of this great trust you have today confided to me; and these
munitions of defense, if we live, shall be delivered to those for whom
they are intended." Plumb was then a boy of eighteen, and there is
nothing in all the annals of Kansas which surpasses this enterprise and
this speech. The cargo was delivered at Topeka on September 25, after
a thrilling journey through Iowa and Nebraska, in which Plumb had to
quell a mutiny on one occasion, which he did with cocked revolver in
hand. At Topeka he bought axes, augers, saws, and such other tools
as were necessary in the founding of a pioneer post. He and most of
his company then started up the Kansas river to find a location for their
settlement. Near where Salina was afterwards built they laid out a
town which they called Mariposa. A substantial log house was erected.
Plumb then went back to Ohio and sold his interest in the "Xenia
News," returning to Lawrence in December. There he secured the
position as foreman in the office of the "Herald of Freedom." It was
soon discovered that Mariposa was too far from other settlements to
succeed at that time, and the company had no money. Lawrence people
were then forming the Emporia Town Company, in which Plumb
secured an interest. Settlement at Emporia began early in 1857. Plumb
established there the "Kansas News," the first number of which was
issued June 6, 1857. In 1858 he was a delegate to the convention which
formed the Leavenworth constitution. In this convention he took an
active part, and there he formed the acquaintance of Thomas Ewing and
many other men who became famous in Kansas. In the winters of
1858-59 and 1860-61 Plumb attended law school in Cleveland, Ohio, and
was admitted to the bar in 1861, in which year he was made reporter
of the Kansas Supreme Court. He practiced law until he entered the
army. He was a member of the House in the legislature which con-
vened in January, 1862, having been elected the previous November.
He was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and of the com-
mittee to manage the impeachment cases against the State officers. In
the summer of 1862 he aided in raising the Eleventh Kansas infantry,
being mustered in as captain of Company C, September 10, and on the
twenty-fifth of that month was promoted to major ; and he was pro-
moted to lieutenant-colonel May 17, 1864. He was in the battle of
Prairie Grove and all the other battles in the campaigns of General Blunt
in the Ozark mountain region, in 1862-3. He was chief of staff for
General Ewing, in 1863, at Kansas City, and in August drove Ouantriil
out of Kansas, after the Lawrence raid. He was in the battles of Lex-
ington, Little Blue, Big Blue, Westport, and in the pursuit of Price,
in 1864. In 1865 he was in the Platte campaign in Wyoming, through
the spring and summer, and was mustered out at Fort Leavenworth,
September 15. He resumed the practice of law at Emporia, and in 1867
the firm of Ruggles & Plumb was formed. This firm stood at the head
BIOGRAPHICAL .i'>7
of the Kansas bar. Plumb was speaker of the house in the legislature
which convened in 1867, and was a member of the house in the legis-
lature of 1868. In 1873 h^ engaged in the banking business at Emporia,
in which he continued with success until his election to the United
States Senate. He engaged extensively in railroad building, also, and
was one of the company which promoted the railroad from Junction
City to Parsons, now a part of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railway.
In 1877 he was elected to the United States Senate. He was twice
reelected, and his third election was without a single dissenting vote, an
honor which never came to any other Kansan. In the Senate he had
great influence. He knew the needs of the people of Kansas and met
them all by prompt action and ready tact. He was ever in touch with
the State and worked constantly for the benefit of its people. He was
chairman of the Committee on Public Lands and was on other commit-
tees, including those on appropriations and finance. He ranked with
the foremost senators of his time and secured the passage of many of
the laws now in the statutes of the United States. He led the fight
w^ithin the Republican party against the McKinley tariff bill and voted
against the bill on its final passage. He was the first to propose a
tariff commission, the idea being original with him, and he opposed the
"Force Bill." In the Senate he was a hard worker and a powerful
debater. On March 8, 1867, Senator Plumb was married to Miss Caro-
line A. Southwick, of Ashtabula, Ohio. Her father, Abijah Southwick,
was a strong anti-slavery man and his home was one of the principal
stations on the "Underground Railroad" in northern Ohio, as many as
forty fugitive slaves being cared for at his house at one time. Emporia
was a small town when Mrs. Plumb went there to live. She has ever
been active in all charitable work, and in every movement for the prog-
ress of the town she has borne her part. She is a member of the Con-
gregational church. To Senator and Mrs. Plumb were born six children,
all now living but one.
The retirement of Senator Ingalls and six Kansas congressmen more
than doubled Senator Plumb's labors, and his death was caused by
over-work. He was warned in the summer to take a long rest, and had
arranged a trip to Europe, but did not go, as loyalty to his friends
prompted him to return to Kansas and take an active part in the cam-
paign. The result was that when he returned to Washington, he was
worn out. His capacity for work has never been equaled by a member
of the Senate. On December 20, 1891, he died of apoplexy, at his rooms
on Fourteenth street, Washington, D. C. The news of his death came
as a shock to all Kansas, and genuine sorrow seized her people, for his
life was devoted to and in the end sacrificed for them.
John W. Tucker, for many years one of the representative farmers
and stock raisers of Osborne county, and now a successful grain mer-
chant of Alton, who has done much for the upbuilding of the city and its
]C>H ^ BIOGRAPHICAL
commercial development, first as president of the First State Bank and
later as the manager of the Farmers' Cooperative Association, was born
on a farm near Alt. Pleasant, Iowa, October 19, 1862, the son of John-
sey \\'. and Matilda Shafer Tucker. Johnsey Tucker was born in In-
diana, April 23, 1837, ^'id while still a child removed with his parents
to Illinois, where his father died. Mrs. Tucker soon after went to Iowa
with her children, where she lived until her death, in 1884. Johnsey
Tucker and Matilda Shafer were married at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1861,
and became the parents of four sons : John W. ; Stephen R., born
April 2, 1865, now a banker and stockman at Codell, Kan. ; Charles L.,
born November 28, 1867, a farmer and stock raiser of Osborne county,
and Walter E., born March 20, 1884, who died in 1888. Mrs. Tucker
died in 1898, being survived by her husband until 1909.
The Tucker family came to Kansas in 1873, locating in Clay county
on a government claim. John remained at home with his parents until
1889, when he' came to Osborne county and settled on a farm four miles
south of Alton, which belonged to his father. Mr. Tucker remained on
this place seven years, when he leased another and larger tract of graz-
ing land and engaged in stock raising on an extensive scale for two years
with gratifying success, due to his strict attention to business and careful
management. In 1898 Mr. Tucker sold his stock and returned to Clay
county to care for his aged parents, but two years later returned to
Osborne coimty and bought a farm four miles west of Alton, where he
was engaged in agricultural pursuits six years, devoting most of his
attention to stock raising. From time to time he bought other land, and
is now the owner of three tracts of the finest arable land in the vicinity.
In 1906 Mr. Tucker came to Alton, where he at once started in the busi-
ness of feeding, buying and shipping stock, an occupation he followed
three and a half years. January i, 1910, Mr. Tucker was elected presi-
dent of the First State Bank of Alton, remaining the dominant factor of
that institution until April 2. 1912, when he resigned to become the
manager of the Alton Farmers' Cooperative Association, which handles
grain and coal, being one of the largest concerns of the kind in Osborne
county. Mr. Tucker is the police judge of Alton, an office which he has
filled with merit. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, while in politics he is a supporter of the Democratic party. On
March 28, 1888, Mr. Tucker married Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward
and Margaret Roberts, of Washington county, Kansas. Mrs. Tucker
was born in Canada, September 29, 1865, her father being a native of
Prince Edward Island, and her mother a Canadian by birth. Mr. and
Mrs. Tucker have three interesting daughters: Elsie, born June 14,
1894; Margaret, born August i, 1895, and Ada, born May 4, 1898. The
Tucker family have many warm friends in Alton, where Mr. Tucker is
regarded as one of the substantial and progressive business men of the
community.
BIOGRAPHICAL 309
Peter Kehoe. — The semi-centenary of Kansas's statehood concluded
an epnch in her history wherein were developed men, who from the
standpoint of constructive, initiative and executive talent, rank with the
most forceful in the annals of her sister commcinwealths. Among those
of her citizens who realized a large and substantial success was the
subject of this article. His work in connection with the commercial
development of Clay county would prove sufficient to give precedence
and reputation to the average man, were this to represent the sum total
of his efforts; but Mr. Kehoe was not only of material value in the field
mentioned, but was of even greater usefulness in connection with the
management of two of her successful financial institutions. Althotigh
he was not born a native of the State, he was a firm believer in the vast
wealth of her natural resources, in the virility of her citizenship, their
energy and ambition to do and to prosper, and while he closed out his
interests on two different occasions, intending to resume residence in his
native State, he always came back to Kansas, more enthusiastic than
during his previous sojourn. During a residence of thirty-six years,
broken by two short absences, he was actively concerned in practically
every phase of Clay Center's development, and it is probable the city and
county never had a better friend nor, within the limits of his activities,
a more useful citizen.
Peter Kehoe was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, August 29, 1845, ^ son of
Murtaugh and Eliza (Thompson) Kehoe. The family was founded in
America by his grandfather, a native of Ireland, who settled in Virginia,
where his father and mother were born. He was one of a family of nine
children, but two of whom are living: Frank and Murtaugh, both resi-
dents of Portsmouth, Ohio. Those deceased are : Charles, John, James,
Peter, Caroline, Mary Ellen. Anna, and the subject of this article.
Peter Kehoe was reared in his native city, Portsmouth, received his
education in its public schools, and learned telegraphy. He became an
expert operator and eventually was employed as a train dispatcher at
Milwaukee, Wis., remaining in this line of occupation until 1870, when
he came to Kansas, locating in Manhattan, where he established a retail
drug store. He disposed of his business in this city, in 1875, returned to
his old home for a j'ear's vacation, and in 1877 returned to the Sunflower
State and established a general store in Clay Center, then in its early
development. Under his management the enterprise grew to be the most
important commercial institution in the county, and was surpassed by
few in Northern Kansas. His health was such that, in 1886, he sold his
Clay Center interests and, with his family, spent the following year in
travel as a means of regaining his health. He returned to Clay Center
in 1887, and purchased a block of stock in the First National Bank, and
was elected its cashier and a member of its directorate. He remained in
this capacity for a few years, was of great value in furthering its growth,
and attained recognition in the banking field as an able financier. Obey-
3/0 BIOGRAPHICAL
ing a longing to return to his native State, he again sold out his interests
and returned to Portsmouth, with the idea of remaining. After a short
residence in his old home, he grew dissatisfied with conditions there and
again returned to Kansas, which was to remain his residence until his
death. On his return to Cla}- Center he promoted the organization of the
Citizens' State Bank, was elected its cashier, and served in this capacity
until February 22, 1906, when he passed to his last reward. In the or-
ganization, development and administration of the business of this insti-
tution, Mr. Kehoe was the dominant executive. The bank enjoyed a
sound and continuous growth, paid satisfactory dividends, and attained
recognition as one of the best managed and strongest institutions in the
State. As a banker, he became well and favorably known to the fra-
ternit}', his ability as an able executive was often commented on, while
his sound financial sense, together with his progressive conservatism,
knowledge of credits and men, made him of great value in an advisory
capacity. His banking interests were not confined to the Citizens' State
Bank alone ; he was at the time of his death a director in the First Na-
tional Bank of Clay Center, the First National Bank of Wakefield, Kan.,
and the First National Bank of Stephensville, Texas. He was originally
a Democrat, but from the time of McKinley's first nomination for the
Presidency he was a Republican. Essentially a business man, he had
neither time nor inclination for public office, although he was never
neglectful of his civic duties and obligations, and was active and influ-
ential in the councils of his party. He believed in Clay Center as a
commercial city of importance, as one of the ideal towns of Kansas from
a residential standpoint, and any movement or measure which had its
object the advancement and betterment of commercial, social or reli-
gious conditions, received not only his active support, but if money was
needed in furthering its object, he could be depended upon for a generous
contribution. He attained the Knights Templar degree in Masonry and
was affiliated with Isis Temple Shrine. He was one of the most active
members and generous supporters of the Episcopal church of his home
city.
On October 14. 1873, at Manhattan, Kan.. Mr. Kehoe married Miss
Emma Peckham, a daughter of James Perry and Myra (Sheffield) Peck-
ham, born in Sacramento, Cal., June 26, 1854. Her father, who was
a native of South Kingston, R. I., was a miner and lumberman. He first
visited California in 1849, journeying via Cape Horn, and later made the
trip via the Isthmus of Panama. His mining and lumber ventures on the
Pacific slope netted him a comfortable fortune. His death occurred in
Manhattan. Kan., on December 9, 1886. Seven children were born of
his union with Myra Sheffield, all of whom survive, viz: Emma, the
widow of the subject of this review. Frank, William. Allie. Walter, Ed-
win and George.
Mr. and Mrs. Kehoe were the parents of three cliildren, who are m the
BIOGRAPHICAL 371
order of birth as follows: Emmabelle, born June 13, 1875, '^'^d March 3,
1877; William F., born June 9. 1879, who was educated in the Clay
Center schools, subsequentl}^ completed a four-years course at St. John's
Military School at Salina, graduated from the Portsmouth, Ohio, Com-
mercial College, and is now a merchant in Superior, Neb. He married,
in 1903, Miss Jennie Dawson, of Clay Center. The third child, Alargaret
Sheffield, born June 3. 1886, was graduated from the Clay Center High
School with the class of 1905. On her father's death she succeeded him
as cashier of the Citizens' State Bank, a position she acceptably filled for
one year. She married, on August 28, 1912, Dr. Edwin C. Morgan,
a prominent physician and surgeon of Clay Center. Mrs. Kehoe's
ancestors, paternal and maternal, were among the early settlers of Amer-
ica and numbered among them are men who achieved distinction in the
frontier life of those early days, in the commercial era which followed, in
the French and Indian wars, and later in the War of the Revolution.
Thomas Sheffield, the founder of the Sheffield family in America, was a
native of Sheffield, England, named for the family, arid came to the
Massachusetts colony with Governor Winthrop in 1632. He was a man
of influence in the organization of the colony and was one of the com-
mittee which selected the name Boston for their principal town, in honor
of Boston, England. His descendant, Maj. Thomas Sheffield, served
throughout the W'ar for Independence with distinction. Her father,
James Perry Peckham, was a cousin of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry,
the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie, the homesteads of their parents, at
South Kingston, R. I., adjoining each other. Mrs. Kehoe is a member
of Parsons, Kan., Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Her
daughter, Mrs. Morgan, is now organizing a chapter in Clay Center.
Malta P. Sanborn. — It is conceded by the student of biography, that
to a very great extent, conspicuous personal successes have been at-
tained in the commercial, industrial and financial world by men who
have started without capital, without assistance on the ])art of rela-
tives or friends, and by sheer ability, pluck, energy and ambition, have
risen to jlosition of prominence and usefulness in the town. State and
Nation. If honored with public office, such men have, with few excep-
tions, served with credit and distinction ; on the other hand, a careful
review of the develoiimcnt of any town, county, or State, will show that
those who have been of the greatest potential force in its growth and
the betterment of its civic, social and religious life, have been men who
began with hopeful hearts, willing hands, and a determination to succeed
as their sole capital; whose early ex])eriences gave them broad sym-
path}'. knowledge of the well s])rings from which emerge the streams of
human motive and action, and who have striven without thought of self
for the good of the community. The development of the towns, cities
and counties of the commonwealth of Kansas has been accomplished, to
a very large per cent, by citizens of this type, among whom is numbered
yj2 BIOGRAPHICAL
he whose name initiates this article. He has large and varied capitalistic
interests, and is one of the distinctively representative men of Dickinson
county. Progressive and energetic in the management of these varied
affairs, loyal and public-spirited as a citizen, he holds a secure position
in the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens, and has contributed
in large measure to the advancement of the city of Chapman, his place
of residence since 1880.
Malte P. Sanborn is a native of Sweden, and was born on March 26,
1857. He was reared in his native land, acquired a good common school
education, and was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade. Brim full of
energy, filled with ambition to do something worth while and to attain
not only a competence, but position and influence, he chose the United
States as the country in which to find opportunity for advancement. He
left his native land in 1880, and on April 15 of that year arrived in Chap-
man, Dickinson county, Kansas, his cash capital totaling $7.50. Unable
to speak the language of the country, he failed to secure employment at
his trade, and vvas forced to accept labor as a farm hand until he gained
a working knowledge of the English tongue. In six months he had over-
come this obstacle, receiving meanwhile a wage of S13 per month, and
secured employment as a cooper, remaining employed in this industry
until 1882, when he initiated his first commercial undertaking, through
establishing himself as a building contractor. He succeeded in building
up a most profitable business in this line, gained a reputation for integ-
rity and fair dealing, and proved the possession of those qualifications
which make for success in the business world. In 1898 he entered the
retail lumber business, buying an established yard in Chapman, and has
conducted it with profit. This enterprise is conceded to be, by those
versed in the lumber industry, one of the best managed yards in Central
Kansas, the buildings are models of their kind and equipped with modern
labor saving devices for the satisfactory conduct of the business. In
1908 he purchased the plant and equipment of the Dickinson County
Electric Light & Power Company, owning the lighting franchise for the
city of Chapman. In the operation of this plant, an import^it public
utility, his management has been highly satisfactory to the citizens of
his home town. He has been generous in expenditure for improvements
and extensions, the service has been greatly improved and is today unex-
celled in any cit}- of its population in the State. He is the owner of valu-
able farm property near Chapman, is a director in the Chapman State
Bank, and has extensive holdings in the stock of several corporations in
other sections of the State. Mr. Sanborn has also been interested direct-
ly and indirectly with many other business enterprises of his home city.
Perhaps no one of its citizens has had more to do with the development
and building up of Chapman than he. In truth, he has been one of the
foremost in every movement which had for its object the city's progress,
thrift and substantial growth. He has served as a member of the city
IIIOGRAPIIICAL 373
council for fifteen years, and is considered by his colleagues to be one of
the most useful and active of the members therein. He has attained the
Scottish Rite degree in Masonry and is affiliated with Isis Temple
Shrine of Salina. He is also a member of Salina Lodge, Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks, and of the Knights of Pythias.
September 19, 1886. he married Miss Mary Phipps, a daughter of J. H.
Phipps, a farmer of Dickinson county. She was born April 9, 1865, in
Ohio, and died May 25. 1893, leaving two children : John P. Sanborn,
born June 4, 1888, a graduate of the Dickinson County High School, who
married on September 12, 1912, Miss Grace Wolifer, and is now a resi-
dent of Towner, Colo., and Paul P. Sanborn, born May 16, 1893, who
was graduated from the Dickinson County High School, and is now a law
student in Washburn College at Topeka. On March 25, 1896, Mr. San-
born married for his second wife. Miss Anna M. Phelps, of Sasketts Har-
bor, N. Y., born December 28, 1861. To this union three children have
been born: Austin P., born April 16, 1898; Theodore A., born Septem-
ber 19, 1900; and Elizabeth M., born March 18, 1904. The family have
long been prominent in the social circles of their home county, attend
the Evangelic Lutheran church, of which Mr. Sanborn is an active and
influential member, and the family residence is known for its gracious
hospitality.
Mr. Sanborn is in all respects a high type of the conservative, unas-
suming man of affairs, diligent in his duties and conscientious in all
things. He has realized a large and substantial success in the business
world, has within the limits of his activity been one of the most useful
citizens of his section of the State, enjoys a well earned poptilarity and
the esteem which comes from honorable living.
Joseph A. Whitehair, postmaster of Chapman, veteran of the Civil
war, and popular citizen of Dickinson county, was born on his father's
farm in Lee county, Iowa, August 11, 1845, ^ son of Francois Anton and
Amelia (Dell) Whitehair. His father, Francois Anton Whitehair, was a
native of the Province of yVlsace, France, and served under Napoleon in
several campaigns, concluding his service imder the banner of France at
the Battle of Waterloo. He came to America in 1820, and first settled at
New Orleans, where he secured employment as a member of the police
force of that city. Tn 1830, he removed to Lee county, Iowa, of which
he was one of the first settlers, not only of the county, but of the State.
He came to Kansas, in 1855, and located on Government land in Jef-
ferson county, and was one of the active factors in the organization of
that county. This remained his place of residence imtil his death, which
occurred in 1872, at the age of eighty-five. He was twice married. Seven
children were born to the first wife. His second wife was Amelia Dell,
who became the mother of the following children: John Whitehair, a
retired farmer of Nortonville, Kansas; Joseph H., the subject of this
sketch; Peter F. Whitehair, a retired blacksmith of Chapman, Kan.;
374 BIOGRAPHICAL
Amelia, the widow of J. M. Wandler, of Lyon's Creek, Kan. ; Andrew J.
died March 24, 1901 ; Rose died in 1903, and Elizabeth died in 1909.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Whitehair married Richard Rohrer,
by whom she had four children : Richard, now clerk of Geary county,
Kansas ; Henry, deceased ; Anna, the widow of Ira Rudy, now an in-
structor in the public schools of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Josephine,
deceased. Mr. Rohrer served throughout the Civil war as a private in
the Sixth Kansas cavalry. His death occurred in 1882, and that of his
wife in 1902.
Joseph A. Whitehair passed the first ten years of his life on his father's
farm in Iowa, and obtained the rudiments of an education in the schools
of that early day. He accompanied his parents to Kansas in 1855, as-
sisted in the labor incident to the development of a farm from the raw
land on which his father had settled, and completed his schooling. Au-
gust 26, 1862, he enlisted in Company K, Thirteenth Kansas infantry,
and served until June 26, 1865. With his regiment, he participated in a
number of important battles, but was never wounded. On being mus-
tered out of the service, he entered the employ of the quartermaster's
department of the regular army, as a teamster, and drove a six-mule
team between Fort Leavenworth and Fort L^nion, New Mexico. He re-
turned to his old home in 1867, and resumed farming on the home place,
remaining until 1871, when he came to Dickinson county, where he en-
tered a homestead. He left the farm in 1875, removed to the city of
Chapman, where he opened a blacksmith shop and continued in this line
of occupation until 1901. He was the first mayor of Chapman, being
elected in 1883. He has also served as city treasurer, member of the
council and of the school board. He was appointed postmaster on Sep-
tember 17, 1903, re-appointed December 18, 1907, and re-appointed a
second time February 20, 191 1. He is a past commander of Chapman
Post, No. 362, Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Kansas,
and has filled other chairs in this body. He is also a member of the
Knights of Pythias. He has been a useful citizen of the city of Chapman
and enjoys the respect and esteem of his fellow men.
Mr. Whitehair married, on March 10, 1869, Miss Lora Doumie Dalton,
of Jefferson county, Kansas, who was born in Illinois, on January 3, 1852,
and who came to Kansas during its early settlement. To this union have
been born the following children: Utie R., born December 12, 1870, the
wife of C. E. Lindsay, a railway official of Decatur, 111.; Ira A., born
April 13, 1872, a printer and musician of Winter Haven, Fla. ; Clarence
H.. born August 18, 1875, died March 11, 1899; Pleasant Pressie, born
January 3, 1879, confectioner and assistant postmaster of Chapman ;
Edna Florence, born June 26, 1886, the wife of Prof. G. H. Baird, su-
perintendent of the schools at Clyde, Kan., and Ethel Roena, born June
25, 189T, the wife of Leroy Price, an employe of the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy Railroad Company telegraph department.
BIOGRAPHICAL 3/5
John Marshall, extensive land owner, man of affairs, and infhiential
citizen of Clay Center, was born on his father's farm in Rutland county, .
Vermont, October 21, 1851, and at the ag:e of six months he moved with
his parents to Michigan. He is a son of David and Eliza Marshall, na-
tives of England, who came to the United States in 1848. They l)ecame
the parents of seven children, who are as follows: Mary, born in 1848,
is the widow of James Knight, and resides in Burlington, Wash.; John,
the subject of this article; David, born in 1849, married Alice Smith, in
1878, and died March 17, 191 1, and is survived by his widow and four
cliildren: Fred, Louis, Claude and Elsie, all of whom are residents of
Clifton, Kan. George, the fourth child, born in 1855, a retail druggist of
Clay Center, married Emma Kisby in 1878, and they have three children :
Walter, Albert and Lucy. Thomas, born in 1857, married Mary Patter-
son in 1881, and died in March, 1910. He is survived by his widow and
five sons : James, Theodore, Perry, Percy and Leonard, all of whom re-
side with their rnother at Clifton. Albert, born in 1859, is a prosperous
farmer in Livingston county, Michigan. He married, in 1888, Mary
Hurly. They are the parents of two daughters : Edna and Mary. Eliza,
born in 1861, married Alonzo Thompson, in 1885, and is the mother of
two sons: Harry and Benjamin.
John IMarshall was reared on his father's farm and received his early
education in the public schools of Michigan. Subsequently he entered
the Ann Arbor High School, and on completion of his studies engaged in
teaching in the schools of Michigan, a profession he followed until 1878,
when he came to Kansas and purchased a farm near Clifton, Clay county.
He resided on this property until 1S94, when he disposed of it and pur-
chased a tract of 640 acres adjoining the city of Clay Center. He has
been a consistent buyer of choice farm lands and his holdings, which
consist only of improved properties, situated in Clay county and various
sections of Oklahoma, total over 3,000 acres. His farms have the best
of improvements, and are in all resi)ccts agricultural enterprises that
have, through comprehensive management, reached tlie maximum as re-
gards quantity and quality of production. As a farmer John Marshall
is recognized as a leader and teacher. He has realized a sul)stantial
success in this field of activity. Close attention to detail, untiring energy.
executive ability, sound financial sense, combined with scientific knowl-
edge of the needs of soil and stock, all were essential to this success — and
he possessed them all. As a citizen, he has been actively identified with
th(! commercial and political life of Clay county for forty years. Pub-
lic office has never appealed to him. He is a Republican. He is deeply
interested in educational matters, his early life as a teacher qualifying
him to pass upon school problems with intelligence, and he is a valued
member of the school board of Clay Center. He is a director in the
Union State Bank of Clay Center, and is also a mcmlicr of the directorate
of the Farmers' Elevator Company.
376 BIOGRAPHICAL
Mr. Marshall married on December 25, 1883, Miss Isabella Patterson,
(laughter of James and Isabella Patterson, of Clifton, Kan., who was
born on March 15, 1865. Her parents, who were natives of Canada,
came to Clay county, Kansas, in 1875. Both are deceased. Ten children
have been born to this union: Charles Marshall, born October 31, 1884,
a graduate of the Clay Center High School, now a farmer of Clay county;
Nellie, born in 1886, the wife of Bundy W. Johnson, a farmer of Green-
wood county, Kansas; Edith, born in 1888, the wife of Clayton Bryan, a
farmer of Clay county; Ward Marshall, born in 1891, a farmer of Clay
county; Emil, born in 1894; Hazen, born in 1897; Porter, born in 1899;
Julia, born July 3, 1901, the latter four residing with iheir parents, and
Oscar, born February 14, 1900, died February 20, 1906. Another son
died in infancy in 1906. The family are members of the Methodist Epis-
copal church, of which Mr. Marshall is a trustee.
Monroe Davis Herington. — A man's real worth to the community in
which he lives is not a matter of the accumulation of wealth, the owner-
ship of broad acres or the controlling of commercial enterprises, except
he use a part of that wealth, his business influence and a portion of his
time in the upbuilding of his town, city or county, and to assist, through
advice and example, his fellow citizens to fruitful labor and prosperity,
and to live honorable lives filled wath kindness and helpful deeds. The
man whose name initiates this article has been a resident of the State of
Kansas since 18S1 and his career since becoming a citizen of the State ex-
emplifies the truth of the foregoing statements. In the founding and de-
velopment of the city which bears his name and which occupies a portion
of the original Herington ranch, he has been the most potential factor,
while his donations, in land and money, given as a means to secure rail-
way facilities, greatly exceed those from all other sources.
Monroe Davis Herington is a native of Michigan, and was born on his
father's farm in Lenawee county, April 23, 1844, a son of David R. and
Nancy (Ferguson) Herington. His father was born in Oswego county.
New York, in August, 1812, and was of English descent, the family being
founded in America during its early settlement. David R. Herington
was a farmer, who spent the early years of his life in his native State,
New York, became a pioneer settler in Lenawee county, Michigan, later
removed to Iowa, from there to Linn county, Missouri, where he re-
mained until 1865, when he took his family to Bloomington, 111., in
order to give them adequate educational advantages. His death occurred
on March 28, 1881, in the last named city. He married when a young
man. Miss Nancy Ferguson, born in 181 5. She died in 1907, aged ninety-
two. They were the parents of six children: Diana (deceased), Pitt
Bruce, Byron, Monroe Davis, the subject of this article, Helen, and Ida,
deceased.
Monroe Davis Herington acquired his education in the public schools
of Iowa and Missouri. He received little assistance from his parents.
BIOGRAPHICAL 377
preferring to defray his expenses from his own earnings. He was reared
a farmer and on completion of his education followed this field of en-
deavor. He came to Kansas in 1881, and with the profits of his previous
years of efforts purchased 1,400 acres of land in Dickinson county, and
engaged in the cattle business on an extensive scale. With his profits,
he was a consistent buyer of more land, and at one time was the owner
of 80,000 acres witiiin the borders of the State. The Dickinson county
property, known as the Herington Ranch, was his favorite, however, and
this he made his place of residence. On this ranch was founded the
present city of Herington, named in his honor and to him the town is
indebted for its railway lines. At the time the Missouri Pacific railway
was constructing its line westward to Colorado, he donated a righ-of-way
through his ranch, a matter of four miles, forty acres of land and 81
lots for terminals and $1,000 in cash. In 1887, when the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific railway was building its line to the south, he donated
to them eighty acres of land, a one-half interest in 1,200 city lots, and free
right-of-way through his lands. He also bought and donated to the
company a right-of-way for both their southern and western main lines
through Dickinson county, and guaranteed their bonds issued to cover
their lines in Morris county. He has been equally generous in his dona-
tions to the building funds of various churches in the city of Herington,
and to its schools, and is justly entitled to the sobriquet, "Father of
Herington," both from the standpoint of being its founder and from
having given it a parent's care during the growing years of its life. His
is the distinction of having established the first bank in the city, a private
institution, which was later incorporated and chartered as the Bank of
Herington, its business office being the fourth building to be erected in
the town. Mr. Ilcringttm served as president of the bank for several
years after its incnrporation. He built many of the business buildings
occupied during the early days, assisted merchants to establish them-
selves in business, and gave freely of his wealth to promote the town.
He built an opera house and hotel in 18S7 at a cost of $90,000, which
were the most substantial buildings erected in the city. The hotel was
afterward destroyed by fire. He was the first incumbent of the mayor's
chair, and elected for two subsequent terms. He was concerned directly
or indirectly with many other enterprises, which were of material value
in the grtnvth of Herington, and until his retirement from active business
cares, in 1896, his influence in commercial and civic affairs was dominant.
Mr. Herington has traveled extensively and is a keen observer and close
student of men and affairs. He visited .Alaska in 1900, and experienced a
rather thrilling adventure on the voyage north, his vessel encountering
severe weather at the mouth of the Yukon river, where it barely escaped
foundering. He has been for many years an influential and active mem-
ber of the Baptist church, and his home congregation has received from
him generous support. He is an ardent and earnest worker in the cause
_^/8 BIOGRAPHICAL
of Chpistianity, and his charities are many and varied. Mr. Herington
has been twice married. In August, 1871, he was united in marriage
with Miss Ida Jones. To this union were born three children : Diana,
born May 25, 1872 ; Monroe Davis Herington, Jr., born May 29, 1877.
a successful merchant of Los Angeles, Cal., and Alice, born June 26,
1873, married John Ross February 10, 1896, by whom she had one son,
Clifford Monroe Ross, born July 26, 1898. Mrs. Ross died on Novem-
ber 22, 1901. Mr. Herington married, on June 17, 1880, Mrs. Jane Per-
kins. A daughter by her previous marriage, Aliss Brusilla Perkins, is her
only child.
D. O. Parker, a prominent stockman and extensive land owner of
Marshall county, was born in the western part of New York, Febrttary
20, 1850. He is a son of C. A. and Mary (Hay ward) Parker. The father
was a native of Vermont and the mother of Massachusetts. D. O.
Parker was reared in the State of New York to the age of nineteen.
He attended the public schools of his native State and assisted his
father on the farm. In i86g he came to Kansas and settled at Irving,
where he remained a short time. He then went to W^ashington county
and took a homestead, which was located just south of Linn. He also
worked out by the month for farmers and worked on the farm near
Waterville, Marshall county, which he later purchased, and where he
now resides. He moved to Marshall county as soon as l:e proved up
on his homestead and has made this county his home ever tince. When
he came to Marshall county he first bought a farm of 160 acres and
engaged in farming and stock raising. He followed farming and cattle
feeding, first beginning on a small scale and gradually increasing the
number of cattle and the number of his acres, and has added each year.
Mr. Parker was married in 1876 to Miss Mary Cathf^rine Runkle,
daughter of Emanuel and Margaret Runkle, natives of Ohio, who in an
early day removed to Indiana, and in the '60s immigrated to Kansas,
settling in Marshall county, where they engaged in farming and stock
raising. Mrs. Parker received her early education in the public schools
of Ohio and Indiana. To Mr. and Mrs. Parker have been born six
children : Edna (deceased) ; Delia (deceased) ; Josephine ; Otis ; May
and Charles. The wife and mother died in 1909 and Mr. Parker's
daughters now preside over his home.
In 1904 Mr. Parker was appointed to fill out an unexj.'ired term of
the office of county commissioner and was elected to that office three
times, serving in all about eight years. Prior to this he served as trus-
tee of \\'aterville township two terms. Politically he is a Republican
and has taken an active part in the organization of his party, and has
been a delegate to county and Congressional conventions on nimierous
occasions. He is a member of the time honored Masonic fraternity.
Mr. Parker has made his own way in the world, and made it well.
He started his career a poor boy, and empty handed, and has never in-
BIOGRAPHICAL 3/9
herited a dollar. The great success that has crowned his efforts is
of his own makiii"- and he is entitled to the full measure of credit.
William Thomas Roche, lawyer, educator, editor, and county attor-
ney of Clay county, Kansas, was born on his father's farm in Washing-
ton county, Kansas, December 19, 1870, a son of David and Catherine
(Whetstine) Roche, a review of whom follows this article. William
Thomas Roche acquired his education in the public schools of his native
county, the Southwestern Business College at Wichita and the Amer-
ican College of Science at Philadelphia, and was graduated from the
latter institution with the class of 1896. He engaged in teaching in the
schools of Washington county when seventeen years of age and his sav-
ings from this occupation defrayed his expenses while in college. Dur-
ing the ten years in which he followed the profession of teaching he
became well and favorably known as an educator. During this time
he also prepared himself for the practice of law and was admitted to
the bar in 1897 and engaged in practice. An opportunity offering for
the purchase of the Lynn "Digest," he availed himself of it and entered
the Kansas newspaper field in 1902. He was editor and publisher of
this paper for about five years, when he sold and removed to Muldrow,
Okla., where he purchased the Muldrow "Press." Some six months later
he disposed of this interest and returned to Kansas and located in Clay
Center, where he engaged m the practice of law. In 1912 he was-elected
to his present office, that of county attorney. His administration of
the affairs of the office has been creditable to him and to the party of
which he is a member — the Republican. Since he entered the office he
has prosecuted thirty criminal cases and secured convictions in all but
three. During the first nine months of his administration the total
costs incurred in prosecution were only $9.50. Enforcement of the
prohibitory law has received his close attention, with the result that
Clay county is practically dry for the first time in its history. In the
practice of his profession Mr. Roche has attained recognition as an able
and painstaking lawyer, one who has treated his clients with fairness
and honesty, and who gives close attention to his lousiness. He has
built up a profitable practice and enjoys the esteem of his colleagues.
He owns one of the extensive law libraries of northern Kansas and is
a constant and wide reader.
On June 9, 1897, Mr. Roche married Miss Cora A. Haigler, a daughter of
J. F. and Ellen fP.rown) Haigler, of Junction City, Kan., who was born
in Washington county, Towa, September 5, 1872. She is a graduate of
the Junction City High School and is an accomplished musician, both
vocal and instrumental. Mrs. Roche has become well and favorably
known through her connection with the Foreign Missionary Society of
the Methodist Episcopal church. She was for seven years president of
the local and district board of the society, delegate from Kansas to the
General Foreign Missionary Conference held at Denver and was elected
380 BIOGRAPHICAL
secretary of that convention. Mr. Roche is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, the ^Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias and the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The Roche residence in Clay Cen-
ter is one of the best examples of modern construction in the State. It
is built of steel, stone and stucco and is also a fine t3'pe of residence
architecture.
David Roche, farmer, and veteran of the Civil war, was bf rn in County
Cork, Ireland, January 5, 1837. He came to the United States in 1854,
was employed as a farm hand in Iowa until 1869. when he came to
Kansas and located on Government land in \\'ashington county and en-
gaged in farming. On Lincoln's call for volunteers he enlisted in the
Thirteenth Iowa infantry. He served with his regiment for one year,
was in the battles of Wilson Creek, Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove, and
was discharged on account of disabilities received while in the service.
On completion of his military career he returned to his farm in Iowa,
and, as previously mentioned, came to Kansas in 1869 where he was en-
gaged in farming until his death, which occurred on Jiily 24, 1903. He
was a consistent supporter of the principles and policies of the Repub
lican party and was elected to different township offices, in which he
served with credit. He- was a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church and gave generously to its support.
Mr. Roche married, in 1858, Miss Catherine Whetstine, a daughter
of Mathias and Emile (Lee) Whetstine, who was born at Dayton, Ind.,
July 25, 1845. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and her mother,
Emelie Lee, was a near relative of Gen. Robert E. Lee, commander-in-
chief of the Confederate forces in the Civil war. The Whetstine family
came to Kansas in 1867. Mathias Whetstine homesteaded land in Wash-
ington county, which he farmed successfully until his death in 1900, his
wife having preceded him in 1890. They were the parents of the fol-
lowing children : Rufus Whetstine, a retired farmer, of Wellman, Iowa ;
Enoch Whetstine, M. D., a practicing physician of Washington county,
Kansas, for thirty years, who died in 1900; Catherine, who married the
subject of this sketch ; John Whetstine, a prominent merchant of Wash-
ington, Kan., who died in 1905 ; Anson Whetstine, a farmer, of Highland,
Kan. ; and Thomas, a private in an Iowa regiment, who died at Helena,
Ark., while in the service during the Civil war. Of the union of David
Roche and Catherine Whetstine seven children were born, who are as
follows: Emelie J., born December 19, i860, and married, in 1884, Jabez
Landers, who died in 1897; John Mathias Roche, born in 1862, a live stock
dealer, of Lynn, Kan., married, in 1888, Ida Lull, and they are the parents
of two children, Walter Clarence, born in 1890, cashier of Ihe Exchange
Bank, of Lynn, and Lulu, born in 1891, the wife of Clarence Potter, a
merchant of Haddam, Kan.; Hannah Roche, born in 1863. the wife of
Henry Butler, a farmer of Canadian county, Oklahoma ; Mary Roche,
born in 1866, the wife of John Seelig, a merchant, of Lynn, Kan., and
BIOGRAPHICAL 381
they are the parents of three children, William, Inez and Clarence;
Delia Roche, born in 1868, the wife of Charles V. Haworth, a farmer, of
Washington county, Kansas, and they are the parents of two children
Roy V. and Martha A., the latter of whom is deceased ; William T.
Roche, a sketch of whom preceded this article ; and David Herbert
Roche, born February 3, 1873, an emploj'ee of the Postoffice Depart-
ment, who, in 1892, married Katie Shields, and they have three children,
Rufus, David and William. Catherine Whctstine Roche, now in her
sixty-eighth year, resides in Lynn. Kan., and has her widowed daugh-
ter. Emelie J-, living with her.
Emory T. Fraker, editor of the "Republican-Register," and member of
the real estate firm of J. C. Lehmkuhl & Co., of Washington, Kan., was
born at Bloomfield, Mo., Marcli 30, 1870, a son of Robert M. and Susan
M. (Tyson) Fraker. Robert M. Fraker was also a native of Missouri
and a son of Michael Fraker. He was an expert accountant, served
for four terms as city recorder of Sedalia, Mo., and was later in charge
of the accounting department of the R. T. Davis Milling Company, of
St. Joseph, Mo. His death occurred in 1903. He married, when a
young man, Miss Sarah M. Tyson, the daughter of Dr. Jacob S. and
Sarah f Sharp) Tyson, of Indiana.
Emory T. Fraker spent the early years of his life in Sedalia and re-
ceived his preliminar}' educational training in the schools of that city.
On the removal of his parents to St. Joseph he completed his common
school studies, which were supplemented by a course in a business
college at Sedalia. When a boy of ten years of age he began carrying
papers for the Sedalia "Democrat," and later was employed in the office
of this journal, employing his wages in paying for his education. In-
clination led him to learn the printer's art and he became a journeyman
printer while in the employ of the "Democrat." In 1887 he initiated
his first independent venture as an editor and publisher when he es-
tablished in Bird City, Cheyenne county, Kansas, the Bird City "Xews,"
which he published until 1893, when he disposed of it and returned
to St. Joseph, where he was engaged in newspaper work until 1895.
In the last named year he became the editor of the Tarkio "\\'orld"
at Tarkio, Mo., filling the editorial chair of this journal until 1897,
when he accepted a similar position on the "Jeffersonian" at Mound
City, Mo. In 1899 he became a resident of Kansas City and was cm-
ployed on the Kansas City "Join-nal" and the Kansas City "Star" for
a period of five years. He next established himself in the real estate
business, and continued in this field of enterprise until January, 1910.
when he was offered and accepted the position of managing editor of
the "Republican-Register" at \\'ashington, Kan. In May, 1912, he,
with J. C. Lehmkuhl, purchased the paper and plant, under the firm
style of the Register Publishing Company, and have made a success
of the publication. As a newspaper man Mr. Fraker is well and
382 BIOGRAPHICAL
favorably known over eastern Kansas as well as his native State of
Missouri. He is a vigorous writer, has a wealth of energy, his editorials
are worth while, and his paper has been conducted in an able and clean
manner. From its first issue, under his editorship, it has been his aim
to make it alive with interest and with real practical usefulness, to the
end that it might be welcomed as a personal friend in the homes of
Washington county. With J. C. Lehmkul, his associate in the Register
Publishing Company, he also formed the firm of J. C. Lehmkuhl & Co.,
and they have built up a satisfactory business in real estate. Since
becoming a resident of the county seat of Washington county he has
been actively identified with political affairs, his paper being the
official organ of the Republican party, of whose principles and policies
he is a consistent supporter. He is also an honest worker for a bigger,
better Washington, -and as secretary of the Washington Commercial
Club, an office he is filling acceptably, has been of material value in the
advancement of his home city. His fraternal affiliations are with the
Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Modern Woodmen of America
and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Fraker married, on December 15, 1893, Miss Maude C. Hindes,
daughter of Francis and Eliza Hindes, both of whom are deceased.
They are the parents of three children: Goldie, Bertha and Emory
T., Jr. Mrs. Fraker is a member of the Episcopal church.
Otis L. Thisler. — Kansas owes her position as one of the most pros-
perous commonwealths of the Union to the high state of productiveness
to which her agricultural resources have been developed ; a development
in which scientific farming has produced the maximum in quantity and
quality. To have attained recognition as one of the most successful and
progressive of those of her citizens concerned in this growth and develop-
ment, to have been a leader and a teacher among his -bellow agricultur-
ists, should give precedence and reputation to any man. It is in con-
nection with this field of activity that the man whose name heads this
article has become well and favorably known, not only in Dickinson
county, his home for forty-five j'ears, but in many sections of the State.
He is the owner of one of the large and highly productive farming enter-
prises of Kansas, on which are improvements that have made it the show
place of the Smoky Hill valley. He is also a breeder of horses, of pedi-
gree, one of the pioneer importers of the Percheron, and is also a breeder
of cattle and swine on an extensive scale.
Otis L. Thisler was born at St. Joseph, Mich., October 8, 1848, a son
of George and Cordelia (Dimick) Thisler. His ancestors, both paternal
and maternal, were among those who took part in the early colonization
of America, the French and Indian wars and later in the War of the
Revolution, arid who have filled positions of usefulness in the town,
county and State. His father, George Thisler, was a native of Penn-
sylvania, born February 22, 1814. He married, while a young man. Cor-
BIOGRAPHICAL 383
(lelia Dimick, resided for a time in ^lichigan, and came to Kansas in
1872, locating in Dickinson count}', where he purchased a section of land
and engaged in farming. His death occurred on November 19, 1899, and
that of Mrs. Thisler in 1850. They are survived by the following chil-
dren: Moors D., Edward J., Mary E., and Otis L., the subject of this
article.
Otis L. Thisler acquired his education in the public schools, and in
Grand Prairie Seminary, at Onarga, 111. He was reared a farmer and on
the removal of his father to Kansas, in 1872, he accompanied him, and
for the succeeding three years assisted in getting his father's farm under
cultivation. In 1875 he started in for himself, buying land in the Smoky
Hill valley, ten miles east of Abilene. In the management of this prop-
erty, which, with additional acreage purchased later in life, now totals
640 acres, he has given the close attention to detail, broad progressive-
ness and untiring energy, which makes for success whatever the field of
endeavor. In the matter of improvements, it is probable that there is
not another farm in the State which excels it. There are three sets of
barns, one for alfalfa of 200 tons capacity ; one for corn with 4,000 bushels
capacity, one for carriages and wagons, one for horses, one for cattle, one
for swine, and one for machinery. In the spring of 1913 Mr. Thisler
initiated his entrance in the field of dairying. One of his barns was re-
modeled on the latest approved lines and the best modern equipment for
taking care of dairy cattle installed. He purchased a herd of twenty-five
registered Guernsey cows, and it is his intention to increase this number
in the near future. He has one of the model dairy barns of the State, and
his cows arc the best that money can buy. A silo of 160 tons ca-
pacity, constructed of cement, is also one of the modern improvements,
and of this aid to the stock raiser, Mr. Thisler is a warm advocate. The
land is practically all river bottom, subdivided and well fenced, and 160
acres are in alfalfa, and a like number in native pasture. The crowning
feature in the way of improvements is the residence, which is one of the
best examples of modern residence architecture. It is built nf l:)rick and
stone, has fourteen rooms, bath room on each floor, its own lighting
plant, and represents an investment in excess of $10,000. Emjiloyment is
given to five to fifteen hands, and they are cared for in a comfortable
boarding house, also a part of the farm's equipment.
In 1885 Mr. Thisler initiated his breeding of horses of pedigree, mak-
ing his first purchase of imported Perchcron animals, one of the first to
bring this strain into Kansas. In this dej)arlment of activity he has won
wide recognition and animals from his breeding establishment have had
a ready sale and at satisfactory prices. He is also a breeder of blooded
cattle and Poland China swine, his herd of the latter being one of the best
in the State, and kept around 500 in number. He is regarded by those in
a ])osition to know as one of the best posted men on scientific farming in
the State, and his success in his chosen field of endeavor substantiates
384 BIOGRAPHICAL
that opinion. Ever since he came to Kansas, he has taken a deep interest
in public affairs, and has been a consistent advocate of the principles and
policies of the Republican party. He was honored by his party with
election to the lower house of the legislature in 1894, serving in the ses-
sion of 1895. He was a member of several important committees, was
the author of a bill affecting the banking laws of the State, which he suc-
ceeded in having passed, and was considered by his colleagues as one
of the active and energetic leaders of his party therein. He had pre-
viously received the nomination from his district for the State senate, in
1892, but was defeated by the Fusion candidate. Aside from his farm
interests he has other valuable holdings. He is vice-president and treas-
urer of the Chapman Mill and Elevator Company, and served for twelve
years as a director in the First National Bank of Abilene. His fraternal
affiliations are with the Masonic order.
Mr. Thisler has been twice married. On January i, 1876, he married
Miss Flora E. Jackson, who died October 29, 1894. Four children of
this union: George Roy, Otis L., Jr., Ruby and May, the daughters be-
ing deceased. On December 28, 1898, he married Miss Frances i\IcClure,
who is the mother of one son, William Ellwood Thisler, born October
23, 1903. The family have long been prominent in the social circles of
their home county, in which Mrs. Thisler. a woman of many graces of
character, is a leader.
Mr. Thisler is a high type of the unassuming American, possessing the
esteem of his fellow citizens and known for his high ideals, strict integ-
ritv and broad charity. He has been a useful citizen, is deserving of his
popularit}' and success, which is well earned, and merits distinctive rec-
ognition in this publication.
M. A. Thompson, president of the Citizens State Bank, of Blue Rapids,
is a native son of Kansas. He was born at Waterville, November 30,
1877. a son of F. E. and Virginia (Carpenter) Thompsoi"!, natives of
Pennsylvania who came to Illinois, and from there to Kansas, and settled
in Waterville, where the father was engaged in the real estate and farm
loan business and was an extensive land owner. M. A. Thompson re-
ceived his early educational discipline in the W'esterville public schools
and graduated from the high school in the class of 1891. He was the
valedictorian of his class. He then took a course in stenography and
tvpewriting in the Cedar Rapids Business College at Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, and graduated in the class of 1897, and was also president of his
class there. In 1897 he entered the employ of Sweeney & Lovejoy at
Osage, Iowa, a prominent law firm at that place. The senior member
of the firm was a leading member of the Iowa bor and an ex-congress-
man and the junior member was county attorney.
During the two years that Mr. Thompson was with that
firm thev convicted thirteen men, who were sent to the penitentiary.
BIOGRAPHICAL 385
four of whom received life sentences. Mr. Thompson studied law with
this firm, but in 1899 he accepted a position with the Northern Pacific
Railway Company in the general passenger department and later was
secretary to A. M. Cleveland, who is now the general passenger agent
of that company. He was in the railroad business four year?, and during
that time at different times was chief clerk and secretary to the general
passenger agent, A. L. Craig, and secretary to Charles F. Fee, general
passenger agent. He went from the passenger department to the land
commissioner's office of the Northern Pacific Railway Company under
\\'. H. Phipps and was then promoted chief clerk to R. T. Farrington,
who was J. J. Hill's financial agent and held the offices of comptroller
and second vice-president of the Great Northern Railroad Company.
From that office Mr. Thompson was appointed secretary ;o Charles S.
Mellen, president of the Northern Pacific Company, recently made fa-
mous as the president of the New York, New Haven & Hartford rail-
road. After about a year in the president's office Mr. Thompson re-
signed to accept a position in the Court of Land Registration of the
Philippine Islands. He had made a study of the Torrens T.and Act and
was appointed to help install that system in the Philippine Islands. He
remained there four years and his promotion was as rapid as it had been
during his railroad career. He was also appointed superintendent of a
Government night school in the Philippines and had supervision of eight
teachers and from 350 to 500 pupils. During the lime he was connected
with the Philippine service he visited Australia, China, Japan and many
other countries, and when he left the Islands in 1906 he made a tour of
the world, visiting many countries, studying the habits and customs of
the people and the scenery and institutions as he journeyed from place
to place. When he was in Japan the Russo-Japan war was on in all
its fury. He returned to America in 1906 and back to his native Kansas,
locating at Blue Rapids, and on September ist of that year bought a half
interest in the Citizens State P.ank. becoming vice-president of that
institution in 1910, succeeded to the presidency of the bank and has held
that office to the present time. This bank was organized in 1905 with a
capital of $15,000.00 and now carries deposits of over $125,000.00 and is
one of the substantial institutions of the State. Mr. Thompson is also a
member of the firm of Cummings & Thompson, doing a general farm
loan and insurance business. He was married, September 4, 1909, to
Miss Carrie Miller, daughter of J. P. and Nellie (Goodwin) Miller, of
Blue Rapids, Kan. She is a granddaughter of Judge Goodwin, who was
one of the most prominent men of northern Kansas. To Mr. and Mrs.
Thompson has been born one child, Frederick Miller, born November
18, 1913. Mrs. Thompson was educated in the public schools of Blue
Rapids, where she graduated in the high school. She is a member of
the Episcopal church.
386 BIOGRAPHICAL
Mr. Thompson is a thrity-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and a
Shriner. He also belongs to the Protective and Benevolent Order of
Elks and the Knights of Pythias. His success in every sphere that he
has undertaken is worthy of special comment here. He has had a varied
career, every phase of which has been marked with success. His vast
and varied experience with men and affairs the world over well fits him
for the responsible position which he now holds.
Melancthon Solt (deceased). — In the death of Melancthon Solt, which
occurred December i, 1905, there passed to eternal life one of the sub-
stantial men of northern Kansas, who for over twenty years had been
known as one of the most extensive grain and cattle dealers in Washing-
ton count}'. Mr. Solt's unusual business capacity and sterling worth as
a citizen were recognized by all who knew the man. He was a native
of Fairfield county, Ohio, and was born August 18, 1833, and was reared
to manhood in his native county and received the advantages of a com-
mon school education. In early life he engaged in agricultural pursuits,
including stock raising, and was very successful in that line and became
an extensive dealer in cattle before coming to Kansas. He came to this
State in 1884. Unlike so many men who have been successtul in Kansas
he was a well-to-do man when he came here, and brought with him a
sufficient amount of capital to do business on a large and substantial
scale from the start. He was one of the large grain dealers of north-
ern Kansas and the owner of a steam grain elevator at Barnes, where
he carried on his business, and during his career handled more grain
and stock than any other dealer in the county. He owned considerable
farm property both in Kansas and Ohio. When he first came to Kansas
he located in A\'aterville for a time, but the following spring went to
Barnes, where he carried on business until he retired in 1904. Melanc-
thon Solt's father was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, in 1797
and removed to Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1818, where he died in 1888.
He was a farmer all his life and was very successful financially. He
was a member of the Lutheran church from boyhood and was an old-
time Whig, and later a Republican, after the organization of that
party. His wife, and mother of our subject, bore the maiden name of
Saloma Brobst. She was a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, born
in 1804, and died in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1880. She bore her hus-
band eight children : Catherine, Cornelius, Elizabeth, Peter, Melanc-
thon, Mary, Lavina and Moses. Mr. Solt was united in marriage, De-
cember 28, 1870, to Miss Laura O. Brandt, of Fairfield Ohio. She
was a daughter of John and .Sarah fGessell) Brandt and was born in
Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1846. Her parents were both natives of
Ohio.
To Mr. and Mrs. Solt were born four children: Linneus.C, Clarence
J. and Luther M., personal sketches of whom appear in this volume, and
Mrs. Sarah S. Wright, of Logan, Kan. The mother also resides in Logan,
BIOGRAPHICAL 387
Kan. Mr. Solt was a member of the Lutheran church, in which he was
baptized in infancy and confirmed as soon as he was old enough. He
gave to the cliurch of his faith freely and, in fact, the Grace Lutheran
Church, of Barnes, Kan., stands as a monument to his generosity, he
having donated practically half of the funds for its building. Politically
he was a Republican and ga\e hearty support to the principles of his
party. In the death of Mr. Solt the community lost a progressive,
honorable and public-spirited citizen and none missed him more than
the poor, for he was charitable. He was an honest man himself and
appreciated honesty in others to such an extent that no one, however
humble, ever appealed to him in vain. He loved honesty more than
riches.
L. C. Solt, a successful man of affairs of Barnes, Kan., and well
known througiiout the State as a cattle man, is a native of Ohio. He
was born in Fairfield county, December 7, 1871, and is a son of
Melancthon and Laura (Brandt) Solt. The father was a well known
business man of W^ashington county and extended personal mention
is made of him in this volume. L. C. Solt, the subject of this review,
was the oldest member of the family. He received his education in the
public schools of Fairfield county, Ohio, and after coming to Kansas
with his parents in 1884 attended school in Barnes and Waterville.
He then took a commercial course in Spalding's Commercial College
at Kansas City, Mo., graduating there in the class of 1901. He then
assisted his father, who was engaged in the grain business in Barnes,
Kan., for a year, and in 1892 engaged in the lumber business for him-
self at Barnes, succeeding to the business of E. K. Felt. He conducted
this business successfully for seven years, and in July, 1899, disposed of
the business to the Central Lumber Company. During the time that
Mr. Solt was engaged in the lumber business he was also interested in
farming and cattle feeding, and after selling his lumber business he
devoted himself exclusively to farming and feeding. Prior to this
time, however, he established the Barnes "Chief," which was the only
newspaper in Barnes at the time. After two years he sold it to Irvin
Hogue, of Greenleaf, Kan. Mr. Solt has handled a great many cattle
and is known throughout northern Kansas as a very successful cattle
feeder. In 1900 he had charge of a shipment of 406 head of cattle to
Glasgow, Scotland, making the entire trip with them, and many of the
herd were fed and prepared for market by him. This shipment con-
sisted of twenty-nine carloads of choice cattle, which had been fed for
ten months in preparation for the market. They were reported by the
cattle men at Buffalo, N. Y., to be the best train load of cattle that ever
passed through the Buffalo yards. Since 1899 Mr. Solt has also been
actively econnccted with the grain business at Barnes, owning an ele-
vator and doing a large volume of business in that line. He sold his
grain interests in March, 1913. In 1904 he with his brother, C. J., es-
388 BIOGRAPHICAL
tablished the Barnes Telephone Compan}' and for a year and a half
operated this business, when they sold to the Rochdale Cooperative
Company.
Mr. Solt was united in marriage, October 12. 1893. to Miss Alma R.
Eyester. She is a daughter of \V. R. and Sarah (Copeland) Eyester,
both natives of Pennsylvania. The mother is now deceased and the
father resides at Topeka. The father is an author of considerable
merit and is a frequent contributor to the leading magazines and has
had several books of his writings published, which have proven very
popular. Mrs. Solt was born at Gettysburg, Pa., and received her early
educational discipline in the public schools of that State. Later she
attended the Kansas public schools and the Kansas State .Agricultural
College at Manhattan. Mr. and Mrs. Solt have three children: Helen,
who is a graduate of the Barnes High School, now a student of Har-
din College at Mexico, Mo. ; Leland, who also is a graduate of the
Barnes High School, now a student at William Jewell College at
Liberty, Mo., and Lois, a student in the Barnes schools.
Mr. Solt is a stanch Republican and has been an active worker in
the ranks of his party. Mrs. Solt is a member of the Methodist Episco-
pal church.
Clarence J. Solt, of Barnes, Kan., is one of the progressive business
men of northern Kansas and a promoter of thoroughbred cattle and was
born in Fairfield county, Ohio, May 28, 1873, ^^'^ '^^ ^ son of Malanc-
thon Solt, a personal sketch of whom, with the family history, appears
in this volume. Clarence J- came west with his parents in 1884 when
he was a boy of eleven years. He had attended the public schools in
his native county in Ohio and after coming to Kansas graduated from
the high school at Barnes. He then attended the University of Kan-
sas one year, after which he took a business course in Brown's Com-
mercial College, Kansas City, Mo. He graduated at this institution and
returned to Barnes and joined his father, who was extensively engaged
in the grain and cattle business at that place. At the age of twenty-
one he became a partner of his father in the grain business and at the
same time began operating a farm which he owned two miles north of
town. This place has since become famous on account of the fine stock
which Mr. Solt has produced there. At the age of twenty-five Mr.
Solt founded the first herd of Hereford cattle in this section of Kansas,
starting with a small bunch in 1900, and he and his brother in a short
time became the owners of more than eighty head of full-blooded reg-
istered Herefords. In the early '80s his father had imported some of
the original full-blood Shorthorn cattle from Ohio and Kentucky, and
when C. J. eml)arked in the business he had a very fine strain of blood
in his cattle which were descended from this original heid. The herd
was headed first by "Young Prince," and next was "Prosperity," bred
by Cornish & Patten, of Osborne, Mo., and the last was "Orpheus,"
BIOGRAPHICAL 389
grandson of "Beau Donald," bred by Marshall Field at Madison, Neb.
In 1906 the Solt Bros, sold their herd of Herefords. During the time
they were in the thoroughbred Hereford cattle business they also fed
thousands of cattle and at one time had nearly two thousand head on
feed at once.
Mr. Solt has been busy in other lines of endeavor, in which he has
succeeded equally as well as in the cattle business. In 1902 he and
his youngest brother, L. i\I., ran the first telephone line into Barnes,
before a telephone company was thought of there. They ran the wire
on hedge posts without insulators, and two years later he, with his
oldest brother, L. C, organized the Barnes Telephone Company, which
they operated about a year and a half, when they sold out to the Barnes-
Rochdale Cooperative Company. In 191 1 he was one of the organizers
of the Barnes State Bank and is now vice-president of that institution.
He was one of the pioneer silo men of this section of Kansas and built
the second silo in Washington county. In 1912 he built the largest
silo in the State of Kansas on his farm. Its weight on the foundation
is 150 tons, height 51 feet and inside diameter 2214 feet, with a capac-
ity of 525 tons. Mr. Solt has also introduced the first pure-blood Hol-
stein cattle in this section and is now developing a herd of these cattle
on his farm south of town, where he has one of the model dairy farms
of Kansas. He fattened 200 head of baby beeves this year (1913) and
at this writing has fifty-six head weighing 900 pounds each, from which
he will select fifteen to place on exhibition at the American Ro3'al
Stock Show at Kansas City this fall.
Mr. Solt was united in marriage, December 28, 1897, to Miss Belle,
daughter of Henry and Annetta (Rickel) Husselman, of Clifton, Kan.,
both of whom are natives of Indiana. The father was a pioneer mer-
chant at Chepstow and later was engaged in business at Barnes for
fifteen years. He now resides at Clifton, Kan. Mrs. Solt was born at
Waterloo, Ind., and was only two years old when her parents removed
to Kansas. She received her education in the public schools of Barnes
and \Vashington and later took a music course at Lindsborg. Kan., and
taught school for a time. To Mr. and Mrs. Solt have been born three
children: Vivian Melancthon, born Ajuil 15, 1899; Maynard Harold,
born March 4, 1904, and May I.ucile, born November 4, 1900, and died
August 10, 1901.
Mr. Solt is a Progressive and has served as mayor of Barnes two
terms and has been councilman one term. He is chairman of the county
committee of the Young Men's Christian Association and has held this
position for four years. He is also corresponding secretary of tliai
association. He is a member of the Conference Board of Education of
Kansas. He and Mrs. Solt are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church and he is superintendent of the .Sunday school. Tiiey are active
and enthusiastic workers in all church and kindred affairs.
39^ BIOGRAPHICAL
Alexander McGregor, ^^'ashington, Kan. — The State of Kansas owes
its greatness to the successful agriculturist and stockman whose efforts
have placed the Sunflower State in the front rank in this line of en-
deavor. The gentleman whose name introduces this review is one of
the well known stock men of Washington county. He is a native son
of Kansas, having been born in Mill Creek township. Washington
county, November i8, 1875. He is a son of Robert and Elizabeth
(McLaren) iMcGregor, both natives of Scotland. They came to Amer-
ica with their parents when quite young. The families settled in Wis-
consin, where the parents of our subject were reared, educated and
married. In 1869 they came to Kansas and took a homestead in IMill
Creek township, Washington count)-, where the father was success-
fully engaged in farming and stock raising until about ten years ago
when he retired and moved to Kansas City, where he now resides.
The wife and mother departed this life in 1884.
Alexander McGregor was educated in the public schools and later
took a course in a business college. After graduating he engaged in
the grain and live stock business at Morrow, Kan., "one of the best
shipping points for grain and cattle in the State. Although but a boy
when he engaged in this business venture he was successful from the
start and under his capable management the business developed from
year to year and he was rewarded by a substantial financial success.
He also engaged in ranching during this time. He became more
and more interested in the stock business and in 1910 sold his grain
business and removed to Washington and has devoted himself to the
fancy stock business since that time. He makes a specialty of Here-
fords for exhibition purposes and no exhibitor is better known at the
big stock shows at Denver, St. Joseph, Kansas City and Chicago than
Mr. McGregor, and his blue-ribbon bunch of Herefords. He has never
failed to win the money where his stock has been on exhibition. His
cattle are not only prize winners, but commercial winners, whenever
placed on the market. Some of the best cattle to be seen on the mar-
ket come from his 300-acre ranch near Washington. He holds the
record for selling the highest priced car load of cattle ever sold in
Kansas, and he has taken three grand champion-load prizes. Mr. Mc-
Gregor's beef cattle are in great demand and he numbers among his
customers Frank Rockefeller, Weber, of Kansas City, and the Harvey
House people, who buy his beef whenever they can. \\'hile Mr. Mc-
Gregor is primarily a cattle man, he is something of a hog raiser also,
usually feeding from 500 to I,oo0 hogs. He was one of the organizers
of the Mutual Telephone Company, of \\'ashington, and served on its
board of directors two years.
Mr. McGregor was united in marriage, September 28, 1898, to Miss
Margaret, daughter of W. H. and Lucy (Melvin) McCormack, the
former a native of Wisconsin and the latter of New York, both of
BIOGRAPHICAL 391
Scotch descent. Mrs. McGregor was born and raised in Republic
county, Kansas, where her father was engaged in farming and stock
raising. She was educated in the public schools, graduating from the
high school. Mr. and Mrs. McGregor have one child, Helen Lucile,
born August 5, 1912. Mr. McGregor is a Republican and has taken
an active interest in the affairs of his party. He has served as chair-
man of the central committee and been a delegate to several State con-
ventions. He was a delegate to the National Republican convention
at Chicago in 1912. He also takes a commendable interest in local
affairs and is the present mayor of Washington. He is a Thirty-second
degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. Al-
though a young man Mr. McGregor has met with success to a degree
that entitles him to rank among the leaders of the State.
Earl Cool Woodward, editor and publisher of the Minneapolis "Mes-
senger," and former principal of the Minneapolis High School, was born
on his father's farm in \^'ashington count)' on January 5, 1889, a son of
William A. and Mary (Cool) Woodward. The family was founded in
Kansas by William W. Woodward, the grandfather of the subject of
this article, who removed from Iowa in 1870, and located on Government
land in Cloud county, later becoming a resident of Osborne, where he
died m 1904. He married Miss Mary A. Bartow, who survived him but
one year, her death occurring in Osborne in 1905. William A. Wood-
ward was born at Marshalltown, Iowa, February 18, 1850, acquired his
education in the public schools of his native State, and accompanied his
])arcnts on their removal to Kansas. He was reared as a farmer and
followed this line of activity, with success, in Cloud county, until his
retirement. On May i, 1886, he married, at Concordia, Kan., Miss Mary
Cool, a daughter of Simon E. and Catherine ("Brown) Cool, who was
born at Zanesville, Ohio, December 10, 1867. She came to Kansas with
her parents in 1884. Her father was a farmer, located in Cloud county,
and died there in 1906. Since giving up active labor, Mr. Woodward
has resided in Glasco, Cloud county. To him and his wife have been
born si.x children, viz : Raymond Asa, born August 8. 1888, died in 1801 ;
Earl Cool, the subject of this sketch; Florence Belle, born December 9,
1894, was graduated from the Glasco High School with the class of 1913,
and married on May 25, 1913, Clyde Guipre, a farmer of Cloud county;
Grace, Iwrn December 12, 1896, a graduate of the Glasco High School
with the class of 1913, and now a teacher in the Cloud county schools;
Ernest Ross, born March i, 1898; Mary Edith, born July 8, 1902, and
Louis William, born February i, 1905.
Earl Cool Woodward received his early education in the public schools,
was graduated from the Glasco High School with the class of 1906, and
subsequently entered the Kansas University, from which he was grad-
uated, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, in 1910. On completion of his
education he engaged in teaching in the schools of Minneapolis, Kan.,
392 BIOGRAPHICAL
and was during the last two years of his employment in this profession,
principal of the high school. He entered the field of journalism in May,
1913, when he purchased the Minneapolis "Messenger," established in
1875, and since 1885 t'^^ property of the late A. P. Riddle. It is the pio-
neer newspaper of Ottawa county, has been a successful property and
is the recognized organ of the Republican party in its home
county. Its offices and plant are equipped with modern appliances for
the satisfactory conduct of the business. A monthly, devoted to the
interests of a fraternal organization, is published from this office, "Sons
and Daughters of Justice." It is the aim of Mr. Woodward to so conduct
his paper that it will be alive with interest and of real practical useful-
ness ; to the end that it will be welcomed as a personal friend in the
homes of its subscribers. While a student in Kansas University, he
was one of the organizers of its first student council, was during his
four years of residence at Lawrence a member of the varsity basket ball
team, and its captain during his junior 3'ear. He is a member of Alpha
Tau Omega fraternit)^ and Minneapolis Lodge, No. 143, Ancient Free
and Accepted Masons.
On December 10, 1913. Mr. Woodward was united in marriage with
Miss Beatrice Reed, of Glasco, Kan. She is a graduate of the collegiate
department of Kansas University with the class of 191 1, and subsequent-
ly was employed as a teacher in the Glasco High School. She is a mem-
ber of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.
Sylvanus S. Longley, a prominent farmer and stockman, now retired,
ex-member of the Kansas legislature and influential citizen of Green-
leaf, A\'ashington county, was born on his father's farm near Foxcroft,
Me., September 15, 1834, a son of Sylvanus and Orienda (Garland) Long-
le)'. The Longley family is of English origin, and our subject is de-
scended from Revolutionary stock, his great-grandfather, Zachariah
Longley, and grandfather, Zachariah Longley, Jr., having served in the
Continental Line in the War for Independence. Zachariah Longley,
Jr., was one of the founders of the town of Foxcroft, settling there
shortly after the close of the war, which gave birth to the Union. The
forebears of our subject were farmers and stock raisers, who wrested
from the wilderness and the Indian productivge acres, endured hardship
and privation, and with all were men that did their alloted tasks with
cheerfulness and lived lives of contentment and frugality. Sylvanus
Longley, the father of our subject, born in 1790^ lived and labored for
nearly ninety years in and near the town of Foxcroft, attained a com-
petence as a farmer and stock raiser, took part in the progress of nearly
a century of the Nation's growth, and died in 1877.
Sylvanus S. Longlej^ was reared on the paternal farm and obtained his
education in the primitive schools of that early day, the school term be-
ing about six weeks' duration in the winter and nine in the summer.
This early instruction was supplemented by an attendance of one term at
BIOGRAPHICAL 393
Foxcroft Academy. On completion of his education, at the age of six-
teen, he went to New Bedford, Mass., and shipped on tiie whaler "Can-
ton," sailing to the Okotsk sea in the Arctic. This cruise of one season
was highly successful, a* large ntimber of whales being caught and the
ship returned to its home port with oil and bone. The following spring
the ship sailed on another expedition, but was wrecked on an unchartered
coral island, longitude 173 west, latitude 2:40. The reef on which the
vessel struck was some little distance from the island proper, but after
severe trials the crew managed to reach shore by the aid of a tow line.
The island they found to be uiu'nhabited, about three miles long and one-
hall mile wide. They had ample time before the breaking up of their
ship to save her life boats, many of the stores, water casks and water, a
few sails, spars and tools, also the epitamy and compass. Some of the
boats which had been saved, all of which were open, had been damaged,
and after making repairs and fitting them out with sails, keel and rudder,
the)' sailed in search of an inhabited island, where they could secure food
and rescue. The instruments saved enabled them to determine the lati-
tude, but not the longitude, but on March 30, 1854. they set sail with the
expectation of reaching an island about one hundred miles distant, but
missed it, and forty-five days from the time of setting sail the\' sighted
land, Madalena Rock, one of the Ladrones, which was uninhabited, and
they continued on until they reached, four days later, the Island of Guam,
at that time a Spanish possession, and peopled by pearl fishers.. During
this enforced voyage their food su]iplies were short and each man's allow-
ance was a half biscuit of hard bread and one-half pint of water per day.
On reaching Guam, the crew, which numbered thirty-three men, were
apportioned among the natives, who gave them an abundant supply of
bread, fruit and bananas. They were compelled to remain on this island
for ninety-four days before a ship touched for water, and then were
carried to Manila, where they remained for tliirt}- days before they could
get employment. They finally shipped aboard the Bella Vascomgarda.
Captain Juan Ilaas, bound for Canton, China, where they loaded with
tea and went up the coast about 400 miles and eventually reached Liver-
pool, where Mr. Longley left the ship. He has in his possession his dis-
charge papers from this vessel, which he prizes highly. From Liver-
pool he was returned to the United States by the American counsel, and
arrived at Boston nearly three years after shipping on the cruise which
was to cause him hardships of such extraordinary severity and also to
give him the distinction of having, as a member of the crew of the ill-
fated "Canton," made a record which has never been equalled in marine
annals for distance traveled in an open boat, 3,500 miles, consuming
forty-nine days, and without the loss of a man. Of his shipmates on
this eventful voyage but two beside himself are known to be living at this
writing, 1013. Within three months after returning to his native land,
he shipped aboard the "Nabob," bound for San Francisco by the way of
394 BIOGRAPHICAL
"the horn." This voyage consumed 112 days, the ship encountering in
the Pacific what is known to sailors on that ocean as "the calm," a con-
dition in which there is not a breath of wind, and the water is as smooth
as a small lake on a still da}^ in summer. Tlris proved to be his last
voyage, for on reaching port he refused to re-ship, and went into the
gold fields and engaged in mining, meeting with fair success. In the
summer of 1861 he enlisted in Company K, Second California cavalry,
and with his regiment engaged in a campaign against the Indians along
the overland mail route on the Great Plains. During this campaign was
fought one of the most desperate battles in the history of Indian warfare,
that of Bear River, in which over 500 Indians, which constituted all of
the attacking party except the squaws and papooses, were killed, and
fully one-half of Mr. Longley's company were killed or wounded. He
was wounded in the neck, and remained in the hospital for about forty
days before he was fit for further service. He was mustered out at Salt
Lake, Utah, October 27, 1864, and subsequently went to Helena, Mont.,
where he resumed gold mining, struck luck and got a stake. In the
spring of 1868 he left Fort Benton, Mont., and made the trip down the
Missouri river, and arrived at Omaha on the fourth of July, and from
that point continued down the river to St. Louis, and from there returned
east on a visit, remaining until 1869, when he came to Kansas and
entered a homestead in Lincoln township, now Greenleaf, Washington
county. He improved this land, hauled lumber from Waterville, with
which to build his house, and engaged in farming, cattle feeding and
stock breeding, and during his active life was known as one of the suc-
cessful agriculturists of his county. He was elected assessor of Lincoln
township, in 1870, when it comprised one-fourth of Washington county,
and has served as township trustee, treasurer, and as a member of the
board of county commissioners, and was chairman of the board during
the time of the building of the present court house in 1886. He has been
a lifelong Republican, has attended, as a delegate, a number of county
and State conventions of his party, was census enumerator in 1880, and
was honored by his part}', in 1896, with election to the lower house of
the State legislature, and was re-elected in 1898, serving in the sessions
of 1897, 1899, and the special session of 1898. He was appointed chair-
man of the committee on roads and highways, held membership in sev-
eral other important committees, and was identified with important leg-
islation throughout his service in the house. He was recognized by his
colleagues as an able and conscientious worker in behalf of progressive
legislation, and as an active and energetic member of his party therein.
Mr. Longley retired from active business in 1902, removed from his farm
to Greenleaf, where he has since resided and devotes his time to the
supervision of his farming interests, which are extensive. He has at-
tained the Scottish Rite degrees in Masonry, has served as treasurer of
Greenleaf Lodge, No. 232, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, for the
BIOGRAPHICAL 395
past fifteen years, and is a member of Greenleaf Post, Xo. 134, Grand
Army of the Republic.
On March 30, 1870, Mr. Longley was united in marriage with Miss
Laura Fairchild, daughter of John W. and Margaret Fairchild, natives
of Iowa, who were pioneer settlers in Jefferson county, Kansas. Mrs.
Longley was born in Iowa, passed her early girlhood there and received
her preliminary education in the schools of that State, and completed her
studies after the removal of the family to Kansas. She was a woman
who possessed many lovable traits of character, was a true helpmeet to
her husband, and a loving mother. Her death occurred on December 5,
1910. To this union were born six children, viz: William H. ; Jeff C. ;
Jessie, the wife of A. B. Minshall, of Garwood, Te.xas ; Bertha, the wife
of Charles E. Lueck, of Holton, Kan. ; Vesta, the wife of E. \V. Shear-
burn, a ph3'sician of Haddam, Kan., and Dorothy, the wife of Albert Mc-
Leland. of Sherman, Texas.
Edward B. Fox, president of the First National Bank of \\'ashington,
and successful man of affairs, was born at Highland, Doniphan county,
Kansas, April 2, 1863, a son of George G. and Myra (Bayless) Fox. His
father was a native of the State of New York, born in Ithaca, and came
to Kansas in 1857, settling in Doniphan county, where he engaged in
farming. He was an active and influential factor in his section during
the formative period of the State's history, was an associate and co-
worker with the leading men concerned in bringing Kansas into the
Union as a free State, and a leader in the political life of his county. He
realized a large and substantial success in a business way, was a power in
the commercial and financial circles of Northeastern Kansas, and re-
mained in active charge of his extensive affairs until his death, which oc-
curred in 1904.
Edward B. Fox was reared in his native county, acquired his early
education in the public schools and was graduated from Highland Col-
lege, at Flighland, Kan., in 1884. Subsequently, he was. for one year, a
student in the Chicago School of Pharmacy, and in 1885 was matricu-
lated in Kansas Lfniversity, where he comjilcled the prescribed course
in pharmac}' ahd chemistry, and his is the distinction of having been a
member of the first class enrolled in this department. Following his
graduation he' was employed as an assistant in the laboratory and in
teaching in this branch of stud\% and received the degree of Pharma-
ceutical Doctor. While a student at Lawrence he became a member of
the Phi Gama Delta fraternity. In the winter of 1886 he established a
retail drug store in Washington, Kan., and remained in this line of
activity until 1905. when he removed to Springfield. Mo., and with others
organized the Wilburn X; Fox Paint Com|)any, of which he was elected
vice-president, wholesale dealers in wall paper and paints. During his
residence in the last named city he was one of the organizers of the
Purity Oil Company, and was elected vice-president of this company.
396 BIOGRAPHICAL
In 191 1 he became a resident of Salina, Kan., and in July, 1912, returned
to Washington, his former home, where he now resides. He still retains
his business interests in Springfield, and the executive offices pre-
viously mentioned. \\'hile in the retail drug business in Washington
he became a stockholder in the First National Bank of Washington,
served for several years as a member of its directorate, and also as vice-
president. In this capacity he gained a comprehensive knowledge of
banking and finance, and on his return to the city in which he initiated
his business career, he again purchased a block of stock in the liiank, and
on July 9, 1912, was elected president of the institution. Established with
a capital stock of $50,000, it has a surplus and undivided profits (earned)
of $40,000, deposits of $225,000, and has always paid satisfactory divi-
dends to its stockholders. He is well and favorably known to the
banking fraternity of the State, is considered an able and conservative
executive, and his bank is the leading financial institution in the county.
Since reaching his majority, he has been an ardent advocate of the prin-
ciples of the Republican party, and prior to his removal to Springfield,
was one of the leaders in the political life of his section. He was for four
years chairman of the Washington County Central Committee, attended,
as a delegate, a number of the State conventions of his party, and as-
sisted in securing the nomination of the late William E. Stanley for
governor. Local affairs have been of deep interest to him, and he has
been one of the useful men of his home city. He has served as a mem-
ber of the school board for six years, and for one term as mayor. He has
always been an active supporter, both with titne and money, of those
measures which have had for their object the advancement and develop-
ment of the community. Mr. Fox has attained the Knights Templar de-
gree in Masonry, and is affiliated with Isis Temple Shrine. He is a
member of the Presbyterian church, and a trustee of the local organiza-
tion.
On November 16, 1892, Mr. Fox was united in marriage with Miss
Lila Darby, daughter of Philip Darby, of Washington, Kan. To this
union have been born three children : Dana, born March 25, 1894, a stu-
dent in the high school; Agnes, born September 11, 1897, and Richard,
born October 11, 1898. The family have long been prominent in the so-
cial circles of the State, and the Fox residence is known for its gracious
hospitality.
Thomas W. Hemphill. — A pioneer family in any community is of more
or less historic interest, but when one possesses the distinction of having
been a pioneer of three counties, in as many different states, then that
man becomes of special historic interest and prominence.
Thomas W. Hemphill was born in Clearfield. Clearfield county, Penn-
sylvania, October 23, 1832. a son of James and Mallay (Rigley) Hemp-
hill. He is descended on the paternal side from Irish stock, and his ma-
ternal ancestors were English. His father, James Hemphill, was a car-
BIOGRAPHICAL 397
penter, who removed witli his family, in 1845, to Boone county, Illinois,
then in the first stages of settlement. He later removed to Iowa, then to
Crawford county, Kansas, where he died. Young Hemphill was reared
in his native county and acquired his education in the district schools
of tliat early time, going three miles into the woods for that purpose.
He accompanied his parents to Illinois, at that time a lad of thirteen,
and saw Boone county grow from a wilderness to a settled country.
His first acquaintance with a railroad was when the Galena & Chicago
Union railway was built into Belvedere, the county seat of Boone county.-
Its rails were 2x4 scantlings, on which strap iron was nailed, and its mo-
tive power and rolling stock equally primitive. He resided in Boone
cotmty for eleven years, his employment being that of a farm hand, and
his wages averaged $10 per month. Threshing was done by horse
power, and he did his share of this kind of labor, but without an increase
in wages. In 1856, he removed to Floyd county, Iowa, where his parents
had preceded him several years. During a residence in this county, of
two years, he grew deeply interested in the Kansas situation, at that
time being generally agitated throughout the east, and decided to cast
his lot with the Free State contingent in that territory. Acting on this
determination he came to Marshall county, where he wintered, and on
July 8, 1858, located on a claim near the present city of Washington.
Indians were numerous as were Indian scares, and buffaloes roamed over
the country in countless thousands. While wintering in Marshall coun-
ty he was employed by Frank Marshall, for whom the county was
named, hauling corn to stage stations, one of which was at Fort Kearney,
Nebraska. He has been identified with Washington county since its
early settlement, was concerned in its organization as a county, and has
been one of its active factors in agricultural development. His claim was
made a farm, and a highly productive one. He traded a team of horses
for one of oxen and broke prairie, hauled logs for building purposes, and
experienced each and every hardshij) known to the pioneer of those
days. From an ox team to an automobile, from the tallow dip to elec-
tric lights, from the stage coach to the limited train of today, with its
palatial Pullman equipment, covers a span of years that few are privi-
leged to look back upon, and yet Mr. Hemphill has passed through all
these stages of advancement, besides having taken part in clearing virgin
land in three states, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas, and still remains hale and
hearty at the age of eighty-one. From the time of his coming to Kan-
sas he has been a believer in the wealth of her agricultural possiliilities,
and until about fifteen years ago, when he retired from active labor, was
engaged in farming and stock raising, in which he has accumulated a
competence. He is a director in the Farmers' State Bank of Washing-
ton, of which city he became a resident upon his retirement from the
farm.
Mr. Hemphill has been twice married. His first wife, whom he mar-
398 BIOGRAPHICAL
ried November 15, 1857, was Miss Leah Knouse, a daughter of Rev. John
Knouse, a clergyman of the United Brethren church, a native of Ohio,
and later a resident of Illinois and Kansas. Mrs. Hemphill was born in
Ohio and reared and educated in Illinois. She died in 1874. Six chil-
dren were born to this union : James, Suhemia, Delia, Clara and two
who died in infancy. On November 27, 1877, Mr. Hemphill married Mrs.
Katherine Fleming, nee Harry, a daughter of Jeremiah Harry, a native
of Ohio, and who became a pioneer settler of Marion, Grant county,
Ohio. Of this union two children were born : Ralph, who is deceased,
and Ethel, the wife of Henry McCormick, one of the prominent farmers
and stock men of Washington county, Kansas.
Andrew H. Holmberg, a successful farmer, now retired, and influ-
ential citizen of Greenleaf, Kan., was born in Malmy, Sweden, June 7,
1840, a son of Hans and Chelstie Holmberg. The elder Holmberg was
also a farmer and served for a time in the regular army of Sweden.
Andrew H. Holmberg was reared on the parental farm, and acquired
his education in the public schools of his native town, having the dis-
tinction of being enrolled as a student on the opening day of the first
public school established in his home district, which was in 1847. He
remained with his parents, assisting in the operation of the home farm,
until he was seventeen years of age, when he was apprenticed to the
blacksmith's trade, and followed this occupation until 1867, when he de-
termined to avail himself of the broader opportunities offered in the
United States. His first experience with American customs was ob-
tained in Chicago, where he was employed at his trade for a few weeks,
later in Altoona, 111., where he remained nine months, and after a few
days spent in Clinton, Mo., he secured employment in a foundry and
machine shop at Lawrence, Kan., where he remained one year. In
the spring of 1869 he entered a homestead in Little Blue township, Wash-
ington county, now Greenleaf township, then returned to his employ-
ment in Lawrence, and on March 2, 1870, took up permanent residence
on his land. His first improvements were a sod house and blacksmith
shop, the latter being the first to be established in this immediate sec-
tion of the State. His patrons came from a twenty-mile radius and his
trade was so prosperous that he not only was compelled to labor fre-
quently of an evening, but was forced to hire help to break his raw land
and crop it. In 1873 he erected substantial barns, a modern frame dwell-
ing, and large blacksmith shop. He continued to follow his trade until
1882, when he turned his entire attention to his farm property, which
with additional acreage purchased adjoining his original homestead, com-
prises 320 acres. During the early years of his farming, he raised wheat
as the principal crop, but on its decline in price, changed to corn, clover
and timothy, also raising horses, cattle and hogs, which he sold in the
neighborhood. In 1897 he retired from active labor and became a resi-
dent of Greenleaf, renting his farm land, but retaining supervision of the
BIOGRAPHICAL 399
property. During his residence in \\'ashington county he has taken an
active part in local affairs, affecting his township, and has been honored
with public office, in which he served with credit to himself and his con-
stituents. He was for two terms treasurer of Greenleaf township, and
for sixteen years a member of the school board. He is a Republican. He
has also been an active and influential factor in the religious life of his
district, is a member of the Christian church, and has been for several
j'ears a deacon in his congregation.
Mr. Holmberg married, on June 9, 1870, Miss Johannah Persson, a
daughter of Peter and Hilda Persson, residents of Sweden, who are de-
ceased, the father being a farmer and stock raiser. Mrs. Holmberg was
born on April 24, 1842, and is a graduate of the public schools of her
native land. To this union were born two children : John Holmberg,
who held for several years previous to his death, in 1903, a position of
trust with the Chicago Title & Trust Company of Chicago, 111. He mar-
ried Elizabeth Tuett, who, with their two children, Boyce and Elmer,
survive him. They are residents of Aurora, 111. Amanda, the second
child, received her early education in the schools of Washington county
and was graduated from Northwestern University at Evanston, 111. She
is the wife of Byron Young, who is a farmer and stock raiser, operating
the old Holmberg homestead.
Harvey Markham, of Washington, Kan., known througln ut the
country as a breeder of fine horses, is a native of Illinois and was born
in McDonough county, that State, September 7, 1857. He is a son of
Asa B. and Harriet (Fleming) Markham, the former a nativje of Ohio
and the latter of Pennsylvania. Harvey Markham was born in a little
log cabin, reared on a farm and received his earlj- education in the coun-
try schools and later attended Abingdon College at Abingdon, 111., and
also took a course in the county normal school. He then went to work
on the farm with his father and remained at home tintil he was twenty-
two years old, when he began Ijfe for himself, first working his father's
farm, and a year later went to Iowa, where he remained only one year,
when, on account of a crop failure, he returned to his Illinois home and
worked his father's farm for several years. In February, 1887, he came
to Kansas, first locating in Mitchell county, a short distance south of
Beloit. He bought a farm here and remained about a year and a half
and after two successive crop failures he decided to go to Washington
county, and in 1889 settled in Coleman township, Washington county,
and began farming on a rented farm. At the expiration of three years
he bought a farm one and one-half miles west of Washington, upon
which he lived nineteen years. During the time that Mr. Markham was
engaged in farming and stockraising here he dealt extensively in cattle,
also. He also raised considerable hogs for the market and was a suc-
cessful general farmer. In 1909 he sold this farm and bought one in
Saline county, Kansas. He also bought a place in Academy Hill addi-
400 BIOGRAPHICAL
tion. where he is now extensively engaged in breeding Percheron and
coach Iiorses. He also owns a number of pure-bred Mammoth Spanish
and Kentucky jacks. He handles a great man_v imported Percheron
and coach horses and has been very successful in this line of business.
At one time he was a breeder of pure-bred Duroc Jersey hogs, but has
discontinued this business.
Air. Markham was married, ]\Iarch 31, 1880, to Miss Sarah Lucinda,
daughter of Henry and Mary Seybold, of McDonough coLmty, Illinois,
where the father was a carpenter and contractor. Mrs. Markham was
born in' Missouri, but reared and educated in McDonough county, Illi-
nois. Mr. and Mrs. Markham have two children, ]\Iyrtle, married Clar-
ence McArthy, who is an employee of the postoffice at Salina, Kan., and
Orlan Edgar, a graduate of the University of Kansas, and now on the
editorial staff of the "Pioneer Press," St. Paul, Minn. Mr. Markham
is a director of the Farmers State Bank, of Washington, and was one of
the organizers of the Mutual Telephone Company, of Washington, Kan.
He has served two terms as township trustee and has been a delegate to
several State conventions and in 1912 was a member of the Congressional
convention held at Manhattan. His fraternal affiliations are with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
John Mason Seelye. — A pioneer family in any country is of more or
less historic interest, no matter if its tenure of residence be of long or
short duration. But when a family is not only among the first to settle
in a country, but also continues to reside in it for decade after decade,
and generation after generation, and certain of its members at all times
are leaders in every movement intended to conserve the country's wel-
fare and promote its progress, then that family becomes of special his-
toric interest and prominence. One of the most prominent families of
Kansas is the Seelye family, of Abilene, which dates its founding in
America from the landing of the Puritans under the leadership of Cap-
tain John Winthrop, June 12, 1630. Captain Robert Seelye. a member of
that company, was the first of the family to settle in the Massachusetts
colony. He was a native of Plymouth, England, and a descendant of an
Austrian nobleman, Count Cilli, of the Duchy of Styria, whose daugh--
ter. Barbara, married the Emperor Sisigmond, of Austria. Numbered
among his descendants are men who achieved distinction in the frontier
life of those early days, in the commercial era which followed, in the
French and Indian wars, and later in the \\'ar of the Revolution.
Ephraim Seelye, the grandfather of the man whose name heads this
article, was a lieutenant in the Continental Line in the War of Inde-
pendence and served for four years under Col. Seth Arnold, whose com-
mand was among those troops which made up the division known as
the Green Mountain Boys. Lieutenant Seelye took part in a number of
engagements, among the most important of which were the battles of
Bennington, Bemis Heights and Saratoga. Lieutenant Seelye was born
BIOGRAPHICAL 4OI
in the Connecticut colony in 174S, and died on March 20, 1840, aged
ninety-tWLi years.
John Mason Seelye, the subject of this article, is a native of Vermont,
and was born on his father's farm in Bennington county, Ajiril i, 1830,
the son of Barns and Bethany (Young) Seelye, and is one of the sixth
generation in descent from Capt. Robert Seelye, the founder of the fam-
ily in America. The first twenty years of his life were spent in his native
county, where he was reared a farmer. He obtained a good education
in the district schools, and in 1850 decided to seek opportunity for ad-
vancement in the undeveloped West. Illinois, at that time in the early-
stages of settlement, seemed to him the place for his activities, and he
journey there, first stopping at Chicago, where he was offered 160 acres
of land, now in the heart of the city, for $200; an offer he scoffed at, as it
was virtually a marsh and much better suited for raising frogs than
farming. On July 4, 1850, he joined his brother, Danforth Seelye, at
Peoria, and shortly after engaged in farming near that city, and remained
a resident of that section until 1856, when he removed to Marshall
county. lie was occupied in farming and stock raising in Illinois until
1890, when he disposed of his interests and came to Kansas, locating in
the city of Abilene. He had accumulated a comfortable fortune from
his agricultural enterprise and he employed his funds in assisting his son,
Alfred B. Seelye. who had established at Abilene, in 1890, a laboratory for
the manufacture of ]>roprietary medicines. This enterprise, now one of
the important factors in its line in the United States, is reviewed at
length in the sketch of its founder, which follows this article. Many of
the preparations manufactured bear the j^ortrait of Mr. Seelye as a trade
mark.
Mr. Seelye married at Kickapoo, 111., December 25, 1855, Miss Ellen
Seely, daughter of Samuel and Delia (Richmond) Seely, who. was born
at Wyoming, 111., December 31, 1837. Her father, Samuel Seely, was a
native of Tioga county. New York, born in 1798. He was one of the
early settlers of Illinois, removing there from his native State in 1829,
was a farmer throughout his life, and died in 1863. His wife was born in
Indiana, and died in 1857. To this union were born the following chil-
dren : Franklin Danforth, born October 7, 1856, a manufacturer of
proprietary medicines at Oklahoma City, Okla. ; Albert, born March 21,
i860, who died in 1863; Alvin William, born May 24, 1863, a successful
stockman of Ellis county, Kansas; Emma, born April 3, 1865, the wife of
\\'esley Organ, a farmer and stockman of Julietta, Idaho ; .Alfred Barns, a
review of whom follows this article; and Jennie, born December 22, 1872,
the wife of J. A. Gish, of Abilene, Kan.
Mr. Seelye retired from active business several years ago, and resides
at No. 1012 Olive street. He is remarkably well preserved for a man of
his age, eighty-four, and is a familiar figure on the streets of .Abilene,
where he enjoys the respect and esteem of all.
402 BIOGRAPHICAL
Alfred Barns Seelye. — Success in any line of occupation, in any
avenue of business, is not a matter of spontaneity; but represents the
result of the application of definite subjective forces and the controlling
of objective agencies in such a way as to achieve desired ends. Mr.
Seelye has realized a large and substantial success in the business world
and his career has well exemplified the truth of the foregoing statements.
He occupies today a prominent place among the men of affairs in Kan-
sas, is the controlling force in one of her important commercial enter-
prises and one of the distinctively representative men of the State.
Progressive and energetic in the management of his various business
interests, loyal and public-spirited as a citizen, he holds a secure position
in the confidence and esteem of the community and has contributed in
large measure to the advancement of the city of Abilene, in whose still
greater commercial and civic prestige he is a firm believer.
Alfred Barns Seelye is a native of the State of Illinois, and was born
on his father's farm in Marshall county, December 20, 1870, a son of
John Mason and Ellen (Seely) Seelye, a review of whom precedes this
article. He received his early educational discipline in the public schools
of his native county and in 1888 entered the College of Physicians and
Surgeons at Chicago, where he remained for one year, and then entered
the literary department of the University of Michigan, where he remained
for a like period. In 1890 he came to Kansas, and on June 8 located
in the city of Abilene, where he established a small laboratory and en-
gaged in the manufacture of "Wasa-Tusa," a proprietary medicine. This
preparation met with a favorable reception on the part of the public from
the start, and other remedies were added until the line numbers nearly
one hundred different articles. The year 1913 was an eventful. one in the
history of the business, marking the placing on the market of "Fro-Zona,"
which is proving a rival of "Wasa-Tusa" from a selling standpoint, and
the drawing of plans for a new laboratory building, to cost when com-
plete $100,000; and made necessary through the growth of the business.
The present home of the compan\', which was incorporated in 1897, as the
A. B. Seelye Medical Company, and of which the founder is president,
was formerly the Bonebrake Opera House building. It is one of the
largest buildings in the city, covers a ground space of 60x120 feet, and is
three stories in height, with a basement extending the full lot space. It
was purchased in 1900 by Mr. Seelye, and remodeled at a cost of over
$15,000. The west end was arranged as a theater, and is one of the best
in the State in a city of Abilene's population. Its seating capacity is
nearh- 800, and it has the best of equipment and the accoustic properties
are unequalled. The rest of the building is used by the company for
laboratories, offices, shipping and store rooms, and although giving many
thousands of feet of floor space, the growth of the business has been
such that larger quarters are necessary, hence the new building. The
company employs a corps of expert chemists, who are under the super-
BIOGRAPHICAL 4^3
vision of Dr. S. S. Fisher, a man of wide rcputaiicin and an expert on
formulas; its manufacturing department re(|uires a large number of
skilled operatives and over three hundred local and traveling salesmer
constitute its sales force. The A. B. Seelye Medical Company is one of
the extensive manufacturers of family remedies in the United States, a
distinction rightfully theirs through volume of business transacted, their
products are used in thousands of homes, where they are known for their
high standard and uniformity. In the organization, development and
administration of the business of this institution Mr. Seelye has been
the controlling spirit, and to his progressiveness, energy and resource-
fulness is due its phenomenal growth. Its success has not been con-
fined to volume of business alone, as its remedies have been of untold
value in the home. Mr. "Seelye has valuable interests in farm lands near
Lawton, Okla., improved residence property in Kansas City, Mo., and is
a stockholder in a number of corporations. Essentially a business man,
he has never had inclination for public office. He has always taken a
deep interest in the civic welfare of his home city, and has generously
supported, both with time and money, measures which have had for their
object the advancement and betterment of the community. He is a pro-
gressive Republican. His fraternal affiliations are with the Masonic
order.
On August lo, 1893, Mr. Seelye was united in marriage witli Miss
Jeannette Taylor, the daughter of William II. and Mary C. (Wrightsel)
Taylor, who is a native of Kansas, and 'was born in Dickinson county,
on February 9, 1874. Her parents became residents of the State in 1872,
where her mother died on February 11, 1876, and her father on June 18,
1907. They are survived by Mrs. Seelye and a younger sister, Klla,
born February 11, 1876.
Mr. and Mrs. Seelye are the parents of two daughters : Marion
Eleanor, born January 19, 1895, who was graduated from the Abilene
High School with the class of 1914; and Helen Ruth, born February 21,
1896. Mrs. Seelye is the vicc-])resident of the A. B. Seeij'c Medical Com-
pany, and has taken an active ]iart in its affairs since its incorporation.
The family have long been jinmiiTient in the social life of their section
of tlie State, and the Seelye home on Buckeye avenue is one of the most
imposing private residences in Kansas, its grounds are extensive and
beautifully landsca'ped, and it is known for its gracious hospitality.
Mr. Seelye is in all respects a high type of the conservative, unas-
suming American, diligent in his duties and commercial affairs and con-
scientious in all things. He has been of material value in fiu"thering the
advancement of the city of Abilene, and it is probable that within the
limits of his activities the town has never had a more useful citizen.
Elwood Armstrong, M. D. — A man's real worth to the community
in wiiich he lives is not a matter of the accumulation of wealth, the
ownership of broad acres, or the controlling of commercial enterprises;
404 BIOGR-^PHICAL
except he use a part of that wealth, his personal influence and a portion
of his time toward the upbuilding of his town, city or county, and by
advice and example encourage his fellow citizens to fruitful labor and
prosperity, and to live honorable lives filled with kindness and helpful
deeds. A publication of this nature exercises its most important function
when it takes cognizance of the life and labors of those citizens who
have been of material value in the development and advancement of the
commonwealth, who have been leaders and teachers and who have been
instrumental in advancing to a high standard the civil, social and religious
life of their home districts, numbered among which is he whose name
initiates this article. Dr. Armstrong has attained a prominent place
among the physicians and surgeons of Kansas, has realized a large and
substantial success in the commercial world, and is, within the limits of
his activities, one of the most useful citizens in his section of the State,
and deserving of distinctive recognition in this publication.
Elwood Armstrong was born at Morris, Grundy county, Illinois, Feb-
ruary 12, 1854. He is the son of the Hon. Perry A. Armstrong, a dis-
tinguished lawyer, an authority on Indian languages and customs, author
and geologist. He was born in Pennsylvania, where he married Miss
Mary Borbidge, and located for the practice of law in Morris, 111., when
that section of the State was in its first stages of settlement. There he
developed into the leading attorney of his section of the State, and one
of the great lawyers of Illinois. He was a power in political affairs, an
intimate friend of both Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, and
although they were the respective leaders of the two great parties of their
day, they were frequently fellow guests at the Armstrong mansion. One
of the most highly prized mementos of his mother, possessed by Dr.
Armstrong, is a portrait, done in oil, of Mr. Douglas, painted from per-
sonal sittings, made b}' "the little giant" to Mrs. Armstrong, who was
an artist of reputation. In the state house at Springfield is displayed the
Armstrong collection of geological specimens and Indian relics, which
were gathered by the father of our subject and presented to the State of
Illinois. This collection is considered one of the most complete and valu-
able in America. Perry Armstrong was a recognized authority on Indian
languages and customs, and an author of several works, one of the most
notable dealing with the Black Hawk war. To him the State of Illinois
is indebted for the statue of Shabonna. erected through his efforts, in
memory of the great chief who was familiarly called "the white man's
friend," owing to his saving a number of the settlers from being mas-
sacred in a night attack by the Indians. His warning of the threatened
danger was given only through great personal danger to himself and
necessitated a long and fatiguing night ride. Previous to one of the re-
unions of the old settlers of his section of Illinois, Mr. Armstrong came
to Kansas and induced a number of Pottawatomies, then on their reser-
vation, to accompany him to their old home, where they took part in the
reunion, the expense of this trip being borne from his private funds.
BIOGRAPHICAL 405
Elwood Armstrong passed the years of his boyhood surrounded by an
atmosphere of culture and in intercourse with the foremost minds of his
native State. He received liis early educational discipline in the schools
of his home town, and was graduated from its high school. Of an inde-
pendent nature and with all ambitious, he elected to earn the money
necessary to complete his education, and during the summer months he
found employment as a farm hand, and in the winter taught school.
With his earnings he defrayed his expenses during a course in the
Morris Normal Institute, -from which he graduated and later entered
Rush Medical College at Chicago, where he remained during the win-
ter and spring, and then passed an examination before the State board
and was admitted to practice — one of the first to pass this board after
its establishment. The expense incurred in his study of medicine was
met from funds earned as a tutor and assistant teacher in some of the
classes. Shortly after obtaining his degree, he located fof practice at
Northville, La Salle county, Illinois, remaining there until 1878, when he
determined to seek the wider opportunit)' offering in the West, and came
to Kansas, locating at Glen Elder, journeying from Beloit, then the
terminus of the Central Branch railroad, by stage. A diphtheria epi-
demic was raging in Glen Elder at the time of his arrival, and his ser-
vices were in constant demand. He was uniformly successful with the
cases entrusted to his care, and established himself in a short time. He
had a cash capital of $5 when he reached his destination, but although he
was kept continually on the go visiting the families of the settlers, who
lived in sod and log houses, money was a scarce commodity, and horses
even more so. In fact, he was compelled to make most of his calls on
foot and covered mile after mile in this manner through inability to hire
or borrow an animal. During his residence in Northville he had married
and shortly after locating in Glen Elder he was joined by Mrs. Arm-
strong. Their residence was built of rough boards, fourteen by sixteen
feet in size, and here they lived until 1881, when they were persuaded, by
some old friends from Illinois, who had located at Greenleaf, \Vashing-
ton county, to remove to that point, which has since been his home.
During the thirty-two 3'ears in which Dr. Armstrong has been a prac-
titioner in Washington county, he has enjoyed a large and lucrative prac-
tice, and has attained recognition from his colleagues in the profession as
one of the most able and successful men in medical practice in the State.
He has kept abreast of the advance in medicine and surgery, is a close
student and vigorous writer, and has contributed a number of valuable
papers, which have been read at the meetings of \'arious medical societies.
In 1895 he was given the degree of Doctor of Medicine by the Univer-
sity Medical College of Kansas City, Mo. In 1883 he was appointed local
surgeon of the Missouri-Pacific Railway Company, and. in 1912. resi-
dent surgeon. He is a member of the International Medical Congress,
the last meeting of which was held in London, and which he attended, on
406 BIOGRAPHICAL
conclusion of which he visited the medical centers of the continent and
England. He is also a member of the American Association of Railway
Surgeons, the American IMedical Association, the Southwestern Medical
Association and the Kansas State and the Washington County Medical
Societies. While his practice has made large demands upon his time.
Dr. Armstrong has found opportunity to take an active part in the com-
mercial life of his section, and it is probable that his activities in this
field have been of greater value in the development of Greenleaf than
those of any other of its citizens. During the early years of his residence
in the town, he established a drug store, which he conducted for some
twenty years, and in 1890 he organized the Greenleaf Telephone Com-
pany, of which he owns a half interest. He was also the organizer of the
Stocton and the Blue Rapids Telephone companies, but has disposed of
his interests in these properties. He was. at one time, known as one of
the extensive property owners in his section of the State, but has in re-
cent )fears disposed of a large portion of his realty holdings, and has
made investments which require but little personal supervision. His
political affiliations are with the Republican party. He served for ten
years as coroner of ^^'ashington coimty, for twenty-three years as
treasurer of the city of Greenleaf," and for several years has been an influ-
ential member of its school board. This little city has the distinction of
having the best planned, best built, and best equipped school building in
the State of Kansas. The health of the student is guarded by an auto-
matic system of heating and ventilation, sanitation has been given spe-
cial attention, while its furnishings have been selected with a view to
comfort and convenience. This edifice was built from plans drawn from
ideas of Dr. Armstrong, and he contributed to its kindergarten equip-
ment from his personal funds. To his energy, progressiveness and in-
sistence that the best to be had was none too good, is due the completion,
of this model school building. Dr. Armstrong is a member of the Ma-
sonic fraternity, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and tlje
Modern \\'oodmen of America. On March 8, 1876, Dr. Armstrong mar-
ried, at Northfield. 111., Miss Martha J. Gransden, daughter of Thomas
and Eliza (Powell) Gransden. Her father was a native of England,
whose famih' genealogy.- has been traced back to the Sixteenth century,
and her mother was a native of Massachusetts, of English ancestry, and
descended from early settlers of America. Thomas Gransden was a suc-
cessful farmer and stock raiser of La Salle county, Illinois, a citizen of
influence, and who possessed the respect and esteem of his community.
Mrs. Armstrong was born on her father's farm in La Salle county, ac-
quired her education in the schools of Northville. She is an accom-
plished musician, both vocal and instrumental, possesses many lovable
characteristics, and is popular in the social circles of her section in
which she is a leader. The Armstrong residence is known for its gra-
cious hospitality.
BIOGRAPHICAL 437
Dr. and Mrs. Armstrong are the parents of three children : Thomas
Burton, the owner of a retail lumber yard at Burr Oak, Kan. ; Fred Les-
ter, a jeweler, of Salina, Kan., and Harold Ehvood, manager of the Green-
leaf Telephone Company.
David Ellenwood Ballard. — A pioneer family in any community is
of more or less historic interest, no matter if its tenure of residence be
of long or short duration. But when a family is not only among the
first to settle in a community, but also continues to reside in it for
decade after decade and generation after generation, and certain of its
members at all times are leaders in every movement intended to con-
serve the community's welfare and promote its progress, then that
family becomes of special historic interest and prominence. One of
the most prominent families of northern Kansas, and, indeed, of the
whole State, is the Ballard family, of \^'ashington, established there in
1859 by David Ellenwood Ballard, who had come to Kansas territory
in 1857, locating first at Lawrence. His ancestors, paternal and ma-
ternal, were among the early settlers of America and numbered among
them are men who achieved distinction in the frontier life of those early
days, in the commercial era which followed, in the French and Indian
wars, and later in the war of the Revolution. His grandmother Ballard
was one of the Everett family of Boston, and his grandfather Ellenwood
was a sea captain who sailed from Halifax and fought pirates in the
Mediterranean.
David Ellenwood Ballard was born in Franklin. Vt., March 20, 1836,
a son of Appleton and Epphene (Ellenwood) Ballard. The following
year his father removed, with his family, to Sparta, Ohio, where he
established a mercantile business. In this Ohio town the first twelve
years of young Ballard's life was spent. In 1848 the family removed to
Lansing, Mich., which had been made the capital of the State and
where his father continued to engage in mercantile pursuits. In 1850
the bov entered the employ of an uncle, William Henry Harrison, a mer-
chant of Mt. Gilead, Ohio, as a clerk, where he remained one year and
then returned to Lansing to again attend school and assist his father.
In 1852 his father's store was destroyed by fire. No insurance was car-
ried, the stock was a total loss and the elder Ballard found himself
bankrupt. David, then aged sixteen, again entered the employ of his
uncle Harrison, who had established himself as a general merchant at
Toledo, Iowa, and from his wages assisted in the support of a family
which numbered ten brothers and sisters. At this writing, 191.^ seven
of the.children are living: Everett, retired and residing at Port Huron,
Mich.; Alonzo, a retired merchant, of Barnes, Washington county. Kan-
sas; Henry D., a farmer, of Oshkosh, Wis. ; Anna, a successful physician
of Lansing, Mich.; Alice, the wife of Prof. W. O. Crosby, of the Boston
School of Technology; Sarah, the wife of William West, a farmer, of
Mason county, Michigan, and the subject of this article. Those de-
408 BIOGRAPHICAL
ceased are Sindenia, who married George W. Topping, M. D., a suc-
cessful physician of DeWitt, Mich., also deceased ; Eunice, the wife of
Albert Bovvker, a farmer, of St. Johns, Mich., and Allan, who was a
member of Berdan's Sharp Shooters in the Civil war and was killed in
the battle of the Wilderness.
During the winter of 1856-7 the New York "Tribune" was insistent
in calling upon those opposed to slavery to go to Kansas and vote it a
free State. Ballard heard the call, and early in the spring of 1857
packed his belongings, which included a Sharp's rifle, and went, arriving
in Lawrence April 23, where, in July, he voted for a city charter. Later
in the year he settled on a claim near Powhatan, Brown county, and
taught school during the winter of 1857-1858. In the spring of the
last named year he got into the town-site business and laid out Pacific
City, Nemaha county, and ran it for the county seat against Richmond
and Seneca, but lost. He next, in 1859, laid out the town of Washing-
ton, at that time a township in Marshall county, was the secretary of
the Washington Town Company and, on April 29, 1859, was elected
township clerk. Washington county was organized tlie following
year, i860, and he was elected to the office of county clerk, and to that
of register of deeds on April 23 of that year. On December 6, 1859,
he had been elected a member of the first State legislature from the
Third district, composed of Nemaha and Marshall counties, and took an
active and influential part in the work of that body. On the breaking
out of the Ci\'il war he and about twenty-five fellow members of that
historic body, all of whom went to the front in defense of the Union.
spent a great deal of their time on the drill ground preparing them-
selves for the conflict. During the fall and winter of 1861 he recruited,
in Marshall and Washington counties, forty-one men and took them
to Fort Leavenworth, defraying the expense from his persona! funds.
They were all mustered in and assigned to the Second Kansas infantry,
then being reorganized, its original members being ninety-day men. The
detachment afterwards became Company H, Second Kansas cavalry.
Ballard, an active and ardent supporter of Jim Lane, was not in favor
with Governor Robinson, but owing to his generosity in bringing his
men to Leavenworth at his own expense and his qualifications as a
soldier, he was given a commission as first lieutenant. He was in all
the engagements in which that historic regiment participated during
the war and served three years and three months. He was detailed as
judge advocate on the staff of Major General Blunt and served in this
capacity in several court martials and tried numerous prisoners. .\l
the convention which nominated Crawford for Governor it was decided
that the army had a right to representation in that body and each regi-
ment was given three. Lieutenant Ballard was chosen to represent
the Second Kansas in that convention and came to Washington county
on his way to Topeka on an army supply train. Arrivmg at Marysvillc
iU(n;u.\PiiiCAL 409
he found nearly all of the settlers of the surrounding district had sought
refuge there from the result of an Indian scare in Washington county
He assembled them together and told them, "Let's go home," and they
followed him back to Washington. On reaching that town he addressed
them from the tail-end of an ox wagon, stating his desire to go to the
convention at Topeka. A vote was taken and he was duly elected dele-
gate from Washington county. He had already been giver, the proxies
of the two others elected to represent his regiment, and therefore had
four votes in the convention. The battle fought in this convention
was one of the most bitter in tlie history of the State and resulted in
breaking up the ring which had dominated politics during the absence
of a large per cent, of the voters at the front, and also in the nomina-
tion of Crawford. On February 15, 1865, Lieutenant Ballard resigned
from the army to accept the appointment of quartermaster-general of
Kansas under Governor Crawford. His appointment was due to the
belief on the part of the governor tliat he was the man needed to
secure the return of arms, equipment and munitions of war to the
National Ciovernment, for which the State had been charged, and dur-
ing his service in this capacity he secured credits totaling over $41,000.
In 1867 he removed to Manhattan, having been appointed revenue as-
sessor of the Fourth district, and also sold Kansas Pacific railroad lands.
In 1869 he returned to Washington county and engaged in farming, an
occupation he followed until 1899, when he became a resident of the
city of Washington, and retired from acti\e labor. In 1878 he was
elected for a second time to the lower house of the legislature and
served during the session of 1879. He was appointed a member of sev-
eral important committees and elected chairman of that on the peni-
tentiary. He was identified as the framer and leader in the passage
of the penitentiary coal shaft bill, which stopped the employment of
convicts in tlic manufacture of harness, saddles, shoes, clothing and
other articles in competition with residents of the State. He took an
active part in important legislation and was considered by his colleagues
as one of the energetic leaders of the Republican party therein. Dur-
ing this session he presented and secured the passage of the bill drawn
by Jixdge Adams which granted the first appropriation for the Kansas
State Historical Society. Shortly after he was elected a director in
the society and has been one of the most potent influences m the growth
and success of that organization. He was elected president of the
society in 1912. As a farmer and stock raiser "Colonel Ballard," as he
is known to the citizens of his home county, has realized a large and
substantial success. He is the owner of one of the large cattle ranches
of the State, situated in Meade county, comprising 16,000 acres, and on
which is the most modern ranch house in Kansas, together with other
improvements that are unexcelled by any in the State. This projierty
is managed by his sons, David C. and Mark A. liallard, and is one o^
4IO BIOGRAPHICAL
the most profitable stock enterprises in the State. One thousand head
of cattle are made ready for market annually. His is the distinction
of having built the first frame building in Washington county, which
still stands on one of the streets of Washington citj- and is occupied by
a school of dressmaking. He is the owner of valuable farm lands in
his home county and was one of the organizers of the Washington
National Bank and served for many years as a member of its directorate.
He is a member of Barnes Post Xo. 363, Grand Army of the Republic,
in \vhich he has filled all chairs. He has attained the Knights Tem-
plar degree in Masonry.
On December 25, 1865, he was married in Leavenworth to Miss Lou-
ise Bowen, of Brandon, Vt. They are the parents of the following
children: Ernest F., born December 22, 1866, a farmer of Washington
county, Kansas; Mabel, born September 9, 1871, the wife of Samuel
P. Fairbanks, a fruit grower of North Yakima, Wash. ; ^liriam, born
September 12, 1873, the wife of the Rev. Frank Demetz, a Presbyterian
clergj-man of LaSalle, Col. ; David Chancey, born November 7, 1875,
one of the managers of the Ballard ranch at Meade, Kan. ; Winifred,
born November 27, 1877, the wife of Albert J- ^IcFarland, farmer and
stockman, of Austin, Minn. ; Mark Appleton, born December 29, 1880,
one of the managers of the Ballard ranch, Meade, Kan. ; Alice Anna,
born July 21, 1884, the wife of Harry Bellamy, also connected with the
Ballard ranch, ^leade, Kan., and Stella Louise, born June 20, 1888, a
graduate of the department of domestic science in the Kansas State
Agricultural College, and former teacher of this branch in the schools
of Washington. Two children are deceased : Louise, born in 1868, who
died in infancy, and Frank Crosby, born July 14, 1869, a farmer, of Wash-
ington county, Kansas, who died ^larch 21, 1906.
As a man among men, bearing his due share in connection with the
practical activities and responsibilities of a work-a-day world. Colonel
Ballard has been successful. His usefulness in connection with affairs
during the formative period of the State exceeded that of many of those
men who were recognized as party leaders. To do justice to the many
phases of his career within the limits of an article of this order would
be impossible, but in even touching the more salient points there may
come objective lesson and incentive, and thus a tribute of appreciation.
Henry Avery, retired farmer and pioneer resident of Clay county,
and a former postmaster of Wakefield, Kan., was born on his father's
farm at Lowell, Orleans county, Vermont, April 29, 1838, a son of
George and Delliah (Cummings) Avery. His ancestors, both paternal
and maternal, were among the early settlers of America and numbered
among them were men who served in the war for independence and
later in the War of 1812. The Avery family was founded in America by
Dr. William Avery, a native of Barkham, England, who came to the
Massachusetts Colony in 1650, and who was one of the founders of
BIOGRAPHICAL 4II
the town of Dcdhani. His grandson, George Avery, who was the grand-
father of our subject, served in the Continental line in the War of the
Revolution. He was born in Truro, Mass., in 1759, and died in 1S56.
Benjamin Parke Avery, one of the distinguished members of the fam-
ily, was one of the founders of the San Francisco Art Association and
School of Design, editor of "The Overland," a monthly magazine pub-
lished in San Francisco, and was appointed by President Grant, in 1874,
minister to China, and died in the city of Pekin in 1875, while serving
in this capacity. Several of the family have attained prominence as
clergymen, while others have filled positions of trust and usefulness in
the town, State and Nation. A genealogy of the Dedham branch of
the Avery family, published by W. W. Avery, Plymouth, Mass., con-
tains an exceedingly complete chart of the Avery descendants.
George Avery, father of our subject, was a native of New Hamp-
shire, born at Plainfield on March 24, 1798, and died at Wakefield,
Kan., in 1889. His wife, Delliah Cimimings Avery, died at W^akefield
in 1875, aged seventy-two. They were the parents of ten children, one
of whom died in infancy. The others are as follows : Cuminings, born
October 16, 1828, died August 4, 1872; George Thatcher, born October
29, 1829, died May 20, 1834; Phoebe, born February 20, 1831, the widow
of Joel Hines, and resides in Clay Center; Mary, born March 23, 1833,
died in 1907; Albert, born August 19, 1834, died February 4, 1875;
George, born May 20, 1836, was killed in a railway accident at Manhat-
tan, Kan., in 1907; Henry, the subject of this sketch; Sarah S., born De-
cember 20, 1839, the widow of William C. Richardson, of Clay county;
Lucia Jane, born December 10, 1841, the widow of R. A. Elkins, of
W'akefield, Kan., and Juliaette, born September 10, 1844, died August
6, 1877.
Henry Avery was reared on his father's farm in CJrleans county, \'er-
mont, ac(|uired his education in Ihe schools of his native township and
was engaged during the early years of his life in teaching. He came
to Kansas in 1861 and during the years 1862-63 ^'^'•'^s '^ freighter from
Wakefield to Denver. In the last named year he enlisted in Company
L., Eleventh Kansas cavalry, under Lieut. -Col. Preston P>. Plumb, and
served in a campaign against the hostile Indians for twenty-two months.
On com])letion of his military service he returned to Vermont, where
he married, and returned to Kansas in 1866, locating in Clay county,
where he engaged in farming. He took an active part in the organiza-
tion of the county, which was during the year of his arrival, 1866, and
was a member of the first board of coimty commissioners. He was ap-
pointed postmaster at Wakefield February i, 1898, and served in that
capacity until June 30, 1913. He has been successful as :i farmer and
has attained State wide reputation as a breeder of pedigreed Percheron
horses. His is the distinction of having brought to Kansas the first im-
ported registered Percheron stallion. On Feb. 26, 1866, Mr, Avery mar-
^ij BIOGRAPHICAL
ried, at Lowell, Vt., Miss Orpha Farnian, a daughter of Herod and Al-
vira (Hitchcock) Farman, who was born on February i, 1841. They
are the parents of the following children: Fred H., born December 15,
1866, was graduated from the Kansas State Agricultural College with
the class of 1887 and died in 1896; Herman W. and Herbert F., twins,
were born May 26, 1870. Herman W. is a successful farmer of Clay
county and was elected to the State senate in 1908 from the Twenty-
second district. Herbert is a draughtsman in the civil service of the
Government at the arsenal, Rock Island, 111.
George L. Beckner. — Success in any line of occupation, in any avenue
of business, is not a matter of spontaneity, but represents the result of
the application of definite subjective forces and the controlling of ob-
jective agencies in such a way as to achieve desired ends. Mr. Beckner
has realized a large and substantial success in the business world and
his career .has well exemplified the truth of the foregoing statements.
He occupies today a prominent place in the agricultural circles of north-
ern Kansas, is the owner of one of the largest farms in Clay county, and.
has. for several years, been actively concerned with the political, social
and religious life of his section. Progressive and energetic in the man-
agement of his commercial affairs, loyal and public spirited as a citizen,
he holds a secure position in the confidence and esteem of the com-
munity.
George L. Beckner was born on his father's farm in McDonough
county, Illinois, February 25, 1865, and is descended, on both paternal
and maternal sides, from pioneer Kentucky stock. His father, George
W. Beckner, was born in Bath county, Kentucky, on January 21, 1825.
He was reared a farmer, was married, in 1S48. to Deborah VanKirk, and
subsequently removed to Illinois. He died in Warren county, that State.
on February 21, 1900. His wife was a daughter of Mathias and Eliz-
abeth (Wilson) VanKirk. born in Fleming county, Kentucky, August
II, 1827, and died in W'arren county, Illinois, July 10, 1905. They were
the parents of twelve children, seven sons and five daughters, four of
whom survive, viz. : Meranda, born in 1849, the wife of William Shores,
a farmer, of Warren county, Illinois; George L., the subject of this ar-
ticle; Susan J., born August 31, 1867, who married II. O. Turner, a
farmer, of Smith county, Kansas, in 1888; and Hattie F., born in 1869,
the wife of Frank Raymond, a farmer, of Fremont county, Iowa.
George L. Beckner passed his boyhood days on the paternal farm in
Warren county, Illinois, and acquired his education in the public schools.
At the age of eighteen he entered Rush Medical College at Chicago,
where he remained one year. In 1885 he visited Kansas for the first time
and was employed for about one year in Brown county as a farm hand.
In 1886 he entered the employ of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
Railway Company at St. Joseph, Mo. He was first an axman and later
a transitman with one of its engineering corps, resigning late in li
BIOGRAPHICAL 41.^
In February of the following year he returned to Illinois and engaged in
farming on the home farm in A\'^arren county and continued in this line
of occupation until 1909. His parents were his especial care during the
sunset years of their lives, which were passed surrounded with every
comfort and that attention which comes only from filial affection. His
farming operations brought him substantial returns and he was con-
ceded to be one of the foremost agriculturists of his county. He has,
since attaining his majority, been a consistent advocate of the principles
and policies of the Democratic party and was honored with public office
in which he served with credit to himself and his constituents. He was
for eight years a justice of the peace, for four years a menlber of the
board of trustees of his township, and for a similar length 'of time a mem-
ber of the board of supervisors of Warren county. In the religious life
of his district he was also a leader. He served as a deacon in the Chris-
tian church, as its choir leader and superintendent of its Simday school.
On March i, 1909, he returned to Kansas and became a resident of Clay
county, purchasing one of the large farms in the county, 200 acres in
extent, which adjoins the city of Clay Center on the south and on which
he has since resided. In the matter of improvements this property is not
excelled in nortliern Kansas. It is well stocked and ably managed. Mr.
Beckner has taken the same active part in the civic and religious life of
Clay county that marked his residence in Illinois. He is one of the most
influential Democrats in the county, has served as chairman of the Clay
cotmty Democratic central committee, and was a delegate from Clay
county to the Democratic State convention at Hutchinson in 191 r. Tic
is an elder in the Christian church at Clay Center and superintendent of
its Sunday school. His fraternal affiliations are with Clay Center Lodge
.Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and with the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows.
On September 12, 1888, Mr. Beckner married Miss Minnie Haws,
daughter of Samuel and Mary (Pinkerton) Haws, personal mention of
whom appears in this volume. Mrs. Beckner was born on September
10. 1871, and died in the Clay Center Hospital June 30, 1913. She was
an ardent worker in the cause of Christianity, de\oting much of her time
to the charitable institution and organizations of her home city, and was
also organist of the Christian church for many years. She was a woman
of many charming traits of character, a loving mother to her children,
and a true helpmeet to her husband. A native of Clay county, her re-
turn after an absence of twenty years, marked her re-entrance to its
social and religious life, in which she was a leader at the time of her
death. .She is survived by her husband and the followuig children:
George Bernard, born December 4, 1890; Mary Ruth, born October 2,
1892, a graduate of the Clay Center High School with the class of 191 1,
who married, on May 8, 191 2, Wilbur Swenson, a son of Eric PI. Swen-
son, a personal review of whom is printed on other pages of this vol-
414 BIOGRAPHICAL
ume; Loren L., born December 23, 1894, a graduate of the Clay Centei
High School with the class of 1912; Samuel Miles, born May 5, 1901, and
\\'alter Glenn, born Alarch 25, 1907.
As a man among men, bearing his due share in connection with the
practical activities and responsibilities of a work-a-day world, Mr. Beck-
ner has been successful ; but over all, and above all, he is rich in the pos-
session of a well earned popularity and the esteem which comes from
honorable living. Progressiveness and energy have marked the man-
agement of his commercial affairs and his methods have been clean, ca-
pable and honest. His close associates have been men who have had the
'welfare of the community at heart and who have been ready to assist,
with time and money, any enterprise or measure which had for its ob-
ject commercial, civic or social betterment.
Samuel Haws, successful farmer and stock raiser, vice-president of
the State Bank, of Broughton, and influential citizen of Clay county, Kan-
sas, is a native of Alabama. He came to Kansas in 1869. locfiting on Gov-
ernment land four miles southeast of Claj' Center. He has been actively
concerned in practically every phase of Clay county's development and
is one of its most extensive farmers and stock raisers. His home farm
consists of 600 acres of choice land, is well improved, and it is stocked
with the best breeding animals that money can buy. He married, when
a young man, Miss IMary Pinkerton, a native of Missouri, and they are
the parents of the following children : A\'alter, born in 1873 ; Wallace,
born in 1878; Harry, born in 1S87; Clayton, born in 18S8. and Leamon,
born October i, 1896. Among those who are deceased was Minnie, the
wife of George L. Beckner. a review of whose life appears in this volume.
Robert G. Scholz is a Kansas pioneer and prominent stock man. He
was born at Schlazen. near Leidenpal. Germany, April 15, 1850. and is a
son of Charles F. and Amelia (Alunskie) Scholz. The father was en-
gaged in the milling business in the Fatherland and in 1858 the family
immigrated to America and settled at Fort Madison, Iowa, and the fol-
lowing year came to Kansas and preempted Government land in Marshall
county. The farm was located six miles north of where Frankfort now
stands. The county had just been surveyed before they located their
homestead, but had not been organized. Their nearest railroad was at
St. Joseph, Mo., where the settlers had to drive for provisions,. and some
went to Atchison or Leavenworth. Their nearest postoffice was at Bar-
retts, ten miles distant, and their nearest school house was five miles.
The only way to get to school was to walk, or drive a team of oxen. His
mother, who is a well educated woman, taught the children at home, and
later Robert walked the five miles to school. It is needless to add that
the boy did not require physical culture exercises after and before his
five-mile walks. This was in the days of the "pony express," an institu-
tion familiar to the pioneers of that time. It was the ox-team age and
the "pony express" was considered a wind splitter at that time, but the
BIOGRAPHICAL 415
"fast mail," with its clatter of hoofs, served its time and lives only in the
memory of the past. The Scholz home was built of logs gathered from
the creek and the roof was made of home-made shingles. Doors, win-
dow frames and lumber for the finer grades of workmanship were ob-
tained by hauling logs to Barrett's mill, ten miles south, where they were
sawed into boards. There was also a grist mill at that point, where the
settlers had their corn ground into coarse meal. The year following the
settlement of the Scholz family in Kansas there was a total crop failure,
and the father went east to obtain employment in order to get corn for
his family to live on, and for three years they ground their own corn meal
by wand-mill power in order to save the toll required by having it ground
at a mill. There were several Indian scares after they settled here and
the Indians did some damage on a few occasions, the most serious being
when the Sioux Indians pillaged the Government road in southern Ne-
braska and massacred a great many immigrants w'ho were on their way
west. The settlers frequently flocked to Marysville for protection, and
during the Civil war there were frequent rumors of guerrilla raids, and
at one time volunteers were called for to protect the settlers, but the
guerrillas never operated very extensively this far north in Kansas. In
1874 the grasshoppers ate every growing thing, and even the blankets
that were put over vegetables for protection. After passing through the
various phases of Kansas pioneer life young Scholz was sent to Leaven-
worth, where he attended school for a time, after which he remained
home with his father, assisting on the farm until 1872. He then en-
gaged in life for himself, with an independent working capital of $2.50,
all in cash. He worked as a farm hand in Missouri and traveled for
five years, during which time he visited twenty-six States of the Union,
nearly all there were at that time, and in 1878 returned to Kansas. The
following }-ear his father died, and he remained at home after that. In
1875, when he was in California, he shipped to his Marshall county home
the first alfalfa that was ever seen in this section of Kansas, and he also
has the distinction of being the first to introduce the Duroc hog in this
section, which he shipped in from New Jersey. He has made a specialt\'
of this breed of hogs, raising the pure-bred stock. He also raises pure-
bred Hereford cattle and has a large herd of both cattle and hogs. He
also raised horses and mules, but principally for his own use. He has
been a verj' extensive cattle feeder, and during the last thirty-four years,
with the exception of two years, he has shipped out several car loads of
fat cattle annually, and at the present time is an extensive feeder. He
has a large farm in Rock township, which is thoroughly equipped with
all modern improvements for handling cattle and hogs on a large scale.
He has been very successful in this line of business and has made con-
siderable money.
Mr. Scholz was united in'marriage, October 12, 1879, to Miss Mary
Schreiner, daughter of Elias and Anna (Harms) Schreiner, both natives
4l6 BIOGRAPHICAL
of Dahrmstadt, Germany, who came to America with their respective
parents when children. They met and were married in Wisconsin.
Elias Schreiner settled in Kansas with his family in 1864, locating in
Marshall count}^ and took a homestead in Clearfork township, which
is still in his possession. When he came to this State he drove in a,
wagon and, after arriving, hewed the logs with which to build his house.
This house has long since been supplanted by a commodious modern
residence. Mrs. Scholz, the wife of our subject, attended the first pri-
v-ate school, which was taught by a neighbor's daughter, and later she
attended the district school, which was a mile and a half from her home.
To ^Ir. and Mrs. Scholz have been born three children : Alvina A., mar-
ried Herbert Feldhausen. who resides in Marshall county; \\'alter T. is
manager of the Frankfort Telephone Company at Frankfort, and Sadie
^ S., who resides at home.
Mr. Scholz is a Democrat and served as trustee of Rock township one
term. He and his wife are members of the Knights and Ladies of Se-
curity and the Presbyterian church. Mr. Scholz has been successful and
prospered in all his undertakings. He has made money, and today is a
man of independent means. He has seen Kansas grow up and has grown
up with it.
John Jacob Marty. — A man's real worth to the community in which he
lives is not a matter of the accumulation of wealth, the ownership of
broad acres, or the controlling of commercial enterprises; except he use
a portion of his wealth, his business influence and a part of his time in
the upbuilding of his town, city or county, and to assist through advice
and example, his fellow citizens to fruitful labor and prosperity, to live
honorable lives, filled with kindness and helpful deeds. Therefore, a pub-
lication of this nature exercises its most important function when it takes
cognizance of the life and labors of those citizens who have been mate-
rial factors in the development and betterment of the commonwealth ;
that there may come objective lesson and incentive, and thus a tribute of
appreciation. Clay county represents, in her present development, the
persistent industrj% unflaging zeal, and impregnable faith in the possi-
bilities of her resources, of many men. numbered among whom is he
whose name initiates this article. A pioneer resident of the county, in
which he lived for thirty-five years, he was actively concerned in many
phases of her development, was honored by his fellow citizens with elec-
tion to public office, in which he served with credit and distinction. It is
•• probable that within the limits of his activities, he was one of the most
useful men the county has ever had.
John Jacob Marty was a native of Rhode Island, born on July 5, 1854,
one of a family of nine children born to Henry and Anna ( ^larty) Marty,
natives of Switzerland, who came to the United States in 1854, and lo-
cated in Rhode Island, where the father followed his trade, that of a
cooper. His death occurred in 1866, at the age of fifty-three. The widow
BIOGRAPHICAL 4I7
became a resident of Kansas in 1870, locating in the western part of Clay
county, where she resided until her death, which occurred on August 29,
1885, aged sixty-seven. She is survived by the following children : Mat-
thew, Sarah, Anna, Henry, Fannie, Christopher, Sebastian and Joseph.
Mariah and John Jacob, the subject of this article, are deceased.
John Jacob Marty passed his boyhood years in his native State, Rhode
Island, becoming, to a great extent, self-supporting from the age of eight ;
and attended the public schools. He came with his widowed mother to
Kansas in 1870, and in the western part of Clay county he secured em-
ployment as a cattle herder. He was ambitious, believed in himself, and
desired above all things to become well educated and well informed, and
with this end in view spent his nights in study, with the result that he
was able to pass a satisfactorj' examination for a teacher's certificate.
He was engaged in educational work for several years, his schools being
held in log buildings. In 1873 he secured a position as bookkeeper with
the Eberhardt Mining Company, of Eberhardt, Nev., and remained in this
capacity until 1879, when he returned to Kansas and bought, with his
savings, a tract of farm land in Clay count}'. In this field of enterprise,
he prospered from the start, and within a few years he had accumulated
a competence. He was from boyhood a student of civic and economic
problems, and his interest in the policies of the political parties of the
country was deep. He was first a Republican, but in after years was a
consistent advocate of the principles of the Populist party, and became in-
fluential in its councils. Township offices were given him and his ser-
vice in them was such that he was nominated and elected clerk of Clay
county in 1892, and re-elected in 1894, serving four years. His admin-
istration of this department of the county's business was clean, capable
and honest. Further pul)lic honor was given him in 1896, through his
election to the lower house of the legislature, and served during the ses-
sion of 1897 as chairman of one of the most important committees of the
house, that of banks and banking. He was loyal to his constituency,
stood for the interests of the common people, and was prominent in all
the important legislation of the session, and was considered by his col-
leagues as one of the energetic and active leaders of his party therein.
He entered the banking life of the -State in 1902, when with the late John
W. Bridenthal, he promoted the organization of the Citizens' State Bank
of Longford, and was elected its cashier, a position he filled at the time
of his death, which occurred on September 27, 1904. During the time
in which he was the dominant executive of this institution, he demon-
strated the possession of keen financial sense, that quality of diplomacy
so essential to the cashier of the country bank, and a sound view of
credits. His fraternal affiliations were with the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, and the Modern Woodmen of America.
On August 12, 1877, Mr. Marty married Miss Katherine Randall, the
daughter of Harry and .Xnna Randall, of Eberhardt, Nov., who was born
4l8 BIOGRAPHICAL
in San Francisco, Cal., April 17, 1862. He is survived by his widow and
the following children: Isabella, born at Eberhardt, Xev., April 2, 1879,
who succeeded her father as cashier of the Citizens' State Bank of Long-
ford on September 29, 1904, and who is known to the banking fraternity
as an able executive ; Oliver, born at Longford, Kan., January i, 1882, as-
sistant cashier and a member of the directorate of the Citizens* State
Bank of Longford; Alice, born at Longford, Kan., July 9, 1884, married
in August, 1913, Walter Mariner, of Kaftsas City, Mo.; Grace, born De-
cember 5, 1886; Eva, born August 19, 1888, married on October 23, 1910,
H. W. Fox, a merchant of Longford, Kan. ; Bertha, born January 25,
1892 ; Almeda, born January 13, 1894, a graduate of Bethany College,
Lindsborg, Kan., and at present a teacher of music in the schools of An-
thony, Kan., and Sarah, born May 31, 1896.
Mr. Marty was in all respects a high type of the conservative, unas-
suming American, diligent in his commercial affairs and public duties
and conscientious in all things. As a man among men, bearing his due
share in connection with the practical activities and responsibilities of a
work-a-da}' world he was successful ; but above all he was rich in the
possession of a well-earned popularity, in the esteem which comes
from honorable living and in the affection which slowly develops only
through unselfish works. His close associates were always men who had
the welfare of the community at heart, and who were ready to assist,
with time and money, any enterprise or measure which had for its object
the betterment of commercial, civic or social conditions. In his business
life he was the embodiment of honor and he was in his social and do-
mestic life known for his love and helpfulness.
Dr. John J. Brady, a prominent member of the medical profession of
northern Kansas, is engaged in the practice at Frankfort, Kan. He was
born at Fort Wayne, Ind., December 15, 1865. and is a son of Patrick
and Harriet (Beam) Brady, the former a native of Ireland and the lat-
ter of Harper's Ferrj', Md. In 1873 the family came to Kansas and lo-
cated in Xeosho county, where the father preempted" a homestead, but
remained only one year, when they removed to Joplin, Mo., and shortly
after to Kansas City, Mo., where the father served as a police officer
several years.
Dr. Brady received his early education in the public schools of Kan-
sas City and in 1881 graduated from the high school. He then went to
the University of Missouri, where he graduated in the class of 1886 with
the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then taught school for two years in
Platte county, Missouri, when he entered the Kansas City Homeopathic
Medical College, where he was graduated in the class of 1893 with the
degree of Doctor of Medicine. He practiced the Homeopathic school of
medicine for a time, but was not quite satisfied with himself, so he de-
termined to take the course of the Allopathic school, and therefore en-
tered the Kansas Citv College of Phvsicians and Surgeons at Kansas
JJIOGKAPHICAL 4I9
City, Kan., from which he graduated in the class of 1896 with the degree
of Doctor of ]\Iedicine. During the tiine that lie attended college he was
interne in the Kansas City Hospital for two years and after his grad-
uation he practiced in Kansas City until 1899, when he came to Frank-
fort, Kan., and engaged in the practice of his profession, which has since
been the field of his labor, with the exception of a few short intervals.
In 1894 he accepted an appointment in the Government hospital at
Hot Springs, Ark., and after a few months' absence returned to Frank-
fort. He accepted this position more for the opportunity it afforded
of studying certain diseases than for any other reason. Dr. Brady has
specialized in diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat and has taken
three special courses on these diseases at Chicago, besides a post-grad-
uate course there. He has a large specialty practice in addition to his
general practice. He is equipped with an X-ray machine and electrical
appliances for the treatment of different diseases, and altogether has
the best equipped office in this section of the State. He is a surgeon of
exceptional skill and ability and has performed numerous operations,
and many of a serious nature, all of which have been successful.
He was united in marriage in 1883 to Miss Laura J. DeGraw, daugh-
ter of Abraham DeGraw, of Kansas City. Mrs. Brady was born at
Osage Cit,y, Kan., and when she was a baby her parents removed to
Kansas City, where she was reared and educated. Dr. Brady is a mem-
ber of the Catholic church and his fraternal affiliations are with the
Knights of Columbus. He has passed the medical examinations and is
entitled to practice his profession in the States of Missouri, Colorado,
Oklahoma and Kansas, which is a rare distinction for a. physician.
Dr. Brady has been the architect of his own career. Wiien a mere
boy he was the possessor of that energy and self-reliance that always
win. He made up his mind to get a higher education and went after
it. He sold newspapers to pay his way through college, and did it
again to get his medical education. If he lacked opportunity he made
opportunity. He is the same kind of a physician that he was a news-
boy— one who does things.
John J. Veatch, a prominent pioneer citizen of Kansas, now a resident
of Morruwville. was born in the Territory of Iowa January 2, 1843. and
when the territory was admitted as a State, in 1846, the local division
was known as Davis county. The farm house was two miles east of the
village of Monterey, where he lived with his parents until he was eight-
een years of age, attending the district schools in winter from three to
five months, and working on the farm the balance of the time. The
school house was a log affair, with split log benches without desks or
backs. The pupil was obliged to hold his book or slate on his knee. All
kinds of teachers were employed, but the principal uniform thing aliout
them was that they did not know very much. Fortunately they did good
work in certain lines, the scholars being thorout^hlv drilli-d in spelling.
420 BIOGRAPHICAL
reading, writing, arithmetic, geograpli}" and grammar. The teachers as
a usual thing were conscientious, and gave their scholars the best of
which they were capable. In this school a number of young men grew
up who proved their worth in responsible positions in after life. During
the summer of 1861 Mr. Veatch enlisted in what was afterwards known
as Company I, Third Iowa cavalry, although living in Davis county he
enlisted in a company from Appanoose county, on account of a former
teacher of his being the captain. The enrollment was dated August 20,
1861, and he served nearly three years as a private and non-commissioned
officer, reenlisting as a veteran about February i, 1864, and was ap-
pointed commissary sergeant, which position he held until June 28, 1865,
when he was promoted to first lieutenant and was discharged at Atlanta,
Ga., August 9, 1865, and was finally mustered out of service at Daven-
port, Iowa, August 20, 1865, making four years of actual service. The
Third Iowa cavalry was one of the best cavalry regiments from that
State, and lost more men, killed and wounded, than any other cavalry
regiment from Iowa. Mr. \>atch participated in ntimerous battles and
skirmishes, and had command of his company in five engagements, and
while struck four different times by bullets, he was not badly wounded
but once, which was on April i, 1865, at Plantersville, Ala. Here he re-
ceived quite a serious gunshot wound in the right side. After his mili-
tary career was ended and he was discharged, he returned to his Davis
county home, and formed a partnership with a brother-in-law, and
they bought a small store at Montere}', but sold it shortly afterwards,
and in the spring of 1867 he came to Kansas, locating in Cherokee coun-
ty in Ma}' of that year. From that date his personal history does not
vary materially from the average pioneer in the settlement of the State.
October 11, 1871, he located in Washington county, where he has prac-
tically resided ever since. He purchased a homestead on Iowa creek,
eight and one-half miles west of Washington, where he farmed on an
extensi\c scale for a number of A-ears, adding more land to his original
holdings as the )-ears rolled on. He was always more or less active in
the politics of his State and county, and has attended several State con-
ventions. He was nominated and elected a representative in 1884, serv-
ing during the regular session in 1885, and the special session of 1886.
In 1887 he failed to get the nomination on account of the Anderson and
Wilson division in the party. Holding a petty office has ne\'er inter-
ferred with Mr. Veatch's farming operations, but in 1896 he bought
the "Post Register," a Republican weekly newspaper, published in Wash-
ington, the county seat. He published this paper alone for six months,
then took his son, A. E. Veatch, into the business as partner, and while
neither had had any experience in newspaper work, the "Post Register"
was soon making money and was known throughout the State for its
vigorous and independent editorials. The partnership continued for six
years, when the paper was sold to J- A. Totten, the son going to Jewell
BlOGRAPllIC.M, 421 '
county and Mr. \'ealch returned to the farm. At this point, misfortune |
crossed liis i)ath, in the death of his oldest son and only daughter, and j
the gradual decline of his wife's health, who passed away August 23,
1906. As his three younger sons were married, the death of his wife
broke up his home, and he sold his place the following fall and made
an extended visit to the Pacific coast, returning in the fall of 1907. He
then engaged in house building for some time in Morrowville, and in 1
1908 was a candidate on the Republican ticket for State representative. I
He had no opposition at the primary, and was elected and served in 1
the session of 1909. He was re-nominated at the primary of 1910, with- ' \
out opposition, and elected that fall with a majority equal to any can- 1
didate on the ticket. Having represented his county six years as a legis- j
lator, and during four sessions he has a right to be proud of his record;
in fact, no legislative vote which he ever cast on any measure of conse-
quence has been questioned and that he at all times was unquestionably
on the side of people, for good and wholesome laws and an economical *
management of the State affairs. He is at present making his home in
Morrowville, Washington county, and at this writing is over seventy
years of age, hale and vigorous and is known for his soldiery bearing
He is a man of commanding presence, being six feet tall, fair, blue eyes,
and slightly gray and now weighs 200 pounds, and has the prospect to
live several years.
John J. Veatch, of this review, is a direct descendant of James Veatch,
a Scotchman, who came to America about 1750, when he was twenty-
five years of age. He settled either in the Carolinas or Maryland. He j
married Elinor Ramer, a young lady of Virginia, in 1750. The second 1
son of this union was FJias Veatch, who was in the Revolutionary army :
and was at the Battle of Camden. He was wounded in the thigh, cap- '
lured and held a prisoner on a prison ship in Charleston harbor for eight- ]
een months, then turned loose and returned to his home. The next ac- '
count of this man we find him in Illinois, in either White or Sangamon j
cotinty, with quite a large family, he having married Jennie Brown. The
.second son, James Veatch, is in the direct line to John J. Veatch. He
married Elizabeth S. Chandler. Three sons were born to thern, when 1
the father suddenly died, leaving her with her little sons, Elias, James '
and John, the latter only eighteen months old. At the time of the father's
death they were living at White county, Illinois. Elias, the oldest son,
was born November 8, 1817; the next record we find of the family they
are at Burlington, Towa, where Elias Veatch married Sarah Ann Cole, a i
daughter of John Cole and Susanna Duke. John Cole came from Scot- !
lind, and was in the Battle of New Orleans, under General Jackson, I
and after receiving his discharge after the War of 1812 he went to Ken- \
tucky, where he was married. The next we hear of the Cole family, I
the widow (John Cole having died) was living in Burlington, Iowa, and I
Elias Veatch, the father of John J. Veatch, married Sarah Ann Cole at
422 BIOGRAPHICAL
Burlington, Iowa, October ii, 1838, and in the spring of 1840 they settled
in Iowa, where Davis county was later located.
John J. Veatch, the subject of this review, was the second son born to
this marriage. He was reared on the Iowa farm, and followed the ca-
reer above outlined. He was married March 2, 1864, to Eliza Jane Stof-
fle, in Davis county, Iowa. His wife was a daughter of Isaac Stoffle and
Martha K. Holsteine. She was born near Salem, Ind., November 8,
1842, and came to Iowa with her parents when five years old, and lived
within about a mile of the Veatch home. Mrs. Veatch died August 23,
1906. in Washington county, Kansas. To Mr. and Mrs. Veatch were
born five children, four sons and one daughter. S. W. and the only
daughter, Anna, are now deceased. The former died in 1895. at Phoenix,
Ariz., aged thirty j^ears, and Anna died at Santa Ana, Cal., in 1897, aged
thirty years; neither were married. The second son, Alvin Elias, is a
lawyer by profession, and a newspaper man by occupation, and now
lives at Montesano, Wash., and is the owner and editor of the "Chehalis
County Call." He married ]\liss Belle Hoover, and they have two chil-
dren, A. E., Jr., aged nineteen years, and Harold, aged nine years.
The next son is James Walter, a printer and carpenter, who lives at
Morrowville, Kan. He married Miss Carrie Guthrie, and they have one
child, William Byrle, aged five years. The }oungest son, John C, is a
blacksmith and carriage and wagon workman. He married Miss Emma
\\'hite. They have no children, and as he prefers farming to his regu-
lar trade, he is now following that vocation near Mountain Grove, Mo.
Elias \'eatch, the father of John J. Veatch, died Christmas day, 1883,
at Seneca, Mo., and his wife died at San Jose, Cal., at the age of seventy-
eight. The only brother of John J. Veatch lives in Salem, Ore, and is
seventv-four vears old. Three sisters live in San Jose, Cal., and one
sister died in igii.
John B. Auld, a successful stockman and capitalist of Frankfort, Kan.,
was born in Harrison county, Ohio, October 14, 1844, and is a son of
Dan C. and Jane Auld. The father was a Pennsylvanian, and was born in
1810, Avhile the mother was a native of Ohio. Dan C. Auld was a cabi-
net maker by trade, and also followed ship building on Lake Erie. In
the real pioneer days of 1855 the Auld family came to Kansas, and set-
tled in Marshall county. They were among the first settlers in this part
of the State. \\'hen they first came here the father frequently made
coffins when the vmfortunate occasion required it. He homesteaded a
farm when he first came here, but never followed farming himself. The
family did not come to Kansas with the father, but about a year later.
When the Civil war broke out the father enlisted in the Thirteenth Kan-
sas infantr)-, and served as second lieutenant of Company G, and after
about two years, he resigned on account of failing health. He was a
member of the territorial legislature when the capitol was at Lecompton,
and served as postmaster at Nottingham, which was the name of the
BIOGRAPHICAL 423
postoffice which was kept on his farm before the town of Frankfort was
started. This was the second postoffice to be established in Marshall
county, but when the town of Frankfort was located it was moved to that
place. There were no railroads in Kansas then and the mail was brought
up the river on boats and then by the overland route to Seneca, and from
there to Nottingham, once a week. They had to drive to St. Joseph, Mo.,
over 100 miles, for provisions. At that time buffaloes were quite plenti-
ful about fifteen miles west of the Auld homestead. John B. Auld, the
subject of this review, still owns the original homestead bought from the
Government by his father.
John B. Auld was educated in the public schools of the times and at-
tended Lincoln College at Topeka for a year, when he returned to Mar-
shall county and engaged in farming and stock raising for about twelve
years. There were three boys in the family, and they all worked together
on the farm. After farming twelve years Mr. Auld engaged in the mer-
cantile business in Frankfort, where he prospered and made money. In
1874 he engaged in the grain business at Frankfort and later also en-
gaged in the stock business, and was very successful in that, and in 1887
he sold his elevator, devoting all his time to the cattle business, and
moved on his farm south of town, where he was very extensively en-
gaged in the stock business, shipping hundreds of head every 3-ear. In
1909 he moved to Frankfort. On one of his farms there is a quarry of
an excellent grade of stone, and in 1909 he built one of the best residences
in Northern Kansas of this stone. He spared no expense and has one of
the most modern and up-to-date residences to be seen anywhere. Its
architecture and workmanship appear to be the perfection of those arts
and the people of Frankfort all take a personal pride in the magnificence
of this structure, the doors of which are open to the leading social func-
tions of the town, and many distinguished persons have been enlerlained
by the Aulds here.
On May 15, 1890, John B. Auld and Miss Lou J. Keener were united in
marriage. She is a daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann (Stacey) Keener,
the former a native of Pennsylvania and tlie latter of Ohio. The father
was a school teacher in the early part of his life, and later was engaged
in the mercantile business, which he followed for fifty years. Mrs. Auld
was born in LInity, Ohio. Her mother died when she was seven years of
age. Mrs. Auld completed the schools of Unity, and later attended school
in Youngstown, Ohio, and taught school one year at Unity, Ohio. She
then went to Pittsburgh, Pa., where she remained until 1881, when she
came to Kansas and for a time resided with her brother at Valley Falls,
and later removed to Topeka. where she married Mr. Auld. Mr. and
Mrs. Auld are members of the Presbyterian church, in which they are
active workers and he is an elder.
Howard Reed is a man well known throughout the State as a success-
ful brectlcr nf thcjrouglibred stock and a Twentieth centurv farmer. lie
424 BIOGRAPHICAL
was born February 13, 1859, at Galesburg, 111., and is a son of Sylvester
and Emily (Hand) Reed, the former a native of New Hampshire, and the
latter of Ohio. Sylvester Reed, the father, emigrated from New Hamp-
shire to Galesburg, 111., in 1859, where he was engaged in the mercantile
business until 1878, when he removed to Frankfort, Kan., where he also
engaged in the mercantile business and, in addition, was an extensive
land owner in the country surrounding Frankfort. He continued in
active business until 1907, when he retired and resided in Frankfort until
the time of his death, September 20, 1913. His wife died in 1872. Syl-
vester Reed was a man who took an active part in politics, but never
sought public office himself. His pleasure in politics seemed to be in
helping his friends. He was a successful business man, a good citizen,
and made the world better by having lived in it.
Howard Reed, the subject of this review, was reared in Galesburg,
111., receiving his early educational discipline in the public school, and
graduated from the high school. He then entered the Illinois State Uni-
versity at Champaign, taking the agricultural course and graduated in
the class of 1882. After leaving college he engaged in farming and stock
raising in Illinois. He made a specialty of pure bred Poland China hogs,
and had the first pure bred herd of hogs in Illinois, and he and his father
were charter members of the American Poland China Record Associa-
tion. Mr. Reed remained in Illinois until 1885, when, in March of that
year, he came to Kansas. He located at Osborne, where he was engaged
in the implement business until 1889, when he came to Frankfort and
was associated with his father in the implement business until 1897. In
the meantime he and his father had been engaged in breeding Poland
China hogs in a small way on their different farms. They brought to
Kansas a part of their herd of thoroughbreds from Illinois, and they were
the first to engaged in this business in Northern Kansas. Mr. Reed bred
and raised the highest priced boar ever bred and raised in the State of
Kansas, "Lails Perfection," No. 1 19667, sired by "Elite Perfection," No.
1 19375, which was sired by the world's champion, "Mischief Maker," Xo.
81481. In 1897 Mr. Reed left the firm of S. & Howard Reed and was
employed by the Cox Stove Company, of Philadelphia, Pa., as traveling
salesman, and remained in that capacity until 1901, when he engaged in
the pure bred hog business again, and located on a farm south of Frank-
fort. He raised Poland China hogs, but more extensivel}' than ever be-
fore. He finished off for sale each year an average of 300 pure bred
hogs, usually holding two sales annually, but one year he held three.
Sometimes he sold as high as 400 head during a year. His herd was
headed at first by "Indiana Second," the highest priced six-months old
pig ever sold, at the time Mr. Reed bought him, and later "Lails Perfec-
tion" No. 1 19667 took the head of the herd. The trade mark of the farm
where .Mr. Reed was engaged in the hog business was "Spring Farm,"
and consisted of 640 acres, which he still owns. In 1907 he sold out the
BIOGRAPHICAL 425
hog business on account of his health, and since that time has devoted
himself to looking after his various interests in a general \va}'. During
tile last eight years he has taken an active interest in the farmers" insti-
tute, and filled various offices in that organization, including president,
vice-president, secretary and treasurer. He is a leading spirit in the
movement to educate the younger generation how to farm properly,
which is certainly a commendable mission. In 1910 he was elected town-
ship trustee on the good roads platform, and was one of the first good
roads advocates in the State, and the roads of the township of Ver-
million bear testimony to his efforts in that direction. Mr. Reed was
married April 14, 1897, to Miss Nancy Heddington, a daughter of
Emmett and Sarah (Laizure) Heddington, natives of Ohio, where the
father was engaged in the mercantile business until 1880, when he came
to Kansas and settled in Marshall covmt}', where for a number of years
he was engaged as a trainer of race horses. He died in l-'rankfort, in
1888, and his wife still survives. Mrs. Reed was born in Harrison coun-
t)', Ohio, and received her education in the public schools of her native
State and Kansas. She graduated in the Frankfort High School in the
class of 1893, after which she spent one year in a private school in the
East. To Mr. and Mrs. Reed has been born one child, Gail Campbell, a
girl who died in infancy. Mr. Reed is a member of the Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons, and politically is a Republican. He is thoroughly
qualified by education and experience, and is a recognized authority
throughout the State on important matters of agricultiu-e and stock
breeding. His efforts to" improve farming methods and to raise the
standard of stock will be worth millions to the future generation of
farmers.
Julius C. Grumme. — A man's real worth to the community in which
he lives is not a matter of the accumulation of wealth, the ownership of
broad acres, or the controlling of commercial enterprises ; except he use
a portion of his wealth, his business influence, and a part of his time in
the upbuilding of his town, city or county, and to assist through advice
and example, his fellow citizens to fruitful labor and prosperity, and to
live honorable lives filled with kindness and helpful deeds. Therefore,
a publication of this nature exercises its most important function when
it takes cognizance of the life and labors of those citizens who have been
material factors in the development and betterment of the common-
wealth ; that there may come objective lesson and incentive, and thus a
a tribute of appreciation. Clay county, Kansas, represents, in her pres-
ent development, the persistent industry, unflagging zeal, and impreg-
nable faith in the possibilities of her resources, of many men, numbered
among whom is he whose name initiates this article.
Julius C. Grumme was a native of Germany, who came to the United
States in 1847, locating first in the city of Philadelphia. He was born in
the town of Ilarste, Province of Hanover, .Xpril 6. 1826. He was reared
^25 BIOGRAPHICAL
in his native country, received his education in the public schools, and
learned the trade of a harnessmaker. On attaining his majority, he
sought the broader opportunities offering in America and as before stated
came to the United States. A few months subsequent to his arrival in
Philadelphia he removed to Pittsburgh, where he remained about eight-
een months, going from there to Virginia, and in 1850 located at Galena,
111., where he remained until 1885. In the last named city he secured the
position of foreman and cutter for the firm of Grant & Collins, harness
makers and saddlers, the senior member of the firm being the father of
Gen. U. S. Grant. He resigned this position a few years later, purchased
their harness and saddlery equipment and engaged in business on his
own account. This enterprise was highh' successful, and he accumu-
lated profits rapidly. His lojalty to his adopted country was intense,
and on Lincoln's call for volunteers, in 1861, he endeavored to enlist,
but was rejected on account of physical disabilities. During the war Ga-
lena was a hot-bed of contending factions. Copperheads were numerous
and bold and Mr. Grumme did his fighting at home in refuting their ar-
guments and in strenouslj' standing by the National government. His
generosity to the wives and children who had lost their loved ones in
battle was abundant. He purchased burial lots in the cemetery and
buried, at his own expense, a number of those who had died in battle or
from wounds. To him and others of his kind was due, in great measure,
the integritv of the Government during those days of stress. He became
a resident of Kansas in 1885. and located in Clay Center, entering actively
into the business life of the city and county. In addition to establishing
a harness and saddlery shop, he purchased a number of lots in the busi-
ness section of the city, which he improved with substantial buildings,
among which was the building now occupied by the Union State Bank.
He was not only of great value to the town from a constructive stand-
point, but also from that of quality, being insistent that his buildings
should be the best examples of construction possible and that they were
kept in a thorough state of repair. He retired from active commercial
pursuits in 1893, removing to a farm near the city, where he spent the
sunset years of his life among the woods, the fields and flowers, which he
loved. His death occurred on December 11, 1905.
On March 2^, 1852, Mr. Grumme married, at Galena. 111., Miss Olive
J. Stebbins, who. with five sons and one daughter, the result of this
union, survive him. Mrs. Grumme is a native of Portage county, Ohio,
and was born on April 28, 1833. The children are as follows : Inez A.,
widow of ^^'alter Puckey, of Clay Center, a review of whose life follows
this article: W. F. Grumme, of Galena, III.; Charles, Frank, Arthur and
Harry Grumme, residents of Clay count%% Kansas. Mrs. Grumme re-
sides on the home farm.
Julius C. Grumme was a fine type of the true Christian gentleman. He
was a believer in the gospel of help and hope. He knew how much bet-
BIOGRAPHICAL 427
ter, how much more sacred, a kind act is than any thcury the lirain has
wrought. His life filled the lives of others with sunshine. He always
had a pleasant word and a cheering smile for all. When such men pass
to their last reward, the world is poorer, for there never will be on this
poor earth nearly enough of those who possess the generosity of smile
and word \vhich cheer and lighten.
Walter Puckey. — The development of a community reflects the pro-
gressiveness and aggressiveness of its citizenship. The commercial, so-
cial and religious life of a city is dependent for the standard it attains
upon those who are leaders and moulders of opinion ; whose own stand-
ard of life must be high if t'le life of the community be above the aver-
age. The city of Clay Center is known to the residents of Kansas for its
pushing, progressive commercialism, the harmony of its home life, and
the Christian spirit of its people. It has been fortunate in having had for
its leaders and teachers, men who have possessed qualifications above
the average, who, as citizens, have sought opportunity to do good, who
have defended what they believed to be right, who have, been home
builders, and who have been believers in the religion of deed. Such a
man was Mr. Puckey, a resident of Clay Center for thirty-five years,
during which time he was actively identified with all phases of the city's
life, was an acknowledged leader in those movements, which had in
view the development' and betterment of the community, and who en-
joved the respect and esteem of the residents of his home city and county
Walter Puckey was born at Tj'war-dreath, Cornwall, England, July
II, 1849, an only son of Walter and Thomasine (Cook) Puckey. -He was
reared in Cornwall and obtained his education in the schools of his native
town. W^ith his parents he came to the United States, in 1867, locating
at Galena, Til., and established hfmself as a merchant. Tie operated this
enterprise for the succeeding three years, when he removed to Cali-
fornia, journeying via Panama. The following year marked his return
to Galena, and his return to commercial life as a general merchanl. In
1877 he came to Kansas and located at Clay Center and entered the em-
ploy of W. F. Carter, proprietor of a general store. He continued as a
merchant until 1886, during which time he had other associates, when he
entered the real estate field in the o'ffices of Caldwell, Peterson & Mum-
ford. In the spring of 1889 he became the successor to M. E. Mumford
& Company, real estate, loan and insurance agents, and established his
offices at the corner of Court and Fifth streets. Tn this field of endeavor
he was successful. He became one of the large operators of Northern
Kansas. His knowledge of realty values and ability to guage future de-
velopment were such that he became recognized as an authority on farm
lands and town property. He was a firm believer in the agricultural
possibilities of Clay county and with development in this line of the re-
sultant growth of Clay Center. His knowledge of values coupled with
his enthusiasm as to the future importance of his home city as a com-
^28 BIOGRAPHICAL
niercial center, were of material value in assisting the advancement of the
city and cotmty. It is probable that within the lines of his endeavor
Clay Center has never had a more useful citizen. His identification
with the public life of the county and of Clay Center covered many years.
He served as city clerk for a number of years, and at one time w^as water
commissioner. He was elected to the office of clerk of the district court
of Clay county in 1906, and reelected in 1908 and 1910. His administra-
tion of the affairs of this office was economical, able and honest. He re-
vised the system of record keeping, in use for many years, simplifying,
systematizing and making comprehensive the office records. He felt
keenl}- the responsibilities of public office, and lived up to them to the
letter. He was secretary of the Clay County Fair Association, and it
was in great measure due to his efforts and work that the organization
was held together. From September, 1898, until October, 1906, he was
secretary of the State Firemen's Association of Kansas, was considered
one of its most valued members, and was widely known throughout the
State by those identified with that organization. His fraternal affilia-
tions were with the Masonic and Odd Fellow orders, and he was promi-
nent in both. He had attained the Knights Templar degree in the for-
mer and of the latter organization was a member of State-wide promi-
nence and influence, being a member of the Grand Lodge of Kansas, and
had on several occasions been a delegate to the grand lodge and en-
campment.
'Sir. Puckey married on .September 11, 1873, at Galena, 111., Miss Inez
Grumme, daughter of Julius C. and Olive J. (Stebbins) Grumme, a re-
view of whom this article follows. To this union were born two chil-
dren : Charles Walter Pucke}-, who was born at Galena, 111., on No-
vember 7, 1875, ''"d Elsie Inez Puckey, born in Clay Center, Kan., on
May II, 1894, and a graduate of the Clay Center High school with the
class of 1914. They, with their mother, survive Mr. Puckey, who died on
August 7, 191 3.
Hardy C. Robinson, the present probate judge of Washington county,
is one of the pioneers of Kansas who followed the star of empire west-
ward in the '60s. Judge Robinson is a New Englander, and comes of
sturdy Colonial stock. He was born January 20, 1847, ^t South Hero,
Vt., and is a son of Calvin F. and Lydia ^Fletcher) Robinson, both na-
tives of Vermont. Calvin F. Robinson was a son of Franklin and Susan
(Landon) Robinson, both of whom were natives of Vermont, where they
spent their lives. LA'dia Fletcher was the daughter of Calvin and Lydia
(Dixon) Fletcher, who were from Connecticut, her mother, Lydia Dixon,
being a daughter of Captain Dixon, who was in the Continental army
during Revolutionary daA's. Judge Robinson spent his boyhood days
in the New England home, attending the country school ; spent nearly
one year near Montreal, Canada, learning French, and later attended the
academy at South Hero, also the academy at Williston, Vt. In the win-
BIOGRAPHICAL 429
ter of 1864-65 he took a commercial course at the New Haven Business
College, New Haven, Conn. In 1867 he took Horace Greelej^'s advice
and went west to grow up with the country and located at Volga, Iowa.
This section of Iowa was then a new country, there being no railroads
and few improvements of any kind. Here he taught school during the
winter months, and in the summer time drove Mr. Henry White's mill
team, hauling flour to the river town of McGregor, and hauling goods
back inland. He remained in Iowa two years, and in 1869 came to Kan-
sas, settling in Washington county. At that time this part of Kansas
was decidedly on the frontier. Large game, such as antelopes and deer
were sometimes seen, while occasionally a herd of buffaloes roamed over
the plain one or two counties to the w^est. There was some Indian trou-
ble in the next county west about that time, and the \\'hite Rock mas-
sacre occurred in Republic county, just west of Washington, the fol-
lowing summer. When Judge Robinson located in Washington county
he bought a quarter section of agricultural college land, which he owns
to this day.
He broke his land and engaged in farming and stock raising, prin-
cipally the latter. He also was engaged in school teaching during the
first ten years in the State. He taught in Atchison, Jackson and Wash-
ington counties, and in 1880 was elected county superintendent of schools
of ^^''ashington county, and served in this capacity four years, having
been reelected upon the expiration of his first term. At the expiration of
his term as county superintendent he entered the field of journalism,
purchasing the Washington "Republican," the oldest newspaper in
Washington county. He was the owner and publisher of this paper for
five years, which at that time was considered one of the strong editorial
newspapers of Northern Kansas, and wielded a strong influence within
the scope of its circulation. Judge Robinson has always taken an active
interest in the welfare of the Republican party since boyhood, and since
coming to Kansas has occupied a prominent position in the councils of
his party. He has served as a member of the congressional central com-
mittee, and was appointed postmaster of Washington during the admin-
istration of President Harrison, serving five years, the appointment hav-
ing been secured for him by Congressman John A. Anderson of his dis-
trict. After the expiration of his term as postmaster, Mr. Robinson was
engaged in the mercantile business in a small way until 1900, when he
purchased the postoffice book store and for thirteen years successfully
conducted that business. In 1912 he was elected to the office of probate
judge of Washington county, which office he now holds. Judge Robin-
son was married May i. 1879, to Miss Susan V. Landon. adopted daugh-
ter of Thaddeus and Abbie (White) Landon, of Effingham, Kan. Mrs.
Robinson was born in Chicago, but came to Atchison county, Kansas,
with her ])arcnls when a child, where she was reared and educated. Judge
and Mrs. Robinson are the parents of seven children : Lydia. mai'ried
430 BIOGRAPHICAL
Harold Prentice, merchant and mayor of Clifton, Kan. ; Frank, who has
two claims in the Snake River covmtry, Idaho, and is there developing the
same ; Eunice, a student in the New England Conservatory of Music,
Boston, Mass.; Florence, now Mrs. F. X. Banister, of Kansas City, Mo.;
Ellsworth, an employe of the Government at San Francisco, Cal. ; Kath-
erine and Howard, who reside at home and attend school.
Judge Robinson has been a student of men and affairs all his life. He
is a man who is well posted in all subjects that most deeply concern good
citizenship, and in his political views he is progressive. He was one of
the contributing editors to the Columbian History of Education in Kan-
sas, published in 1893. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and
is elder and treasurer of that organization, and his fraternal affiliations
are with the Modern Woodmen of American. Airs. Robinson is a mem-
ber of the Free Methodist church.
Alonzo Ballard, a highly respected citizen and Civil war veteran, who
is a resident of Barnes, Kan., is a native of Ohio. He was born August 24,
1843, at the village of Sparta, Morrow county, and is the son of Appleton
and Epiphene (Ellenwood) Ballard, the former a native of New Hamp-
shire and the latter of Nova Scotia. The father was a farmer in early
life and later a merchant. When Alonzo was about five years old the
family removed to Lansing, Mich., where the father was engaged in
the mercantile business until his store was destroyed by fire, when he
engaged in farming again. Alonzo Ballard was attending the public
schools in Lansing, Mich., when the Civil war broke out. He answered
the first call for \olunteers, enlisting in Company C, First L^nited States
sharp shooters. This regiment was known as Burdan's .Sharpshooters
and was made up of companies from various States. It is z well known
fact that the mission of the sharpshooter keeps him constantly on the
danger zone of military operations, and the First L^nited States was no
exception to this rule. The first real battle in which the regiment par-
ticipated was at Yorktown and later Williamsburg. From here they
went to White House Landing, where Mr. Ballard was stricken with
fever and sent to the hospital at Yorktown and later Portsmouth, R. I.
He returned to his regiment just after the second battle of Bull Run
and joined it at .\Iexandria, Va. He was at the battles of Antietam,
Blackman's Ford, Manassas Gap and Fredericksburg. They shortly
afterwards went into winter quarters at Brandy Station, and in the fol-
lowing spring participated in the battle of Chancellorsville, whicli was
one of the hardest fought battles of the war. Lee then made his fa-
mous invasion of Pennsylvania and the First United States was one of
the hundreds of regiments that met the flower of the Confederacy at
Gettysburg, and the world knows what hap]:)encd. During this battle
Mr. Ballard was with his regiment in the peach orchard fight; also at
Little Round Top, where he was under the cover of the Union guns
and watched the great charge of Pickett as his columns swept across
BIOGRAPHICAL 43 1
the field to destruction. He participated in the skirmishing with Lee's
retreating army and was at the engagements at W'appin Heights, Au-
burn, Kelley's Ford, Locust Grove and Mill Run. They then went into
winter quarters near Culpeper, \'a., remaining here until spring, when
General Grant took command, and during the campaigns of that sea-
son he was in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House,
North Ann and Cold Harbor. The L'nion army then made a flank
movement across the peninsula and here fought Lee's army in front
of Petersburg for thirt}- or forty days in an effort to capture the Weldon
railroad and thus cut off Lee's supplies. They also took part in 'the
fight at Deep Bottom on the James river. His regiment was in other
skirmishes too numerous to mention, and on August 20, 1864, he was
honorably discharged from the United States service. He then re-
turned home and remained until after the election, when he cast his
first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. He then entered East-
man's Business College at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where he remained
until April, 1865. He then came west with his brother, David E., and
settled in \Vashington count}', Kansas, his brother having spent a few
years in Kansas prior to this time. They came by rail to St. Joseph,
Mo., which was then the end of the railroad ; thence by boat to Leav-
enworth and overland to Topeka by stage. From there they drove 10
Washington, which at that time consisted of three or four houses. His
brother, David, was one of the original incorporators of the town site.
Here the Ballard brothers opened the first store in Washington, which
they conducted two years, when they traded it for land.
When Mr. Ballard first came to Kansas he frequently went buffalo hunt-
ing with hunting parties and was usually very successful, as he was an
excellent shot and his years of training as a sharpshooter in the army
gave him considerable advantage over his fellow hunters and made it
exceedingly dangerous for the buffalo. Shortly after he came to Kan-
sas Governor Crawford, of this State, determined to put an end to In-
ilian depredations, which were frequent among the frontier settlers for
some time, and in response to the governor's call the Eighteenth Kan-
sas was recruited and Mr. Ballard was commissioned one of the first
lieutenants of this regiment. He recruited eighteen young men in
Washington county and joined the regiment at Fort FTarker and was
mustered in as first sergeant. The regiment immediately advanced
to W^alnut creek, near Hayes city, and from here wa^ dispatched on an
expedition to overtake the Indians, who had stolen considerable cattle
and committed other depredations, but the wily savages evaded tne
troops. About this time Mr. Ballard was thrown from his horse and
seriously injured, and while he was in the hospital his captain and
(wenty-four of his company were surrounded by the Indians on the
plains and a desperate battle ensued. After Mr. Ballard relumed to
iiis regiment it was detailed to guard the building of the Kansas Pa-
43- BIOGRAPHICAL
cific railroad and after a summer of this service was discharged in the
fall of 1867. Mr. Ballard then returned to Lansing, Mich., and engaged
in the mercantile business about eight years, and in 1876, about the
time the Central Branch railroad was completed, he returned to Kansas
and located at Barnes, where he was station agent, postmaster and was
also engaged in the grain business. He was the first postmaster of that
town. After two years here he went to Colorado and was engaged in
prospecting about three years. In 1881 he again returned to Kansas
and engaged in the general mercantile business at Barnes, which he
conducted until 1911, when he retired.
Mr. Ballard was married, in 1869, at Lansing, ^lich., to Miss Belle
Carmichael, of that place, and to this union were born two children:
Eugene, now a farmer in Oklahoma, and Louise, who died in infanc}-.
Mrs. Ballard died in 1873. In 1887 Mr. Ballard married Carrie Dike-
man, a daughter of Frederick and Martha Louisa Dikeman, of Barnes,
Kan. The Dikeman family were natives of Vermont. To this union
was born one child, Martha Louise, a graduate of the Barnes High
School, and an accomplished young lady, residing at home with her
father. Mrs. Ballard departed this life August 18, 191 1. Mr. Ballard
was one of the early county clerks and registers of deeds of Washing-
ton county, holding these offices from 1865 to 1867. He is a member
of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and the Knights and Ladies of Security.
John Worth Creech. — The semi-centenary of Kansas's statehood con-
cluded an epoch in her history wherein were developed men, who from
the standpoint of constructive, initiative and executive talent, rank with
the most forceful in the annals of her sister commonwealths. Among
those of her citizens actively concerned with her growth and develop-
ment and who realized a large and substantial success in the business
world, was he whose name initiates this article. His work in connec-
tion with railway construction was of such importance as to give prec-
edence and reputation to any man, were it to represent the sum total
of his efforts ; but Mr. Creech was not onh- of potential value in the field
of enterprise mentioned, but was of even greater usefulness in connec-
tion with the banking life of the State. He was for twenty-five years
the controlling executive of the most important financial institution in
the city of Herington ; served for three terms as the head of its city
government, and for two terms in the lower house of the State legisla-
ture. He was a man of broad mental ken, strong initiative and distinct
individuality, who left not only a lasting impression in the field of en-
terprise mentioned, but was a most potent, though unostentatious factor
in the religious and social life of Dickinson county, where he took up his
residence in 1887.
John ^^^orth Creech was a native of \^irginia, born on his father's farm
in Lee county on November 24, 1849. «in^ died in the city of Herington,
BIOGRAPHICAL 433
Kansas, on August 6, 1912. He was a son of Jonathan and Martha
(Massie) Creech. The father's death when he was but three years old left
the family poorly provided for, and young Creech was forced to make his
own way. He secured such employment as was open to a young boy, and
from his wages paid for his education, which was acquired in the country
schools of his native county. Before attaining his majority, he entered
the operating department of one of the railwa3-s in the capacity of a
brakeman, and was later promoted to the position of conductor. Sub-
sequently, he became a railroad contractor and in this department of the
field of transportation became recognized as one of the able and success-
ful men of his time. He constructed several hundred miles of railway
in various sections of the United States, and in 1887 he located in the
city of Herington, Kan., having secured a contract to build for the Chi-
cago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company a branch line from that
city to Salina, which he completed. During the following year, 1888,
he purchased a block of stock in the Bank of Herington, and was elected
president of the institution. The history of this bank, dating from the
election of Mr. Creech to the presidency, is the history of his identifica-
tion with the banking life of Kansas. Under his management, its
business was of sound and continuous growth, and it always paid satis-
factory dividends to its stockholders. In the development and adminis-
tration of the business of this institution Mr. Creech was the dominant
executive and to his progressiveness, energy and resourcefulness were
due the strength and high reputation of the organization. He was known
to the banking fraternity as an able and discriminating financier, and one
who brought the administrative policy of his bank up to the point of high-
est efficiency. He was also interested directly or indirectly with many
other enterprises of his home city, and it is probable that no one of its
citizens had more to do with the development and building up of Hering-
ton than he. From the time of taking up his residence in Kansas, he
entered actively in the political life of his county and State, and although
a native of the Old Dominion he was a consistent advocate of the prin-
ciples and policies of the Republican party. It was while a member of the
legislature that Mr. Creech became best known to the citizens of the
State at large. He served during the sessions of 1905- and 1907 as a
member of the lower house, and was distinctively honored by appoint-
ment to the chairmanship of its most important committee, that of ways
and means, during both sessions. He was actively concerned in all of
the important legislation during his term of service, and was considered
by his fellow members as one of the most active and energetic leaders of
his party therein. His legislative career was marked by honesty and
courage. He stood for the interests of the common people, from whom
he sprung, and his loyalty to his constituents was notable. He labored
not alone for himself, but by his accommodating disposition was of great
assistance to all who were working opoiilv for progressive legislation. He
434 BIOGRAPHICAL
was also honored by his towns people with election to the mayor's chair
for three successive terms, in which he served with credit to himself and
his constituents. Early in life, Mr. Creech acquired the desire, the habit,
the love of making money, and the habit of work. His shrewd business
judgment, keen insight in business affairs, his knowledge of men and
things coupled with indomitable energy, enabled him to attain recogni-
tion as one of the leading men of affairs in the State. He left at his
death one of the large estates of his section, an estate which represents
the brain, the pluck and energy of one man, who with his peculiar natural
tact ever saw the propitious moment and availed himself of it. He was
an ambitious and tireless worker, conservative in his business methods
and his honesty and integrity were unquestioned: He was an active and
influential member of the Trans-Mississippi Commercial Congress, and a
regular attendant of the meetings of this great organization. He was
one of the prominent ^lasons of the State, had attained the Scottish Rite
degrees and was affiliated with Isis Temple Shrine. He was also a
member of Kansas Citv Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks.
On April 8, 1881, Mr. Creech was united in marriage with Miss Pru-
dence B. Howie, a daughter of George W. and Margaret M. (Gorin)
Howie, of Blandville, Ky., who was born in that city on March 11, 1855.
Her father, George W. Howie, was a native of Virginia, born September
2, 1812, whose ancestors were among the early settlers of America.
The ancestral home was in Kent county, and he, as was his father, was
a planter and, previous to the Civil war, was a large slave owner. He
became a resident of Ballard county, Kentucky, in 1845, where he died on
February 2, 1876. His wife. Margaret M. Gorin, was born in Christian
county, Kentucky, January 19, 1828. and died August 16, 1900. To this
union were born eleven children : William Parks Howie, a prominent
physician of Charleston, Mo., born January 2, 1846; Aneliza, born June
4, 1848, the widow of James D. Shivell, of Wickliff, Ky. : Julia Green, born
March 6, 1850, the wife of Judson Swain, retired farmer and influential
citizen of Herington, Kan. ; Octavia, born January 22, 1852, the wife of
E. R. Pollock, an extensive planter and stockman of Ballard county, Ken-
tucky; George W. Howie, born August 2, 1853, breeder of registered cat-
tle, and citizen of influence of Ballard county, Kentucky; Lucj' J., born
January 10, 1857, died March 7. 1887; Swan K., born August 15. 1859, died
October 30, 1912; Curran P., born January 19, 1861, a successful farmer
of Ballard county, Kentucky ; Faulkner, born December 4. 1863, the
wife of E. P. Lower, of Ana Darko, Okla. ; Sallie, born July 6, 1866,
died September 2, 1888; and Prudence B.. married IMr. Creech, as pre-
viously stated. George W. and Curran P. Howie are among the most
influential citizens of Ballard county, and their agricultural and stock
interests are extensive. They are breeders of registered cattle and pedi-
greed horses, both light harness and running. They are active and in-
BIOGRAPHICAL 435
fluential in political affairs, as well as the social life of their county. Her
father had been previously married, two children having been born of
that union, one of whom was Rev. James L. Howie, born Oct. 19, 1840.
He volunteered his services to the Southern cause, but was rejected owing
to physical disability. His early life was spent as a farmer and later he
was ordained as a minister of the Bai)tist church, and continued in the
work of his Master until his death. He held pastorates in Kentuck}',
Illinois and Missouri, and was recognized as one of the able men of his
calling. His death occurred August 5, 191 2, at Morley, Mo. Blackstone
Howie, a \ounger brother, born December 25. 1842, served in Company
C, Seventh Kentucky infantry of the Southern army during the Civil war,
and was severely wounded at the Battle of Shilo, where he was taken
prisoner and confined in Camp Douglas until the close of the war, the
effects of which caused his death on October 20, 1878. Mrs. Creech is a
woman of broad culture and refinement, possesses many lovable char-
acteristics, and is in all respects a worthy daughter of the Blue Grass
State. She has long been prominent in the social and religious life of
her section, is a leader in literary and club circles, and known for her
many charities. She has been awarded a diploma in recognition for
valuable work in connection with the American Chautauqua, and two
from the International Stmday School Association, in connection with
her services with the teachers' training course and the advanced course.
It is in great measure due to her efforts that the city of Herington pos-
sesses its fine library. She was the most active force in the organization
of the Library Association, its first president, and gave generously of
both time and money to the movement which attained its object, the pres-
ent building, which is one of the best structures devoted to library pur-
poses in the State. She is one of the most active and influential mem-
bers of the Christian church of Herington, and her support of this con-
gregation, whose house of worship was largely built through the gener-
ous donation of her husband, is bountiful.
John Worth Creech was not only a high type of the conservative, un-
assuming American, the successful man of affairs, but was a true Chris-
tian gentleman. He believed in the religion of deed and his creed was to
do good. He believed in the gospel of help and hope and knew how much
better, how much more sacred, a kind act is than any theory the brain
has wrought. In 1908 he affiliated with the Christian church, and from
that time on until his death was an active worker in the cause of Chris-
tianity. He gave to the building fund of his home congregation $10,000,
which represents a large port of the cost of their new edifice. Hhis chari-
ties were many and varied, and marked by a desire to avoid publicity. It
may be rightfully said of him as of another: "He was as generous as
autumn, as hospitable as summer, as tender as a perfect day in June. If
everyone for whom he did some unselfish act of kindness during his life
should lay upon his grave one flower he would sleep beneath a wealth of
436 BIOGRAPHICAL
bloom." The tributes of respect and in many cases of affection called
forth by his death have seldom been equalled in the State in the passing
away of a citizen. What may be termed his life work was finished, it
had met to a great extent the fullness of his ambition. But infinitely
more precious and of personal consequence to him was the fact that he
died rich in the possession of a well earned popularity, in the esteem
which comes from honorable living, and in the affection which develops
only from unselfish works.
Theodore F. Rhodes, president of the Citizens' Bank of Frankfort, is
a native of the Empire State, born at Jordan August 8, 1843, and is a
son of Thomas and Emily (Shepherd) Rhodes, the former a native of
New York, and the latter of Connecticut. In early life the father was
engaged in the woolen mill business in New York, and later was a farmer
until he retired from business. Theodore F. Rhodes was reared on the
farm adjoining the town of Jordan, N. Y. He attended the district
school and the Jordan Academy, and then attended the Cazenovia Semi-
nary, at Cazenovia, N. Y. After finishing school he went to Iowa. This
was in about i860. He engaged in the manufacture of lime at a place
now known as Montour, Iowa. This was before the railroads were built
to Council Bluffs, and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad
stopped at Newton, and the Chicago and Northwestern railroad reached
about the center of the State. Mr. Rhodes furnished the lime for build-
ing the State Agricultural College at Ames. Iowa. He remained there
about five years, when he returned to New York and settled at Camillus,
near Syracuse, where he engaged in farming and dairying. He remained
there until July, 1878, when he came to Kansas and settled at Frankfort,
^nd engaged in farming. He first bought 1,000 acres of land at $4-50 per
acre, which is now a part of his 3,000 acres of some of the finest land to
be found in the State. He is engaged in general farming and stock rais-
ing. His son, James M. Rhodes, is interested in the business with him,
and owns 1,000 acres individually. The firm is known as Rhodes &
Rhodes. They ship in cattle from old Mexico. Colorado and New Mexico
and fatten them for market on this farm. Mr. Rhodes's career has not
been confined to successful farming and stock raising. In April, 1891, he
organized the Citizens' Bank of Frankfort. He was a stockholder in the
First National Bank of Frankfort, which was the predecessor of the Citi-
zens' Bank. He has been a director of this institution from its organi-
zation. Mr. Obendorff, of Centralia, was its first President, and after
six months Mr. Rhodes, although not an experienced banker, assumed
charge of the institution as its President, and has remained in that ca-
pacity at the head of this institution ever since. The bank was organized
with a capital of $30,000, and in 1913 its surplus and undivided profits
amounted to over $30,000, which shows a substantial growth and perma-
nent development of the institution. It is one of the substantial banks
of the State. Mr. Rhodes has piloted this bank through many money de-
BIOGRAPHICAL -1.57
pressions and financial panics, but it has always come through safely.
He also organized the State Bank of Lillis. Kan., and is its president.
During Gov. John A. Martin's administration he was appointed as a
member of the State Board of Charities, and re-appointed by Gov. L. U.
Humphrey, serving five years. In 1883 he was elected a member of
the legislature, and reelected at the expiration of his first term. He was
the author of the election laws, which were in force prior to the adoption
of the Australian system, and was also the author of the law to prevent
the spread of contagious diseases among hogs, and the law prohibiting
the pooling of grain and lumber interests. He has served one term as
mayor of Frankfort.
Mr. Rhodes was married in New York, February 9, 1870, to Miss Hat-
tie R. Munro, a daughter of Hon. James M. and Ann (Sherwood) Munro,
natives of New York, where the father was a farmer and manufacturer.
Hattie Munro was born at Camillus, N. Y., where she was reared and
attended the local schools and her education was continued in Buffalo
and Union Springs Seminary, of Union Springs, N. Y. To this union
were born three children : James M., who is now associated with his
father as a member of the firm of Rhodes & Rhodes ; Emma D. married
Alexander Keating, Los Angeles, Cal., and Nellie E. died in infancy. The
wife and mother of these children died August 10, 1901. June 6, 1904,
Mr. Rhodes married Miss Emma A. Miller, of Dixon, 111. Mrs. Rhodes
was born in Dixon, where she was reared and educated, graduating at
the high school. She then attended the State Normal School at Nor-
mal, 111., and later took a commercial course. In 1898 Mrs. Rhodes went
to the Territory of Arizona, and studied law and was admitted to the
bar in 1903, and has the distinction of being the second woman admitted
to the bar of Arizona. Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes are members of the Presby-
terian church.
Treadwell C. Coffman, educator, law'yer and citizen of State-wide
acquaintance, who is capably and acceptably filling the position of super-
intendent of public instruction for Clay coiuit}-, Kansas, was born on his
father's farm in Lyon county, ten miles west of Emporia, September 14,
1868, a son of Jacob L. and Hattie M. (Carll) Coffman. The elder Coff-
man was born on his father's farm near Hagerstown, Md., May 21, 1837.
This farm is still in the family, and was a part of the battle ground of
Antietam, and the farm house was used as a hospital by the Union forces.
He was reared a farmer and followed this occupation until his retirement
from active life, in 1898. He removed from his native State to Illinois
in 1843, and came to Kansas in 1868, where he bought an "Indian Float,"
ten miles west of Emporia. He was one of the pioneer settlers of Lyon
county, and assisted in its organization. He was an active factor in the
political life of the county, a consistent advocate of the principles and
policies of the Republican party, but public office did not appeal to him,
nor would he permit his name to go before a convention. In 1898 he re-
438 BIOGRAPHICAL
moved to Wakefield, his present residence, and retired from active labor.
Mr. Coffman married, in June, 1867, at Polo, 111., Miss Hattie M. Carll,
daughter of Lyman and Almira (Cooper) Carll, who was born at Ithaca,
X. Y., on October 22, 1842. Her father removed, with his family, in
1847, to Illinois, and became a successful merchant and farmer. Jacob
L. and Hattie M. (Carll) Coffman became the parents of seven children:
Treadwell C, the subject of this article; Orrel Belle, born March 18, 1870,
the wife of C. F. Foley, a lawyer of Lyons, Kan., now chairman of the'
Kansas State Public Utilities Commission ; Alka B., born May 28, 1872,
the wife of Clark Chamberlain, a farmer of Spring Hill, Kan. ; Hattie M.,
born October 14, 1874, the wife of Hon. H. \\'. Avery, of Wakefield,
Kan., and a member of the State senate; Hays B., born September 22,
1876, a farmer of Olathe, Colo.; Lyman J., born November 29, 1878, a
farmer of Placerville, Colo., and. Almira E., born December 18, 1881, the
wife of Irvin G. Dillon, superintendent of Indian schools at Darlington,
Okla.
Treadwell C. Coffman acquired his early education in the public
schools of Lyon county, and later entered the Kansas State Normal
School at Emporia, from which he was graduated with the class of 1887.
On completion of his normal course he secured a school and engaged in
teaching, first in Osage county and later followed this profession in Fin-
ne}', Haskell and Phillips counties. He read law in the offices of Hon.
W. R. Hopkins, of Garden City, and was admitted to the bar in 1892.
The same year he was elected county attorney of Haskell county, but
resigned in 1904, to again return to the position of superintendent of
schools at Garden City. During the six years in which he was at the
head of the Garden City schools he proved his possession of administra-
tive ability of a high order, brought about system in all departments of
the school work, initiated reforms of great benefit to the pupils, while his
administration was marked by liarmony among superintendent, teach-
ers and board of education. In 1898 he received his degree of Bachelor
of Arts from Lane University, at Lecompton, Kan. In 1899 he was ap-
pointed assistant postmaster at Phillipsburg, but resigned the following
year to become deputy collector of internal revenue at Leavenworth. In
1901 he resigned from the revenue service on account of the poor health
of Mrs. Coffman, and removed to his farm in Greenwood county. The
following Seven years he spent in operating his property and in teaching.
In 1908 his wife having recovered her health, he accepted the principal-
ship of the Wakefield schools, where he remained until called upon to as-
sume the duties of his present office, to which he was elected in 1910,
and reelected in 1912. In his educational work I\Ir. Coffman has won
recognition as one of the most able men in the educational field in Kan-
sas. He is more than duplicating his Garden City success as an execu-
tive, the schools of Claj- county were never working to better advantage,
while the finished product, the pupil, is of the highest standard so far
BIOGRAPHICAL 439
turned out. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
has attained the Kniglits Templar degree in Alasonry, and is a member of
the Methodist church. He is a Republican, is active in the councils of
his party, and is an untiring working in its interests.
On September 25, 1H95, Mr. Coffman married Miss Irene IS. Priest,
daughter of Lorenzo O. and Aritha (Soule) Priest, of Emporia. She
was born on September 27, 1867. Lorenzo O. Priest, her father, is a
native of Vermont, and a pioneer settler of Lyon county, in which he lo-
cated in 1855. He served during the Civil war as a private in the
Eleventh Kansas infantry. He is a farmer and former teacher. His wife
died in 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Coffman are the parents of one child, Jacob
Josei)h Cuffman, born August 18, 1898.
Mark H. Williams, of Barnes, Kan., who for over a quarter of a cen-
tury has been a successful real estate operator in Northern Kansas, was
born in Center county, Pennsylvania, July 27, 1842, and is a son of John
and Catherine (Watson) Williams, the father being born in Chester
county, Pennsylvania, in 1810, and his wife in Clarion county, that
State, in 1S12. John Williams was a millwright and worked at that oc-
cupation all his life. He died in Lemont, Center county, Pennsylvania,
in 1877. He was a Democrat in his political views, and took a deep
interest in public affairs, but never held office. He was a member of the
Lutheran church, and a man of high character, who was esteemed by the
community in which he lived for his many good qualities. His wife, Cath-
erine, also died at Lemont, Center county, in 1846. She was a consistent
and devout member of the Presbyterian church. She died more than
thirty years before her husband, but he never remarried. This worthy
couple were the parents of four children : Evan Thomas, w Im died in
1869, at Lemont, Pa., where he had been a blacksmith and fanner; Han-
nah Jane, married S. P. Davidson, a farmer of Jefferson county, Penn-
sylvania; Mark PL, the subject of this review, and Jdhn Ir\in. of Le-
mont, Pa.
Mark Williams received a common school education in his native
county, and when a boy went to work in a woolen factor)-, where he re-
mained about three years. From 1859 to 1861 he was engaged in the
lumber business in Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, and was one of the
first to respond to the call of his country when Fort Sumter fell. On
April 19, 1861, he enlisted in Company T, Eighth Pennsylvania infantry.
This was in response to President's Lincoln's first call and the term of
enlistment was for three months. After serving this enlistment he re-
enlisted,. in January, 1862, in the Eighteenth United States infantry, and
served three years. During this time he saw service in the Southwest
with the Army of the Cumberland., and particijiated in the battles of
Stone River, Ploover's Gap, and later in the bloody Battle of Chicka-
mauga. The next important battle in which he took part was Mission-
ary Ridge, in the campaign for the relief of the troops at Chattanooga,.
440 JUOliRAPHlCAL
Tenn. He was in the Atlantic campaign, was at Buzzard's Roost, Dal-
ton, Resaca, New Hope Church, Smyra Church and Jonesboro. Besides
these engagements he was in numerous skirmishes, hazardous marches,
and a variety of dangers that fall to the lot of the soldier who is an
actor in such a realistic drama as was the great Civil war. He was mus-
tered out and honorably discharged as first sergeant at Lookout Moun-
tain, Tenn., January 22, 1865. On his return to his Pennsylvania home,
Mr. Williams again engaged in the lumber business in Jefferson county,
and remained in his native State until 1880, when he removed to Woos-
ter, \\^ayne county, Ohio, where he followed farming until 1885, when he
determined to go west again and this time came to Kansas, locating at
Barnes, Washington county, where he engaged in the real estate, loan
and insurance business, which he still carries on, and in which he has
met with a large measure of success. It should be here stated that on
August, 1885, shortly after his arrival at Barnes, he and a Mr. Kelly be-
gan the publication of the "Enterprise," which was the first newspaper
published in the town of Barnes. The "Enterprise" was started in a
lumber yard office, and Mr. Williams, as the junior partner, continued
the publication for two- years, when Mr. Kelly sold his interest to M. O.
Reitzel, and for three years he and Mr. Williams published the paper,
and in 1890 Mr. Williams sold his interest to Mr. Reitzel, which ended his
journalistic career.
Mr. Williams was united in marriage on March 28, 1865, at Brookville,
Pa., to Miss Sarah Jane Davison, a daughter of Isaac H. and Isabella
(Lemmon) Davison, both natives of Jefferson county. In 1865 the fam-
ily removed to \\'ooster, Ohio, where Mrs. Davison died in 1880, and the
father came to Kansas and spent the remainder of his days at Barnes.
Mrs. Williams, the wife of our subject, departed this life August 22, 1805.
She was a high type of American womanhood, of noble and Christian
character. Mr. Williams is a stanch Republican, but has never sought
public office, although he has taken an active part in politics, local, State
and National, and for six years served as city clerk of Barnes. He is
interested in several local business enterprises as an investor, including
the State Exchange Bank of Barnes, and the Barnes Telephone Com-
pany. He takes a keen interest in the welfare of his town and county,
and is ever ready and willing to lend his cooperation to any worthy
enterprise.
P. C. Young, the enterprising manager of the Barnes-Rochdale Co-
operative Telephone Company, is one of the substantial and progressive
business men of Washington county. He is a native of Hesse-Darm-
stadt, Germany, and was born June 21, 1844. His parents were E. Jacob
and Christina Young. The father was a farmer in his native country,
and in 1852 immigrated to America with his family, and settled in
Genessee county. New York, where the father engaged in farming. Here
P. C. attended the public schools until he was about fifteen years of age.
BIOGRAPHICAL 44 1
after which he remained at home and assisted his father about the farm.
He was thus engaged when the great Civil war came on, and like
thousands of other young men throughout the loyal North, he responded
to the call of his adopted country, and in September, 1862, enlisted in
Company B, One Hundredth New York infantry, and for nearly three
years carried his musket in defense of the Stars and Stripes in the South-
land. He saw much hard service and participated in many of the hard-
est fought battles of the Civil war, and at the close of the war he was
honorably discharged at Richmond, Va., in June, 1865. He then returned
to his New York home, where he engaged in farming and stock raising
until March, 1870, when he took Horace Greeley's advice and went west
to grow up with the country. He came to Kansas and settled in Little
Blue township, Washington county, where he took a homestead. Here
he engaged in farming, which he followed until 1886, when he removed
to Barnes, Kan., which by no means meant that he abandoned his farm-
ing operations, which he has continued to the present time, and from
time to time added to his original holdings until he is quite an extensive
land holder. At one time he undertook to raise fruit and planted about
forty acres of orchard, but he found that climatic conditions w^ere un-
favorable and abandoned his efforts in that direction. In 1905 he liecame
manager of the Barnes-Rochdale Cooi)erative Telephone Association,
and at the present time is conducting the affairs of that company, in
which he is an extensive stockholder. He is also interested in the Green-
leaf Slate Bank of Greenleaf, Kan., of which he is vice-president.
Mr. Young was united in marriage December 27, 1869, to Miss Ella
Ann Doane, daughter of Daniel and Phoebe Ann (Waldo) Doane, both
natives of New York, where the father was a farmer and where Mrs.
Young was reared and educated. Mr. Young has always been a stanch
supporter of the Republican party, and has taken an active part in poli-
tics. He served one term as clerk of the district sourt, from 1896 to 1897,
and has served as trustee of Barnes township, and is at present serving
his fourth term as mayor of Bai'nes. He is a member of the Lutheran
church, in which he was baptized at the age of fourteen years. He is a
member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and Mrs. Young is a mem-
ber of the Ladies' Auxiliary of that organization.
Axel A. Nork, the present efficient county clerk of Marshall cotmty,
was bf)rn near Joukoping, Province of Westergotland, Sweden, Novem-
ber 6. 1867. He is a son of John .August and Josephine (Josephson) Nork,
both natives of Westergatland, Sweden, where the father was a farmer.
The Nork family immigrated to .America in 1870, settling in Murray
township. Marshall county, Kansas. The father took a homestead, upon
which he resided four years, when it was discovered that there was a
mistake in his location, and the records having been burned in Topeka,
he lost his homestead. In 1875 he bought another farm, and engaged in
442 BIOGRAPHICAL
farming and stock raising until 1880, when he removed to Kansas City
Mo., where he now resides.
Axel A. Nork was reared in Marshall county and attended the public
schools which at that time were not up to a very high standard. How-
ever, he has always been a close student and has devoted himself to
stich self-study, while in school as well as in later years, and in this way
has acquired a broad and substantial education. About the time his
father went to Kansas City he also located there and began life for him-
self as a painter, after learning the trade, and after a few years engaged
in the painting and decorating business for himself, doing contract work.
In 1900 he returned to Marshall county, locating at Axtell. in the same
line of business. He had a store in connection here and carried on an
extensive interior decorating business, having thoroughl}- learned this
branch of the business while in Kansas City. While his brother attended
to the business at Axtell, Axel A. attended to their extensive business
throughout the northeastern counties of the State. During this time
they also did some business in Kansas City, Mo. He painted the
court house of Marshall county, and did the interior decoration. During
1909 and 1910 he did not push his business as hard as in former years on
account of failing health. In 1910 he made the race for the office of
county clerk and was elected on the Republican ticket by a flattering
majority, and reelected in 1912 without opposition.
Mr. Nork was united in marriage June 19, 1897, to Miss Ida W. Walen,
a native of Sweden. Her father was a cabinet maker and followed that
occupation throughout his life. He died in his native land. The mother
died in 1894, shortly after immigrating to America. Mrs. Xork received
her education in Sweden, and came to this country at about twenty years
of age. To Mr. and Mrs. Nork have been born three children : Nels B.,
Hjalmar A. and Robert August, all of whom are students in the Marys-
ville public schools. Mr. Nork is a Republican, and has taken an active
part in politics, having served as a delegate to several conventions. He
has served on the city council of Axtell one term, and has also been
mavor one term. He was elected on the extension plan for Axtell. There
were a number of fine houses built adjoining the town, and he made the
fight to extend the city limits in order to include this taxable property,
and succeeded in carrying out his purpose. He is a progressive citizen,
always endeavoring to better his community and improve his opportuni-
ties. At the present time he is a law student of the American Extension
University, at Los Angeles, Cal., and is making an exceptionally fine
record, \\niile he was not able to take up this work earlier in life, he is
determined to accomplish the end of his ambitions now.
He is a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason; a member of the
Modern Woodmen of America, and the Knights of the Maccabees. He
and Mrs. Nork are members of the Presbyterian church, and he is treas-
urer of the Sunday school.
BIOGRAPHICAL 443
Dr. Franklin S. Adams, a well known dental surgeon of Waterville,
Kan., is a native of New Jersey, born at Newark, March 13, 1865. He is
a son of Henry J. and Mary A. (Ward) Adams, the former a native of
New York, and the latter of Xew Jersey.
Henry J. Adams in later life became a very prominent figure in State
and Xational affairs. When a young man he went west, and for a time
was superintendent of schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, and wliile holding
that position read law in tliat city and in 1854 came to Kansas, and lo-
cated at Leavenworth, where he was engaged in the practice of his pro-
fession. He lived in Leavenworth during the stirring days of the border
warfare, which was raging about the time that he came to Leavenworth,
and continued to do so until that form of warfare was succeeded b}- the
'Civil war. During the war Henry J. Adams served as paymaster, rank-
ing as major, in the Army of the West, and at the close of that great
struggle he resumed his law practice in Leavenworth. In 1868 he re-
moved to Marshall county, Kansas, to recuperate his health, more than
anything else, on account of sickness contracted during his service in
the army. However, he never recovered, but died on his homestead, in
June, 1870. His wife survived him several years, departing this life at her
Waterville home in 1907. Henry J. Adams took an acti\-e part in politics
and was an enthusiastic Free State man, which in those days, in Kansas,
meant that a man must, literally, have the courage of his convictions,
He was the first Free State mayor of Leavenworth, and made a capable
and fearless executive at a time that "Tried men's souls."
Dr. Adams, the subject of this review, was but five years old when his
father died. He received his early educational discipline in the public
schools at Waterville, where his widowed mother resided, and after
completing school he entered the employ of the Missouri-Pacific Railway
Company at station work, remaining in the employ of this company
eleven years. He was then employed in a drug store for a while, and
later clerked in a bank at Waterville for three years. He then became
interestd in dentistry, as a profession, and entered the Baltimore College
of Dental Surgery, Baltimore. Md.. where he was graduated in the class
of 1899, with the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. He returned to
Waterville, Kan., and at once engaged in the practice of his profession,
where he has successfully continued to the present time. In 191 1 he de-
cided to branch out in the field of commercial enterprise when he, in
partnership with Mr. M. I. Parker, purchased a hardware, furniture and
harness business at Waterville. The concern is known as the Adams-
Parker Hardware & Furniture Company, and is one of the most complete
mercantile houses in Marshall county.
Dr. Adams was united in marriage December 31, 1903, to Mrs. Mar-
garet J. Parker, the widow of the late Schuyler R. Parker, a personal
sketch of whom appears in this volume. Margaret J. Parker bore the
maiden name of Gricr. She was the daughter of William and Isabel
444 BIOGRAPHICAL
(Livingston) Grier, both natives of Ireland and both descendants of
prominent English families. Their respective parents located in Ire-
land about 1806. Margaret Grier's father, William Grier, was born
March 4, 1836, and his wife, Isabel Livingston, was born in March,
1834. William Grier was a son of Samuel Grier, who went to Ireland in
the early part of the Nineteenth century, as above stated, where he
reared a family of eight children, three boys and five girls. The three
boys came to America in 1845, all of whom remained in Philadelphia
several years. Later William, with another brother, came west, locating
in Illinois, where he engaged in farming and stock raising. He met
and married Isabel Livingston in Philadelphia, who was also of Eng-
lish descent, having been born in 1834 in Ireland, of English parentage.
She came to America with her father when seven 3ears of age ; her
mother having died when she was a small child. Her father, George
Livingston, was an early day educator in Illinois, where he settled upon
coming to this country. The Livingstons are an old and honorable Eng-
lish family, and are direct descendants of Livingston, the great African
explorer. To William Grier and Isabel Livingston were born nine
children, Margaret J., now the wife of Dr. Adams, being the only daugh-
ter. She was born November 5, 1865, and reared and educated in her
native State at Cornwall, 111., where she graduated from the high school.
She is a member of the Eastern Star and of the Presbyterian church. Dr.
Adams is a a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, Knight Tem-
plar and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The doc-
tor takes an active interest in public affairs and has served four years as
mayor of Waterville.
Livy B. Tibbetts, senior member of the firm of Tibbetts Brothers,
owners and publishers of the Blue Rapids "Times," was born at Blue
Rapids, Kan., January 11, 1873, and is a son of Charles E. and Annice
(Brewster) Tibbetts, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter
of Ohio. Charles E. Tibbetts was a graduate of Oberlin College, of
Oberlin, Ohio. During the Civil war he served three years in the army
and was first lieutenant of Company A, Thirteenth Connecticut in-
fantry. After the war he returned to Oberlin and completed his studies,
which had been interrupted by his military career. Here he took the de-
gree of Bachelor of Arts. His wife, Annice Brewster, was also a grad-
uate of Oberlin College, where she received the degree of Bachelor of
Arts. In 1868 thy came to Kansas, settling at Irving, where Mr. Tib-
betts was principal of Wetmore Institute. He remained there until
the Genessee colony came to Kansas and founded the town of Blue Rap-
ids, when he came to Blue Rapids, and in 1871 established the Blue
Rapid "Times," which is the oldest newspaper published under con-
tinuous name in the county. He published the Blue Rapids "Times"
until 1879, when he sold it. During the time he was the editor he was
active in politics and served as county commissioner of Marshall county
BIOGRAPHICAL 445
and postmaster of Blue Rapids. After disposing of the "Times" he
bought the Marysville "News," which he published about three years
and retired. He died in 1889. His wife, the mother of the subject of
this review, now resides in Blue Rapids and it might be here mentioned
that she was at one time a pupil of James A. Garfield when he was an
instructor in Hiram College, an institution which she attended.
Liv)' B. Tibbetts attended the public schools of Blue Rapids, complet-
ing the high school course, and was later a student at Washburn Col-
lege, Topeka, Kan., after which he took a commercial course in the
Topeka Business College. He then returned to Blue Rapids and served
in the capacity of assistant cashier in the City Bank, of Blue Rapids,
two years. In 1893 he purchased an interest in the Blue Rapids "Times"
and became local editor, and in 1894 his brother, Charles C. Tibbetts,
a sketch of whom appears in this volume, purchased a half interest in
the paper, and thus the two brothers became absolute owners of the
pa]>er and Livy B. became editor. The paper has remained in their
possession since and they also have a general job printing department,
which is thoroughl}'^ equipped for all kinds of printing. The "Times"
was published as a weekly paper until 1912, when it was changed to a
semi-weekly publication, and the change was a success. It is a well
conducted newspaper with well defined policies and a wholesome influ-
ence. It is Republican. Mr. Tiljbetts has also taken an active part in
politics and is of the same political persuasion as is indicated by his
newspaper. He was a member of the Republican county central com-
mittee for eleven years and for three years served on the city council
of Blue Rapids, and served as mayor for two A^ears. He was assistant
postmaster for ten years.
Mr. Tibbetts was married, May 21, 1895, ^o Miss Blanche Ekins, a
daughter of William and Sarah (Lass) Ekins, both natives of England,
who located in Illinois upon coming to this country, and in 1871 re-
moved to Kansas and settled in Blue Rapids. Mrs. Tibbetts was reared
and educated in Blue Rapids, where she attended the high school. In
1890 she removed with her parents to Riverside, Cal., and attended tlie
high school there. Mr. and Mrs. Tibbetts have six children : Eunice,
Harlow, Dorothy, Raymond, Clifford and Charles. Mr. and Mrs. Tib-
betts are members of the Presbyterian church and he is a member of the
Modern Wf)odmen of America, of which he has been camp clerk for
ten years.
Charles C. Tibbetts, junior member of the firm of Tibbetts Brothers,
owners and publishers of the Blue Rapids "Times," was born in Bine
Rapids, Kan.. June 22, 1879. He is a .son of Charles E. and .'\nnice
(Brewster) Tibbetts. (For the family history see sketch of Livy B.
Tibbetts in this volume.)
Charles C. Tibbetts spent his boyhood days in Blue Rapids, where
he was reared and graduated in the high school class of 1897. He then
446 BIOGRAPHICAL
took a course in Piatt's Commercial College, St. Joseph Mo., where
he graduated in 1902. He then entered the employ of the Hannibal &
St. Joseph Railroad Company as stenographer and clerk, where he re-
mained about a year, when he was employed in the civil engineering
department of the Chicago & Great Western railroad at St. Joseph,
Mo. He remained with this company about a year, when he returned
to the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad Company, remaining one
year. In 1904 he bought a half interest in the Blue Rapids "Times,"
which he and his brother, Livy B., have since published. Since taking
hold of the "Times" many improvements and much progress have been
made. The paper has been changed from a weekly to a semi-weekly.
It is a live and newsy publication with a good advertising patronage.
They have a well equipped printing plant for job printing and are able
to handle a large variety as well as a large volume of this class of print-
ing. Mr. Tibbetts is treasurer of the Commercial Club of Blue Rapids
and secretary of the Old Settlers' Association, of Marshall county, tak-
ing an active interest in both of these societies. He was united in mar-
riage, June 20, 1905, to Miss Nellie A. Price. She is a daughter of Wil-
liam and Jennie (Fitzgerald) Price, the former a native of Wales and
the latter of Canada. The father was a moulder by occupation and
came to Kansas in the early '70s and established a foundry at Blue
Rapids. He was married after coming here. ]\Irs. Tibbetts was born
in Blue' Rapids, where she graduated from the high school. In 1904
her parents removed to Topeka, where they now reside. The father
is connected with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company.
Mr. and Mrs. Tibbetts are members of the Presbyterian church, of
which he is trustee and treasurer. She is a member of the Tuesday
Afternoon Club, a prominent literary club of Blue Rapids.
Jacob Blocher, a Kansas pioneer, who has seen the State trans-
formed from the unbroken plains of the buffalo and Indian to the "Gar-
den Spot of the Gods," is a native of Maryland, born September 22, 1832,
on the old General Braddock farm in that State. His parents were John
and Nancy Blocher, both of German descent. Mr. Bloclier spent his
boyhood days in his native State and when about twenty-three 3'ears
of age, in 1855, he and a brother started west with Iowa as rheir destina-
tion, but when they reached Richland count}-, Ohio, the brother turned
back, and Jacob remained there about two years, and in 1857, in com-
pany with another brother, Daniel, started west again, but with no
particular point in view this time — he was just going west. When they
reached St. Joseph, Mo., they sold their teams with which they had
driven from Ohio and after remaining there a short time went to El-
wood, Doniphan county, Kansas. After remaining here about a year
they went west some more and on July 4, 1858, landed in Washington
county, having driven an ox team the entire distance from Elwood.
They took a claim on section 20 in Mill Creek township, the exact lo-
BIOGRAPHICAL 417
cation of which was technically unknown at that lime, but the survey
at the organization of the county and township located his farm at the
above described place. Here he built a log cabin 12 x 14 feet, and he ha-^
some of the logs that were used in this structure, which he cherishes as
a relic of bygone days.
Mr. Blocher came to Kansas early enough to experience all the vicis-
situdes of pioneer life in that State. He was there with the drouths,
grasshoppers, Indians and everything with which the early days in Kan-
sas were afflicted. When he first came to Washington county the Otoe
Indians were located just north of Marysville, and they camped in front
of his cabin door many times. On one occasion, about 1864. the Chey-
ennes, Arapahoes and Sioux Indians, consisting of about 500 warriors,
were on the war path and camped on his place over night. They were
in war with the Otoe Indians at that time and discovering some Otoe
Indian arrows hanging on the wall of his cabin took them along with
them. There were several Indian scares in that vicinity, but they never
did Air. Blocher any particular harm. However, during his first ten or
twelve years in Kansas there were a great many Indian depredations
committed in Republican county, just west of Washington. He often
saw great herds of buffaloes, which were plentiful along the Republican
river, while there were some along the Little Blue river, but the main
herds were still farther west. In 1859 the first election ever held in the
county took place and his cabin was used as one of the voting places.
This section is now known as Blocher settlement. He was one of the
judges of this election and was also one of the first county commis-
sioners of Washington county. At the time he settled in this county
there were no railroads west of the Atchison and St. Joseph and the set-
tlers had to drive to these places for provisions Their nearest mill
was fifty miles away, and that was merely a "corn cracker."' The near-
est postoffice was Marysville, a distance of about thirty miles. .At that
time there was no county seat in Washington county, the county being
in the same judicial district as Marshall county, and court was held in
the latter. During the year of i860, on account of the grasshopper
plague and the dry weather the settlers were nearly starved out of the
country. At that time they received outside aid and Mr. Blocher re-
ceived a contribution which consisted of cracked wheat and corn. He
actually ground his own corn by grating it over a piece of tin punched
full of holes. Notwithstanding all these hardships he had faith in Kan-
sas, and lived to see his confidence justified. When he first came to
Washington county he knew only two other men who were permanent
settlers in the county at that time, so he and the other two are the only
settlers that were in the county, so far as he knows. After he had es-
tablished his homestead he engaged in farming and stock raising and at
an early date set out a great many fruit trees, and thereby won the rep-
utation of being one of the early fruit growers of northern Kansas. He
448 BIOGRAPHICAL
has raised thousands of busliels of fruit. In the spring of i860 Mr.
Blocher and John McNulty marketed the first load of corn that ^vas ever
sold from Washington county. They hauled it to Big Sandy, a stage
station on the Mormon road, twenty-six miles north of his farm. In
crossing the river with their corn the current was so swift that they
were nearly drowned. Upon arriving at Big Sandy station he asked
Mrs. Merle, who was then running the stage line, what corn was worth
and she said "$2.50 a bushel." "Well," Mr. Blocher said, "we have two
loads to sell." "Oh," says Mrs. Merle, "2.50 is my selling price. I pay
37'/^ cents a bushel." That was the best he could do and he took it.
This was before the days of the combination of big interests to control
prices, but the stage woman of the plains was something of a "middle-
man" herself. ]Mr. Blocher recollects many amusing incidents of the
early days, and he relates on the occasion of one of the frequent Indian
scares in that country when the settlers all fled from the Indians that
were not, to the little town of ^^'ashington and when the soldiers came
from Seneca to protect the settlers the}- stole everything they could
get their hands on and a minister who came with them stole a set of
harness from an old settler, but Mr. Blocher does not say of what de-
nomination the minister was, so no one can take offense. Mr. Blocher
followed farming and stock raising about thirty-five years, during which
time he accumulated a comfortable fortune, but through helping others
he has lost a great deal. About seventeen or eighteen years ago he left
the old farm, which he still owns, and for eight j^ears conducted a ho-
tel in ^lorrowville and is now living retired. He was married, August
4, 1856, by a Reverend Scumbold. in Marshall county, Kansas, to Miss
Emeline, a daughter of David and Elizabeth Edwards, the former a na-
tive of Virginia and the latter of North Carolina. Mrs. Blocher was
born in Missouri but reared and educated in Iowa. The Edwards
family are also pioneers of Kansas, coming to this State in 1858.
To Mr. and Mrs. Blocher have been born twelve children : Nancy
Louisa married J. Jones and resides in Oklahoma ; Jacob A. (deceased) ;
Mary Melissa married Doran W. Richardson and resides in Oklahoma ;
David (deceased) ; Effie married John Cummings and lives in Marshall
county, Kansas; Fannie Belle married John Bezona and resides in Ash-
erville, Kan. ; Emma married C. D. Watson, Morrowville. Kan. ; Rich-
ard, of Billings, Mont. ; George F., of Case countj^ Nebraska ; John
Harland (deceased) ; and Laura May (deceased) ; Laura married Bert
Kelley, Salt Lake City, Utah. Mr. Blocher has served for fifteen years
as a member of the school board and he and his wife are members of
the Christian church.
James Calvin Morrow. — A man's real worth to his community is best
determined by inquiring into the sentiment of his neighbors and fellow
citizens. Their estimate of him is found to be of more value in uncover-
ing the truth than all other sources of information. However, if there
BIOGRAPHICAL 449
Ijc fiiuiid in this sentiment a diversity of opinion, it is difficult to arrive
at accurate conclusion. On the other hand, if absolute harmony prevail-
in it, if it is found to be a single unit, if a man's neighbors and dail
associates, without a single dissenter, proclaim him to be a worthy citiz<,j
and a power for good in the community, then accuracy of conclusion is
made easy ; for no precedent exists in which perfect harmony of public
opinion has proved to be wrong. The conclusions formed and herein
set forth with reference to the man under consideration have been mould-
ed entirely from the sentiment of his friends and fellow citizens, and
since this sentiment had in it not a discordant note, its accuracy can be
fully vouchsafed and relied upon. Mr. Morrow was one of the most
successful and influential men of affairs in Northern Kansas. He was
a resident of Washington county for thirty-six years, was one of that
county's largest land owners, was for twelve years the controlling execu-
tive in its most important financial institution, a leader in the political
life of his section and State, was honored with public office in which he
served with credit and distinction, and in attaining wealth, influence and
station, remained an unassuming, kind and generous man, who possessed
the esteem of all who knew him, and the affection of his friends and
close associates.
James Calvin Morrow was born on his .father's farm near the town of
Washington, Guernsey county, Ohio, April 3, 1846, a son of William and
Elizabeth (Roberts') Morrow. His ancestors, paternal and maternal,
were among the early settlers of America, and numbered among them are
men who achieved distinction in the frontier life of those early days, in
the French and Indian wars, the War of the Revolution, and in the com-
mercial era which followed. His father, William Morrow, was a native
of \\'ashington county, Pennsylvania, born in 1807, who became a pio-
neer settler of Guernsey county, Ohio, later removed to Olney, 111., and
in 1865 settled at Afton, Iowa, where he died on April i, 1889. He was a
farmer, as were most of his forebears, and during his early life under-
went the hardships and privations incident to the pioneer of his day. He
married, when a young man, Elizabeth Roberts, born in Pennsylvania in
1807, who died in Afton, Iowa, February 5, 1892. Both he and his wife
were members of the Presbyterian church and active workers in the
cause of Christianity. To this union were born eight children: R. F.,
of San Francisco, Cal.; Martha J. Bragg, deceased; Mary E. Lorimer,
deceased ; Esther Laughlin, deceased ; Dorcus W. Hawkins, of Olney 111. ;
William B., deceased; James Calvin, the subject of this article, and Wil-
son W. Morrow.
James Calvin Morrow was reared on his father's farm and acquired his
early education in the district schools of his native county. He had
reached the age of sixteen when the family moved to Olney, 111., where
he completed his education in the schools of that town. In 1863 he went
west, to Iowa, where he taught school for some little time, and with his
450 BIOGRAPHICAL
savings from the occupation purchased, in Union county, that State, a
farm of i6o acres, and engaged in buying and shipping cattle to the
Chicago market. He continued in this field of enterprise in Iowa until
1874, when he came to Kansas and located at Clyde, Cloud county, and
resumed the buying and shipping of stock, a business in which he had
been moderately successful. In 1876 he came to Washington county
with stock and squatted on section 27, Union township. Later he pur-
chased land and improved a farm, still continuing his live stock inter-
ests. In 1881 he entered mercantile life, forming a partnership with John
Swan and established the third store in the town of Haddam. His ex-
perience as a merchant was short lived, however, for in 1883 he disposed
of his interest with his partner, Swan, and entered the real estate field,
having as an associate Reuben Vincent. The following year, 1884, he
bought the site and laid out the town of Morrow, named for him. In
the growth and development of the town of Haddam, he was the most
active factor. He was president of the town site company, of its town
council, its board of trustees, the dominant force in the organization of
the Western Exchange Bank, of which he w-as president, and it was
largely due to his efforts that the Burlington & Missouri River railroad
was built through the town. He realized early in life the possibilities
which obtained in raw land and with the profits from his various enter-
prises was a consistent buyer of acreage until he owned about 1,400 acres
in Washington county. This property he thoroughly improved and
operated. He was an extensive farmer and stockman, and his activities
in this line probably exceeded that of any man in his section of the State.
As an expert judge of cattle, he had a State-wide reputation. He entered
the banking life of the State actively in 1900, when he purchased a con-
trolling interest in the First National Bank of Washington. He was
elected president of the institution and remained at its head until the
time of his death, which occurred on July 4. 1912. Under his super-
vision, as controlling executive, the bank which had a capital of $50,000
enjo3'ed a sound and continuous growth, accumulated a svn'plus of $40,000
and deposits of a quarter million dollars, besides paying satisfactory
dividends to its stockholders. He was one of the active factors in the
organization of the Bankers' Deposit Guaranty and Surety Company,
of Topeka, and from the time of incorporation served as a member of its
directorate, and was also a director in the Exchange National Bank of
Atchison. To the banking fraternity he was known as an able and dis-
criminating financier and as an executive whose institution had been
brought up to a high point of efficiency. He had early in life acquired the
desire, the habit, the love of making money and the habit of work. His
shrewd business judgment, keen insight in business affairs, his knowl-
edge of men and things, coupled with indomitable energy, enabled him to
rank with the leading men of affairs in the State. He left at his death
one of the largest estates in Northern Kansas, an estate which represents
BIOGRAPHICAl 45I
the brain, the phick and energy of one man, wlio with his peculiar nat-
ural tact ever saw the propitious moment and availed himself of it. He
was an ambitious and tireless worker, conservative in his business
methods, and his business integrity and honesty were unquestioned. Mr.
Morrow was best known to the citizens of the State through his service
as a member of the legislature. His first appearance as a member of that
body was during the session of 1895, as a member of the lower house, to
which he had been elected the previous fall. He was elected to the
State Senate from the Twentieth district, in 1896, and to a second term
in 1900, serving as a member of that body during the sessions of 1897,
1899, I90i> 1903 snd special session of 1898. He was actively concerned
in all of the important legislation enacted during the various sessions in
which he served, and his record as an able leader and parliamentarian was
such that he was unanimously chosen by his colleagues as president pro
tempore and Republican floor leader of the senate at its 1901 session.
In this capacity he proved to be a conscientious official. He labored not
alone for himself, but by his accommodating disposition was of great
assistance to all who were working openly for ])rogressive legislation.
He was a dominant factor in local and Slate politics, attended as a dele-
gate several State and National conventions of his partj-, and was fur-
ther honored by appointment as vice-president of the Kansas Commis-
sion at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904.
Mr. Morrow married, at Hastings, Neb., on June 13, i8'^'9. Miss Rachel
Elliott, a daughter of John C. and Elizabeth A. Elliott, born at Fairs-
burg. Union county, Ohio, June 8, 1859, who, with three children, sur-
vive: Lena, born May 19, 1890, the wife of Everett B. Sutton, formerly
of Lawrence, Kan., now a resident of San Diego, Cal. ; James Calvin Mor-
row, Jr., born March 7, 1893, who was graduated from the laiw depart-
ment of Kansas University, a member of the class of 1913; and William
M. Morrow, born November 4, 1894, a student in Kansas University, and
a member of the law class of 1915. Mrs. MorrxDw is a woman of culture
and refinement, ])ossesses many lovable characteristics, and is po])ular
in the social circles of iicr home county, in which she has been a leader
for many years.
Mr. Morrow was in all respects a higii type of the conservali\c, un-
assuming American, diligent in his various duties and commercial affairs
and conscientious in all things. The tributes of respect, and in many
cases of affection called forth by his death have seldom been equalled in
the State in the passing away of a citizen. What may be termed his
life work was finished, it had met to a great extent the fullness of his
ambition. Rut infinitely more precious and of personal conscc|uence to
him was the fact that he died rich in the possession of a well-earned pop-
ularity, in the esteem which comes from honorable living, and in the
affection which slowly develops only from unselfish works. Predomi-
nant among his many sterling characteristics were his fatherliness, his
452 BIOGRAPHICAL
great foresight in caring for his own, and his tender sympathy with them
was conspicuous in his life. He was a home builder and believed in the
family and the fireside, in the sacredness of the hearth. He believed in
the gospel of help and hope and knew how much better, how much more
sacred, a kind act is than any theory the brain has wrought. He was a
believer in the religion of deed and his creed was to do good. Few men
have ever slept in death who nearer lived this creed. He left a legacy
of glory to his children. They can truthfully say that within their veins
is right royal blood — the blood of an honest, generous man, of a stead-
fast friend, of one who was true to the very gates of death. Throughout
his business life he was the embodiment of honor, as he was in his social
and domestic life the perfection of love and gentleness.
Albert Hazen. — This Kansas pioneer and veteran of the Civil war is
an honored citizen of Barnes, Kan. He was born in Ashtabula county,
Ohio, June 14, 1836, and is a son of Alonzo and Rachel (Hoyt) Hazen,
the former a native of New York and the latter of Vermont. The fa-
ther learned the machinist's trade in early life, but later was engaged
in the lumber business. He was born in 1809 and his wife in 1814.
When Albert was a small boy his parents removed to Crawford county,
Pennsylvania, where he attended the public schools and a "select"
school. He later attended the Mt. Union Academy and the Mt. Union
University at Mt. Union, Ohio. He then went to work with his father
in the lumber business, and in 1858 the family came to Kansas, settling
in Doniphan county, on what was known as the Burr Oak bottoms,
along the Missouri river. They had brought mill machinery with them
from the East and erected a mill and the father gave Albert a half in-
terest in the same, and they commenced a milling business. They were
thus engaged when the Civil war broke out, and in June, 1861, they sold
their mill property.
On July 3, 1861, Albert Hazen enlisted in Company F, Fifth Kansas
cavalry. This regiment was later reorganized into the Third Kansas
cavalry and still later the Third and Fourth were consolidated into the
Tenth Kansas cavalry. The first engagement in which they partici-
pated was at Dry Wood, near Fort Scott, Kan., under the command of
Cen. James H. Lane. After that the regiment participated in the bat-
tles of Prairie Grove, Cane Hill and Morristown. and several other en-
gagements in Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. His regiment took part
in only one battle in which Mr. Hazen was not present. He was
discharged August 19, 1864, as first sergeant, having enlisted as a pri-
vate. During his term of service his company had elected him second
lieutenant twice, but he refused to accept a commission. At the close
of his military service he returned to his Kansas home and resumed
the milling business, in partnership with his father, which they con-
ducted until 1868. He then sold his interest and engaged in farming
and stock raising. In the fall of 1869 he was elected to the legislature-
BIOGRAPHICAL 453
from Doniphan county, lie also ser\e(l one term as registrar of deeds
of Doniphan county. In the meantime he liad bought a farm on the
Little Blue river in Washington county, and in 1875 removed to that
place, where he followed farming until 1884, when he and Clinton
Hogue built a store and engaged in the general mercantile business.
This partnership continued until December 27, 1886, when Mr. Hazen
was elected to the legislature from Washington county. He then sold
his interest in the store to Mr. A. Ballard. During this term he was
active in legislative matters and made a good record as a representative
of the people. He introduced the bill limiting the amount of mu-
nicipal bond issues for railroads; also a bill to increase the legal school tax
one mill, also a bill for the building of township store houses. After
serving his term in the legislature he returned to his farm and re-
mained until 1889, when he purchased an interest in a flour and feed
business at Barnes and sold his farm. Mr. Hazen was appointed post-
master of Barnes, Kan., and served until Cleveland's administration,
and in 1897 he was appointed to the same position under McKinley.
He held this office until April 3, 1910, when he resigned. Mr. Hazen
was first married, May 20, 1866, to Mrs. Theresa Kincaid, a daughter
of Benjamin F. Brock, of Missouri. She departed this life February
28. 1867, and Mr. Hazen was married again, March 6, 1870, to Miss
Martha, a daughter of Andrew McChesney, a native of Maryland, who
removed to Ohio at an early date, where he was engaged in the pottery
business until 1853, when he came to Kansas. Mrs. Hazen was born
in Ohio, and was a child when her parents removed to Katisas. To Mr.
and Mrs. Hazen were born one child, Flora, who married Wright Wer-
tenberger. They reside in Washington, Kan., where he is engaged in the
livery business. They have three children — Fred, Fay and Ruby.
In addition to the State and county offices which Mr. Hazen has held
he has served as township trustee, justice of the peace and several
minor offices. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of
which he has been class leader for forty-five years, and is also a trustee
of the church and lias always taken a very active part in its work. Mrs.
Hazen died February 10, 1910. She was a woman of noble Christian
character whose death was mourned by her many friends and deeply
felt by licr bereaved husband.
Philip Darby is a pioneer and prominent citizen of Wasliington, Kan.
The Kansas pioneers who are able to date their pioneering back to the
'50S are few and the number is rapidly diminishing each year. This is
especially true of central and western Kansas. In 1858, when Philip
Darby, then a boy, came to what is now the prosperous and populous
county of Washington, he found the great American plains in the state
of nature as the hand of the Creator had left it, in possession of the
buffaloes and the Indians. Wild game of all kinds was in abundance —
deer, antelope and wild turkey were plentiful, while at times vast herds
^54 BIOGRAPHICAL
of buffaloes numbering into the thousands roamed at Avill over the
broad prairies.
Philip Darby is a native of the Buckeye State and was born in Mon-
roe county in 1841 and remained in his native State until he was thir-
teen years of age, when he came west with his parents. They started
for Kansas, but for some reason or another located in Iowa, driving the
entire distance with an ox team. After remaining in the Hawkey c
State three years the)' again determined to go to Kansas, and, in 1858,
after a tedious trip with their yoke of cattle they reached Washington
county and settled on the Little Blue river. This was before that section
of the State had been surve3'ed. In 1859 they came to Mill Creek and the
following year the father preempted land there which Philip Darb}' still
owns. This original land warrant now in the possession of Mr. Darby
bears the signature of President Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Darby's fa-
ther was one of the pioneer justices of the peace of this section of
Kansas and is said to have performed the first marriage ceremony in
Washington county. After the Darby family settled in Washington
county there was more or less Indian trouble in this section for the
ensuing ten years. At one time when the Pawnee Indians were on a
raid through that section of Kansas. Mr. Darby's father was captured
by them and kept several weeks, but finally returned unharmed. This
was in 1862. Frequent massacres occurred in near-by settlements. In
1864 the settlers were driven out by the Indians, who were on the war-
path. During these times Mr. Darb}' served as an Indian scout and for
a year was a member of a military company which was organized to
fight the Indians and at the time of the Wliite Rock massacre in the
early part of the '70s he was with the military expedition which operated
against the Indians as far west as where Kirwin now stands. As he
says himself, he didn't have time to go to the Civil war, as he was too
busy fighting Indians at that time. However, two of his brothers were
in the Union army, one of whom was killed at the battle of Pea Ridge.
Mr. Darby experienced all the details of pioneer life. In the early days
Marysville was their nearest postoffice. and their nearest market place
of any account was Fort Kearney. Philip Darby was one of the first
to take advantage of the homestead laws. The law went into effect
January i, 1863, and he was one of the first to enter a homestead at the
Junction City land office under this act. He followed farming until
1874, when he removed to Washington and engaged in the general mer-
cantile business, and for thirty years was one of the leading merchants
of that town. He built the first permanent store building in Washing-
ton, still standing on the west side of the square. During his mercan-
tile career he also continued his interest in farming and always owned
a farm near the town. In 1893 he was the Republican candidate for
county treasurer and at the expiration of his term of office, in 1893, he
was reelected. When he went into politics he turned his mercantile
BIOGRAPHICAL 455
business over to his children, but in 1901 iic returned to the mercantile
business and assisted his younger son until 1905, when he retired. This
time, lie says, is final.
Mr. Darby has been twice married. He first married, January 28, 1863,
Miss Agnes Hallowell, a daughter of J. R. and Penelope Hallowell. The
Hallowell family were also pioneers of northern Kansas, coming to
Washington county in i860. They located on a claim adjoining the place
where Mr. Darby now lives, fhc}- came from Ohio, and the girl who
later became Mrs. Darby was about sixteen years old when she came to
Kansas with her parents. She was a pioneer Washington county school
teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Darby became the parents of the following chil-
dren : Florence married Webster Morgan, Salina, Kan. ; Rezin married
Eva Earnest and resides near ^^'ashington, Kan.; Deliliah married E. B.
Fox, Washington, Kan., and Walter married Blanch Smith and resides
at Garden City, Kan. The wife and mother departed this life Xovember
24, 1894. On January 28, 1897, Mr. Darby married Miss Alice Jane Hal-
lowell, a half-sister of his first wife. To this union were born two chil-
dren : Mildred, now deceased, and Naomi, a student in the Washington
public schools. Mr. Darby has been a Republican all his life and taken
an active interest in his party's welfare. He has held numerous township
offices, and has represented his party in several county, Congressional
an'd State conventions. He is a director in the Washington National
Bank and a member of the Presbyterian church. He is one of the sub-
stantial citizens of northern Kansas, who has performed hi? part nobly
and well in the building of the new western empire.
James A. Thompson, who during his lifetime was a consp;cuous figure
in the industrial development of Marshall county and vicinity and for
fifteen years numbered among the most substantial citizens of that sec-
tion, was a native of the Keystone State, born at Chester, November 10,
1833, a son of Andrew and Eliza (Burford) Thompson, both natives of
Ireland. The parents immigrated to America in early life ;:nd settled in
eastern Pennsylvania, where they were married. In 1852 they came
west, settling in Grundy county, Illinois. James A. Thomp:^on remained'
with his parents, working on the farm, until he was married, October 2,
1861, to Miss Sarah Leach, daughter of Henry and Sarali (Bagshaw)
Leach, natives of England. The Leach family mmibered among
the earliest pioneers of Illinois. They came to America from England
in 1841 and settled about sixty miles southwest of the present city of
Chicago. There was nothing upon the site of that great city of today
except Fort Dearborn, which was their nearest trading point, and where
the father was comjielled to drive with a yoke of oxen for supiilies. .\t
that time hostile Indians were so numerous that the settlers did not dare
make this hazardous trip except in parties, carrying with them arms for
defense. He was the first man to plant, within the borders of what is
now the State of Illinois, seed corn of the commercial varietv raised to-
456 BIOGRAPHICAL
day. This was in the nature of an experiment, as it was generally sup-
posed that the plains of the West were unsuited for any cereal but wheat.
He was also a pioneer horticulturist in this section, carrying on his ex-
periments with seeds, shrubs and plants sent him from England. He had
the advantages of a good education, thorough business training, and be-
came associated with his father, who was an English merchant. Ill
health necessitated a change of climate and upon the advice of his physi-
cians he came to America. He devoted some time to literary work, writ-
ing articles descriptive of pioneer life for various magazines and news-
papers. He died at his Illinois home in 1852.
James A. Thompson engaged in farming in Grundy county, Illinois,
after his marriage, and followed this occupation until he engaged in the
grain business at Morris, 111., but later was forced to retire on account of
poor health. In 1876 he came to Kansas, locating at Waterville, at that
time the terminal of the Central Branch railroad. Mr. Thompson had
been in Kansas as early as 1868 and at that time had invested in Marshall
county land. He bought his first land at $1.25 per acre, the same land
today is worth S125.00 per acre. After locating in ^^^atervil:e he engaged
in the real estate and loan business. His investments proved profitable,
making many loans, which were of material value in assisting in the de-
velopment of this section of the State. He became one of the extensive
land owners of Marshall and Morris counties, leaving at his death a com-
fortable fortune. He was a public spirited citizen, alwa3-s ready to sup-
port both with time and money any measure wTiich had for its object
the advancement and betterment of the community. His standard of
life was high, and within the limits of his activities it is probable that he
was one of the most useful citizens of his county. His fraternal affilia-
tions were with the Masonic order.
He is survived by his widow and one daughter, the only child born to
this union. Miss Olive A. Thompson, who acquired her early education
in the public schools of Morris, III., later a student in St. Angelus Acad-
emy at Morris, and who was graduated from Kansas University a mem-
ber of the class of 1887 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. She is
an accomplished musician and studied under Prof. Frederick Boscovitz,
of the Hershey School of Musical Art, conducted by Clarence Eddy, the
noted pipe organist. She is also an artist of ability and studied under D.
F. Biglow, the noted landscape painter, of Chicago. She is a member of
the Eastern Star. Mrs. Thompson is a member of the Methodist Episco-
pal church, an active worker in the cause of Christianity and charity, and
is also a member of the Eastern Star. The family have long been promi-
nent in the social circles of their section and the Thompson residence is
known for its gracious hospitality.
Charles W. Hawes, a prominent merchant and banker of Morrowville.
Washington county, is a native of Maine, born in Aristock county on
March 21, 1853, and is a son of Benjamin and Mary Ann (]Maj'all)
BIOGRAPHICAL 457
Hawes, both natives of Maine and of old New England families. The
father was engaged in the lumber business in his native State until
1869, when the family came to Kansas, settling in Washington county,
where the father took a homestead, and after that followed farming and
stock raising there.
Charles W. Hawes was about seventeen years old when he came to
Kansas with iiis parents. He spent his boyhood days on the farm and
attended school very little after coming to Kansas, having received his
education principally in the public schools of Maine. When he attained
his majority he also took a homestead and engaged in farming on his
own account. He followed this avocation until 1891 and was numbered
among the most successful farmers and stock raisers of the county. In
1891 he removed to Morrowville, engaging in the mercantile business
until the present time. In 1900 he was appointed postmaster of Mor-
rowville and is now serving in that capacity. He was one of the or-
ganizers of the Morrowville State Bank and was elected the first presi-
dent of that institution, and still holds that position. ?Ie is also exten-
sively interested in other successful commercial enterprises of impor-
tance, being a stockholder in the Morrowville Telephone Company and
in the Washington National Bank, of Washington, Kan.
Mr. Hawes has been twice married, on the first occasion to Mis.s
Carrie T., daughter of William A. and Lizzie Thurston, who were na-
tives of Maine and pioneer settlers in Kansas, where the father was an
early-day homesteader. Mrs. Hawes was born in Maine and came to
Kansas with her parents when a child where she received her education
and later taught school. To Mr. and Mrs. Hawes was born one child,
Herbert. The wife and mother departed this life in February, 1901, and
in May, 1903, Mr. Hawes married Miss Sarah McWilliams. She is a
daughter of Fletcher and Mary McWilliams, natives of Ireland, but who
now reside in Kansas. Mrs. Hawes was born in Illinois, where she was
reared and educated. One child has been born to this marriage, Ray-
mond. Mr. Hawes is a Republican and has served on the Morrowville
school board. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows, Modern Woodmen of America and the Daughters of Rehckah,
Mrs. Hawes is a member of the Baptist church.
Leonard V. McKee is a prominent banker of Marshall c ounty, Kan-
sas, and president of the State Bank, of Frankfort, Kan. He is a native
of Ohio and was born in Allen county August 18, 1845, and is a son of
Robert and Sarah (Dunlap) McKec, both natives of Ohio. The father
was a cabinetmaker in early life and after his marriage followed farm-
ing in Ohio, and in 1872 sold out and came to Kansas, .'\ftcr cuniiiit^
to this State he never engaged actively in business again, but lived re-
tired until the time of his death in t88o. His wife died at Seneca. Kan.,
in 1875.
Leonard V. McKee was reared in Ohio and educated in the district
458 BIOGRAPHICAL
schools of that State. His education was obtained in the days when
school houses were few and far between, and the children sometimes
had to walk a long distance, occasionally as much as three or four miles,
and the school sessions lasted only a short time each year. After at-
tending school he worked on the farm and assisted his father until early
in the year 1865, when he enlisted in Company E. One Hundred and
Fifty-first Ohio infantry. He served about six months, when the war
closed. During the time of his service he was stationed at Washington,
D. C, where a large number of troops were held in reserve, and at the
same time affording protection to the National capital. After the war
he returned home and remained on the' farm with his parents until he
was twenty-five years old, when he was married, and began life for
himself as a farmer. About a year following he was obliged to leave
Ohio on account of his wife's health, and on Alarch 20, 1870, started for
Kansas with a team and drove the entire distance and was thirty-seven
days en route. He settled on a farm in Marshall county, where he met
with success, and remained until 1875, when he removed to Frankfort,
where he was engaged in the lumber business about a year. He dis-
posed of his lumber business and opened a new store in Frankfort, this
time engaging in the general mercantile business. He was thus engaged
about ten years, when he again sold out, and in partnership .with Charles
Dougherty, a traveling salesman, organized a private bank in Frank-
fort with a paid-up capital of $10,000.00. They operated as a private
bank about three years, when Mr. McKee organized the State Bank.- of
Frankfort, Kan., and became its cashier. He held that position about
ten years, when he was elected president and cashier, and served in this
double capacity three years. J. W. Lobley then became cashier of the
bank and Mr. McKee continued as president. He has held that posi-
tion to the present time and has been active in the direction of the pol-
icy of the institution to date. The bank is now capitalized at $35,000.00
and has a surplus and undivided profits of $46,000.00, which makes it
one of the strongest banks in this section of the State. Mr. McKee has
helped organize several other banks, one of which was the Interstate
National Bank, of Kansas City, of which he was one of the directors
until it was moved from Kansas City, Kan., to Kansas City, Mo. He is
also a stockholder in the National Reserve Bank, of Kansas City, Mo.,
and the Kansas City Trust Company, of Kansas City, Kan. He is a
stockholder in the Fire Insurance Company, of Kansas City, Mo. Be-
sides his banking and insurance interests he is a large real estate owner
and owns and controls 1,870 acres of land, all of which is located in Mar-
shall county except a quarter section.
Mr. McKee has been twice married. In March, 1869, he married Jane
Blair, a daughter of Robert and Sarah Blair, of Allen county, Ohio,
where her father was a farmer. She was born in Allen county. Ohio,
received her education in the public schools and taught school several
BIOGRAPHICAL 459
terms. She died at Frankfort, Kan., in 1897. There were no children
born of this union. In 1899 Mr. McKee married Miss Etta E. Lemons,
a daughter of Joseph and Etta Lemons. The Lemons family came to
Kansas from Iowa and the father was engaged in farming and stock
raising. Mrs. McKee was born in Minnesota and was educated in the
public schools of that State and Iowa and later attended Baker Univer-
sity at Baldwin, Kan., and is a graduate of that institution. Mr. and
Mrs. McKee have five children : Helen, Harold, Leonard, Edgar and
Mariam. Mrs. McKee is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church
and of the Eastern .Star. Mr. McKee is a Republican and has ser\'ed
two terms in the Kansas State legislature, the first during Governor
Stanley's administration and the second during Governor Bailey's. He
has also been mayor of Frankfort. He is a trustee of Bethany College
and Bethany Hospital, of Kansas City, Kan., and has served on that
board for twenty-five years. Mr. McKee has donated liberally 10 the
college and hospital. He has also contributed in many ways to the bet-
terment of his home town and has been a material factor in its social
and industrial development. He is progressive, charitable and public-
spirited, and has truly contributed to the upbuilding and develo])nient
of the great commonwealth of Kansas. He is a Thirty-second degree
Mason and a member of the Shrine.
William D. Johnson, a prominent pioneer resident of Morrowville,
Kan., is a native of Iowa and was born in Appanoose county, that State,
March 13, 1852. His parents were Amos and Sarah Edwards Johnson,
the former a native of Kentucky and a son of Daniel Johnson, also a
Kentuckian, while the mother was a native of Illinois and a daughter
of David Edwards, a Virginian, who was a pioneer settler of Illinois.
Amos Johnson was a farmer and a stockman in Iowa to the time of
his death in 1854. After his deatii his widow married Urinh Wooding.
In 1858, before her second marriage, she came to Kansas with her fam-
ily. They located in Marshall county and remained about a year, when
they came to Washington county and bought Government land. .At
that time this section of the State was wild and unbroken; game of all
kinds was plentiful; buffalo could be seen in herds of thousands, while
the Indians came and went by the hundreds. In those days buffalo
meat was a common article of food. The Johnson famil\' endured ;;11
the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life on the plains. Dur-
ing the year of 1859 they subsisted on corn alone, this being the only
crop raised that season. Their daily menu ranged from roasting ears
with red pepper to johnny cake and then back to roasting ears. In iHGi
the step-father enlisted in the army, and on account of the grasshopjjcrs
and crop failures the little family returned to Iowa. William Johnson,
the subject of this review, returned to Kansas again in 1874, just in time
to see the grasshopjiers make another visitation and destroy excrything
in sight, with the exception of the wheat and oats crops which had been
■ ibO BIOGRAPHICAL
harvested before the hoppers came. That season the settlers were prett)'
well supplied, notwithstanding the devastation wrought by the pesky
pests of the plains. When Mr. Johnson came to Kansas this time he
settled in Smith county. His claim was on the present site of. the thriv-
ing little city of Lebanon, but on account of the dry years and more
crop failures he gave up this homestead and went to California, but be-
fore leaving Kansas he bought a quarter section of land in Washington
county, for which he paid $600. He still owns this property and it is
worth $10,000. He remained in California, working at odd jobs from one
place to another, until 1884, when he returned to Kansas and settled on
his W'ashington county farm. He lived on the farm alone about seven
years, and in 1891 was married and remained on his farm about eight
j-ears, when he removed to Morrowville.
In 1899 he engaged in the hardware and implement business. He con-
ducted this business about nine years, when, on account of failing eye-
sight, he was compelled to retire. Mr. Johnson has been very suc-
cessful in all of iiis buiness ventures and is an extensive land owner.
He has about a section in Pullman township. He is vice-president of
the ^lorrowville State Bank and was one of the organizers of that in-
stitution. He is also a stockholder in the Peoples State Bank, of Han-
over, Kan., of which he is a director. He is now treasurer of the Mu-
tual Telephone Company and was one of its original stockholders, and
for six years he was president of the Farmers Elevator Company and
was one of the original stockholders in that concern. He is now one of
its directors. He is a Republican and has taken an active interest in the
welfare of that party, but he has persistently refused to accept office.
Mr. Johnson was united in marriage, June 18, 1891, to Miss Elva D.,
daughter of William and Mary (Foellett) Flansburg, both natives of
New York. Mrs. Johnson was born in Knox county, Illinois, where
she was reared and educated, and spent her life until 1889, when she
came to Kansas with her parents, who settled in Washington county,
where her fatlier was an extensive farmer and stock raiser. Mr. and
Mrs. Johnson are members of thq Christian church, of which he is an
elder. Mr. Johnson is one of the substantial men of northern Kansas
who has made good.
Schuyler R. Parker, who, although stricken by the grim reaper in the
prime of manhood, had during his limited lifetime become an important
factor in the commercial enterprises of northern Kansas. He was a
native of Henry county, Illinois, born August 17, 1865, and was a son
of Ira and Mary L. (Cowl) Parker. The parents were both natives of
Delaware count}'. New York. The Parkers are an old English family —
the name Parker having its origin in the occupation of park keeper.
Ira Parker was a son of Samuel Parker and Susanna Ransom. Samuel
was one of three brothers who immigrated to America from England.
Samuel settled in the East (New York) ; another brother went south
BIOGRAPHICAL 46 1
and settled in one of the Southern States, and tlie third located in Cali-
fornia. Thus the Parker famil\- was founded in America, and those of
the Eastern branch are descendants of Samuel Parker, who was the
great-grandfather of Schuyler R. Parker, of this review. Ira Parker was
a Quaker. He was born in Delaware county, New York, April 12, 1809,
and came to Henrj- county, Illinois, in 185 1. He was a school teacher in
early life and taught school in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Mississippi,
Louisiana, Texas and Kentucky, and finally settled on a farm in Henry
count_v, Illinois. In 1854 he married Mary Woodruff. She died, leavmg
one child, Laura, who married Marion T. Whitney. She died in Oregon
in 1898. Ira Parker's second wife was Mary L. Cowl, of Putnam county.
New York, to whom he was married in 1858. She was a daughter of
Elijah and Caroline (Hinman) Cowl. The Hinman family are related
to the Perrys — the mother of Caroline Cowl bore the maiden name of
Perry and was a near relative to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the
hero of the battle of Lake Erie. To Ira Parker and wife, Mary L.
Cowl, were born two children : Perry Cowl Parker and Schuyler Ran-
som Parker, the subject of this review.
Schuyler R. Parker was reared to manhood in Henry county, Illinois,
educated in the public schools, and in early life engaged in farming for
himself in that county, and was very successful in this line of endeavor,
February 6, 1892. he came to Kansas, settling at Waterville, where he
engaged in the general mercantile business, establishing the mercantile
house of Parker Brothers. They also bought an elevator and carried on
an extensive grain business. He was successful in his business under-
takings to the time of his death, which occurred June 24, 1896.
On August 19, 1885, Schuyler R. Parker was united in marriage to
Miss Margaret J. Grier, of Cornwall, III. After the death of Mr. Parker
she became the wife of Dr. Franklin S. Adams, a personal sketch of
whom appears in this volume.
To Schuyler R. Parker and Margaret J- Grier were born two children:
Milton Ira, born Feliruary 5, 18S7, in Henry county, Illinois. He was
educated in the public schools of Waterville, and after attending high
school took a commercial course in the Cedar Rapids Business College,
where he graduated in the class of 1906. He was then stenographer for
the American Penman Publishing Company for a short time, when lie
entered the employ of the First National Bank, of Klemme, Iowa, as
assistant cashier, remaining there until June 15, 1910, when he returned
to Waterville, Kan., and became a member of the firm of Adams-
Parker Hardware and Furniture Company, of Waterville. He was
married, December 4, 1912, to Miss Nellie Marie Gilbert, a daughter
of Mathew H. and Lillian M. (Thomas) Gilbert, the former a native of
New York and the latter of Pennsylvania. Mathew H. Gilbert is a son
of Ilenrv and Martha .Ann Gardner Gilbert, natives of England. The
father was a siiip carpenter. MatJiew H. was born in New York City
462 BIOGRAPHICAL
and at an early date came to Kansas, where he was a successful farmer
and stock raiser. He retired in 1907 and died at his Waterville home
in October, 1909. His wife survives, and resides in Waterville. They
had two children, Nellie M., now Mrs. M. I. Parker, and Jenevieve, who
resides with her mother. Milton Ira Parker is a Thirty-second degree
Scottish -Rite Mason and Mrs. Parker is a graduate of the Waterville
High School and of the State ^Manual Training School at Pittsburgh,
Kan., where she specialized in domestic science and art. She is a mem-
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church and of the Eastern Star. Alma
Ellene, born at Waterville, Kan., August 28, 1893, the second chi!d born
to Schmler R. Parker and Margaret J. Grier, is a graduate of the Wa-
terville High School and is now a student at the Kansas Agricultural
College, where she is specializing in vocal music and domestic science.
She is a member of the Lutheran church and the Eastern Star..
Henry Kennedy, cashier of the Citizens Bank, Frankfort, Kan., is a
native of the Sunflower State. He was born in ^ilarshall county Sep-
tember 10, 1865, and is a son of William and Catherine (Kelley) Ken-
nedy, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of the State of New
York. When \\illiam Kennedy first came to America he remained in
Massachusetts for a time and came to Kansas in 1857. These were pio-
neer days of Kansas, and a time when the border warfare was at its
height. The Kelley famih^ came to Kansas in 1856 and both families
located in Marshall county, and here William Kennedy and Catherine
Kellej^ were married in 1859. They took a homestead in what is naw
Cleveland township, where the father continued farming and stock
raising until his death, which occurred in 1897. His wife died in 1906.
Before her marriage she taught the first school in Marshall county, the
school house was built of logs and she was employed to teach the school
and at first had four pupils. She was paid by subscription of the parents
of the pupils and taught three months each year. Henry Kennedy was
reared on the home farm in Cleveland township and received his early
educational discipline in the district schools. Pie assisted his father on
the farm when a youth, and in 1892 came to Frankfort, where he en-
gaged in the furniture and undertaking business, and continued in this
line for fifteen years. He then disposed of that business and devoted
himself to looking after his farm property and other interests. He owns
a farm cast of Frankfort, which is one of the oldest in th(. county. It
was purchased from the Government on a land warrant by the party
from whom Mr. Kennedy bought it. and an old log house that was built
in i860 is still standing on the place. The abstract of this property is
a very brief document. There was not a transfer or an encumbrance
against this farm from the time the deed was given by the Government
until it was transferred to Mr. Kennedy. On November i, 1910, he
became cashier of the Citizens Bank, of Frankfort, and has occupied that
position to the present time. Mr. Kennedy is a careful and capable
BIOGRAPHICAL ' 463
man at llie head of a financial institution and the baid< lias ])rospered
under his administration.
lie was united in marriage, April 28, 1894, to Miss Anna Gorbutt, a
daughter o{ Joseph and Sallie (Dougherty) Gorbutt, both natives of
Kentucky, and Mrs. Kennedy was also born at Frankfort, Ky. The
Gorbutt family came to Kansas in 1870, where the father engaged in
farming and stockraising, in which line of endeavor he was very suc-
cessful, and is now living retired at Frankfort, Kan. Mrs. Kennedy
received her education in the public schools of Kansas and the Campbell
University at Hollon, Kan., where she graduated, after which she en-
gaged in teaching and taught in the city schools of Hollon for seven
years prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy has been born
one child, Kelma E., now attending high school at Frankfort. Mr.
Kennedy has served on the city council of Frankfort and for four years
was the mayor of that city. He is a member of the Catholic church
and his wife is a Presbyterian.
C. E. Cummings, a prominent Marshall county banker, who is cashier
of the Citizens State Bank, of Blue Rapids, is a native of Kansas. He
was born in Centralia June 13, 1873, and is a son of C. S. ynd Mary K.
(Smith) Cummings, the former a native of Pontiac, Mich., and the lat-
ter of Ohio. Her parents, however, removed to Illinois when she was
a child, where she lived several years. C. S. Cummings, the father of
our subject, in early life was engaged in the hardware business in
Michigan, and in 1866 came to Kansas. He first settled at Leaven-
worth, where he worked at his trade of wagon making and blacksmith-
in-g, remaining there two years, and in 1868 went to Centralia. Here
he engaged in the hardware business, in which he was very successful
until 1905, when he retired. He died three yars later, December 24,
1908. The wife and mother survived him until October 12. 1913. when
she, too, passed away. The remains of both parents are hiu-ied in the
Blue Rapids cemetery.
C. E. Cummings was reared in Centralia, receiving his early educa-
tion in the public schools and later attended the State University of
Nebraska. "He then took a commercial course in the Gem City Business
College at Quincy, 111., and graduated in the class of 1892. He returned
.to Centralia and was connected with the Citizens State Bank of that
place for one year, when he went to Alvin, Tex., and served as assistant
cashier of the Alvin Exchange Bank five years, returning to Kansas
in 1898 he established the Citizens Slate Bank at Netawaka, Jackson
county, and became its cashier, while his father held the jjosition of
president. They conducted a general banking business until 1903, when
they disposed of their interest there and came to Blue Rapids and organ-
ized the Citizens State Bank, of Blue Rapids, in 1904. Their banking
building, however, was not completer so that it would be fit for occu-
pancy until February, 1905, at which date they commenced business.'
464 BIOGRAPHICAL
The father was president and C. E., the subject of this review, was
cashier at the organization of the bank. The father served in this ca-
pacity until his death, when he was succeeded by A. J. Birchfield, father-
in-law of C. E. Cummings. Mr. Birchfield served as president of ttie
bank about two years, when he, too, passed away. He died in Ma}^ 1910,
and M. A. Thompson became president, and still holds that position.
Mr. Cummings was married, January 16, 1893, to Miss Grace I.
Birchfield, daughter of A. J. Birchfield, above mentioned, and Anna I.
(Hidden) Birchfield. Mr. Birchfield was a native of Kentucky and his
wife of Maine. The Birchfield family were pioneers of Kansas, settling
in Nemaha county at a very early date, where the father of Mrs. A. J.
Birchfield was a pioneer doctor. Mrs. Cummings was born at Centralia,
Kan., and was educated in the public schools of Centralia and the
Boston Conservatory of Music, of Boston, Mass., of which she is a
graduate. To Mr. and Mrs. Cummings has been born one child, Claude
E., born January 20, 1897, now a high school student at Blue Rapids.
Mr. Cummings is a Republican and has served one term as mayor of
Blue Rapids and at the present time is a member of the school board.
He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Knights
of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United ^Vorkmen.
Mr. Cummings's career as a banker has been marked with success.
He is a capable financier and by right methods has won the confidence
of the public. He is progressive in his business methods and adheres
to that policy which conserves the best interests of his institution.
Francis M. Sexton. — To have accomplished so notable a work as did
the late Mr. Sexton in connection with Kansas banking would prove
sufficient to give precedence and reputation to any man, were this to
represent the sum total of his efforts ; but Mr. Sexton was a man of
broad mental ken, strong initiative and distinct individuality, who left
not only a lasting impression in the field of enterprise mentioned but
was a most potent factor in the commercial and agricultural develop-
ment of Ottawa county, of which he became a resident in 1870. Left an
orphan at the age of twelve, without resources, he worked his way
throught the common schools and later completed a commercial college
course. He came to Kansas shortly before attaining his majority, with
very limited means, and located a homestead near the present city of Del-
phos. He possessed energy, ability and ambition, which, coupled with
sound judgment and the faculty of knowing men, enabled him to attain a
recognized position among the most able men of affairs of the State. He
was the controlling executive, for some twelve years preceding his
death, of the most important financial institution in Ottawa county, a
leader in the political life of his section, was honored with public office
in which he served with credit and distinction, and in attaining wealth,
influence and station, remained an unassuming, kind and generous man
who possessed the esteem of all who knew him and the affection of his
friends and close associates.
BIOGRAPHICAL 465
Francis M. Sexton was a native of the State of New York and was
born in the city of Syracuse on December 25, 1849, '^hs son of Thomas
Sexton. His parents died during his early boyhood, his mother when
he was aged nine and his father three years later. After the latter's
death he was for a lime a member of the family of a sister who resided
in Milwaukee, Wis., and later with a family by the name of Timeson,
near Harvard. 111. His life while with the Timesons was one of the
most pleasant recollections of his boyhood. They were excellent peo-
ple and he was cared for as their own; in fact, they wished him to re-
main with them, offering to make him an equal heir w'i'.h their own
children in their property. Ambitious to succeed and realizing that an
education was one of the essentials to success, Mr. Sexton chose to
employ his savings in completing his studies and entered a business
college in a neigliboring city, where he completed its prescibed course,
following which he was a bookkeeper at Ottawa, 111. He next sought
for an opportunity to begin for himself and selected the State of Kansas
as his field of operation, and in 1870 located a homestead near Delphos,
Ottawa county. During the time he was proving up on his land he was
employed as a clerk at Delphos and w^as also actively concerned in the
political affairs of the county. He was elected clerk of Ottawa county
in 1872. and reelected in 1874 and 1876, serving three terms. His record
in the administration of the business of this office reflected credit upon
himself and his constituents. On entering the office of county clerk he
became a resident of Minneapolis, and on the conclusion of his service
engaged in the real estate business with the late C- C. Olney. He was
elected cashier of the Ottawa County Bank in 1882, and in 1900 became
president of the institution. The history of this bank is <he histor}^ of
Mr. Sexton's identification with the banking life of Kansas. Estab-
lished with a capital of $50,000.00 its business has been of sound and
continuous growth. It has a surplus of $25,000.00, undivided profits of
$25,000.00, deposits of $220,000.00, and has always paid satisfactory
dividends to its stockholders.
In the development and administration of the business of this insti-
tution Mr. Sexton was for many years the dominant executive, and to
his progressiveness, energy and resourcefulness was due the strength
and high reputation of the organization. He was known to the banking
fraternity as an able and discriminating financier and one who had
brought the administrative policy of his bank up to the point of highest
efficiency. He also had the distinction of having established the first
bank in Delphos, in 1880, the Rank of Delphos, now the State Rank of
Delphos. Mr. Sexton was interested directly or indirectly with many
other business enterprises of his home city and county, and perhaps no
one of its citizens had more to do with the development and building
up of Minneapolis than he. In truth, he was one of the foremost m
every movement which had for its object the city's progress, thrift and
substantial growth. He was an ambitious and tireless worker, conserv-
466 BIOGRAPHICAL
ative in his business methods, and his integrity and honer-t}- were un-
questioned. He had early in life acquired the desire, the habit, the love
of making mone}' and the habit of work. His shrewd business judg-
ment, keen insight into business affairs, his knowledge of men and
things, coupled with indomitable energy, enabled him to attain rank
with the leading men of affairs in the State. He left at his death one
of the large estates of his section, an estate which represents the brain,
the pluck and energy of one man, who, with his peculiar natural tact,
ever saw the propitious moment and availed himself of it. Handicapped
during the latter }-ears of his life by deafness, he still remained in active
conduct of his bank, and these years were, notwithstandinr* this impedi-
ment, the j-ears of his greatest business successes. He v.^as an active
factor in the social and religious life of his home city and his charities
were many and varied, but in his giving he sought to avoid ostentation
He had attained the Knights Templar degree in Masoniy and was a
member of Askelon Commandery, of Salina. His death occurred on
May 31, 1913, at San Diego, Cal., where he had gone for ret^t and recrea-
tion.
On May 25, 1875, Mr. Sexton was united in marriage wi;h Miss Alice
May Elder, the daughter of John H. and Lydia A. (Robinson) Elder,
who was born at Franklin, Ohio, January 21, 1858. Eour children were
born to this union : Euna S., born March 26, 1876, the wife of Dana
D. Gage, of Minneapolis; Alice May, born February 15, 1878, who died
November 22, 1901. She married, on August 24, 1901, Lieut. Ernest H.
Agnew, U. S. A., and following her marriage resided in the Philippines,
where her death occurred ; Jay C. born February 6,- 1880, attorney at
San Diego, Cal., and Ray F., born December 5, 1883, assistant cashier
of the Ottawa County Bank.
Francis M. Sexton was a high type of the true Christian gentleman.
He believed in the gospel of help and hope and knew how much better,
and how much more sacred, a kind act is than any theory the brain has
wrought. He was a believer in the religion of deed and his creed was to
do good. He was a home builder and believed in the family and the
fireside, in the sacredness of the hearth. Predominant among his many
sterling characteristics was his fatherliness, his great foresight in caring
for his own, and his tender sympathy with them was conspicuous in
his life. What may be termed his life work was finished and it had met
to a great extent the fullness of his ambition ; but infinitely more pre-
cious and of persona! consequence to him was the fact that he died
rich in the possession of a well earned popularity, in the esteem which
comes from honorable living, and in the affection which slowly develops
only from unselfish works.
Thomas D. Hinshaw, sheriff of Clay county. Kansas, successful con-
tractor and popular citizen, was born on his father's farm near Win-
chester, Randolph county, Indiana, June 12, 1873, a son of Thomas J.
BIOGRAPHICAL 467
and Sarah (Mills) llinshaw. The elder Hinshaw was born in Xorth
Carolina in 1828, and came to Indiana, with his \\ idowed mother, in
1840. Here he became a farnier and, in 1879, removed to Kansas and
located on Government land in Trego coimty. He assisted in the or-
ganization of the county and was the first treasurer of Wakeen}- tow^n
ship. From the birth of the Republican party he was an. ardent advocate
of its principles and policies. He was one of the most influential men-
hi his party in -western Kansas, and in his home county, Tiego, he was
one of the most potent factors in development and betterment. .\s a
farmer and stockman he was widely known for his success and honoi-a-
ble dealing. He married, on October 25, 1850, Sarah Mills, who, like
himself, was a member of the Quaker faith. She was born at Fort
\Vayne, Ind., December 30, 1820, and died at Portland, Ind., February
I/' 1905- Her husband had preceded her in the rest eternal on June 16,
1891. To this union fourteen children were born: Aaron, Jesse, Na-
than, Franklin, Alva, Leonard, Emma and Thomas D., our subject, all
of whom are living; Narcissa, Elijah, Ehvood, Rebecca, Elmina and
W'oodard are deceased.
Thomas D. Hinshaw was educated in the i)ublic schools of Trego
county, and through study at home, where he prepared himself for
examination for a teacher's certificate, which he secured, but did not
avail himself of its privileges. He learned the. trade of a bricklayer
and plasterer and became a building contractor. Public affairs were of
interest to him and he began taking an active part in the politics of his
county soon after attaining his majority. lie, like his father, gave his
allegiance to the Republican party, and was honored by his party with
nomination for the office of sheriff in 1901, to which he was elected.
His administration of the business of this department of Trego county's
official service was such that he was elected to succeed himself in 1903.
As an officer who enforced the law his record will bear comparison
with any incumbent of the office of sheriff in the State. The
duties of this office allowed him ample time in which to conduct his
business of building contractor, and in this line of endeavor he was suc-
cessful. He was, also, while a resident of Wakeeny, active in its civil
affairs, serving as a member of its council for three years, as a member
of its school board, and was clerk of the latter body. In 1907 he dis-
posed of his Trego county interests and removed to Clay Center, where
he engaged in the retail grncer\- business, which he conducted for one
year, and then reentered the contracting business. In the latter line of
activity he has constructed a number of the best buildings in Clay Cen-
ter, is conceded to be its leading building contractor, and one who knows
thoroughly all of the essentials which make for success in his line. Since
becoming a resident of Clay Center he has taken the same keen interest
in civic affairs that obtained while he resided in Trego count}-. His
record as sheriff of Trego followed liini and the result was that the Re-
468 BIOGEt,\PHICAL
publicans of Cla}' county, who wanted an efficent officer in the sher-
iff's chair, elected him to the position in 1912. It is needless to state
that Clay county is under his administration enjoying law enforcement
to the letter. Mr. Hinshaw has always made good — as a contractor,
councilman and as sheriff. His methods have been clean, capable and
honest and he possesses a popularity that is deserved.
Mr. Hinshaw married, on October 20, 1898, Miss Mabel, daughter of
A. P. Lawrence, a retired merchant of Clay Center. She was born on
her father's farm in Clay county on March 25, 1876. Mr. Lawrence is
a native of Vermont, a veteran of the Civil war, and came to Clay county
in 1866, locating on Government land five miles south of Clay Center.
He participated in the organization of the county, was active and in-
fluential in count}' affairs and has served in various county offices. He
has been identified with the commercial development of Clay Center
since its early days, was a success as a merchant and possesses the es-
teem of his fellow citizens.
^Ir. and Mrs. Hinshaw are the parents of four children ; Asahel
Delma, born September 30, 1900; Ada Blanche, born February 14. 1902;
Emma Hazel, born January 5, 1904, and Mabel Ruth, born January 10,
1906. Mrs. Hinshaw is a woman of culture, well informed, and is prom-
inent in the social and religious life of Clay Center. She is a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church and is assistant probation officer of
Clay county.
George J. Shultz, a progressive business man of Barnes, Kan., and
the owner of the only lumber yard in that thriving town, is a native
of Ohio. He was born in Fairfield coimty, that State, April 30, 1864.
His parents. George J. and Katherine (Smith) Shultz, were both na-
tives of Wurtemburg, Germany. The father was engaged in farming
and stock raising in Ohio until his death in 1880. The mother died six
years later in that State. George J. Shultz was reared on his father's
farm in Fairfield county, educated in the public schools, and remained at
home with his parents while they lived. After the death of his mother,
in 1889, he came to Kansas, locating in Washington county, where he
worked as a farm laborer for M. Solt. He worked hard and economized,
and in a few years was able to buy a farm for himself, and for sixteen
years he was engaged in farming and stock raising. He was very suc-
cessful in feeding cattle for the market, and was also a very extensive hog
raiser and successful in this line of endeavor and made money. He kept a
good breed of hogs, which proved profitable and yielded a handsome
profit. He fed and sold from forty to 150 head of cattle each year, and
about 150 head of hogs. Mr. Shultz remained on his farm until 1908,
when he sold it and engaged in the lumber business at Barnes, which
he has continued to the present time.
Mr. Shultz was married, February 10, 1892, to Miss Alice Click. She
was a daughter of Manassah and Eliza (Hartman) Glick, both natives
BIOGKAPMICAL 469
of Pennsylvania, where the father was engaged in farming. Manassah
Glick was a second cousin of former Governor Click, of Kansas. The
Click family removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio and made their
home in Fairfield county, where Mr. Shultz met and married his wife.
To Mr. and Mrs. Shultz have been born six children : Bet nice, student
in the University of Kansas and a member of the class of 1914; Eliza
(deceased) ; Madeline, a student at Canal Winchester, Ohio ; Ernestine
and Click, attending school in Barnes, and Alice, the baby. The wife
and mother departed this life, after a brief illness, December 7, 1913.
Mrs. Shulz was a woman of noble Christian character whose untimely
death brought grief to her many friends and neighbors as well as to her
immediate family. The family are members of the Lutheran church.
Mr. Shultz served as trustee of Barnes township from 1902 to 1906
and is now serving his twelfth year as a member of the Barnes school
board. Politically he is a Democrat.
Fred A. Meyn, of Hanover, Kan., belongs to that type of business
men who have so largely contributed to make Kansas the great State
that it is. By industry and keen business foresight, with the ability to
see opportunities or make them, he has become one of the dominant
factors in the commercial life of Washington county.
Fred A. Meyn was born in Washington county, Kansas, November
2, 1876, and is a son of John D. and Marie (Camar) Meyn, natives of
Cermany. They came to this country and settled in Kansas at an early
date. The father was a ship builder by trade, but after coming to
Kansas devoted his attention to farming and the cattle business. He
was one of the first cattle dealers in Washington county and was en-
gaged in that business up to the time of his death. He was very suc-
cessful in this line of endeavor and accumulated a large tract of land,
owning about 600 acres at the time of his death, which occurred in
August. 1899. Fred A. was educated in the district schools, which he
attended during the winter terms, and worked on the farm in the sum-
mer months. He commenced life for himself when quite young. He
first bought 320 acres of land and at the time had only $900 in money,
but he borrowed the balance and rented the land, and then set to work
to pay off the interest and principal. During the first year he paid
$700 of the principal, besides the interest, having a good crop that year.
After the death of his father he remained at home with his mother until
1901, and at the same time renting out his own farm. In igoi he moved
onto his own farm and lived there from five to si.x years, when he sold'
it at a good profit and bought two farms in Nebraska. In the fall of
1907 he removed to Hanover and bought the Hanover Roller Mills.
This mill has a capacity of 150 barrels per day and is now undergoing
a thorough remodeling and overhauling, and when completed will be
equipped with all modern mill machinery and be up-to-date in every
particular. Mr. Meyn also owns and operates the electric light plant
4/-
BIOGRAPHICAL
in connection with his mill, and furnishes electricity to tlie city of Man-
over. In addition to the mill and the electric business he has an ele-
vator and also conducts a coal, hay, grain and feed business. His btisi-
ness as a whole is one of the largest in this section of the State. Mr.
Meyn was married in April, 1903, to Miss Susie Prall, a daughter of
William Prall, a farmer of \A'ashington county. Mrs. Meyn died in 1905,
and on December 22, 1909, he was united in marriage to Miss Rosie,
daughter of Henry and Sophia Hellberg, of Chicago, where Mrs. Meyn
was born, reared and educated. They have two children, \'iola and
Clements.
Mr. Meyn has served several years as a member of the school board
of his district and was township trustee for one term. He is a metuber
of the Commercial Club, of Hanover, Kan., and a member of the Lu-
theran church.
Orien L. Slade, a successful lumber dealer of Clay Center, who op-
erates under the firm style of the Home Lumber and Coal Company, is
a native of Ohio, and was born on his father's farm in Clermont county,
April 6, 1857, a son of John S. and Mary (Willis) Slade. The elder
Slade was a native of Kentucky, born in 1837, who became a successful
merchant. He married, when a young man, Mary Willis, who bore him
three children : A son who died in infancy ; Orien L., the subject of
this article; \\'illmina, born in 1859, the wife of J. S. Sweet, a mer-
chant of Holton, Kan. Mrs. Slade died in i860 and her husband in
1877.
Orien L. Slade was reared in C'ermont county, Ohio, and acquired
his education in the public schools. He learned the carpenter's trade,
which he followed for a time, and in 1877 he came to Kansas, locating
in Clay Center. He was employed at his trade and as a building con-
tractor until 1883, when he became manager of a retail lumber yard,
and remained in this capacity until 1898, when he established his pres-
ent business, that of the Home Lumber and Coal Company, of which he
is the sole owner. The growth of this enterprise has been sound and
continuous, and is, in respect to volume of business, one of the largest
in northern Kansas, while its owner is known to the trade as one who is
thoroughly conversant with all details of the business. The stock, con-
sisting of lumber, coal and builder's materials, is housed under one
roof, the building covering seven city lots. During his residence in
l^a^^gnteiiJae has been an jactiv^, factor in ci>y.c development and bet-
. tei*ment,-a consistent worker for a larger, more progressive Clay Cen-
■ ter. and has always been found among those citizens who have sup-
ported measures and policies worth while. He is a Republican, active
• in the work of his party and influential in its councils. He has served
two terms as councilman from the First ward and was chairman of the
committees on ways and means and of streets and alleys. His service
as a member of the coimcil reflects credit u]ion himself and his con-
BIOGRAPHICAL 4/1
stituents. He is a director in the Peoples National Bank, of Clay Cen-
ter, and a member of the Indejiendent Order of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Slade married, on April 6, 1878, Miss Lorinda Johns, a daughter
of G. W. and Mary Johns, of Liberty, Ind., wlio was born on April 16,
i860. They are the parents of eight children: Albert D., born April
10, 1879. ^^'lio married, on December 19, 1901, Miss Anna B. Caldwell,
daughter of Samuel and Anna (Dexter) Caldwell, of Rice county, Kan-
sas, who was born in Ohio on May 20, 1876. Nellie, the second child,
was born March 10, 1882. She married, in 1902, H. M. Roth, a cement
and brick contractor, of Clay Center. They are the parents of four
children : Donly, Jack, Wanda and Frank. The third child, Laverne,
born July 12, 1884, married, on May 17, 191 3, E. O. Barker, a retail
druggist, of Clay Center. May Elsie, the fourth child, boin March 20,
1S86, married, on November 20, 191 2, Lloyd E. Alquist, a dental sur-
geon, of Clay Center. She is a graduate of Kansas University, class oi
191 1. John Paul, born July 16, 1893, the fifth child, was graduated from
the Clay Center High School with the class of 1912, and is now a stu-
dent in the Kansas State Agricultural College at Manhattan. Clyde
Edward, the sixth child, was born on June 2, 1897. Bessie Estelle, born
March 12, 1899, is the seventh, and George Strange, the eighth, was
born on March 11, 1901. The family are popular in the social circles
of their home count}-, are known for their kind hospitality, and arc
members of the Baptist church.
August Hohn, a leading merchant of Marysxille. and one of the sue
cessful business men of northern Kansas, is a native of Prussia. He
was born near Cologne, December 11, 1844, and is a son of Heinrich
and Regina (Frackenpohl) Hohn, both natives of Renish Prussia. Tlu
father was a farmer and also a merchant, engaged in selling hard wood
and lumber. The parents spent their lives in their native land and are
both now deceased.
August Hohn was reared and educated in his nati\c country, and
after finishing school was employed in the wholesale silk and velvet
business until 1868, when he immigrated to .Xmerica. locating in La-
salle county, Illinois. He remained here one year, when he came to
Kansas, driving the entire distance overland. He settled en a farm in
Marshall county, where he remained until 1870, when ho removed to
Marysville, which was then a town of about 300 population. Here he
was employed as a clerk for Watterson & Schmidt, general merchants*
and in 1876 he engaged in business for himself, opening a general store,
at Marysville.
At first he started in a small way, occupying a small store buildijig,
but he met with good success from the first, and his growing business,
soon required a larger store. In 1901 he purchased the corner on which
his present store is located, which is the largest business place in Mar-
shall county. When he first came to Marshall county the stage line
472 BIOGRAPHICAL
ran from Marysville to Frankfort, the Central Branch railroad having
been completed to the latter place. Marysville was then the trading cen-
ter for a large territory north of the town, there being no other towns
of consequence between there and the main line of the Union Pacific.
Mr. Hohn was quick to realize the advantages of Marysville as a busi-
ness point, and has been richly rewarded for his foresight. He is now
the most extensive merchant in Marshall county, and by his square
dealings he has built up an extensive patronage. When he began busi-
ness here there was but one bank in the town and the rate of interest
at that time was 2 per cent, per month. He, with some other business
men, among them Perrj' Hutchinson, organized what was known as
the Marshall County Bank and Mr. Hohn became one of the directors.
After the death of S. A. Fulton, the first president of the bank. Perry
Hutchinson was elected president and Mr. Hohn became vice-presi-
dent, and has since held that position. The bank has been reorganized
and is now the First National Bank, of Marysville, the largest bank
in the county. Mr. Hohn has been active-in many enterprises since
coming to Kansas and is always willing and ready to support any
project for the commercial or social betterment of the community. He
has served as county commissioner two terms, and was treasurer of the
State board of charities from 1881 to 1883, during Governor George W.
Click's administration. He has also served as mayor of ^larysville
four years, during which time many municipal improvements were car-
ried out.
Mr. Hohn was united in marriage, January 20, 1870. to IMiss Minnie,
daughter of Louis and Kate (Hinz) Zimmermann, natives of Prussia.
Mrs. Hohn was born in Prussia, where she was reared and educated,
and came to America with her parents in 1868. Her fathei was a dyer,
and followed that occupation until he came to America. After that
he was not actively engaged in any business. The family first located
in Illinois, where they remained only one year, and in 1889 removed
to Nebraska and settled near the Kansas line, north of Marysville. Mr.
and Mrs. Hohn are the parents of seven children: Hugo, assistant
cashier of the First National Bank, of Marysville ; Arthur, associated
with his father in the general mercantile business at Marysville ; Min-
nie, the wife of George T. Mohrbacher; Emil, assistant cashier of the
First National Bank; Otto (deceased); Nellie (deceased), and Meta
(deceased).
Mr. Hohn is a Republican and has taken an active part in the politics
of the State and county, having been a delegate to congressional and
State conventions at numerous times. He is a Royal Arch Mason and
a member of Corinthian Commandery No. 40. Mrs. Hohn is a memljcr
of the German Evangelical church.
Harry M. Brodrick, one of the leading newspaper men of northern
Kansas, and editor of the "Advocate-Democrat," of Marys\-ille, is a na-
tive of Indiana, born December 31, i86g, at Goshen, Elkhart county.
BIOGRAPHICAL 4/3
He is a son of John II. Brodrick. Harry M. Brodrick was ten years
old when the family came to Kansas and settled at Osborne in 1878.
After two years the father returned to Indiana, but Harry M. remained
in Osborne, where he attended school for a time and, in 1881, began his
journalistic career on the Osborne "Daily News," which was the first
daily newspaper published in the Sixth Congressional district. In 1883
young Brodrick worked on the Osborne County "Farmer' for a short
time, when he went to Chicago, 111., where he attended the public
schools for a time, and later completed a course in the Metropolitan
Business College. He then returned to Osborne, Kan., and was en-
gaged as a drug clerk for a time, and later worked in a bank there as
clerk one year. In 1888 he went to Marcelline, Mo., which was then
a new town, and worked on the Marcelline "Mirror," which was estab-
lished by his brother-in-law, S. E. Ruede. After working on this paper
about a year he bought a half interest, and in i8go bought out his
partner, and continued to publish the paper until February, 1893, when
he sold it, returning to Kansas. He then became cashier of the Alton
Cit}^ Bank at Alton, Kan., and in February, 1895, returned to Marcel-
line and again purchased the "Mirror," which he conducted one year
and sold it, returning to Elkhart, Ind., where he was emplo\ed on the
"Daily Review" as financial manager. After two years he resigned
and accepted a position as assistant manager and general credit man
for the National Paper and Supply Company, of Elkhart, Ind., but
on account of his wife's failing health he returned to Kansas, and located
at Marysville. Here he bought a half interest in the "Advocate-Demo-
crat" in partnershipu with his brother-in-law, S. E. Ruede, and, eighteen
months later, bought out Mr. Ruede and has since conducted this
newspaper. In February, 1913, his son, Lynn R., became a partner in
the business and the firm is known as II. M- & L. R. Brodrick.
Mr. Brodrick was married, December 25, 1890, to Miss Emma L.,
daughter of William L. and Anna (Cheney) Rosegrant, both natives
or Ohio, and who came to Kansas in 1879 and located at Alton, where
he engaged in the banking business until 191 1. Mrs. Brodrick was
educated in the i)ublic schools and the Central Female College at Lex-
ington, Mo., where she graduated in the class of 1889. To Mr. and
Mrs. Brodrick have been born two children : Lynn R., born at Mar-
celline, Mo., February 18, 1892, graduated from the Marysville High
School in the class of 1909, and has been connected with the "Advocate-
Democrat" since that time, and is now a j^artner with his father in the
business; and Van C, born at Marcelline, Mo., December 14, 1895, is a
student in the Marysville High School. Mr. Brodrick is a Knight Tem-
plar Ma.son and a Democrat. Mrs. Brodrick belongs to the Presby-
terian church and is a member of the Eastern Star,
James W. Thompson, cashier of the Citizens State Bank, \V'alerville.
Kan., and a prominent figure in the banking industry of the State, is a
474 r.IOGRAPHlCAL
native son of Kansas. He was born at \\'aterville, January 5, 1878, and
is a son of N. B. and Mary (Maycroft) Thompson the father a native
of Pennsylvania and the mother of England. N. B. Thompson was en-
gaged in farming in Illinois, and in 1876 came to Kansas and settled
at Waterville, where he engaged in the music business. Later he en-
gaged in the loan and real estate business, which he carried on very
successfully until the time of his death, which occurred in 1895. His
wife survives him and now resides at Waterville. James \\'. Thompson,
the subject of this review, attended the public schools of Waterville
and graduated from the high school. He then entered the University
of Kansas at Lawrence, where he remained two years, taking special
work, including law and a business course. At the expiration of this
time he engaged in the banking business at Barnes, Kan., where he
bought the controlling interest in the State Exchange Bank and became
its cashier. In igoS, about ten years later, he disposed of the controlling
interest in this bank, but is still a stockholder and one of tire directors.
From 1908 to 1910 he spent his time in Oklahoma, where he has large
banking and real estate loan interests in and around Custer City and
Taloga. In 1910 he bought the controlling interest of the Citizens State
Bank, of Waterville, an institution w^ith a capital and surplus of $15,000
and deposits which exceed $100,000.00. Mr. Thompson became cashier
of this bank in 1910 and has since devoted himself to the management
of this institution. He is also a stockholder in six other State and Xa-
tional banks. Thus he is interested directly at this time in seven dif-
ferent banking institutions. Mr. Thompson is also extensi\'ely engaged
in the farm loans business in Kansas and Oklahoma, handling farm
mortgage securities and selling the same to investors. This business
has reached large proportions, he having the personal supervision of all
its details. This business has a tendency to draw Eastern capital west,
which has a hjealthy and invigorating effect on the business interests
of Kansas and Oklahoma. He has also been very successfully inter-
ested in the organization and management of several financial institu-
tions, among which might be mentioned the Bank of Homestead. Okla-
homa; the Citizens Bank, of Axtell, Kan.; the Belleville State Bank,
Belleville, Kan.; and the Farmers and Merchants State Bank at Green-
leaf. Kan., all of which he lielped to organize, but in which he is not now
interested.
He was married., November 29. 1905, to Miss Marion, daughter of
A. P. and Lucie (Ingalls) Hampton, of Frankfort, Kan., where Mrs.
Thompson was born and reared. She was educated in the public
schools of Frankfort, and after graduating from the high school attended
the Monticello Seminary, a young lady's boarding school near St. Louis,
Mo. A. P. Hampton and his wife are natives of Illinois. They came
to Kansas at an early date, settling at Frankfort, where tlie father was
engaged in the hardware business over thirty-five years, during which
BIOGRAPIIICAI. 475
time he amassed a fortune and is one of the large land owners of that
section. He is now living retired at Frankfort. Mr. and Mrs. Thomp-
son have one child, James Augustus, born November 12. 1912. Mrs.
Thompson is a member of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Thompson
is a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, a member of the Mystic
Shrine, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and his liank of
the Kansas Bankers' Association, the Kansas State Bankers' Associa-
tion and the American Bankers' Association.
Mr. Thompson, while still a young man, has much to hi? credit as
a capable financier and successful banker. He ranks with the ablest
of the country bankers in the mastery of the intricate problems of bank-
ing. He possesses what might be termed that progressive conservatism,
so essential to the character of him who would 1)e a successful banker, — ■
always safe and sane, yet able to see an opportunity, and profit thereby.
Alexander B. Campbell is a native son of Kansas, born at Marysville
June 7, 1872. He is a son of Alexander and Belle (McDonald) Camp-
bell, both natives of Scotland. The father came to America at about
the age of fourteen, first locating in Canada, and a few years later re-
moved to Chillicotlie, Ohio, where he obtained employment in a soap
factory. In a short time he formed a partnership and engaged in the
manufacturing of soap on an independent basis. He and his partner
met with a heavy loss during the panic of 1856-57. when they determined
to leave Ohio and go west, and they came to I.eavenwortli, driving the
entire distance. In 1858 he removed to Marysville, where he estab-
lished a general store and also served as postmaster several years.
These were the days of the pony express. He also conducted a general
store and soap factory at Hanover, remaining in the general mercantile
business until 1878, when he retired from that business, and later en-
gaged in the grocery business in Marysville and Oketo. He was elected
clerk of the District Court of Marshall county in 1862, serving several
years in that office. In those days the duties of the office were l;ght
and could easily be attended to without interference with his regular
business. His last term in this office ended in 1890.
Alexander Campbell, the father of the subject of this sketch, was
twice married, first in Ohio to Miss Anna McLeod. She died shortlv
after coming to Kansas, and his second wife was Belle McDonald. To
the latter union were born thirteen children, six girls and seven boys,
Alexander B. being fifth in the order of birth. The father died in 1899
at Marysville, Kan., and the wife and mother departed this life in 1898,
having preceded him in death but a few months.
Alexander B. Campbell, of this review, was reared in Marysville,
where he attended the public schools, finishing the high school course
in 1889. He then worked in the law office of John A. Broughton about
six months, when he entered the employ of Kolin t'v Seltz, clothiers,
where he remained about a vear. He then went with John Smith, an
4/6 BIOGRAPHICAL
exclusive clothier of Marysville, and later accepted a position with J. T.
Schloss, of Marysville, and was connected with this clothing house ten
3'ears, acting in the capacity of manager most of the time. He resigned
this position to open a clothing department for August Hohn & Sons,
general merchants, and for five years was manager of this department.
In 1907 Mr. Campbell, in partnership with ^Ir. Xeibrecht, engaged in
the exclusive clothing business under the firm name of Campbell &
Neibrecht, and conducted this business until 1910, when he was elected
clerk of the District Court of Marshall county, and reelected to this
office in 1912, on both occasions without opposition. He has served
one term as city assessor of Marysville and was a member of the city
council from 1902 to 1906, and was elected again to that office in 1912,
and is now serving as a member of that body. Mr Campbell has been a
consistent supporter of the principles and policies of the Republican
party for man}- years and has been active and influential in the work
of that organization in Marshall county and has attended several State
conventions of his part}- as a delegate.
Mr. Campbell was married, on February 4, 1903, to Miss Etna, daugh-
ter of George Xeibrecht, of Burlington, Kan. George Xeibrecht came
to Kansas in 1880, locating at Burlington, where he was engaged in the
mercantile business and also extensively interested in farming. In
1907 he came to Marysville as a member of the firm of Campbell &
Xeibrecht, and in 1910, at the dissolution of this firm, returned to Cof-
fey county, where he engaged in the manufacture of vinegar and also
interested in his farm operations. Mrs. Campbell was born at Lima,
Ohio, and received her education in the public schools of Burlington,
Kan., graduating in the high school, class of 1899. To Mr. and Mrs.
Campbell have been born two children : Alexander Bryon and Mary-
belle Xaomi.
Mr. Campbell has attained the Knight Templar degree in Masonry
and is a member of Corinthian Commandery No. 40. Mrs. Campbell is
a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. The family are members
of the Presbyterian church.
Leander McChesney. — The development of the State of Kansas from
what was called, fifty years ago, the Great American Desert, a devel-
opment which has advanced her to a position of importance among her
sister commonwealths of the Union, would have been impossible with-
out the assistance and encouragement of her financial institutions. The
conduct of the business of her banks has been, with few exceptions, in
the hands of men who have had unbounded faith in her natural re-
sources, in the timber of her citizenship, and who have been of material
value in moulding opinion along constructive, productive and progres-
sive lines, with the result that no instance of more substantial and sat-
isfactory growth is found in the history of our country. It is in con-
nection with the banking life of the State that the man under consid-
BIOGRAPHICAL 477
eration reached the maximum of usefuhiess as a citizen of Kansas^ He
was for twenty years the controlling executive of one of her important
financial institutions. His home county honored him with public of-
fice, in which he served with credit and distinction. Clay Center, his
place of residence for many years, recognized in him one of her most
useful, influential and progressive men of affairs.
Leander McChesney was born in Orange, N. J., August 30, 1842, a
son of Alexander and Mary (Lindsley) McChesne}'. He was reared
in his native city, acquired his education in its public schools, and from
his father, who was a manufacturer of hats, receiving a thorough busi-
ness training. On the call of Lincoln, in 1861, for volunteers he enlisted
in Battery B, First New Jersey artillery, known as Cook's Battery. For
valor on the field of battle he was promoted to the rank of corporal, then
to that of sergeant, and later commissioned second lieutenant, serving
from 1861 until mustered out in 1865. With his regiment he partici-
pated in many important battles, including Gettysburg, and in the lat-
ter was seriously woifnded in the left shoulder, from which he never
entirely recovered. On conclusion of his military service he went to
the Pacific coast, where he was employed as a cowboy and miner, and
accumulated sufficient funds to embark in the wholesale lumber busi-
ness. In 1873 he came to Clay county, Kansas, where he engaged in
farming, having purchased a tract of land in E.xter township. He was
actively concerned in the political life of the county, at that time in the
first stages of its development, was a consistent advocate of the princi-
ples and policies of the Republican party, and, in 1882. was elected
treasurer of Clay county, and, in 1884, was elected to succeed himself.
His administration of the business of this office, in which he served
for four years, was creditable to himself and his constituents and was
marked b}'' successful financial methods. On his retirement from this
office he became a. stockholder in the Peoples National Piank, of Clay
Center, and was elected president and remained with the institution in
this capacity until the time of his death, which occurred November 15.
1909. In the development and administration of the business of this
bank Mr. McChesney was the dominant executive and to his progres-
siveness, energy and resourcefulness was due the strength and high
reputation of the organization during his connection witli the institu-
tion. He was known to the banking fraternity as an able and discrimi-
nating financier and one who had brought the administrative policy of
his bank up to the point of highest efficiency. He was concerned di-
rectly or indirectly with entcr])rises and movements which were im-
portant factors in the growth and development of Clay Center, and
served for two years as a member of the city council. He was au am-
bitious and tireless worker, conservative in his business methods, and
his business integrity and honesty were unquestioned. He left at his
death an estate which represents the brain, the pluck and energ\- of
478 IiIOGR.\PHICAI.
one man, who, with his peculiar natural tact, ever saw the propitious
moment and availed himself of it.
On May i6, 1877, Mr. McChesney married Miss Mary E. Parry, a
daughter of Samuel and Marj- (Llewellyn) Parry, born in Staffordshire,
England, on January 20, 1858. The family came to the United States
in 1861, residing for the first eight years in Pennsylvania, where Mr.
Parry was employed in coal mining. In 1871 he brought his family to
Kansas, homesteading land in Exter township. Clay county. He was
engaged in farming, until 1882, when he retired from active life and be-
came a resident of Clay Center, where he died on August 15, 1912. Two
children, besides ;\Irs. McChesney. survive : William, born May 30,
1861. a resident of Neosho, Mo., and Llewellyn, born June i, 1865, of
Clay Center.
Leander and Mary E. (Parry) ilcChesney were the parents of eight
children, who are. in order of birth, as follows: Elsie, born February
18. 1878, died in infancy; Ethel, born Maj- 5, 1879, died February 18,
1881 ; Earl, born December 6, 1881, cashier of the State
Bank, of Milford, Kan. ; He was graduated from the Clay
Center High School with the class of 1902. and on Octo-
ber 6, 1903, married iliss Franc Campbell. The fourth child. Lee. born
May 31, 1884, is cashier of the State Bank, of Keats, Kan. He married,
on June 29, 1910, Miss Elsie Whitmer. Hazel, born October 24. 1887,
died in infancy; Ray, born December i, 1888, is cashier of the State
Bank, of Ogden, Kan. He was graduated from the Clay Center High
School v^'ith the class of 1907, and on November 17, 1910, married Miss
Edna Beck. The two A'oungest children, both daughters, reside with
their mother; Meda, born May 30, 1897, and Marion, born October 24,
1899.
Mr. McChesney was in all respects a high type of the conservative,
unassuming American, diligent in his public duties and commercial
affairs and conscientious in all things. His own standard of life was
high and it was seen in what grew to be one of the most successful
banking institutions in northern Kansas. In a large measure his lite
work was finished — it had met to a great extent the fullness of his am-
bition. But infinitely more precious, and of personal worth to him was
the fact that he died rich in the possession of well earned popularity, in
the esteem which comes from honorable living, and in the affection that
slowly develops only from unselfish works. In his business life he was
the embodiment of honor, as he was in his social and domestic life the
perfection of love and gentleness.
Dr. Matthaus H. Horn, of Morrowville, Kan., one of the leading phy-
sicians and surgeons of the northern part of the State, is a native of
Germany, born January 27, 1871. in Holstein, on an island in the Baltic
sea. His parents were Nicholas and Anna (Aloeller) Horn, both na-
tives of Germany, where the father was a farmer and fisherman. He
died when the subject of this review was eleven years of age. Dr. Horn
BIOGRAPHICAL 4/9
received a good common school education in his native land before he
was fifteen years old. At that time he came to this country alone, quite
an undertaking for a boy of his age. He first went to West Liberty,
Jowa, and, after a few months, to Aurora, Xeb. Here he attended the
public schools for a short time. When he came to this country he
could not speak a word of English, and he at once applied himself with
his characteristic ^energy to- master the language of his adopted coun-
try. At Aurora he worked two years on a farm, when he went to Im-
perial, Xeb., where he also worked as a farm laborer. He also taught
school here about twelve months. He remained at Imperial, in all,
about three years. He then went to Colorado, where he worked one
winter in the lumber camps, and in tlie following spring came to
Kansas. After working three years he determined to obtain a higher
education, and in 1894 entered the Kansas State Agricultural College
at Manhattan, the same time working on a farm near Manhattan to
pay his way through college, and during vacations he also worked for
farmers in that vicinity. In 1897, after three years spent in the college
at Manhattan, he entered the Kansas Medical College and was grad-
uated in the class of 1900 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, and
immediately located at Morrowville and began the jiractice of his pro-
fession, where as a physician he has been eminently successful. He is
a capable and conscientious physician and has won the confidence of
the public and gained a well merited practice.
Dr. Horn was married, November 29, 1905, to Miss Mary Maud,
daughter of James B. and Mary Magdalena (Muna) Smith, both na-
tives of Illinois, and early settlers in Washington county, Kansas,
where the)' took a homestead, which is still the family home. Mrs.
Horn was born in Washington county and educated in the pulilic
schools. To Dr. and Mrs. Horn have been born one child, Maud
Hildreth, born February 19, 1907, now attending school in Morrowville.
Dr. Horn is a member of the County, State and American Medical
associations and is president of the Washington County Medical
Association, He is a member of the Christian church and takes an
active interest in church work. He is also a member of the Young
Men's Christian Association county committee and is an enthusiastic
worker in behalf of that organization. Politically he is a Republican
and has served as clerk of the township.
Frank O. Waynant, president of the State Bank, of Blue Rapids,
Kan., who has been identified with the banking business of the north-
ern part of the State for twenty-five years, was born at F.pworth,
Dubuque county, Iowa, July 6, 1858. He is a son of J. B. and Mary
M. (White) Waynant, both natives of Pennsylvania. The father was
engaged in the mercantile business in early life and, in 1859, came to
Kansas and settled near the town of Holton, Jackson county, where he
resided on a farm for a few years. After Kansas was admitted to the
480 BIOGRAPHICAL
Union and at tlie organization of the State J. B. Waynant served one
term as county superintendent of schools of Jackson county. He was
then elected county clerk of Jackson county for two terms. He was
one of the owners of the land which was sold to the Genessee colony,
who located Blue Rapids on this property, and when the town was
founded, in 1870, he came here and engaged in the lumber business,
which he successfully conducted until- his death in 1879.
• Frank O. Wynant received his education in the public schools of
Holton and Blue Rapids. After leaving school he was employed in the
drug business in Blue Rapids, St. Joseph and Leavenworth at different
times, spending in all about twenty-five years in that business, fifteen
years of which he was a traveling salesman for a wholesale drug house.
At the organization of the State Bank, of Blue Rapids, as a State bank,
Mr. Waynant took stock in that institution. The bank was founded in
1871 as a private bank and was conducted as such until 1891, at which
time he became interested as a stockholder and vice-president. In IQOI
he became president of the bank, and since that time has been active in
the management of that institution in that capacity. The bank has
prospered under his administration, and some of the most substan-
tia! business men of that section are interested in it as stockholders
and patrons. Mr. Waj'nant is also a stockholder in the Blue Rapids
Milling and Elevator Company and is secretary of that company. He
has served as township treasurer and on the city council of Blue Rapids.
He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and polit-
ically is a Republican. He is one of the substantial business men of the
community, where he has been known from a boy up.
Michael Delaney, a pioneer merchant and the present postmaster of
Waterville, Kan., is a native of the Empire State and was born at Lock-
port on September 3, 1851. He is a .son of Daniel and Ella (Collings)
Delaney, both natives of Ireland. When they immigrated to America
they settled in New York, where the father was a contractor and builder.
He was one of the contractors in building the Missouri Pacific .railroad,
in Missouri, and was also interested as a contractor in building the Cen-
tral Branch railroad, which was the first railroad to be built in northern
Kansas. On March 17, 1865, the family first came to Kansas, crossing
the Kansas river at Kansas City, and locating at Lawrence. When the
family left New York they removed to Illinois, where they remained
until 1861, when they went to Sedalia, Mo. This was their home during
the Civil war. The father served in the Seventh regiment, Missouri
cavalry, but before the close of the war was wounded in an engagement
against General Poindexter's command in Missouri. He was sent to
the hospital at his home town. Sedalia. where he was finally discharged
on account of disabilty.
Michael Delaney, the subject of this review, began his education in
Missouri in a subscription school, the tuition of which was one dollar
BIOGRAPHICAL 481
per month. He later attended tlie iniblic schools in Waterville, Kan.
The family remained at Lawrence about a year after coming to Kansas,
and in November, 1867, they removed to Waterville, at the time the
railroad was being constructed there. When they arrived they found
that what later became Waterville then consisted of one portable house,
which was the boarding place of the railroad constructors, and the
Delaney family lived in tents during the summer and in the winter
time lived in farm houses near by. Michael Delaney remembers well
when the present town site of Waterville was a common, with here and
there a cultivated field, and he has hunted rabbits over every inch of
the ground. These were the happiest days of his life. At that time
neighbors were neighborly and spring seats on wagons were a luxury.
After his father completed his railroad contract there he began to take
contracts for the building of stone houses when the town began to de-
velop and he erected the first stone house in that section, and two of the
buildings which he constructed are still standing. The father and his
son, Michael, soon after engaged in railroad contracting again and went
to southern Kansas, returning to \A'aterville in about a year where the
family had remained during the meantime. The father and tlie other
members of the family then removed to the southern part of the State,
but Michael remained in Waterville, where he clerked in the
grocery store of J. C. Peters four years. He then worked in different
hardware stores two years. In 1879 he bought a grocery store in
Waterville and conducted this business uninterruptedly until June 10,
1907. In his early days of clerking in Waterville settlers drove for hun-
dreds of miles to Waterville to do their trading, as it was the nearest
railroad point of a large. area of the northern part of the State for a
number of years. Mr. Delaney was appointed postmaster at Waterville
in 1890 and at that time built the block where the postoffice is located,
which includes several other business places. This block is of brick and
is a substantial structure, which he still owns. He did not serve as
postmaster during the second administration of Cleveland, but when
McKinley was elected he again received the appointment as postmaster,
in 1897, ''"d lias faithfully and efficiently filled this office of trust and
responsibility up to the present time. He also conducted his grocery
business until 1907, when he sold out, and has since devoted himself to
the discharge of his duties as postmaster and looking after his various
•private interests.
Mr. Delaney has served as mayor of Waterville two terms; has been
a member of the council and for ten years served on the school board.
He has been active in furthering every enterprise for the development of
the town ; he circulated the petition for the new city hall, which is one
of the finest municipal buildings, according to the size of the town, to
be found anywhere. He was also instrumental in getting electric lights,
a water works svstem and a new school building. He was one of the
482 BIOGRAPHICAL
organizers of the W'aterville Telephone Company and served as the
first president of that company. He was also one of the organizers and
promoters of the Triple Tie Benefit Association, which became a strong
organization with a large membership. He was supreme treasurer of
that organization for fourteen years.
Mr. Delaney was married, April 29, 1880, to Miss Lilli-. Winterbot-
tom, daughter of Daniel Winterbottom, of Washington count}-. Kan.,
where he was engaged in the grocery business. The Winterbottom
family came from Illinois and after coming to this State Mrs. Delaney
taught school several years. To Mr. and Mrs. Delane}' were born
three children : Frederick, Daniel D. and Carl Andrew, all of whom re-
side at Tologa, Okla., where they are connected with the First National
Bank, of that place. Frederick is cashier; Daniel D., assistant cashier,
and Carl A., bookkeeper. Mrs. Delaney departed this life in 1893. In
1897 Mr. Delaney married ^liss Abigail Winterbottom, a sister of the
first Mrs. Delaney. ]Mrs. Delaney is a member of the Methodist Episco-
pal church, the Eastern Star and the Knights and Ladies of Security,
and Mr. Delanej' belongs to the Ancient Free and Accepted ^lasonsj
the Fraternal Union, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the
Knights and Ladies of Security, the Eastern Star and the Modern Wood-
men of America. Politicall}' he is a Republican and for twenty years
was chairman of the Waterville Township Central Republican Commit-
tee and was a frequent delegate to district and State conventions. He
has also attended several National conventions. He has seen Kansas
in its great development almost from the beginning, and Mr. Delaney
represents that type of men with strong hearts and willing hands who
did their part noblj^ and well in the building of this great empire that
stretches from the Missouri river to the Rocky mountains. Kansans as
well as Kansas are what made the great State.
Robert L. Rust, the present count}- superintendent of schools of
\\'ashington county, and one of the leading educators of the State, is a
native of the Keystone State. He was born in Mercer county, Pennsyl-
vania, September 16, 1870. His parents, S. C. and Eliza (Xims) Rust,
were also natives of Pennsylvania. John Rust, the grandfather of our
subject, was also of Pennsylvania, and Joseph Nims, the maternal
grandfather, was a Vermonter. The Rust family came to Kansas in
the fall of 1871, when the subject of this review was about one year old.
They reached Waterville, which at that time was the end of the rail-
road. They continued their journey, from Waterville tb Washington
by stage and the father took a homestead in Washington county in
what is now Farmington township. Here he built a house of native
lumber, 12 x 14 feet, and laid the foundation of his future home in Kan-
sas. He engaged in farming and stock raising and met with a fair de-
gree of success. Some years ago he retired from active business and is
now living in \\'ashington, Kan., enjoying the well earned fruits of for-
BIOGRAPHICAL 483
mer efforts. Besides an honorable civil career he has to his credit four
3'ears of military service in behalf of the Union during the Civil war.
He served in Company K, Sixty-third Pennsylvania infantry. His
service was with the Army of the Potomac and he participated in many
hard-fought battles. S. C. Rust and Eliza Nims were the parents of six-
children : Anna (deceased); Robert L., the subject of this review;
John (deceased) ; Estella, married H. H. Dillon, cashier of the Morrow-
ville State Bank, and to them have been born five children : Vera,
Wilma, Helen, Dorothy and one child that died in infancy-. Alabel mar-
ried A. D. Appley, a farmer in Farmington township, and they have
one child, Kenneth ; and Charles E., assistant cashier in the Farmers
State Bank, of Washington. He married Lois Bradshaw and they have
one child, Helen.
Robert L. Riist was reared on the farm, surrounded by pioneer life
during his boyhood. He has seen Kansas in all its stages of evolution
and development. During the first six years that the Rust family were
in Kansas they did not have a horse on the place, but did all their work
with oxen, and when the family drove to Washington to church they
drove with an ox team, which they turned loose -on the prairie that
they might feed during the services. He distinctly remembers seeing
buffaloes in this section of the State and has often eaten buffalo meat.
Deer, antelope, wild turkeys and other game were plentiful at that
time. He recalls several Indian scares farther west, but ihere was no
serious Indian trouble in this section after his people settled here. He
was here when the grasshoppers invaded Kansas and remembers very
distinctly how the pests industriously ate everything in sight. Robert
Rust received his early educational discipline in the public schools of
Washington county, after which he attended the normal school at Hol-
ton, Kan., for a term, when he returned to Washington and entered
Friends Academy at that place. He was the first student to enroll in
that institution. He attended school there one year, when he went to
Baker University, and later returned to the normal school at Holton,
where he remained until he graduated in the. class of 1889. He then
began teaching in the rural districts of Washington county, and shortly
after became principal of the Morrowville Public School, remaining
one year, when he was appointed principal of the Mahaska schools,
holding this position ten years ; then to Lynn, Kan., in a similar capac-
ity for three years. In 191 1 he was elected to the office of county su-
perintendent, and at the expiration of his term of office was reelected,
and now holds this position. Mr. Rust is a progressive educator and during
his administration of the office of county superintendent has done much
to improve the schools of the county. He has used his best efforts
for the ad\'ancement of educational methods, and has introduced much
new work among the teachers which tends to the practical advancement
of education, and, as an evidence of the efficiency of his work, the rec-
484 BIOGRAPHICAL
ords show that there have been more eighth grade and high school
graduates under his administration than in any previous years of a
similar period. Mr. Rust has taken an active part in teachers' organiza-
tions and educational conventions. Prior to being elected county su-
perintendent he served for four years on the teachers' examining
board of Washington county. Through his efforts the educational
feature was added to the Washington county stock fair, which has
proven to be a great success.
He was married, July 17, 1895, to Miss Sadie, daughter of Joseph
and Kate (Heinley) Inhoff, both natives of Pennsylvania, who came
to Illinois in early life, and in 1881 to Washington county, Kansas.
Mrs. Rust was born in Freeport, 111., and was a child when her parents
came to Kansas. She received her early ^ucation in the Washington
count}- public schools and later attended the normal school at Holton,
Kan. She theli engaged in teaching and taught in the rural schools of
Washington county and in the Mahaska schools, remaining in the lat-
ter place ten years. To Mr. and Mrs. Rust have been born two children,
Dorothy and Sadie Lucile, both deceased. They now have an adopted
child, Zelma, who is ten years of age and attends the public school.
Mr. and Mrs. Rust are members of the Presbyterian church and she is
an active worker in church affairs, also a member of one of the local
literary clubs. Mr. Rust is superintendent of his Sunday school, and is
a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern
Woodmen of America.
Charles W. Clarke, a popular young attorney of Washington, Kan.,
was -born in the city where he now resides, April 4, 1888. He is a son
of Samuel and Mary A. Williamson Clarke, the former a native of Vir-
ginia and the mother of Kansas. Samuel Clarke came to Kansas with
his parents when a boy about eight years of age. This was in i860. The
Clarke family first settled in Atchison and in 1880 removed to Wash-
ington county and settled in the town of Washington, where the father
has been engaged in the newspaper business ever since. He is now
the editor and owner of. the Washington "Palladium," one of the lead-
ing newspapers of northern Kansas.
Charles W. Clarke attended the public schools of Washington, and
after two years in the high school entered the Washington Academ}-.
He then clerked two years in a drug store in Washington, and in 1907
matriculated at the Kansas Universtity, where he graduated in the class
of 1909 with the degree of Pharmaceutical Chemist, and the following
year was employed as a pharmacist in St. Joseph, Mo. In the fall of
1910 he returned to the Kansas University and entered the law depart-
ment, and was graduated in the class of 1913 with the degree of Piach-
elor of Laws. During the time that he was studying law in the uni-
versity he was also engaged as custodian of the pharmaceutical di-
vision, and in this manner paid his own way through the law school.
BIOGRAPHICAL 485
Although a young man Mr. Clarke has made rapid and substantial
progress, and his future bids fair to be that of a successful lawyer. He
is now associated with Edgar Bennett, Esq., in the practice of law at
Washington, Kan. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks and of the Episcopal church. Politically he is a Demo-
crat.
Edgar Bennett, a successful and prominent attorney of Washington,
is a native son of Kansas. He was born in Washington county, March
ID, 1873, and is a son of J. W. and E. J. (Eves) Bennett, both natives
of Kentucky. They came , to Kansas in 1868 and settled in Washington
count}^ at that time on the frontier of the great West. Here they took
a homestead and engaged in farming and stock raising, and the parents
still live on the original place which they homesteaded at that time.
Edgar Bennett is the elder of a family of two children. He was
reared on the farm and attended the country schools. After complet-
ing the prescribed course there he taught school in the rural districts of
Washington county, and in this way paid his own way through col-
lege. He never did like farming, and in early life determined to study
law, but his father did not favor the boy's ambition to become a lawyer
and, therefore, gave him no assistance in attaining that end. However,
he continued to work hard and obtained a good education and in the
fall of 1893 entered the law department of Kansas University, where
he was graduated in the class of 1895 with the degree of Bachelor of
Laws.' In August, 1905, he located in Washington, Kan., where he at
once began the practice of his profession, and where he has resided to
the present time. Mr. Bennett has an extensive practice throughout
northern Kansas arid is recognized as one of the capable lawyers of the
State.
He was united in marriage, in December, 1896, to Miss Elmer F.,
daughter of W. H. Emery, of Washington, Kan. Mrs. Bennett is also
a native of Kansas and was born in Washington county, where she was
reared and educated. She is a graduate of the Washington High School.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett have one child, Chilon Bennett, who is now a stu-
dent in the Washington High School.
Mr. Bennett is a member of the State Bar Association and has taken
an active part in politics. He has attended several State conventions
as a delegate, and his political views are Democratic. He is a member
of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of
America and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is the gen-
eral attorney for the State of Kansas for the latter organization.
Clinton Hogue, prominent citizen and Civil war veteran, of Washing-
ton county, is now living a retired life at Barnes, Kan., after a success-
ful and enterprising career. He was born in Summit county, Ohio,
February 24, 1839, and is a son of Moses and Margaret Hogue, the
48 J IIIOGRAPHICAL
former a native of Ireland, of Scotch ancestry, and the mother of Ver-
mont. Closes Hogue, the father, immigrated to America with his
parents, who settled in Summit county, Ohio, when he was about five
years old. Here Moses Hogue grew to manhood, was married and
spent his entire life. Clinton Hogue was reared and grew to manhood
in Summit county, where he obtained his education in the public
schools. About 1857 he went to Waterloo, Ind., where he was engaged
in the harness business when the great Civil war came on, and on July
6, 1861, he enlisted in Company G, Nineteenth Indiana infantry. This
regiment was later a part of what was known as the "Iron Brigade.''
Air. Hogue participated in the second battle of Bull Run, South Moun-
tain and Antietam. He was woimded at the battle of Antietam and
was at the hospital at Katieville, where he remained for a few days,
when he was transferred to the Naval School Hospital at Annapolis. Md?,
but recovered in time to join his regiment before the battle of Chancellors-
ville, where his corps was held in reserve. He was also in the three
days' battle of Gettysburg, and students of history will recall that the
Nineteenth I'ndiana regiment took a conspicuous part in this battle, in
which they were so stubbornly opposed by the Eleventh North Carolina
under command of General Pettegrew, who reformed liis regiment
time after time and made repeated attacks until over half of his men
lay dead on the field. This conflict on Seminary Ridge, which was a
mere incident to the great battle of Gettysburg, has gone on record as
one of the bloodiest fights in histor\-. From Gettysburg his regiment
followed Lee back to Virginia and participated in the campaign of the
Wilderness, which lasted all summer and was almost continuous fight-
ing. They were in the operations in front of Petersburg and in the re-
pulse of Lee at Bethany church. On June 18. while in front of Peters-
burg, Mr. Hogue was wounded again, and was sent to the Federal
hospital on Davis Island in the East river near New York City, and
after several months recovered, and on December i, 1864, returned to
the front again, when he was promoted to orderly sergeant. Company
C, Twentieth Indiana infantry, and for a time did patrol duty around
Petersburg. Lee then retreated towards Appomattox, and the Twen-
tieth Indiana was one of the regiments to follow close after the rem-
nants of the Confederate army, and on the morning of April q, 1865,
they were fored in battle line just across a small creek from t!ie Con-
federates, ready for an attack, when they received the information that
Lee had surrendered, and the curtain had fallen on the greatest drama
of American history.
Mr. Hogue was discharged at Indianapolis. Ind., July 15. 1S65. He
then spent some time visiting old friends in Summit county. Ohio, and
in Waterloo, Ind., when he went to Missouri, locating in Andrew
county, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising about five
years. In March, 1870, he went to Kansas and took a homestead in Wash-
BIOGRAPHICAL 487
ing^on county, a tthat time locaed in Lincoln t( iwnship, mnv Rarnes town-
ship. He broke prairie and improved liis farm in the summer time and
in the winter did teaming for himself and other settlers between Paw-
nee City, Neb., and Waterville, at Concordia, Jewel' City, Beloit and
other towns. He was engaged in farming and stock raising until 1884.
He was very successful and made money. He then removed to Barnes
and engaged in the general mercantile business and at the same time
continuing his farming operations, and still owns a fine farm. He has
always been interested in the breeding of fine stock. His sons now
♦ operate his farm. He continued the mercantile business in Barnes in
partnership with Mr. Ballard under the firm name of Hogue & Ballard
until May, 1904, when he disposed of his interest in that business and
retired, but still has varied interests in Barnes and other parts of the
county. He is a stockholder in the Barnes State Bank and is interested
in other enterprises.
He was married, Februar}- 14, 1866, to Miss Lucy C. Strong, who at
that time resided at Cuyahoga Falls, Summit county, Ohio, but was
born at South Hadley, Mass. Mrs. Hogue is a daughter of E.. H. and
Elizabeth (Cowles) Strong, the former a native of Alassachusetts and
the latter of Connecticut. Mrs. Hogue was educated in the public
schools of Summit county and taught country schools in tlie early days
and received the princely salary of $2.50 per week and "boarded
around." To Mr. and Mrs. Hogue have been born twelve children :
Jennie married James Arganbright and resides in \\'ichita, Kan.;
Frank; Edmund; Jessie; Ella (deceased) was the wife of ^Villiam Siler,
of Get, Okla; Esther (deceased) was the wife of Lee Birc", of Barnes,
Kan.; Harvey; Joel; William; Walter; Harry, and Ralph.
Mr. Hogue has always been a stanch Republican and has served one
term as coimtj- commissioner of Washington county, has been town-
ship trustee and treasurer of the school board. His fraternal affilia-
tions are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Grand
Army of the Republic. His record, both as a citizen and a soldier, is
one worth while and of which he and his descendants may be justl\
proud. Mrs. Ilouge is a member of the English Lutheran church.
Dr. John W. Lees, a pioneer physician and merchant of Marshall
county, is a native of Ohio, born in Belmont county September 23.
1836. He is a son of Dr. John G. and Matilda (Lucas) Lees, the for-
mer a native of Philadelphia, Pa., and the latter of Baltimore, Md. The
father was a i)racticing physician in Belmont coimty, coming here
when a young man.
John ^^'. Lees, the subject of this review, was reared in Ohio, attend-
ing the common schools of the times, and later was a student at the
Universit}' of Ohio. He read medicine under the direction of his fa-
ther. He also received instructions frnm other physicians, wliich was
the custom at that time. Like thousands of other young men, wiien
488 BIOGRAHJIlCAl,
the great Civil war broke out, he turned from his books, in response to
the President's call to arms, and in May, 1861, enlisted in Company I,
Sixteenth Ohio infantry, for three months' service. In August, 1862,
he reenlisted in Company D, Ninety-seventh Ohio infantry, for three
years. He served under Gen. Lew Wallace at Covington and after a
short time his regiment was transferred to Wagner's brigade, Crit-
tenden's corps. Wood's division, serving under General Buell in the
Army of the West. He participated in the battles of Perrysville, Stone
River, Murfreesboro, Crabb Orchard, Nashville, Lookout Mountain,
Missionary Ridge and Knoxville. In the latter part of 1863 he was»
sent to Chicago on detached service, where he remained until the close
of the war. He was detailed postmaster of Camp Douglas and also
had the news privileges there, which gave him an opportunity of mak-
ing some money. After being mustered out of service he returned to
his Ohio home, and in November, 1865, came to Kansas, locating at
Valley Falls, known at that time as Grasshopper Falls. Here he en-
gaged in the photograph business for a short time, and later taught
school at Muddy Creek two terms. He then engaged in the drug busi-
ness at Holton, and in the spring of 1867 came to Marshall county, lo-
cating at Irving, where he opened a drug store and also began the prac-
tice of medicine. At that time Irving consisted of a settlement of three
families, with one store. His experiences as a pioneer ph3'sician were
far different from those of the doctor of today. He frequently trav-
eled twent}^ or thirt}- miles to make a call, usually on horseback, in all
kinds of weather over all kinds of roads.
When Dr. Lees came to Kansas there was no railroad in the State
and when he located at Irving the railroad extended only thirty-five
miles west of Atchison, and all freight was hauled in wagons from that
point to Irving. This means of transportation continued until late in
the fall of 1868, when the Central Branch railroad was extended to
Irving. He carried a small stock of merchandise in connection with his
drug store until 1868, when he built a large store building and opened
a general store, separate from the drug business, and his trade extended
as far west as the Republican river. There was a postoffice at Clifton
at that time, but no store, and mail was carried from Irving to Clifton
by pony express. Wlien he came to Marshall county buffaloes were
plentiful along the Republican river and buffalo meat was about the
only fresh meat to be had. Indians were numerous and Indian scares
frequent. Dr. Lees was the second man to establish a business in the
town. He remained here until 1890, having been prominent in the de-
velopment of the town in every line, he, with S. H. Warren and W. J.
Williams, having brought the first printing press to Irving and estab-
lished the Irving "Recorder." In 1870 he disposed of his business in
Irving and went to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was engaged in the
grocery business about a year, when he went to Nephi. Utah, and
BIOGRAPHICAL 489
again engaged in the drug business, also practicing his profession.
After two years here he went to Shasta county, California, and engaged
in gold mining, where he now has large mining interests and also
owns considerable real estate in San Francisco. He spends a part of
his time in California looking after his varied interests, but has made
his home in Irving since January, 191 1, where his daughter owns the
Commercial Hotel.
Dr. Lees was united in marriage, June 30, 1867, to Miss Mary E.,
daughter of Dr. John and Elenor (Bond) Hines, the former a native of
Washington, D. C, and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father was a
physician and came west at an early day, engaging in the practice of
his profession in Missouri, where Mrs. Lees was born and reared. In
1864 the Hines family removed to Holton, Kan., where the father prac-
ticed until 1S66, when they came to Marshall county. He bought a
farm on the Blue river and after a few years sold it, purchasing another
neai- Waterville, where he remained until his death in 1883 at the age
of eighty-three. To Dr. and Mrs. Lees have been born two children :
Eva L. married W. W. Armstrong, a banker, of Salt Lake City, Utah,
and they have one son, Sherman, who is a Yale graduate and now a
banker at Park City, Utah ; and Georgia, the younger child of Dr. and
Mrs. Lees, who resides at home.
Dr. Lees is a member of the Masons, the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, the Grand Army of the Republic, and is a Rei)ublican. Mrs.
I,ees is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security and belongs to
the Christian church.
Milford O. Reitzel, a well known citizen of Washington, Kan., who
for a number of \'ears was actively engaged in newspaper work, and
)>layed his role in the moulding of public sentiment as newspaper men in-
variably do, was born January 10, 1859, at Clayton, Hendricks county,
Indiana. He is a son of William M. and Melinda (Osborne) Reitzel, the
former a native of North Carolina and of German descent, and the lat-
. ter r)f Indiana, and of Scotch-Irish extraction. The father was a farmer
in Indiana, and in August, 1877, with his family, came to Kansas, driv-
ing the entire distance. They settled at Waterville, where the father
engaged in farming and stock raising, and remained there about five
years. He then went to Washington county and settled just south of
Greenleaf, where he also followed farming about five years, when he
removed to Osborne county.
Milford O. Reitzel received his education in the public schools of In-
diana and Kansas. .After coming to this State, in 1877, he remained
with his parents until the fall of 1880, when he returned to Indiana,
where he worked on a farm about a year. In 1881 he came to Kansas
again, and located in Marshall county, where he was engaged in farm-
ing and stock raising until 1884. He then removed to Greenleaf town-
shi]"), Washington county, where he also followed farming about two
493 BIOGRAPHICAL
years. In November, 1886, he began work at the printer's trade at
Barnes, Kan., and in April, 1887, purchased the Barnes "Enterprise,"
which he owned and published until 1896. At that time he bought the
Greenleaf "Journal," and consolidated the two papers, discontinuing the
Barnes "Enterprise" and publishing the "Journal" at Greenleaf.
In 1896 he disposed of this publication, and removed to Cherokee
county, Kansas, where he remained a short time, when he went to Oron-
ogo, Jasper county, Missouri, and again entered the field of journalism,
publishing a weekly paper there until 1899, when he returned to Wash-
ington county and was employed on the "Post-Register," from April to
November of 1899, when he engaged in the real estate, insurance and
loan business at Washington. In 1900, Mr. Reitzel was elected to the
office of justice of the peace in Washington, and held that office eight
years. During the time he also served as city clerk for six years, and
was manager of the opera house at Washington. In 1908 he was elected
probate judge of ^\'ashington county, and at the expiration of that term
was reelected, serving until January i, 1913. In the fall of 1912 he was
elected representative to the legislature from Washington county, serv-
ing as a member of the Thirty-fifth regular session of the Kansas legis-
lature. During the session he was a member of the following commit-
tees : Charitable institutions, county seats and count}' lines, revision ot
journal and political rights of women. Politically, Mr. Reitzel is a
staunch Republican, and has always given that party his loyal support.
He was married July 4, 1885, to Miss May, daughter of Christopher
and Jensene (Anderson) Peterson. The parents are natives of Wiscon-
sin, and Mrs. Reitzel is also a native of that State, having been born at
Racine. The Peterson family were pioneer settlers of Washington
county, Kansas. They located in Greenleaf township in 1868, when
\\ashington county was considered the frontier. Most of that section
at that time was unbroken prairie. Mr. and Mrs. Reitzel are members
of the Methodist Episcopal church, and his fraternal affiliations are with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
James R. Hyland, banker and lawyer, of Washington, Kan., is a native
of Kansas, and was born in Grant township, Washington county, No-
vember 26, 1876. He is a son of Herbert and Sarah (Metzker) Hyland.
The father is a native of Ohio, and of Scotch descent, although his an-
cestors for three or four generations had lived in England. The mother
of James Hyland was a native of Illinois. Herbert Hyland came to
Kansas in 1870, and took up a homestead in Washington county. He
erected a substantial stone house and engaged in farming and stock
raising, in which he was very successful. When he came here, in 1870,
Wasliington county was well on the frontier, and the family experienced
real pioneer life. The nearest railroad was at Waterville or Fairbury,
a distance of forty miles.
James R. Hyland received his early educational training in the public
BIOGRAPHICAL 49I
schools, which was supi)limented b}- private inslruction from his mother,
who was a school teacher and an exceptionally well educated woman.
She began her instructions with the boy when he was a mere child, and
continued to teach him until he became a teacher himself. As a boy,
James R. Hyland was always a hard student. He taught school six
years, and during the last two years of his teaching he also read law.
He then entered the law offices of T. P. Roney and Joseph G. Lowe, of
Washington, Kan., as a law student, and was admitted to the Kansas
bar in 1900. He immediately formed a partnership with J. G. Lowe,
under tlie firm name of Lowe & Hyland. Mr. Lowe withdrew from the
firm in a short time, engaging in the practice at El Reno, Okla., and Mr.
H\land continued alone until 1904, when he was elected cashier of the
Morrowville State Bank of Morrowville, Kan. He was one of the or-
ganizers of that institution, and its first cashier, holding that position
about five years, or until January i, 1909, when he resigned and took
the office of county attorne)', having been elected to that office on the
Republican ticket that fall. In 1910 he was reelected to the office of
county attorney and served two terms.
After his resignation as cashier of the Morrow\'illc liank. he
served as vice-president of that institution for some time, when he
disjjosed of his interest in that bank and bought an interest in the
Hollenberg State Bank, serving as vice-president of it for two years. In
the meantime he also became interested in the Washington National
Bank, of Washington. Kan., and served as vice-president of that insti-
tution for a time, and on January i, 1913, at the expiration of his term
of office as county attorney, he became cashier of this institution, a po-
sition which he now holds. Notwithstanding Mr. Hyland's active career
as a banker, he has been no less prominent as a successful lawyer, and,
is at present the junior member of the firm of Freeborn & Hyland, who
probably have the most extensive practice in Washington county. Mr.
Hyland's dual positions as banker and lawyer naturally leads him to the
office end of the practice, while his partner more especially attends to
the court work. He is also a bonded abstractor and his clientage in this
line of endeavor is very extensive throughout the county.
Mr. Hyland was united in marriage, November 22, 1905, to Miss
Blanche, daughter of D. H. and Etta (Emerson) Cartwright, of Jewell
county, where her father was an extenf,ive farmer and stock raiser. Roth
Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright are natives of Pennsylvania and number among
the pioneer settlers of Jewell county. Mrs. Hyland was reared in Jewell
county and received her early educational discipline in the public schools
and later attended Friends' Academy at ^\'ashington, Kan., and prior to
lier marriage taught school for a short time. To Mr. and Mrs. Hyland
have been born two children; Leslie David and Herbert Neil. Mr. and
Mrs. Ihlaiiil are members of the Methodist Episcopal churcii, of which
4'J2 BIOGRAPHICAL
lie is a trustee, and he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Modern Wood-
men of America.
Dr. Henry D. Smith, a prominent physician and surgeon of Washing-
ton, Kan., was born at Grand Falls, Minn., January 7, 1875, and is a son
of Dr. N. M. and Ellen (Case) Smith. The father. Dr. N. M. Smith,
was a native of Minnesota, and the mother of Ohio. Dr. N. M. Smith,
who has passed to his reward, practiced medicine for over forty years,
and was one of the pioneer physicians of Kansas, coming to this State
and locating at Washington in 1876, where he died in 1904. He was
prominent in tiis professional work and was one of the leading physi-
cians of Northern Kansas. He was a member of the State Medical
Society, and was a member of the State Board of Health for two terms.
He was a veteran of the Civil war, having served over three years as a
member of the One Hundred and Fifth Ohio infantry, and par-
ticipated in man}' battles, among which were Prairieville and Stone
River. Dr. Henry D. Smith has not only followed in the footsteps of his
father as a physician, but the unity of historic events has also made it
possible for him to emulate his father's military career. Dr. Smith wasi
reared in Washington, attended the public schools and after graduating
from the high school attended Friends' Academy. He then entered the
Cotner University of Medicine at Lincoln, Neb., where he was grad-
uated in the class of 1897, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, and
immediately engaged in practice with his father at Washington, Kan.,
where he remained until the spring of the following year, when the
Spanish-American war broke out. He then enlisted in the Twentieth
Kansas infantry, and was commissioned captain, serving as assistant
surgeon. As is well known, the Twentieth Kansas was immediately
sent to the Philippines, where they remained for the next two years and
Dr. Smtih remained with his regiment throughout the Philippine ser-
vice, until the regiment was mustered out, when he returned to Wash-
ington and engaged in the practice with his father again, remaining with
him until the latter's death. Since that time, Dr. Smith has been in the
practice alone. He not only has an extensive practice, but is also en-
gaged in the drug business with his brother, Ora H. Smith. They have
a well stocked and modern equipped store in Washington, and carry
the most extensive stock of drugs and druggists' sundries in Washington
county.
Dr. Smith was married in November, 1903, to Miss Marjorie, daugh-
ter of John and Christiana (Campbell) \\'hittet, both natives of Scot-
land, where their daughter, Marjorie, was also born. The family immi-
grated to America and settled in Kansas when Mrs. Smith was a child.
She was educated in the common schools, and after graduating in the
high school she entered the State Normal School at Emporia, Kan.,
where she also graduated, and later taught in the Washington city
BIOGRAPHICAL 493
schools about five years. Dr. and Mrs. Smith have one child, Frances
Christinia, born September 6, 1904, now attending the \Vashington
schools. i\Irs. Smith is a member of the Presbyterian church, and Dr.
Smith is a member of the State and American Medical associations, and
has served as president of the Washington County Medical Association.
lie is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, and the Benevo-
lent and Protective Order of Elks.
Stanley Livingstone Soper, a well known educator and superintendent
of the city schools of Eureka, Kan., is a native of Illinois, born in Cham-
l)aign county. May 31, 1875. He is a son of Milton PI. and Catherine A.
(Soper) Soper. The father was born in Franklin county, Vermont,
April 2, 1836, of Vermont parents, and was educated for the profession
f)f medicine at the University of Michigan. However, he did not take
up the practice, but returned to the home farm in \^ermont. He re-
mained there until the death of his father, in 1857, when he came west,
locating in Champaign county, Illinois, and bought a farm of 160 acres
at $3.00 per acre. Pie improved this place and brought it under a high
state of cultivation, and became a very successful farmer. He was prom-
inent in the public affairs of Champaign county, and held several local
offices of trust. In 1892 he sold this farm and removed to Hamilton
county, Illinois, and purchased a larger place, containing 600 acres, en-
gaging in farming on a more extensive scale. In 1899 he came to Kan-
sas, locating at Russell and engaged in the milling business, where he
remained three years, when he removed to Fairbank, Minn., and spent
his remaining days. He died December 19. 1909. He was a member
of the Masonic lodge, and a man of deep religious convictions, and lived
a consistent Christian life. Milton H. Soper and Catherine Soper were
married in 1863 at Fairfax, Vt. The)'- were not related, in any way, as
bearing the same name might indicate. Mrs. Soper was born June i,
1845, at Fairfax, Vt., and was a daughter of John M. and Mary Soper,
both natives of Vermont. She died January 13, 1893, at Garrison. 111..
in the midst of a useful career. She was a highly educated woman, of
considerable literary ability, and a high type of womanhood of noble
Christian character. To Milton II. and Catherine Soper were born six
children, all of whom are living: Cora May, bom November 9, 1865.
married Green Pj. Dasrham, farmer, Hamilton county, Illinois: .Adrain
E., born October 7, 1868, farmer, Hamilton county, Illinois: .\rthur M.,
born May 9, 1872, farmer. Belle City, 111.; Stanley Livingstone, the sub-
ject of this sketch ; Morton N., a horticulturist, Crcswcll, Ore., and Laura
Edith, born June 2, t88i, the wife of James A. Hervey, Fountain, Minn.
Stanley L. Soper was reared in Champaign county, Illinois, and at-
tended the public schools, graduating at the Rantoul High School in
the class of 1892. Pie then entered the University of Illinois, and was
graduated with honors in the class of 1898, standing second in a class of
494 BIOGRAPHICAL
ninety-one. He then came to Kansas with his parents and worked in the
capacity of bookkeeper for the firm of Soper & Sons, of which he was
a member. They conducted a flour mill at Russell, Kan., for three years,
when they sold out, and he engaged in teaching in Russell county two
years, when he became superintendent of the Waterville city schools,
and later was superintendent of the city schools at Axtell, Kan., for four
years. In 1912 he became superintendent of the Eureka city schools, and
still holds that position. In addition to his school work, Mr. Soper has
been a hard student, and has constantly gone forward with his educa-
tional work. Since he began teaching he has taken a post-graduate
course in the University of Chicago. In 1902-03 he took a special course
at the State Normal School at Emporia, and is a man thoroughly quali-
fied for the great educational work before him. He is progressive in his
work and since coming to Eureka has made many improvements, such
as reorganizing the grades, extending the manual training course, etc.
Mr. Soper was united in marriage January i, 1903, to Miss Mabel, daugh-
ter of J. F. and Callie (Perce) Dollison, natives of Ohio. The father
was a prominent attorney of Russell. The Dollison family came to Kan-
sas in 1870 and the father died October 27, 1912. Mrs. Soper was born
August 24, 1878, at Russell, Kan., where she was educated and graduated
in the high school in the class of 1895, and was engaged in stenographic
work prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Soper have been born six
children: James Milton, born January 11, 1904; Doris Amy and Dor-
othy Mabel (twins), born May 27, 1906, the latter dying May i, 1908;
Cecil Stanley, born May 24, 1909; Rebecca, born February 28, 191 1, and
Franklin Everett, born September 12, 1913. Mr. Soper believes there is
always room for improvement, and is one of the progressive educators
of the State. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church.
Dr. Charles O. LaShelle, who ranks high in the professional sphere of
dental surgery, is a native son of Kansas. He was born in Lincoln
township, Washington county, August 31, 1880, and is a son of Capt.
James A. and-Diantha (Seward) LaShelle. The father was a native of
Gettysburg, Pa., a town which, by the way, was a very appropriate na-
tivity for Captain LaShelle, as he was a gallant soldier and won distinc-
tion in the Civil war. He first enlisted in the three months' service and
later went out in "Anderson's Body Guard" of picked men. This com-
panv was later enlarged into a regiment, which became the Fifteenth
Pennsylvania cavalry. He served as captain of Companies E and M,
Fifteenth Pennsylvania cavalry, throughout the W'ar of the Rebellion.
He was at the battles of Stone River and Laverne. He had typhoid fever
while in the service, and did scout duty at the battle of Gettysburg, which
was about the time he was recovering from the fever. He was also in
the signal service for a time. He was noted for his horsemanship and
was a sfood rider.
, BIOGRAPHICAL 495
In 1870 Captain LaShelle came lo Kansas and settled in Lincoln
township. Washingfton county, where he took a homestead. Here he
was engaged in stock raising and farming, in which he was very success-
ful. In 1894 he rented his farm and took up his residence in Manhattan,
Kan. While living there a cyclone did great destruction on his place,
sweeping awaj' many of the buildings and fences, whereupon he re-
turned to his farm to rejiair the damage and make needed improvements,
and after two years removed to Clay Center, Kan. Here he spent the
remainder of his life in retirement, and died in 1904. Captain LaShelle
endured the many hardships incident to pioneer life on the plains after
coming to Kansas. After one of the grasshopper devastations in this
section he, like many other settlers, was hard up, the crops being mostly
destroyed by the pests. He was a painter by trade, and on one occasion
walked to Washington, a distance of twenty-five miles, to get work to
support the family, and after working a week carried a sack of flour and
walked the entire distance of twenty-five miles home; and yet we venture
the opinion that no one ever heard Captain LaShelle complain of the
high cost of living. He first built a sod house on his homestead, and he
and a neighbor, who came to Kansas with him, had a yoke of oxen in
partnership, with which they broke the prairie and did their little farm-
ing. His wife, who was a woman of excellent Christian character, sur-
vived her husband about five years. She died at Junction City, Kan.,
in 1909.
Dr. LaShelle was reared on the old homestead in Lincoln township,
spending his boyhood days attending the country schools and assisting
with the farm work. He later attended high school in Manhattan for
two j'Cars, after which he taught school in the rural districts and in the
city schools of Barnes. He later attended the Salina Normal School and
taught school for several years, and in the meantime learned the trade
of painting and paper hanging and worked at it in connection with teach-
ing. In 1907 we find him a student in the Kansas City Dental College,
of Kansas City, Mo. The doctor worked hard to obtain his professional
education. He worked at his trade nights, often hanging ])aper until
midnight to pay his way through college. He graduated in the class of
1910 with the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. He then located at
Barnes, Kan., where he has since been engaged in the practice of his
profession. His capability and conscientiousness in his professional
work have been rewarded by one of the most extensive practices in Wash-
ington county. He has done well and prospered. Since coming to
Barnes he has built a modern well equipped office building and has also
one of the finest residences in the town.
Dr. LaShelle was married, June 8, 1904. to Miss Susie Maud Wells,
daughter of D. C. and Armanda COrganbright) Wells, the former a na-
tive of Arkansas and the latter of Ohio. The father was engaged in the
mercantile business for several years in Barnes and is now a prosperous
496 BIOGRAPHICAL
fanner in Barnes township. Airs. LaShelle is a native daughter of
Washington county. She was educated in the Barnes High School and
the State Normal School at Emporia, Kan.
To Dr. and Mrs. LaShelle have been born two children : Golda C. and
Marjorie. Dr. LaShelle is independent in politics and is now a member
of the board of councilmen of Barnes. He and his wife are members
of the Christian church and he is superintendent of the Sunday school.
He is also a deacon and a member of the board of trustees.
Eli M. Punteney, of Frankfort, is one of the very earliest pioneers of
Marshall county, whom Walt Mason has very appropriately called "The
Grand Old Man" of northern Kansas. Mr. Punteney is a native of Henry
county, Indiana, and was born September 13, 1832. He is a son of John
and Anna (Veazy) Punteney, both natives of Virgina, who settled in
Indiana about 1830. Eli M. was the youngest of nine children, all of
the others having been born in Virginia. He was probably the first
white child born in Dudley township, Henry county, Indiana. ^^ hen
John Punteney brought his family to Indiana that State was a sparsely
settled wilderness. He built his home in the woods and he and his
family cleared away a little space upon which to raise a few vegetables
and a little grain and lived after the style of the average pioneer .of that
day. Eli Punteney remained at home with his parents until he was
eighteen, when he went to Lafayette, Ind., where he taught school two
years. He then went to Iowa with a brother, who was n millwright.
Iowa was a Territory at that time. He remained there but a short
time, when he went to Minnesota, and in 1856 returned to his Indiana
home, and at that time he read in the New York "Tribune" an account
of the pro-slavery and free-state contest that was being waged in Kansas
so bitterly at that time, whether Kansas should be a free or a slave
State. He at once set out for Kansas to join the Free State party and
help make Kansas a free State. He bought a ticket as far as Iowa City,
Iowa, which was as far west as he could go by rail Plere he expected
to take the stage to his destination, but when he arrived there he found
that on account of the guerrilla stealing the horses the stage line had been
discontinilfed. He, therefore, soM his trunk and a part of his surplus
clothing. He bought a knapsack and with the companionship of a
hickorv stick started on his long march to Kansas. May i, 1857, he
planted his foot on Kansas soil, and from that day he has helped to
build the great State of Kansas. He first headed for Fort Lane, which
had been built by Gen. James A. Lane, but upon arriving there he found
that it had been moved to Lawrence, so he kept on going west until he
came to Marshall county, where he settled. At that time the county
was not organized — not even surveyed — but its organization took place
the following s,pring. At this time Kansas was in the throes of war with
border ruffians and the Free State people would not recognize the Le-
compton constitution, and at the Free State convention what was known
BIOGRAPHICAL 497
as the Topeka constitution was adopted, and Mr. Punteney was one of
the first Free State senators elected under that constitution, but subse-
quent developments made his services in that assembly unnecessary and
he did not serve. He and three other men each contributed ten dol-
lars with which to build the first school house in Marshall county. The
location where this was built is still known as District No. i. It was
built at Barretts, three and one-half miles southwest of where Frankfort
now stands. Mr. Punteney helped build the first church and was one
of the first in everything that contributed to the upbuilding of the
county. Northern Kansas was then a broad stretch of wild and unbroken
plains and the settlers had to go armed at all times to protect themselves
against real Indians and were often targets for the Red Man's arrows
and bullets. He has seen Kansas develop from the ox to the air ship.
He did not serve in the Civil war, on account of an injury v.hich he once
received on the hand, which, in a measure, disabled him. However, he
has served the State as militiaman and reached the important post of
quartermaster-sergeant in that organization, and during the Civil war
he was assessor imder the military excise law. While Mr. Punteney's
friends have often prevailed upon him to accept office he has never per-
mitted his name to go before the public. He has devoted his time to
farming and stock raising and has made a great success. He has made
a specialty of breeding the celebrated Angus and Aberdeen cattle. He
also has fed thousands of cattle for market, shipping large numbers each
year, and is well known for the success that he has made in that busi-
ness. Since the death of his wife, which occurred in 1909, he has prac-
tically retired and is now merely looking after his personal interests.
Tlie original farm that he settled on in Marshall county v.as his home
imtil his wife's death.
Mr. Punteney was marreied. May 3, 1859, in Marshall county, Kansas,
to Alvirada .Smith, daughter of Thomas and Jemima Smith. They came
from Tennessee and the father was a farmer and stockman. Mrs.
Punteney was born in Missouri, but the family moved to Kansas at an
early day. To Mr. and Mrs. Punteney were born the following children :
John O., owner and manager of the Vermilion Telephone Company, Ver-
milion, Kan.; Thomas (deceased); Archibald, manufacturer, Waterloo,
Iowa; Anna, married Charles Wise, and is now a widow and resides in
Kansas City, Mo. ; Melvina, married Fred C. Clarke, contractor, Kansas
City, Mo. ; Florence, married Frank Ferguson, Kansas City, Mo. ; Wal-
ter, stockman in Wyoming; Josephine, married Samuel Shineman and
lives in Marshall count}'; Veazey, also a stockman in Wyoming; Fran-
cis, a farmer in Nemaha county, Kansas; James (deceased) ; Nellie, mar-
ried E. B. Judd, Kansas City; Frederick, veterinary surgeon, Little
Rock, Ark., and Lawrence, a farmer, Port Morgan, Col.
Mr. Punteney has been a member of the Masonic lodge for many years
and his political views are Republican. To such men as Kli M. Punteney
498 BIOGRAI'IIICAL
the present and future generations owe a debt of gratitude that can never
be paid. However, they should, and no doubt will, gratefully remember
him and his brave fellovv' pioneers as the self-sacrificing men who en-
dured the hardships and privations of frontier life and braved the sav-
ages, wild animals and blizzards, and laid the foundation for the great
West of today.
Mr. Punteney has been a frequent contributor to local and other news-
papers, his articles dealing largeh' with the subject of earl\- pioneer life
in Kansas. He is a strong descriptive writer and the present generation
can gather inspiration as well as information from everything that he
has written.
John E. Peterson, merchant and man of affairs of Clay Center, Kan.,
and owner of the most extensive retail furniture enterprise in Northern
Kansas, licensed embalmer and funeral director, is a native of Sweden,
and was born in the Province of Smoland, December 4, 1861, a son of
Samuel and Johannah (Dahl) Peterson. The family came to the United
States in 1870, the elder Peterson entering the employ of the Moline
Plow Company, at Moline, 111. In 1884 the family removed to Stroms-
burg. Neb. Samuel Peterson was born September 25, 1831, and died at
Stromsburg May 12, 1909. His wife was born March 25, 1828, and died
June 29, 1909. They were the parents of ten children, four of whom
died in infancy. The surviving children are as follows : Matilda, the
wife of Samuel Peterson, a farmer of Galesburg, 111. ; Mary, the wife of
John Saline, a farmer of Genoa, Neb.; John E., the subject of this article;
Gust A., a salesman at Stromsburg, Neb., and Emma, the wife of A. J.
Cederholm, a count)- official of McPherson county. Kansas; Charles A.,
who lived to maturity, and died in 1895.
John E. Peterson was reared a farmer, and followed this occupation
until twenty-two years of age. He secured his education in the public
schools. In 1883 he entered commercial life at Stromsburg, Xeb., as a
clerk. The following year he became the manager of a lumber yard in
the same town and remained in charge of this business lor six years.
During the years 1892-3 he was deputy clerk of Polk county, Nebraska,
and in. 1893 was elected on a fusion ticket clerk of the county. His ad-
ministration of the affairs of the office was such that he was elected,
in 1895, to succeed himself. On completion of his second term as county
clerk he established himself in the retail furniture business in Stroms-
burg, included an undertaking department, and studied embalming.
Me received his license as an embalmer in 1898. This enterprise, under
his management, proved successful and he built up an extensive busi-
ness. In 1905 he disposed of his interests in Stromsburg and removed
to Clay Center, where he purchased an established undertaking busi-
ness. He added a stock of furniture, and during the eight years in
which he has been a merchant in Clay Center he has developed the
most extensive business in this line in northern Kansas. His stock
BIOGRAPHICAL 499
offers the most in the way of selection, and is the best arranged and
kept of any in Clay county. The county has never had a merchant
who in his dealings with all has been at all times more fair, more hon-
est or broad-minded than Mr. Peterson. Since becoming a fesident of
the city of Clay Center he has taken an active part in its commercial
and civic affairs and has been a jiotent factor in its development. He is
a director of the Clay Center Chautauqua Association and has been
for the past two years a valued member of the board of education. He
is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Peterson married, on August 5, 1885, Miss Svea Slohlberg, who
was born in the Province of Gestrickland, Sweden, on November 25,
1865. Her father died when she was a child, and she came to the United
States with her mother, now the wife of J. A. Carlson, a merchant at
Osceola, Neb. Air. and Mrs. Peterson are the parents of four children:
Mannell John, born June 29, 1886; Elva Svea, born June 16, 1890, the
wife of W. H. Harkins, of Delphos, Kan., now residing in Longmont,
Col.; Lela Charlotte, born February 2, 1892, honor graduate of the Clay
Center High School and for two years a teacher in the Claj^ county
schools, who married, on June 11, 191 1, Arnold Buchmann, Jr., a jeweler
of Clay Center; and Amy Marie, born August 26, 1895, a graduate of
the Clay Center High Scliool with the class of 1912. She married, on
March 25, 1913. Samuel P)rice, an electrician, and they reside in Morenci,
Ariz.
William A. Potter, probate judge of Marshall county, was born near
01ne\-, Richland county, Illinois, March 4, 1871, the son of Benjamin
F. and Rebecca (Neal) Potter, the former a native of Kentucky and the
latter of Indiana. The family came to Kansas in 1885 and settled on a
farm near Beattie, Marshall county, where the father followed farming
and stock raising until his death, which occurred on February 27. 1907.
He is survived by his widow and the following children: John F. Pot-
ter, a farmer residing near Frankfort, Marshall county; Nancy J., the
wife of David H. Beaver, retired farmer, of Home City, Kan; Kate,
the wife of J. G. Braxton, a farmer, of Frankfort ; Thomas A. Potter, a
farmer, of Blue Mound, Kan.; Mary M., of Beattie, Kan.; Emma, the
wife of Oscar Halsel, of Frankfort, Kan.; William .'\., subject of this
sketch ; Luc}-, the wife of Daniel S. Thomas, a hardware merchant, of
Beattie, Kan; and Harrj' E. Potter, a successful ph3sician, of Fairburv,
Neb.
Judge Potter obtained his education in the public schools of his native
county and Marshall county, Kansas, completing his studies in the high
school at Marysville. From 1890 until 1892 he was em])loyed in the drug
store of E. L. Miller, of that city, and next in the general store of Arand
& Son. In the spring of 1893 he secured a position as traveling sales-
man with a pholograiihic supply house and remained in this line of en-
500 BIOGRAPHICAL
deavor about ten years. From 1903 until 1908 he took over the manage-
ment of the home farm, owing to the poor health of his father, and in
January, of the latter year, entered the Bank of Beattie in the capacity
of bookkeeper, where he remained until he entered the office of probate
judge in January, 1911, to which he was elected in 1910. He was
elected to succeed himself in 1912. He is a Republican. His fraternal
affiliations are with the Masonic order.
Judge Potter was married, on January 9, 1908, to Miss Blanche Burn-
side, a daughter of Thomas and Jane (Ruddy) Burnside. The father
was a native of Ireland and the mother of Canada. The Burnside fam-
ily settled in Marshall county at an early date, where the father followed
farming and stock raising throughout his life. Mrs. Potter is a native
of Marshall count}- and a graduate of the Beattie High School. She is
a member of the Eastern Star.
Walter Raleign Breeding, M. D., a leading physician and surgeon of
Marysville, is a native of Kansas, born at Lawrence, September 30, 1864.
He is a son of John and Susan B. (Jessee) Breeding, both natives of
\^irginia, who came to Kansas about 1855. settling in Montgomer}' coun-
ty. In the early days the father made the trip across the plains to Cali-
fornia, and while en route he remembers having camped on the Blue
river opposite Marysville, which at that time was a station on the stage
line. In the spring of 1865 the family removed to Doniphan county,
settling at Iowa Point, and here Dr. Breeding spent his boyhood days
and attended the district schools. He first attended school at Martin's
school house, and afterwards a school known as "Frog College," which
was officially the "Walnut Grove" school. In 1883 he entered Highland
College, where he was graduated in the class of 1889. \\hile Dr. Breed-
ing attended school, he worked on the farm with his parents at intervals
and during vacations, and thus assisted in paying his way through col-
lege. In September, 1889, he entered Rush Medical College, Chicago,'
111., where he was graduated in the class of 1892 with the degree of Doc-
tor of Medicine. While he was pursuing his studies in this institution
he was also engaged in nursing during vacations, and in this way as-
sisted in making his expenses through college, as well as having the op-
portunity of studjnng different diseases. In addition to his regular
course he took special courses in dental pathology and surgery, the eye
and ear, materia medica therapeutics, diseases of women and operative
surgery. After leaving medical college he located at Highland, Kan.,
where he practiced four years, or until 1896, when he came to Marys-
ville. and has since been engaged in his professional work there.
Dr. Breeding has built up an extensive practice, and has a wide repu-
tation as a painstaking and a skillful physician. He was united in mar-
riage June 22, 1898, to Miss Nettie, daughter of Philander C. and Serena
• (League) Geer. both natives of Ohio. The fatherd \yas a blacksmith
and located at Highland. Kan., in the early '50s. where he is now living,
BIOGRAPHICAL 5OI
retired. His wife died in 1900. Mrs. Breeding was born in Highland,
Kan., and educated in the common schools and Highland College, grad-
uating at that institution in the class of 1890, with the degree of Bach-
elor of Arts. After graduating she taught special courses at Highland
for some time. Dr. and Mrs. Breeding had one child, Verna Lucile, born
April 17, 1906, who died in infancy.
Dr. Breeding has taken an active interest in Marshall county in a
public way, and has served four years as health officer, and has also been
city physician of Marysville for the same length of time. He was ap-
pointed a member of the State Board of Health by Governor E. W.
Hoch, upon the recommendation of Dr. Crumbine, in recognition of his
services while county health officer, his record in this respect being ex-
ceptionally high. Through a political combine of those opposed to Dr.
Breeding the governor withdrew his name and refused to give Marshall
county a representative on the board. Dr. Breeding was an active
force in the re-organization of the Marshall County Medical Society,
was elected its secretary and served as president from 1909 to 1913. He
is also a member of the Kansas State Medical Society. He is a Thirty-
second degree Mason, and at present junior warden of the Marysville
lodge. Politically he is a Republican, and he and Mrs. Breeding are
members of the Presbyterian church.
James Wesley Johnson, president of the Hamilton State Bank of
Hamilton, Kan., is one of the veteran cattle men of Kansas. He is a
native of Ohio, born on a farm in Madison county, December 25, 1840,
a son of Sanford and Mary A. (Washburn) Johnson, both natives of the
Buckeye State, where the father was a farmer throughout his life. He
died in 1849, and his wife in 1885. They were the parents of four chil-
dren: James Wesley, the subject of this sketch; Margaret M., born in
August, 1843, and twice married, first to Jefferson Adams, by whom she
had two children, Eva and Annabelle. After the death of her first hus-
band she married Jacob Rhodes, who died in 1892. and was followed by
his wife in 1902. Harriet V.. the third child of the family, was born in
1846 and married John Niswanger and became the mother of three chil-
dren: Eric W., Ray and Galena. Mary, the youngest, was born in
1849, and died in 1865.
James Wesley Johnson is a notable example of the successful, self-
educated man. He was reared on a farm, and in 1866 came to Kansas
with Samuel B. Evans, who bought 327 head of range cattle in Northern
Kansas, and Mr. Johnson worked for him in the capacity of a cowboy,
and drove this herd of cattle the entire distance to Logan county, Illi-
nois. In the spring of 1867 Mr. Johnson and Mr. Evans formed a part-
nership and engaged in the cattle business in Riley county, Kansas
They operated here until 1870. when they came to Greenwood county,
where grazing conditions were more favorable, on account of better
water and free range, which were important considerations when han-
532 BIOGRAPHICAL
dling cattle on an extensive scale. In 1871 Mr. Johnson engaged in tlie
cattle business on his own account, and successfully operated until 1896.
when he closed out that branch of his business. He has prospered in
all his undertakings and invested extensively in lands, and is now one
of the largest land owners in Greenwood county. He has been a lifelong
Republican, and has taken an active part in his party organization. He
represented Greenwood county in the State legislature during the ses-
sions of 1874 and 1877, and was a member of the ways and means com-
mittee, as well as of other important committees in that body. He was.
a member of the board of county commissioners of Greenwood county
in 1875-76. He organized the Hamilton State Bank of Hamilton in 1910,
and has been president of that institution since its organization. Air.
Johnson was married February 28, 1884, to Miss Rebecca Lewis, a
daughter of Calvin and Margaret (Stout) Lewis, of Greenwood county.
Three children have been born to this imion : Anna L., born June 11,
1885, a graduate of Bethany College, Topeka, and also of Columbia Col-
lege, New York City, now a teacher in the College of Emporia ; Esther
M., born May 25, 1897. now a member of the class of 1915 of Bethany
College of Topeka, and James Wesley, Jr., died in infancy. Mr. John-
son is a Knight Templar Mason.
George Delaney, postmaster of Axtell, and a pioneer of Marshall coun-
ty, was born near Sedalia. Pettis county, Missouri, October 3, 1865. He
is a son of Daniel and Ellen (Collins") Delaney, both natives of Ireland.
The parents were married in their native land, emigrating to America
shortly afterwards, and the father engaged in contracting and building.
\\nien the Central Branch railroad was built he was one of the construc-
tion contractors of that road, building the first thirty miles, and he also
completed the grade of that road into Waterville. which was the termi-
nal for a long time. The Delaney family resided at Waterville for
some time in the early days, and here the father constructed several stone
houses, which were the first permanent buildings in ^^^aterville. and
some of them are still standing. After the completion of the Central
Branch railroad to Waterville, he secured a contract on the construction
of the Union Pacific, and later the family removed to Howard. Kan.
When they located there Independence was their nearest railroad point.
George Delaney received his education in the public schools and was
a student of George W. Winans, who afterward became State superin-
tendent of public instruction. After the family removed to Southern
Kansas young Delaney had the advantage of good schools and suc-
ceeded in getting a good practical education. When he was about seven-
teen years old he accompanied Captain Payne on his first tripr to Okla-
homa and Indian Territory. This was before that country was opened
to settlers. After a short stay in that country, he returned to his home
aiid worked on the farm for a time, when his brother. Michael Delaney,
of \\'aterville, induced him to come there and accept a position in a gro-
BIOGRAPHICAL 503
eery store, which his brother was conducting. George remained with
his brother until 1888, when he went to Axtell and engaged in the gen-
eral mercantile business with Mr. Ilurlbut, under the firm name of Hurl-
but & Delaney. This partnership continued until 1905, when Mr. De-
lanej- disposed of his interest. In 1899 he organized the Axtell Tele-
phone Company, which was the second telephone line in Marshall coun-
ty. He installed the exchange at Axtell, and was the president and
manager of this business until 1912, when he sold out. In 1905 he or-
ganized the Sunflower Coal, Gas & Oil Compan}' of Axtell, and became
vice-president and manager of this enterprise. The purpose of this
organization is to develop the coal, gas and oil field of Alarshall county.
He was appointed postmaster of Axtell in 1896, and has held that office
until the present time. Mr. Delaney has taken an active part in po-
litical affairs of his county and State, and frequentl)^ has been a dele-
gate to State, Congressional and judiciary conventions. He was a
member of the State Central Committee during Governor Bailey's cam-
paign, and was elected mayor of Axtell at one time without opposition,
but was unable to accept, on account of being a Federal officer.
Mr. Delaney was married December 19, 1888, to Miss Eugenie, daugh-
ter of S. W. and Ellen (Bancroft) Hurlbut, of Waterville, Kan. The
father was a merchant for several years in Kansas City, Waterville and
Axtell. He died in March, 191 1, and his widow now resides at Axtell.
Mrs. Delaney was born at Janesville, Wis., and came to Kansas with her
parents when a child. She was educated in Waterville and graduated
from the high school there. To Mr. and Mrs. Delaney have been born
six children: Donald E., Helen M., Kenneth S., George, Jr., Dorothy E.
and Harry. Donald, Helen and Kenneth are high school -tudents, and
are musicians of unusual ability. The younger children are attending
the grades. Mr. Delaney is a York Rite Mason and member of .\bdallali
Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He and his Vvife are members of
the Eastern Star, and the family are members of the Methodist Epis-
copal church. The family have long been prominent socially and the
Delaney residence is known for its gracious hospitality.
William Wieters, president of the State Bank of Lanham, .\'eb., and
actively concerned in the commercial life of Marshall cotmty, Kansas,
since 1881, was born in Hanover, Germany, .'\ugust 23, 1852, a son of
Henry and Sophia (Backhaus) Wieters. His father was n brickmason
by trade and accumulated a competency, which he invested in improved
property. His death occurred in 1888, and that of his wife in 1894.
William Wieters was reared in his native country and obtained his
educational discipline in the public schools, from which he graduated.
In 1869 he came to the United States and first located in Quincy, 111.,
where he remained one year, when he continued on west to Kansas and
secured emplovment as a farm hand in Marshall county. This charac-
ter of emi)loyment he followed for eleven years. He was frugal and his
504 BIOGRAPHICAL
savings during this period were sufficient to enable him to establish
himself in the lumber and grain business, in 1881, at Herkimer, Kan.
He also bought and sold cattle to a considerable extent. In 1885 he pur-
chased a lumber jard at Lanham, Neb., the yard being on the Kansas
side of the State line. He removed from Herkimer in 1887 and has since
resided in the first named town. From 1881 until 1907 he was an exten-
sive cattle feeder, and raised a large number as well. In the last named
year he disposed of his commercial interests, which consisted of lumber
yards, elevators and cattle, retaining one yard at Harbine, Neb., in order
to devote his entire time to the management of the State Bank of Lan-
ham, which he had organized in December of 1906, and of which he is
the controlling stockholder and president. The business of this institu-
tion has been of sound and continuous growth and it has under his man-
agement proved a highly profitable enterprise. Mr. Wieters is known
to the banking fraternity as an able and energetic executive, conserva-
tive in his business methods, and a discriminating financier. He is one
of the extensive land owners of his section and his acreage is situated
in Kansas, Nebraska and Texas, and farms in the latter State about 600
acres near El Campo. He has in the last few years engaged in the breed-
ing of registered Polled Durham cattle on rather an extensive scale, this
department of his activit}- being confined to his Kansas ranch, which is
located in Washington county. Political office has never appealed to
him, nor has he taken an active part in politics, although he never neg-
lects his civic duties and obligations. He is well read on the questions
and policies of the day. He has served as postmaster of Lanham and
Herkimer, and in each case it was a question of the office seeking the
man. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the
Ancient Order of United Workmen.
On June 21, 1883, Mr. Wieters was united in marriage with ^liss
Sophia Brockmeyer, a daughter of Fred and Fredericka (Benschneider)
Brockmeyer. Fred Brockmeyer was a Pottawatomie county pioneei
of the early '50s and became a well known farmer and stockman. He
was a native of the Province of Hanover, Germany, and his wife of the
Province of Mecklenberg. His death occurred in 1910. Mrs. Brock-
meyer survives her husband and is now a member of our subject's
family. Mrs. Wieters was born in Pottawatomie county, and acquired
her education in the schools of Washington county, where her parents
had removed in 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Wieters are the parents of the fol-
lowing children : William C, real estate dealer, of El Campo. Tex. ;
Eleanora, the wife of George Sellman, of Oklahoma City, Okla. ; Freda;
Helen M. ; Julia ; Alfred, cashier of the State Bank of Lanham, and Ade-
laide, a student in the engineering department of Kansas University,
class of 1917.
Mr. Wieters and his wife are members of the German Lutheran
church and both are active workers in the cause of Christianity.
BIOGRAPHICAL 505
Edward M. Miers, M. D., a successful physician and surgeon, of
Hano\er, Kan., was born on his father's farm near Waco, Neb., Sep-
tember 28, 1884, the son of August and Minnie (Bogart) Mieis. The
elder Miers was a native of Germany, who came to America with his
parents shortly after the close of the Civil war, the family locating in
Nebraska, where both father and son were farmers. In 1883 August
Miers brought his family to Kansas and settled at Colby, Thomas
county, where he resided until his death, which occurred in August,
1901.
Dr. Miers received his preliminary educational discipline in the public
schools, later was enrolled as a student in the Oberlin High School,
from which he graduated with the class of 1901. The death of his
father occurring in August of this year he was compelled to work his
way while completing his education. In the fall of 1901 he matriculated
in the Kansas State Agricultural College, where he remained for four
years. He met his expenses by securing employment as one ot the jan-
itor force and was made head janitor during his second year in the in-
stitution. He was employed during vacations as a section hand with
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company. In 1906 he en-
tenred the University Medical College at Kansas City, Mo., his studies
at the Manhattan institution entitling him to a half-year's credit on his
medical course. During his first year he was made a laboratory as-
sistant and remained in this capacity during his entire course. During
his freshman 3'ear he taught members of the sophomore class, and as
assistant in the laboratory received twentj'-five cents per hour. He
was also employed as a drug clerk during the first two years of his at-
tendance, his hours being from 4 p. m. until midnight, and his studying
was done while filling this position. During his third year he passed
the examination of the Missouri State Board of Pharmacy and sub-
sequently was employed as a druggist. His last two years were spent
as an assistant in the hospital, known as undergraduate lielp, this po-
sition having been given him succeeding his passing the examination,
and in which he stood first. During his senior year he practiced his
profession and was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in
1910. On June 23, of the last named year, he located for practice at
Hanover, Kan., where he has built up a successful clientele. He has
attained reputation as a surgeon, and in 1913 promoted the organization
of a company to erect and equip a hospital. This is now under way
and when completed Hanover will be indebted for this much needed
utility to the progressiveness of Dr. Miers. lie is a member of the
American Medical Association, the Kansas State and the Washington
County Medical societies. His political affiliations are with the Re-
publican party, and he is a member of Fairbnry Lodge, No. 1203, i'enev-
olen and Protective Order of Elks, and the Independent r>rdcr of Odd
Fellows.
5o6 BIOGR.\PHICAL
Dr. Miers married, on Maj' i6. 1910, Miss Emily J. Cummins, tlie
daughter of L. \\'. and Louise Cummins, of Bowie, Tex. She was
reared in that State and acquired her education in its rural schools and
the St. Joseph Convent at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is a member of the
Catholic church. Her father was a farmer and stockman and died when
she was a young girl.
William H. Smith, a Civil war veteran, who has been conspicuous in
the affairs of Kansas for nearly fifty years, is a native of ihe Keystone
State. He was born at ^^'est Lebanon, Indiana county, December 3,
1841, a son of Robert and Sarah ( ^^'ray) Smith, both natives of Penn-
sylvania. The father was a farmer, and both he and his wife spent theii
lives in their native State.
William H. Smith spent his boyhood days on his father's farm and
attended the public schools. He later was a student at Elder Ridge
Academy. In the spring of i860 he went to Virginia, where he was
engaged in drilling wells on the Little Kanawha river near Elizabeth,
and remained there until the Civil war broke out. He then returned
to Pennsylvania and enlisted in Company D, Sixty-second Pennsylvania
infantry, under Col. Samuel W. Black. His regiment p.'irticipated m
many of the hard-fought battles of the war. He was wounded at
Gaines's Mill and again at ^lalvern Hill. He was then sent to the
hospital on Bedloe Island, Xew York, and later transferred to the hos-
pital at Fort Schuyler, where he remained until the draft riots of 1863,
when he and other convalescents volunteered to assist in quelling the
trouble, which they did effectively. They were known as Company
G, Tenth Regiment, \^eteran Reserve Corps, one platoon of which was
under the command of Sergeant Smith, and from that time until the
raid on Washington they remained on provost duty in New York
City. At the time he was woiuided he ranked as sergeant of his com-
pany. Later he was sent to Washington, w'here they remained in defense
of the city until he was mustered out. in 1864. He then returned to his
Pennsylvania home, where he remained until September 3, 1865. when
he started for Kansas, arriving September 13. He came by rail as far
as the Missouri river and crossed at Atchison, walking from there to
^larshall county. He settled on a farm near Barrett, the first town in
the county. He had a brother living here who had been an overland
freighter, and, therefore, had a great many cattle. Mr. Smith was still
disabled from his wounds and unable to do any hard work, but in a
short time managed to drive oxen and began breaking prairie with ox
teams.
In 1866 he entered the employ of T. S. Vail and traveled through
Texas. Louisiana, Arkansas and Indian Territory, estaolishing star
mail routes, but returned to Kansas in less than a year, and in the fall
of 1868 was elected to the legislature from Marshall county, serving in
the session of 1869. He was the author of the bill approved March 2,
BIOGRAPHICAL 507
1869, which was llie first move to compel the laih-oads to pay taxes
in the State and which autliorized the treasurer to issue his warrant and
sell rolling stock for delinquent taxes. In 1870 he was appointed dep-
uty United States marshal under Col. Houston, and in that capacity took
the census of the southern half of Marshall county. He was again
elected to the legislature in 1870, and during this session introduced the
herd law, which was enacted February 28, 1871. In 1871 he was ap-
pointed postmaster at Marysv'ille, serving in that capacity fourteen
years, and at the same time was engaged in the mercantile business at
Marysville as a member of the firm of Smith & Libbey, grocery, grain
and implement dealers. In 1885 he was elected county treasurer, being
reelected and serving two terms, and in 1890 received the appoint-
ment of supervisor of the census of the Fifth Congressional district.
He served as secretary of the State board which built the Kansas
building at the World's Fair at Chicago and was secretary of the State
Railroad Commission with headquarters at Topeka from 1902 till 1904.
Since coming to Kansas he has been interested in farming and stock
raising in Marshall coimty. He was one of the organizers of the Citi-
zens State Bank, of Marysville, an institution which was established in
1907, and for several years served as its president, resigning that posi-
tion January i, 1913, when he retired from active business life. He is
still a member of the board of directors of that bank and is also a mem-
ber of the board of directors of the Bigelow State Bank, the Winifred
State Bank and the Bremen State Bank.
Mr. Smith was united in marriage, October 30, 1871, to Miss Mary
E., daughter of Ora C. and Joan Allen, who were natives of Illinois
and came to Kansas in 1864, locating near Barrett, Marshall county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Smith was born one child, Robert .\llen, born August
29, 1872, and died August ij. 1875. Mrs. Smith departed this life De-
cember 9, 1910.
Mr. Smith is a member of Lyons Post, No. 9, Grand Army of the Re-
public, and is a mernber of the council of administration of that order
for the Department of Kansas. He has been an active member of the
Kansas State Historical Society, has served as a memlicr of tlie di-
rectorate for many years, and president in 1902.
George C. Shaw, a prominent veterinary surgeon of the city of Wash-
ington, Kan., was born in Fredonia, Wilson county, that State. August
9, 1885, the son of Robert and Jennie fjarvis) Shaw. His parents are
natives of the State of Illinois and came to Kansas in the early '80s, lo-
cating first in Wilson county, where his father engaged in farming and
stock raising. He later became a resident of Washington county, where
he is one of the leading stock men and an extensive farmer. The family
is of English ancestry and descended from the I'alfour family, our sub-
ject having two cousins who are members of jiarlianicnt. llis grand-
parents were natives of the Isle of Man.
508 BIOGRAPHICAL
George C. Shaw was reared in Washington county and acquired his
early education in the schools of Haddam and Washington, and was
subsequently a student in the Kansas State Agricultural College. Fol-
lowing his attendance at Manhattan he secured a position with the
Percheron Horse Company, of Omaha, Neb., and while serving with
this corporation began his studies of the horse. He next entered the
Kansas City Veterinary College, followed the profession of a veterinary
surgeon during the period between sessions, and on completion of his
course was appointed live stock inspector, under qtiarantine, in New
Mexico, Ariz., on the border of Old Mexico, remaining in this official
position for one year. He located for practice at Montrose, Col., and
established a large veterinary hospital. This venture proved successful
and he disposed of it at a satisfactory figure. The following five months
he spent in a study of the Aztec ruins of the southwest. He returned
to Washington county in February, 1913, and purchased an established
practice and veterinary hospital in the city of Washington. He is
building up a profitable practice and is one of the popular young men
of the county. He is a member of the Kansas State Veterinary Med-
ical Association, the Colorado State Veterinary Medical Association,
and during his residence in Colorado was deputy state veterinarian.
His fraternal affiliations are with the Masonic order. Dr. Shaw is un-
married.
Charles F. Koester, a prominent pioneer of northern Kansas, who
passed away August 15, 1902, after a successful business career filled
with the events of a tiseful life, was a native of Germany. He was born
in Hesse Castle, January 27, 1841, and when nine years of age immigrated
to America with his parents. When a mere boy we find him engaged
in the restaurant and confectionery business at Atchison, Kan., and in
1857, when scarcely eighteen, he came to Marysville, whicli at that time
was the extreme western town of any importance in northern Kansas
territory. There were not more than twenty houses in the settlement
when he came here, and they were one-story affairs of the pioneer type.
This was before the days of the California pony express and prior to
the establishment of the daily overland stage coach, but the Salt Lake
mail coach passed through once a week from Atchison.
In 1861 the daily overland stage was established. Mr. Koester was
a man of strong character and the people of Marshall county recog-
nized his worth from the first. Tn two years after settling at Marys-
ville he was chosen register of deeds of Marshall count}' and for eight
years filled that important office. He was next elected county treasurer
for two years, and reelected at the expiration of that term. Besides
these he held a number of other positions of trust. He was one of a
commission of three members to revise the tax laws of Kansas, and in
1R76 was selected as one of the state commissioners at the Centennial
Exposition at Philadelphia. In 1882 he was elected mayor of Marysville
BIOGRAPHICAL 509
and reelected to several succeeding terms. He erected the first three-
stor}- brick building in Marysville, which still remains a prominent
landmark of the town. He was an extensive real estate owner and per-
sonally managed several well improved farms near Marysville. For
over thirty-five years Mr. Koester was identifed with the banking busi-
ness of Marysville and was president of the Exchange Rank of .'^chmidt
& Koester until his death. This bank was established by the late Frank
Schmidt in April, 1870, and is the oldest bank in Marshall county.
There were few people more generous and warm hearted than Charles
Koester. He was a man of honest, upright character, and in looking
over his long and useful life his descendants may well be proud of the
position he won in the esteem and confidence of his fellow men. He
was a Knight Templar Mason and a member of Corinthian Com-
mandery, No. 40. He was also a member of the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Mr. Koes-
ter was united in marriage, in 1876, to Miss Sylvia C. Broughten, a
native of Richland county, Illinois. Mrs. Koester was a well educated
woman, and a teacher before her marriage. She died in early life, leaving
the following children: Tinnie L. married Guy T. Ilelvering, a Marys-
ville attorne}', and the present congressman from the Fifth Kansas dis-
trict ; Jennie L. married Arthur J- S<v)tt, a traveling salesman, of Marys-
ville ; and Charles John Daniel, the youngest of the family, was born
June (), 1881, at Marysville. He received his early education in the pub-
lic schools and graduated from the Marysville High School in the class
of 1899. He then took a business course in the Gem City Business Col-
lege. Ouincy, 111., graduating in the class of igoo, and entered upon his
business career as a clerk in the Exchange Bank, of Marysville. After
the death of his father he became vice-president of that institution, and
is now activel}" connected with the management of the bank. He married
Miss Hyacinth Pulleine. a daughter of Judge W. T. and Julia A. Pulleine,
natives of England and earl}^ settlers in Kansas. Mrs. Koester was edu-
cated in the public schools and Baker University at Baldwin, Kan. To
Mr. and Mrs. Koester have been born two children, Charles William and
Julia Constance.
Charles Robert Welsh, county surveyor and engineer of Clay county,
is a native of Iowa, and was born on a farm near Des Moines, March 12,
1885, a son of Dr. Charles I. and Emma C. (Mills) Welsh. Dr. Welsh,
who is a prominent physician and surgeon of Clifton, Kan., is a native
of Illinois, born on a farm near the city of Elgin, August 10, 1854. His
father was a native of Wales and his mother of .Scotch-Irish ancestry.
Dr. Welsh is a graduate of the Bennett Medical College at Chicago, and
from 1890 until 1895, was a practitioner in South Dakota. In the last
named year he located in Clifton, Kan., his present residence. He is one
of the influential men of his home town, and actively identified with its
civic and social life. He is a member of the Im.-ird of sclmol directors.
5IO BIOGRAPHICAL
and is the treasurer of that body. He married, on March 14, 1883, Miss
Emma C. Mills, daughter of Robert B. and Emma Mills, who was born
near Des Moines, Iowa, May 11, 1869. Of this union six children were
born: Jennie, born February 20, 1884. died November 16, 1893; Charles
Robert, the subject of this article; Frederick Guy, born October 18, 1887,
died November 17, 1893 ; John LeRoy, born July 27, 1889, a machinist in
the United States naval service, having enlisted in 1907. He served
three years on the Battleship Minnesota, and was with his ship when it
cruised around the world, one of the fleet dispatched by President Roose-
velt to show the world powers the efficiency of our navy. Rex Earl,
the fifth child, was born on November 27, 1893. He was graduated from
the Clay Center High School with the class of 1909, from Kansas Uni-
versity with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1913, and is now a student
in the medical department of his alma mater. The sixth child, Chester
Arthur, was born on ^lay 21, 1904.
Charles Robert Welsh was educated in the public schools of Clifton,
Kan., was graduated from its high school, a member of the class of
1904, and subsequently entered the engineering department of Kan-
sas University, from which he was graduated in 1908. Following his
graduation from the latter institution he opened an automobile garage in
Clay Center, which he conducted for three years. He was appointed
engineer of Clay county in 191 1. elected surveyor of the county in 1912,
and occupies the dual position, and is also city engineer of Clay Center.
He is a Republican. His administration of the affairs of the county,
which fall to his departments, has been such as to reflect credit upon
himself and his constituents. His work, has been marked by honesty,
fidelity and efficiency. He is numbered among those of Clay Center's
citizens who are using their best efforts to foster development along
commercial and other lines and is a firm believer in a greater Clay
Center.
On April 26, 1907, Mr. Welsh was united in marriage with Miss Pearl
Hageman. daughter of Thomas J. and Louisa M. (Polin") Hageman,
both of whom are pioneer residents of Clay County. ]\Irs. \\'elsh was
born on her father's farm on November 17, 1885. In the social circles of
their home city, she and her husband are deservedly popular, and the
Welsh residence is known for its gracious hospitality.
Charles J. Mueller, owner of one of the largest and best improved farm
properties in Northern Kansas, successful stockman, who has attained
State-wide recognition in connection with the breeding of registered
Duroc-Jersey swine, and influential citizen of the city of Hanover, was
born on his father's farm in Washington county, Kansas, on February
21, 1875, a son of Frederick and Caroline (Carstens) Mueller. His par-
ents were natives of the Province of Oldenburg, Germany, and came to
Kansas during the early '70s. Mr. Mueller was possessed of some means
and purchased a tract of land in Washington county, which he improved
BIOGRAPtllCAL 5II
and engaged in farming and stock raising. He lived but a few vears in
his adopted land, but in the short time in which he labored in the coun-
try of opportunity, he achieved success. His death occurred in 1882.
His widow survives and is a resident of Washington.
Charles J. Mueller is one of a family of four children, three sons and
one daughter, and is the second in order of birth. He obtained his edu-
cation in the public schools of his native county and at an early age was
given responsibilities, owing to the death of his father, which seldom
fall upon the shoulders of one so young. He assisted in the carrying on
of the home place and remained in charge of the propert}^ until 1900,
when he leased it from the heirs and with a tract of forty-five acres
vvhicii descended to him from his father's estate, initiated his independ-
ent career. He subsequently bought out the interest of his brothers and
sister in the home farm, which consisted of 640 acres. He remained on
this property until 1909, when he purchased an 8oo-acre tract adjoining
the cit}- of Hanover on the north and has since increased his holdings by
an additional 160 acres. This enterprise is one of the best improved,
best managed and most profitable properties in the State devoted to
farming and stock raising. The land is especially fertile, as is evidenced
by its wheat crop of 1913, which averaged 38 bushels per acre. One
hundred acres are in alfalfa, and also an extensive acreage is sown to
corn. Mr. Mueller has dealt in cattle on an extensive scale and usually
fattens about 300 head annually. He has a large number of horses and
mules and class is one of his requirements in an}- animal on the place.
At present he is making a specialty of pure-bred Duroc-Jersey swine,
and has about 300 head. As a breeder of these animals he has attained
wide recognition for success and ranks with the leaders in this industry
in the West. In the management of his interests Mr. Mueller has given
that close attention to detail, progressiveness and energy which makes
for success in any line of business .endeavor and is justly entitled to
recognition as one of the most successful men in the State in his line of
activity. He is a typical progressive and successful farmer and stock-
man, a man of the highest. integrity, and is a leader and teacher among
his fellow agriculturalists. Although his time has been fully occupied in
the management of his business, he has kept well posted on the topics
and questions of the day, and takes a keen interest in the political af-
fairs of his section. Public office has never appealed to him, his one
public office having been that of clerk of his home school district. He
is a Republican. He is an influential Mason, and has attained the Scot-
tish Rite degrees.
Mr. Mueller was united in marriage on May 8, 1901. with Miss Lizzie
Kreiensieck, a daughter of Henry and Catherine (Ciundlefinger) Kreien-
sieck, who was born in Independence township, Washington county, and
who acquired her education in its public schools. Her father was born
in Hanover, Germany, who settled in Washington county, Kansas, in
512 BIOGRAPHICAL
1870, where he entered a homestead. He was a successful farmer and
stock raiser. He died on April 21, 1903. Her mother was born in the
State of Iowa, and was brought to Kansas by her parents when a babe
of nine months of age, the father entering a homestead in Washington
county in i860.
Mr. and Mrs. Mueller are the parents of the following children:
Katherine, a student in the schools of Hanover; Frederick H., also at-
tending the Hanover schools ; Jacob E. and Charles J., Jr. Mr. and
Mrs. Mueller are members of the Lutheran church and active in the
work of their home congregation. Mrs. Mueller is a member of the
Eastern Star.
Robert Y. Shibley, Marysville, Kan., is one of the early pioneers of
northern Kansas. He passed through the early hardships, privations and
struggles of the formative period of the State, and has reaped a rich
material reward, as well as enjoying the satisfaction of having taken an
active part in the building up of the great ^^'est. Robert Y. Shibley is
a native of South Carolina, born in Edgefield District, December 20,
1839, and is a son of James and Elizabeth (Lamb) Shibley, both of
English descent. The father was a large cotton planter and a slave
owner before the war, and the parents spent their lives in South Carolina.
\\'hen a boy sixteen years of age Robert Y. Shibley ran away from home
and came to Kansas with the single ambition of hunting buffaloes. His
desire in that direction was occasioned by reading a letter from David
R. Atchison, who at that time resided in western Missouri. Mr. Atchi-
son, as histor}^ records, had the distinction of serving as President of the
L'nited States by virtue of his office as Vice President, from Saturday
night to Monda}' morning. Mr. Shibley made the trip to Atchison, Kan..
from his home in Soyth Carolina mostly by water via the Tennessee,
Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers. In addition to the distance trav-
eled by water he walked over one hundred miles overland in making the
trip and he reached Atchison. Kan.. April i, 1856. At that time the
slavery controversy was the all-absorbing question in Kansas and the
bitterness that prevailed between the pro- and anti-slavery advocates
was at its height arid conflicts between these opposing factions were of
frequent occurrence. On April 10, 1856, just ten days after his arrival in
Kansas, Mr. Shibley joined a company of one hundred men imder Sheriff
Jones, of Kansas Territory, who had instructions from the territorial
legislature to go to Lawrence and destroj' the Eldridge Hotel and the
"Free State Press." The hotel had been fitted up with port holes for
defense purposes, which was construed by the legislature as making
preparations for war. The company marched from Atchison to Le-
compton. then the Territorial capital, and here Sheriff Jones with his
men captured a six-pound cannon and a quantity of ammunition, and
at this point they were joined by three or four hundred moro men. They
then marched on Lawrence, taking a position on the hillside command-
BIOGRAPHICAL 513
ing tlie town, having couriers in achance to warn the inhabitants to leave
the town. Upon arrival there they found the town practically deserted,
and the\- then entered the village, destroying the "Free State Press'"
and throwing the equipment into the river, and after completing this
work they proceeded to carry out their orders as to the destruction of
the Eldridge Hotel, and according!)- planted their six-pounder about a
hundred yards from that building and fired several shots into the build-
ing until it was reduced to a mass of ruins, which was fired, and thus its
destruction was completed. They burned Mr. Robinson's house and re-
turned to Lecompton, returning the cannon which they had taken, and
started on their return to Atchison ; when at Easton they were attacked
bj' a party under command of James Lane. At this time they had be-
come scattered into small groups and Mr. Shibley was with the part}-
whicli encountered Lane. They took refuge in a blacksmith shop and
Lane's men continued to bombard them throughout the afternoon. The
blacksmith shop was riddled with shot and the besieged men laid as close
to tlie ground as possible for safety. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon
Lane's men proceeded to run a load of haj"^ against the shop, with a view
of setting it afire and thereby burning the shop. However they fought
off I^ane's men and succeeded in setting fire to the load of hay when it
was about seventy-five yards from the shop. One of Lane's men was
wounded in the fight. They remained in the shop until after dark, when
they proceeded on their way to Atchison, none the worse of the encounter
except some bruises from flying stones and timbers from the cannon
shots. Shortly after this a town site companj' was organize' in Atchison,
of which Mr. Shibley was a member, and they purchased eight head of
mules and the same number of cattle, with wagons and provisions, from
David R. Atchison, and started west June 2. 1856. They went as far as
where Marysville now stands, and during this entire trip of about one
hundred miles they saw but one house. This was occupied by a man
named Rubedeau, who afterwards became a prominent citizen of St.
Joseph. Mo. At that time he was located on the plains with the purpose
of trading with the Otoe Indians. Mr. Shibley's party camped with him
over night. They arrived at the site of Marysville July i, 1856. Frank
Marshall had settled on the Big Blue river near this point and ran a
ferry. He named the place, where the fei-ry crossed, Marysville, after
his wife, Mary Marshall, thus the town, Marysville, derived its name.
The party made an investigation of the country around this section and
being favorably impressed with it located 320 acres and laid out a town
site, calling it F'almetto in honor of South Carolina, as most of the party
were natives of that State. A year later the town of Marysville was laid
out. There are two streets in Marysville which are only one-half block
apart and the reason of which is generally unknown. However, it was
due to the fact that Frank Marshall, the first settler, had built a log
store before the town was laid out and to accommodate him an extra
514 B10GR.^1'111LAL
Street was laid out in order to pass the front of his store, which is
now the main business street of Marysville. The town of Palmetto
became an addition to the town of Marysville. Mr. Shibley was a mem-
ber of both town-site companies and they agreed to call the place ^larys-
ville, for the reason that Mr. ^larshall had given the place where his
ferry crossed the river that name at an earlier date. There are only two
members of these companies living at the present time, as far as Mr.
Shibley knows, and he is the only one living in Marshall county. The
town site of Palmetto was on the main-traveled road, or trail, leading
to the west. Parties on the way west often camped at this place and in
the spring before Mr. Shibley and his party came here a party of emi-
grants on the way to the "Promised Land," as Utah was then called,
were attacked by cholera and died by the hundred, and left the hillside
dotted with new graves as mute testimony of ravages of that disease. A
postoffice was established where the stage coach crossed the Big Blue
river, in October, 1854. It was given the name Marysville and Frank
Marshall was the first postmaster. This was the first postoffice estab-
lished after this part of the Territory was named Kansas, officially.
In 1858 Mr. Shibley went to St. Louis and bought a sav.- mill, which
he brought to Marysville and set up on the Big Blue river. He owned
large tracts of land up and down the river, which was about the only
timber land in that section, and did a thriving business. He also did
sawing for the settlers, who often hauled logs thirty or forty miles to
his mill. In i860 there was a complete crop failure, and in 1862 he went
to Atchison with his ox teams and contracted to haul a quartz mill from
Atchison to Central City, Col. On his way to Central City he passed
through Marj'sville, where he learned that Indians were on the war
path along the Little Blue river in Washington county. Here he joined
a company of about twenty men and they set out after the Indians, who
had done considerable damage and carried off three white women, who
were later rescued and returned to the settlement. General Sheridan
then went in pursuit of the Indians and followed them to Colorado,
where he defeated them with heavy loss. Mr. Shibley resumed his
journey west, following the trail of the army, arriving in Central City,
Col., without further trouble from the Indians. The trip took nearly
all summer and in some instances it required as many as twenty yoke
of oxen to haul his load over the mountains. After delivering his load
he returned to Marysville, where he engaged to haul a lo-.id of corn to
Fort Laramie for the Government. He received eleven cents per pound
for hauling, and even at that price it was not a profitable venture, as
the price of provisions were so high. Sugar was seventy-five cents per
pound and hay was S120 per ton. He also hauled wood to Fort Jules-
burg at $100 per cord. In 1864, after he returned from Fort Julesburg
to Marysville, he sold his freighting equipment and engaged in farming
and stock raising on the Big Blue river, where he owned six hundred
BIOGRAPHICAL 5T5
acres of land, which he has since operated. He made a trip to his Soutli
Carolina home in the fall of 1867, returning to Kansas the following
spring. When a boy he was a neighbor and schoolmate of Senator
Benjamin Tillman. Mr. Shibley's career has been filled with many
exciting incidents of pioneer life. On one occasion, in 1858, while
working at his mill he heard some firing near the ferry and upon in-
vestigation found that some disappointed prospectors, returning from
Colorado, had driven off the ferryman and taken possession of the
ferry, but in a short time the settlers recaptured the ferry, and in so
doing killed three of the prospectors. While Mr. Shibley left home
for the purpose of hunting buffaloes in Kansas he never had the oppor-
tunity to engage in this sport until i860. This was one of the dry
j'ears and there was neither water nor grass on the plains He went
about thirty miles west of Marysville, where he found gieat herds of
buffaloes, and in two days' hunting secured all the buffalo meat that
two yoke of cattle could haul. He lived on this meat that winter.
Mr. Shibley was married. May 28, 1872, to Frances Blanchard Covell,
a daughter of George and Caroline Blanchard, nati\es of Con-
necticut. Mrs. Shibley was born, reared and educated in that State and
came to Kansas with her parents in 1870. They settled in Marshall
county at the place later known as Blanchville. The father was a car-
penter, but after coming to Kansas did not engage actively in any busi-
ness. He and his wife were Quakers and Mr. Rlanchard whs contractor
and builder for Spragues in building houses for cotton mill employees.
He was a man of considerable means and at his death left a great deal
of property. He remained in Marshall county until his death. To Mr.
and Mrs. Shibley have been born five children: Robert F., Marysville;
James C, a Government employee at Washington, D. C, in the Chem-
ical Department, married Miss Bell and they have two children, Bettie
and Louise; Ludie C, married Benjamin Al. liell, stockman, Beattie,
Kan., and they have two children, Francis and Woodrow Wilson; Ho-
ratio B. resides in the State of Washington, and Ethel E. resides at
home with her parents. The family are members of tlie Methodist
Episcopal church, and for over forty 3'ears Mr. Shibley has been a
member of the Masonic order and Mrs. Shibley is a member of the
Eastern Star.
^Ir. Shibley has met with merited success, and after :.ii actixc and
eventful career, in which he has played no small part in the develop-
ment of the State, he is spending the latter days of his life practically
retired. He is one of the substantial men of ]\Tarshall county, well and
fa\orably known in that section.
Thomas Clayton Peffer, late of Eureka, Kan., was called to his reward
from a successful career in the prime of manhood. At the time of his
death he was the editor of the Eureka "Herald," and for years was
regarded as the leading educator of Greenwood conniy. Mr. Peffer was
5l6 BIOGR-APHICAL
born RIarcli 17, 1873, at Punxsutavvney, Pa., and was a son of William
and Virginia (Wright) Peffer. The father was a teacher and came to
Kansas to 1870, settling on Government land in Greenwood county
He taught school for several years after coming to this State, and also
followed farming. He died on his homestead in March, 1887. His wife
Virginia Wright, was born at Alexandria, Ky., August 4, 1845, of Vir-
ginia parents. She married Mr. Peffer at Alexandria, Ky., in March,
1871, and three children were born to this union: Thomas Clayton,
the subject of this sketch; Charles C, born September 20, 1876, now em-
ployed in a railroad office in Houston, Tex., and May. born December
29, 1878, -now employed as a stenographer in a railroad office at Kings-
ville, Tex. She owns a half interest in the Eureka "Herald."
Thomas Clayton Peffer was educated in the public schools of Ken-
tucky and Kansas. He graduated from the high school at Severy, Kan.,
and later attended Baker University at Baldwin, Kan., two years. He
then engaged in teaching, and followed that profession fourteen years in
Greenwood county, seven years of which he was principal of the Severy
schools, and four j'ears principal of the Madison schools. From 1904
to 1908 he was superintendent of public instruction of Greenwood
county, discharging the duties of that responsible position with credit to
himself and satisfaction to his constituency. At the expiration of his
term of office, he accepted the position of assistant cashier of the First
National Bank of Eureka, and on January i, 191 1, he purchased the
Eureka "Herald," in partnership with his sister, and was editor of this
paper until the time of his death. Mr. Peffer was a Mason and a Re-
publican. He was a man of unusual ability, with a broad range of ver-
satilit)-. Whether in the capacity of an educator, banker or journalist,
he seemed to be best fitted for whatever he was doing at the time. His
early demise was a sad blow to the entire commimity, as well as to
those who were near and dear to him.
Thomas Clayton Peffer and Miss Susie Florence Hayes were united
in marriage June i, 1897, ^^ Severy, Kan. She is a daughter of John F.
and Lorena (McEwen) Hayes, of Severy, Kan. The father is a native
of Indiana, born at Columbus, June 26. 1852, and the mother was born
in Kenton county, Kentucky, February 11, 1864. To Mr. and Mrs
Hayes were born eight children: Susie Florence, born June 2. 1879;
Margaret E., born January 8, 1882; Howard A., born June 11, 1883;
Kathleen, born March 25, 18S5; Grace F., born December 2, 1886; Ruth
M., born August 25, 1893; Beth M., born September 30. 1895; Harold
H.. born March 9, 1898. To Thomas Clayton Peffer and Susie Florence
(Hayes) Peffer were born three children : Helen Hayes, born February
6, 1899; Thomas Clayton, Jr., born January 25, 1907, and Virginia L.,
born November 29, 1909. Mrs. Peffer was educated in the public
schools, graduating from the Severy High School in the class of 1895,
and was a successful teacher in Greenwood county for six years prior to
BIOGRAPHICAL 517
licr marriage. At the death of lier husband she became the editor and
active manager of the Eureka "Herald," succeeding to his half interest
in that newspaper. The "Herald" is the pioneer newspaper of Green-
wood county, having been established in 1868. Notwithstanding the
sad circumstances under which the management of this paper fell to
Mrs. Peffer, slie has proved herself to be a newspaper woman of no
ordinary type. The "Herald" is up to the standard of the best country
newspapers, and its columns bear the imprint of ability, industry and
consistent editorial policies.
Glenn Irvin Bonham, who has so capably and acceptably filled the
office of clerk of the district court of Clay county, was born in Clay
Center, Kan., July 7, 1884, a son of Edmond J. and Mattie L. (Welch)
Bonham. The elder Bonham was a native of Wisconsin and came to
Kansas in 1874, first locating in Salina, and a few years later in Clay
Center. Of the last named city, he was one of the founders, was active
in practically every movement which concerned its progress and develop-
ment, and one of its most progressive and influential citizens. He was
the editor of the Clay Center "Dispatch" for several years. He was a
vigorous writer, his editorials were worth while, and his paper was con-
ducted in an able and clean manner. From the time he became a resi-
dent of Clay Center, he was actively identified with the political life of
the county, and was a leader in the Republican party. He was twice
elected to the office of register of deeds of Clay county, and his admin-
istration of the affairs of this office was highly creditable to himself and
his constituents. He promoted the organization of the company, which
built Clay Center's sightly hotel, the Bonham, named in his honor, and
which was, at the time it was erected, one of the finest buildings devoted
to hotel purposes in the State. In 1875, ^^ married Miss Mattie L.
Welch, a daughter of Gilbert and -Sarah E. (Hicklin) Welch. Her par-
ents were natives of Iowa and Illinois, respectively, and came to Kansas
in 1874, and to Clay Center in 1875. Mr. Hicklin was a farmer and a
successful one. His death occurred in 1900, at Clay Center, and that of
his wife in 1910. They are survived by the following children : Mattie
L., who married Edmond T. Bonham ; Albert T., T.ettie H., and Her-
man G. Three of their children are deceased, viz: William, Anna and
Edward. Of the union of F.dmond T. Bonham and Mattie L. Hicklin
four children were born : Ferd P. Bonham, born March 10, 1876, now a
prosperous farmer of Clay county. He married, on September 8, 1907,
Floss E. Dickey, and they are the parents of one daughter, Bonnie B.,
born September 24, 1910. Stewart L. Bonham, the second child, born
December 24, 1880, died May 24, 1881. The third child is Glenn Irvin,
the subject of this article, and the fourth is Gladys, born March 20,
1886, who resides with her mother in Clay Center.
Glenn Irvin Bonham received his education in the public schools of
Clay Center. Subsequently ho began the study of medicine, but decided
5iy BIOGRAPHICAL
his inclinations were not for that profession. His first employment
was as a salesman, an occupation he followed for several years. Mean-
while, he completed a commercial course and qualified himself as an ex-
pert accountant. Like his father, his political allegiance has been given
the Republican party, and since attaining his majority he has been an
active worker in its ranks. He was honored by his party with nomina-
tion for the clerkship of the district court of Clay coimty, in 1912, and
elected, heading his party's ticket. Since his incumbency of the office,
his administration of its affairs has received the commendation of the
public. He is an untiring worker, his courtesy is unfailing, and he
possesses the qualifications for the successful conduct of the office. He
is one of the progressive men of his county, interested in the advance-
ment of his home city, and can be counted upon to assist in any move-
ment which has for its object a larger, better, more prosperous Clay Cen-
ter. He is a member of the Knights of P3^thias, takes an active part in
the social affairs of his city and county, and possesses the esteem of the
community.
Stephen H. Hamilton, who has so capably and acceptably filled the
office of prosecuting attorney of Washington county, was born at Co-
lumbus, Wis.. December 18, 1845, a son of William H. and Adaline (Pal-
mer) Hamilton. His paternal ancestors were natives of Ireland and his
branch of the family was founded in America by his great-grandfather.
His grandfather, James Hamilton, was a babe when his parents emi-
grated from the Emerald Isle, during the latter years of the Seventeenth
century. His father, William H. Hamilton, was born, reared and edu-
cated in the State of New York, was admitted to the bar and married
there. He removed to Racine, Wis., in 1841, where he practiced his pro-
fession for many years. He retired from active labor in 1890, and died
in Fremont, Neb., in 1906. He married Adaline Palmer, a daughter of
Alvah Palmer, a native of Vermont and a descendant of one of the
Colonial families of Massachusetts colony.
Stephen H. Hamilton was reared in Columbus and Madison, Wis.,
and acquired his education in the public schools. On the call of Pres-
ident Lincoln for volunteers, in 1861, young Hamilton, then but a boy
of sixteen, enlisted in defense of the Union, becoming a private in the
Twelfth Wisconsin artillery, being mustered in on March 3, 1862. \^'ith
his battery he took part in the various engagements with Grant on the
Mississippi, and was with Sherman on his march to the sea. During the
Battle of Altona Pass, Georgia, at which time he had attained the rank
of sergeant, his brother was killed at his side. For conspicuous bravery
during this engagement he was commissioned captain by Governor Fair-
child. His commission was unusually worded and we give it herewith :
"State of \\'isconsin. Louis Fairchild, Governor. To all to whom these
presents shall come. Greetings : Know ye — That I do hereby confer on
Stephen H. Hamilton late a Sergeant in the rank of Captain by Brevet
BIOGRAPHICAL 5 19
to rank as such from September 19, 1862, in recoynitiun of distinguished
gallantry and coolness under fire displayed by hirh a^ the Battle of luka,
where after the infantry on the battery's right had been driven back,
and the loth Iowa Infantry and one section of the 12th Battery alone
stood their grounds, Sergeant Hamilton to give by his example courage
and steadiness to the men loaded his gun 'by detail' amid a shower of
bullets. At the Battle of Allatona, Georgia, October 5th, 1864, Ser-
geant Hamilton's brother was instantly killed while pointing the gun;
and the sergeant sprang forward, took his brother's place, finished sight-
ing the gun and continued to direct it until the end of the engagement.
Signed, Louis Fairchild, by James K. Proudfit." Captain Hamilton was
mustered out on July 27, 1865. On completion of his military service
he returned to his native State and located at Madison, where he en-
gaged in buying grain. In 1869 he started overland with a prairie
schooner for Kansas. He had married meanwhile and his family accom-
panied him. He wintered at Wetmore, Kan., and the following spring
entered a homestead near Clifton, Washington county, which he mort-
gaged as soon as possible in order to buy a law library and begin the
study of law. He farmed his homestead, raised stock and also studied
for admission to the bar, attaining this goal in 1884. He was elected
to the office of county attorney of Washington county in 1886, and re-
elected in 1888. At the expiration of his second term he located for
practice at Clifton, where he, remained engaged in his profession until
he entered, in January, 1913, the county attorney's office for a third
time, having been elected in 1912. In his profession Mr. Hamilton is
recognized in his home county as one of the leading members of the bar,
enjoying a good substantial practice, because of his close attention to
his work and honesty and fair dealing with his clientage. He is giv-
ing an exceeding able administration of this department of the county's
business and carries the respect of all of the classes, is an honest and up-
right citizen, and is well qualified in his profession. Since attaining his
majority, he has been an ardent supporter of the policies of the Repub-
lican party, and has been an active and influential factor in local and
State politics. He has attended, as a delegate, numerous county an'd
State conventions of his party, and was elected a delegate to the Repub-
lican National convention at Chicago in 1904, whicii placed in m^nii-
nation Theodore Roosevelt. He was, for twenty-five years, city attor-
ney of Clifton, and served as mayor of that cil\' several terme. He is a
member of Sedgewick Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Clifton.
Mr. Hamilton married, at Madison, Wis., December 24, 1866, Miss
Francis L. Stiles, daughter of Tra F. and Rebecca N. (Fargo) Stiles,
both of whom were natives of the State of New York. To this union
have been born seven children: Albert A., a resident of Kansas City,
Kan., employed in the postal service; Gratia, the wife of John Petty, a
farmer of Barnes. Kan.; Edith, the wife of P. C. Swan, of Washington,
520 BIOGRAPHICAL
Kan., an automobile salesman ; Geneava, the wife of \\'illiam Van Coyoc,
a physician of CHfton, Kan. ; Howard, proprietor of an automobile ga-
rage at Clifton, Kan. ; Marie, the wife of G. C. Kirkpatric, of Seattle,
Wash., and Frederick, who died in infancy. The family have long been
prominent in the social circles of Washington county, and the Hamilton
residence is known for its gracious hospitalitj". Mrs. Hamilton is a
member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and active in her home con-
gregation.
James Thomas Braddock, a prominent Greenwood county cattleman,
and the present mayor of Madison, Kan., is a native of Ohio. He was
born on a farm in Knox county, November i6, 1850, and is a son of
David and Katherine (Headington) Braddock. The father was born
November 8, 1813, in Pennsylvania, a son of Joshua Braddock. who was
a descendant of General Braddock of French and Indian war fame. Da-
vid Braddock was a farmer throughout his life time and practically spent
his life in Ohio. He died at Charleston, 111., in 1883. James Thomas
Braddock was one of a family of eight children: Joshua and Arena,
both deceased ; David, Stockton, Cal. ; John S., Little Rock. Ark. : Ruth,
wife of George Cook, LeRoy, Kan. ; Rebecca, wife of Sherman Popham,
of Charleston, 111. ; Eliza, now the wife of Joshua Babbs, Charleston,
111., and James Thomas, the subject of this sketch.
James Thomas Braddock was educated in the public schools of Mount
Vernon, Ohio, and began teaching at the age of nineteen, and taught
six years in Ohio and Missouri. He was also engaged in farming be
tween his school terms. In 1884 he came to Kansas and bought a farm
six miles east of Madison, where he followed farming about eighteen
years. He also raised, fed and shipped large quantities of cattle. He
bought land from time to time, until he now owns several hundred acres
in Greenwood county. He was elected a member of the board of county
commissioners in Greenwood county in 1890. and was reelected, serving
until 1896. In the fall of that year he was elected State senator from
the Twenty-fourth senatorial district, including the counties of Green-
wood and Lyon. In 191 2 he was elected mayor of Madison, which office
he holds at the present time. He has been instrumental in making
man}' improvements during his administration, a municipal water works
and electric lighting system being installed, and many otheY municipal
improvements have been inaugurated. He stands for progressive muni-
cipal government, and is getting practical results. Mr. Braddock was
married March 5, 1874, to Miss Lois Cook, a daughter of Hiram Cook,
late of Bates county, Missouri. Mrs. Braddock was born in Kalamazoo,
Mich., December 10, 1851. To Mr. and Mrs. Braddock have been born
three children: Ella, born December 10, 1874, graduated at the State
Normal School of Emporia, in the class of 1898. was a teacher for a
number of years, and is now a stenographer in Kansas City. Mo.
Charles, the second child, was born May 24, 1877, was educated in the
BIOGRAPHICAL 52I
public schools of Greenwood count}-, and is now a substantial farmer and
stockman. He married Miss Hilah Mayes, of Lyon county, Kansas.
Edith Katherine, the third child, was born September 25, 1882. She
attended the State Normal School two years at Emporia, taught school
for a number of years in Greenwood county, and is also a stenographer
in Kansas City, Mo.
Mr. Braddock has made Madison his home since 1905, but is still ex-
tensively interested in the cattle business. He is one of the substantial
men of Greenwood county who, by his own efforts, has made a success.
His is the type of citizenship that has made Kansas the great State
that it is. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows,
and .is a Democrat.
Walter Everett Wilson, senator from the Twentieth district of Kan-
sas, secretary of the Kansas State Bankers' Association, and cashier of
the Farmers' State Bank of Washington, was born in the city of Man-
hattan, Kan., on August 21, 1871, a son of Charles L. and Garrie M.
( Sanborn) Wilson. The elder Wilson was born near Charleston, W.
Va., in 1841, and became a resident of Kansas in 1856, when he located
on land about six miles east of Manhattan, where he engaged in farm-
ing and stock raising. On the breaking otit of the Civil war, he enlisted,
at Fort Riley, in Comjiany L, Eleventh Kansas infantry, serving
throughout the war, and was mustered out at Fort Leavenworth. On
completion of his military service he returned to his farm and resumed
farming, an occupation he followed until his death, which occurred in
1900. He married when a young man Garrie M. Sanborn, a native of
New Hampshire, now a resident of Topeka.
Walter Everett Wilson was reared on the home farm and received his
early education in the district schools of Riley county. Subsequently,
he was a student in the Manhattan schools, and was graduated from the
Concordia High School, entered Kansas University and was graduated
in the class of 1893. On attaining his degree, he secured a position with
a retail drug firm at Concordia, and remained there until 1895, when
he established a drug store in Washington, an enterprise which proved
successful and which he conducted until 1004, when he was elected cash-
ier of the Farmers' State Bank, an institution which he had assisted in
organizing. The history of this bank is the history of Mr. Wilson's
identification w-ith the financial life of Washington county. Established
with a capital of $25,000, its business has been of sound and continuous
growth; it has an earned surplus of $15,000, and deposits of $150,000,
and it has always paid satisfactory dividends to its stockholders. Tn the
organization, development and administration of the business of this
institution Mr. Wilson has been the dominant executive, and to his
progrcssiveness, energy and resourcefulness is due the strength and
high reputation of the organization. He is known to the banking fra-
ternitv as a discriminating financier, and one who brought the adminis-
522 BIOGRAPHICAL
Cralive policy of his bank up to the point of higliest efficiency. He
was honored with election to the office of secretary of the Kansas State
Bankers' Association in 1908, and in this capacity has proven a useful
and conscientious officer. Since reaching his majority, he has been a
consistent advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican
party, and was honored by election to the State senate from the Twen-
tieth district in 1912. While his party was in the minority during the
session of 1913, he was concerned with important legislation and was
recognized by liis colleagues as one of the active and energetic members
of his party therein. He has attained the Scottish Rite degree in Ma-
sonry, and is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks,
and the Knights of Pythias. He is also a member of Sigma Nu frater-
nity. He has served for several years as secretary of the board of trus-
tees of the Methodist Episcopal church of his home city.
Mr. Wilson married, on June 2, 1897, Miss Margaret M. Jacobs,
daughter of Dr. William and Gusta D. (Bates) Jacobs, of Hanover, Kan.
Mrs. Wilson was born at Pawnee, Neb., September 18, 1875, and is a
graduate of the W'ashington Pligh School. Her father is a native of IMis-
souri, and her mother of Maine. Her parents located in Hanover in
1876, where her father practiced his profession for many years. He was
elected treasurer of W^ashington county in 1882, and reelected in 1884.
He retired from practice in 1904 and now resides in Washington, having
as a member of his family, his wife's mother, now aged seventy-eight.
'Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are the parents of one son, Walter William, born
December 19, 1903. Mrs. W^ilson is a woman of culture and refinement,
popular in the social circles of her home county in which she is a leader,
and the Wilson residence is known for its gracious hospitality.
William Sawyer Bitler, now deceased, was a successful man of affairs
of Lyon and Greenwood counties, and one of the influential citizens of
that section for years. He was a native of Ohio, born December i, 1846,
and a son of Daniel and Sarah J. (Van Tress) Bitler. The father was a
drygoods merchant in Ohio, and young Bitler worked in his father's
store until he was twenty-one years of age when, in 1867, the Bitler
family removed to Kansas, locating on Government land in what is now
Olpe township, Lyon county. Here the father engaged in farming and
stock raising on an extensive scale, and was successful up to the time
of his death. In addition to his agricultural interests he also became in-
terested in the banking business in Emporia and Eureka. Mr. Bitler
took an active interest in public affairs and kept thoroughly abreast of
the times. He died April 29, 1898.
• William Sawyer Bitler, after coming to Kansas, continued his busi-
ness association with his father and they operated together in the cattle
business and other interests, practically throughout their lives. William
Sawyer Bitler organized the Madison Bank of Madison. Kan., and was
vice-president of that institution to the time of his death. He took a
BIOtlRAlMllCAL 523
keen inlerest in political matters, and was a lifelong Republican. He
served as one of the county commissioners of Greenwood county for a
number of years. He was public-spirited and enterprising, having an
extensive acquaintance and many friends. Mr. JJitler was united in mar-
riage February 4, 1874, to Miss Arminda, daughter of James and Louisa
(Weaver) Keith, natives of Illinois, and a pioneer family of Lyon coun-
ty, Kansas. Mrs. Bitler was born in Indianola, 111., and came to Kansas
with her parents in 1859. The father passed away in Madison in 1900,
and the wife and mother passed away August 15, 1910. To William
Sawyer Bitler and Arminda (Keith) Bitler were born seven children:
Clytie, born March 25, 1876, died February 14, 1878; Ina, born Novem-
ber 22, 1879, graduated at the State Normal School, Emporia, in the class
of 1903, now a teacher in the Madison High School ; Ella, born Decem-
ber 22, 1881, educated in the Kansas State Normal School at Emporia;
Erma, born November 18, 1883, educated in the State Normal School of
Emporia, married Etherbelt Shaffer, and has two children, William Earl
and Fern; Clyde, born November 3. 1888, died April 19, 1889; Harry
William, born February 9, 1890, and Fae, born July 16, 1894, graduated
in the Madison High School, class of 1912. The Bitler family is well
and favorably known throughout Greenwood county, and reside at
Madison.
Frederick Ott, a ]jrominent pioneer of Greenwood county, now retired
at Hamilton, Kan., is a native of Germany, born at Fillbach, September
14, 1848. He is a son of Michael and Eva (Daubinsmith) Ott. The
family came to America in 1854, when Frederick was six years old.
They first located on a farm in Cook county, Illinois, where they re-
mained until 1858, when they came to Kansas and located on Govern-
ment land in Greenwood county. This was before the cotmty had been
surveyed, and the Ott family were among the very first settlers in thai
section of Kansas. The father engaged in farming here and the pat-
ents remained on the homestead throughout the remainder of their lives.
They were industrious and thrifty people, meeting with well merited
success, and both have gone to their rewards. The father died in No-
vember, 1875, at the advanced age of eighty-three, the mother having
passed away in 1866, at the age of sixty-six. They were the parents of
eight children: William, John, Michael, Abraham, Louise, all of whom
are deceased, and Dorothy, now the widow of John Simpson, of Medi-
cine Lodge, Kan.; Minnie, now the wife of Ferdinand Shcde, a retired
farmer of Yates Center, Kan., and Frederick, whose name intniduces
this sketch.
Frederick Ott came to Kansas with his ])arcnts. wlu-re lie grew to
manhood. He was brought up on a farm and has made farming and
stock raising the chief occupation of his life. For years he was one of
the extensive farmers and stockmen of drcenwiHid county. Imtin hjoo
retired, after accumulating a competence. ,ind is now enjoying the well
524 BIOGRAPHICAL
earned recompense of former thrift and enterprise. During his active
career he was interested in man}- other business projects in addition to
farming and stock raising. For thirteen years he was vice-president of
the Citizens' National Bank of Eureka, Kan., and in 191 1 he became vice-
president of the Hamilton State Bank, of Hamilton, Kan. He is a large
land owner, owning four well improved farms, including the original
family homestead. Mr. Ott was united in marriage February 15, 1888,
to Miss Etta A. Mummey, daughter of William and Elizabeth (DeWitt)
Mummey, who came from Illinois to Kansas, settling at Emporia in
1886. The father died September 18, 1912, at Silverdale, Kan., and the
mother departed this life September 18, 1901, at Hamilton, Kan. They
were the parents of ten children, six of whom are living: Zorado, Mary
and Mattie (twins), Rebecca. Etta and Thomas. To Mr. and Mrs. Ott
have been born fiv^e children: Frederick W., born November 11, 1888,
now in the cattle business in Greenwood county ; Thomas \\ ., born July
16, 1890, died August 18, 1892; Mary L., born June 17, 1892; Anna E.,
born October 28, 1894, and Rebecca E., born January 5, 1896. Mr. Ott
is a member of the time-honored Masonic fraternity, and has been a
lifelong Republican, and for years served as treasurer of Jamesville
township. Mrs. Ott is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Dr. Wilson S. Dingman, a leader of the school of veterinar}^ surgery
of Northern Kansas, is a native of Ohio, born near Fort Washington, in
Tuscarawas county, October 10, 1838. He is the son of George W. and
Sarah (Cleaver) Dingman, the former a native of New York, and the
latter of Kentucky, and a descendant of a pioneer Kentucky family. Col.
George W. Dingman was born in 1797, and was a merchant tailor, fol-
lowing this occupation until the Civil war broke out, when he was com-
missioned lieutenant-colonel of the Eightieth Ohio infantry, and soon
afterward was promoted to be colonel of his regiment, which he led
through many hard-fought battles. To Colonel Dingman and Sarah
Cleaver were born three sons, including the subject of this review, all
of whom served in the Union army in the Civil war, two of them being
commissioned officers.
Dr. Dingman received a good common st:hool education and at the age
of nineteen, or in 1857, he started west with a party, intending to go to
Iowa, but upon arrival at Wellsville, Ohio, his companions abandoned
the idea, and some of them decided to return home, and others to locate
in that vicinity. But young Dingman, with characteristic determination,
continued the journey alone. He sold some of his surplus clothing and
took passage on a river steamer to St. Louis, Mo. Upon arrival there
his funds became low, and he secured employment as a roustabout on
another river boat, bound for Savannah, Mo-, and from there he walked
to Iowa, later returning to Missouri and crossing the river at Leaven-
worth, where he located for the winter. Here he worked at odd jobs
until spring. He then worked at various occupations in one place and
BIOGRAPHICAL 525
another, and was in Iowa when the Civil war came on. He enlisted in
Company K, Ninth Iowa infantry, for three years, and served in the
Army of the Cumberland until the expiration of his time. He then re-
enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Ninety-fourth Ohio infantry,
as a private. This regiment served in the Army of the Potomac, and in
a short time Dr. Dingman became captain of his company.
He saw much service in the camp, on the march and on the field of
battle, but is inclined not to talk to any extent about the stirring events
of the '60s. However, his record speaks for him. The soldier who en-
listed as a private and in a short time became captain of his company
must necessarily have many credit marks upon his record for gallantry
on the field of battle and general efficiency as a soldier. At the close of
the war he returned to Iowa, and a short time afterward attended the
veterinary college of Cincinnati. Returning to Iowa he engaged in
farming and meixhandising, and was interested in various business en-
terprises there until 1891, when he returned to Kansas and settled at
Frankfort, and engaged in the practice of his profession. He was also
interested in farming and stock raisfng, making a specialty of thorough-
bred Short Horn cattle and Poland China hogs. In iQio he retired from
the practice of veterinary surgery, but still has his farming interest, to
which he devotes some attention. Dr. Dingman was first married to
Mamie Squires, a daughter of Martin and Lucy Ann Squires, of Ken-
lucky. To this union were born five children: Cora, married Joseph
Winch, an undertaker of Seattle, Wash.; May, married E. C. Cooper,
civil engineer in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company
in California; Carrie, married Joseph Krieger, a merchant of Pasadena.
Cal. ; Nellie, resides in Pasadena, and Colonel, State agent for the Omaha
Life Insurance Company for Kansas, is located at Clay Center.
Dr. Dingman's second wife, to whom he was married October 10,
1894, was Mrs. Agnes McCulloch, daughter of John and Margaret (Mc-
Dowell) McConchie, both natives of Scotland.
Mrs. Dingman was also born in Scotland, and came to Knox cDunty.
Illinois, in 1849 with her parents, and in 1878, when the family located
in Marshall county, Kansas, she came with them. Her mother died here
in 1878. at the age of sixty-nine years, and the father lived to the ri])e
old age of eighty-eight, and passed away in 1881. Mrs. Dingman is the
mother of two sons by her first marriage, James T. McCulloch, live
stock auctioneer of Claj' Center, and Oscar Clark McCulloch, harness
maker of Frankfort, Kan. Dr. Dingman is a'incmber of tlie Henderson
Post, No. 53, Grand .'\rmy of the Republic, of which he is a past com-
mander, and his wife holds membership in the Mothculist Episcopal
church.
John O. Chambers, a successful physician and surgeon, of lI;ino\er.
Kan., was born at Marysvillc, Nodaway county. Missouri, October 12.
1856. He is a son of John and Sarah R. (\\'eddington) ClKuiibers. The
father was a contractor and builder, following that occupation Ihrongh-
526 BIOGRAPH ICAL
out his life. The mother was born in Tennessee and is a descendant of
a long line of Southern ancestors. Her father was a large planter and
slave holder before the war.
Dr. Chambers was reared in his native county and attended the rural
schools. After completing the common branches he taught school for
a few years. His father died when Dr. Chambers was a small boy, and
he was compelled to assist his widowed mother in supporting the fam-
ily. He was ambitious to attain a higher education, and besides helping
his mother he paid his own way through college by teaching. He en-
tered the Northern Indiana College at \'alparaiso, now known as the
\'alparaiso University, and graduated from that institution in the class
of 1882 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He then returned to
Nodaway county and taught school several years, when he went to
Nebraska, where he was also engaged in teaching, and came to Kansas
as a teacher in the city schools of Horton, and was employed there five
3-ears. He then decided to take up the profession of medicine, and en-
tered the Louisville Medical College, Louisville. Ky., graduating in the
class of 1891 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He also took sev-
eral special courses of lectures in addition to the regular course, and is
now admitted to practice in both the States of Nebraska and Kansas.
He located at Hanover in 1896, where he has since been engaged in
practice. Dr. Chambers has been successful in his chosen field of en-
deavor. He is a skillful physician and has built ud a large practice in
and around Hanover.
He was united in marriage, October 21, 1894, to Miss Mattie Wil-
liams, a native of New Hampshire, where she received a public school
and college education. She was a teacher in the Horton city schools
at the time of her marriage.
Dr. Chambers is the local surgeon for the Chicago, Burlinglon & Quincy
and the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad companies at Hanover. He is
a member of the County and State Medical associations and has been
president of the County Medical Association and also president of the
St. Joseph & Grand Island Railway Surgeons' Association. He is a
member of the Masonic lodge, of the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows and of the ^lodern Woodmen of America. Politically he is a
Republican.
David C. Johnson, a leading citizen of Greenwood county and the
present mayor of Eureka, is a native of Illinois, born in Effingham
county. F"ebruary 20, i860. He is a son of Dr. David W. and Sarah
F. (Mills) Johnson. Dr. Johnson was also a native of Illinois, born
September 25, 1825. He was active in the practice of the medical pro-
fession to the age of sixty-five years and died August 20, 1902. at Ingalls,
Okla. His wife was a native of North Carolina, born November 20,
1826. She died January 18, 1875, at LaClede, 111. Dr. Johnson and wife
were the parents of eight children, as follows: Levi, died at the age of
BIOGRAPHICAL 527
eleven; John M., died at the age of fifty-two; Robert A., died al the
age of twenty-two: Olive S., died at the age of forty-three; Lorenzn H.,
a lawyer at Toronto. Kan.; Mary A., the wife of ^^'illiam McKinley.
a cousin of the late President, resides at Marshall, Okla.; Wilbur died
in infancy, and David C, the subject of this review.
David C. Johnson was educated in the public schools of Effingham
county. Illinois, and attended school in Greenwood countv, Kansas,
after coming to this State with his parents in 1876. ^\'hcn the family
came to Kansas they drove the entire distance from Illinois, locating in
Greenwood county at a town called Charleston, which is now extinct.
Young Johnson followed teaching in early life and for eight years taught
school in Greenwood and Elk counties, one year of whicli he was prin-
cipal of the Fall River schools. In 1889 he, in partnership with his
brother, Lorenzo H., engaged in the loan business at Eureka under the
firm name of Johnson Brothers. In 1894 Lorenzo H. was elected pros-
ecuting attorney of Greenwood county and withdrew from the firm
and David C. continued the business alone and in 1910 incorporated
the Eureka Mortgage Company, of which he is the secretary, treasurer
and manager. This company does an extensive mortgage loan business,
and has done thousands of dollars' worth of business in this section
of the State.
In addition to liis extensive busipess affairs Mr. Johnson takes a com-
mendable interest in public matters. He has served on the Eureka
Board of Education eight years, and for three years was president of
the board. He has always been active in any inovement which had for
its object the betterment of his town or county. In 1911 when Eureka
adopted the commission form of government, Mr. Johnson was elected
mayor. He led the progressive movefnent for municipal improvement
and ownership, and during his administration has brought about many
improvements, including street pavement, and yet the tax rate has not
been materially increased. He was largely instrumental in securing a
Carnegie library for the town, and his public services as mayor of Eu-
reka are worthy of commendation. He is public spirited and is ever
ready to support with his time and money any enterprise for the public
good.
Mr. Johnson was married October 17. 1888. at Buffalo, Kan., to Miss
Eva, daughter of J. L. and Elizabeth (Stone) White, of Buffalo. Mrs.
Johnson was born October 29, 1869. Her parents were natives of Ken-
tucky and came to Kansas in 1870, locating in Wilson county on the
present site of the town of Buffalo, where the father died in 1883 and
the mother departed this life at Wichita in 1912. They were the par-
ents of nine children, all of whom are living: Ada L. ; George L. ;
James W. ; Simeon R. ; Ida ; Robert M. ; Eva and Cassius C. To Mr.
and Mrs. Johnson have been born two children: Lois M., born May 6,
1893, is a graduate of Washburn College, Topeka, and Roscoe E.. a
528 BIOGRAPHICAL
graduate of the Eureka High School. ^Ir. Johnson is a member of the
Masonic lodge and past eminent commander of the Knights Templars.
He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, and the family are members of the Congrega-
tional church, in which Mrs. Johnson is an active worker.
J. H. Edward Mueller, successful farmer and stockman, and one of the
most widely known and influential citizens of Washington county, Kan-
sas, was born in the Province of Oldenburg, Germany, June 30, 1843, ^
son of Henry Mueller, who died in 1848. Mr. Mueller was reared a
farmer, acquired his education in the schools of his native land, and re-
sided there until 1869, when he came to the United States and located in
Doniphan county, Kansas, the latter part of the trip from the eastern
seaboard being made by boat, which brought him up the Missouri river
from St. Louis. He remained about six months in Doniphan county,
where he was employed on the farm of Henry Laverance. and in the fall
of 1869 he purchased a tract of land in A\"ashington county, lying along
Blue river, which he improved and placed in cultivation. This section
of the -State was but sparsely settled at that time, wild game was abun-
dant, and Indians still remained in sufficient numbers to cause periodical
scares among the pioneers, ^^'aterville was the nearest railway station
and here was shipped the cattle raised by the earlv settlers, this being
their most profitable industry. There was a grist mill on the Little Blue,
near the farm of Mr. Mueller, operated by water power, and it drew its
customers from a radius of many mile?. This mill was purchased by our
subject during the early '80s and conducted by him until 1905, when the
flood waters of that year changed the river's course and the mill was
left without power. The following year, 1906, he built a modern mill in
Hanover, operated by steam, which he conducted until 191 1. when he sold
it. From the time of his settlement in the county he has been a stock
raiser and in this line of endeavor has been notably successful. The
Mueller ranch on the Little Blue river, south of Hanover, is one of the
best improved, best managed and most profitable agricultural enterprises
in its section of the State. Its barns are constructed of native lime
stone from the Hanover quarries, and the residence is the most imposing
farm dwelling in the county. It is constructed of brick and has modern
conveniences. Mr. Mueller was one of the active factors in the organ-
ization of the Hanover State Bank, which has the distinction of having
the largest deposits of any institution in the county, and served as a
member of its board of directors until his retirement from active busi-
ness cares, in 191 1, due to ill health. While a member of the bank's
directorate he was an active force in an advisory way, his knowledge of
credits making him a valuable member of the board, and his personal
popularity and well known business integrity and honesty drew a large
volume of business to the institution. He still retains his stock interest,
which is large, in the bank, but is no loneer able to take an active interest
BIOGRAPHICAL 529
in its administration. Essentially a business man. he has had neither
tine nor inclination for public office, although he never neglects in the
least his civic duties. Educational matters have always been of interest
to him, and the only time which he has taken from his business life has
been devoted to the interests of the schools of his county, and he has
served as a member of the school board for many years. He has been
an active worker in the cause of Christianity, and is one of the most
influential members of the Lutheran church of Hanover. His fraternal
affiliations are with the Masonic order, the Ancient Order of United
Workmen, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Turners Society
of Hanover. He is a Republican.
Mr. Mueller married on March 27, 1870, Miss Anna K. Kirch, the
daughter of John and Annie Kirch, both of whom were born in the
Province of Luxemborg, Germany, and who came to Marshall county,
Kansas, in 1858, where the}^ resided until their deaths. Their daughter
was born in LaCrosse, Wis., and educated in the schools of Marys-
ville, Kan. To this union have been born six children: Henry M. Muel-
ler, a sketch of whom follows this article ; John F. Mueller, who is the
active manager of the Mueller ranch ; A. G., who is deceased ; Emma, the
wife of F. M. Gerfert, a prosperous farmer of Washington county, Kan-
sas; Edward, deceased, and Annie, deceased.
Mrs. Mueller is a woman of sterling worth, possesses many lovable
characteristics, and has been a true helpmeet to her husband, and a lov-
ing mother to her children. She is a member of the Eastern Star, the
Royal Neighbors, and the Lutheran church, and in the latter organiza-
tion takes an active part.
Mr. Mueller has realized a large and substantial success in the busi-
ness world, has been identified with those measures which have assisted
in the advancement and betterment of his county, and possesses a well
earned i)opularity and the esteem of his fellow men. He has been a
home builder and a useful citizen. Washington county is the better for
his iiaving lived and labored within her boundaries.
Henry M. Mueller, a prominent real estate dealer and insurance agent,
who has been actively identified for many years with the commercial
life of the city of Hanover, Kan., and who is so capably and acceptably
filling the position of police judge of that city, was born on his father's
farm in Washington county, on February 24, 1871, a son of J. H. Ed>
ward and Annie (Kirch) Mueller, a sketch of whom precedes this article
Henry M. Mueller obtained his education in the public schools of his
native county, and subsequently entered the employ of his father, in the
Mueller mill on the Little Blue river, where he remained for eleven
}-ears. He then established himself in the grain, produce, stock and
poultry business at Hanover. Tn 1903 he discontinued the grain and
stock features of his business and confined his efforts to handling pro-
duce and remained in this field of endeavor until 191 1, when he estab-
530 BIOGRAPHICAL
lished his present business, that of real estate and insurance. In 1900 he
organized the Hanover Telephone Company, of which he was a large
stockholder and manager. This interest he disposed of in 1903. He has
been an active and influential factor in the political life of his county,
and a consistent advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican
party. He has served as a member of the council of the city of Hanover
for the past ten years, was elected to the lower house of the State legis-
lature in 1904, serving during the session of 1905, and was honored by ap-
pointment as chairman of the committee on engrossing. During this
service he was concerned in legislation of importance, and was considered
b}- his colleagues as an active and energetic member of his part}' therein.
In 1912 he was elected to the office of police judge of Hanover, and also
to that of justice of the peace. His service in these two offices has been
creditable to himself and his constituents. Mr. Mueller has attained the
Scottish Rite degrees in ^lasonry, and he is an active and influential
member of the "Lutheran church.
On September 9, 1899, Mr. Mueller was united in marriage with Miss
Elenora C. Engle, a daughter of John R. and Elizabeth Engle, who was
born in Otoe county, Nebraska, where she was reared and educated. Her
parents became residents of the State of Kansas in the early '90s. Her
mother is deceased, and her father retired from active business. Mrs.
Mueller is a member of the Lutheran church, and takes an active part in
the work of her home congregation. She is also a member of the Eastern
Star.
Dorus H. Piper, M. D., a well known member of the medical profes-
sion, is a native of Kansas, born in Jackson county June 29, 1879. He
is a son of John and Ella (Lytten) Piper, natives of Ohio. They came
to Kansas and located in Jackson county, where the father engaged in
farming and stock raising. Dr. Piper was reared on a farm and in early
life attended the district schools of Jackson county. He worked hard
for his education and practically paid his own way through both pre-
paratory and medical schools. After obtaining a good academic edu-
cation he took a three-years' course in Campbell University at Holton,
Kan., and after teaching and working two years entered the Kansas
Medical College, then a branch of Washburn College, Topeka. He
graduated from this institution in the class of 1907 with the degree of
Doctor of Medicine. He then located in Lyons county and engaged in the
practice of his profession at Admire, where he remained two years,
when he accepted the position as house physician at the St. Joseph
Hospital, remaining there in that capacity until February, 1910, when
he came to Axtell and engaged in practice again. In 1911 he formed
a partnership with Dr. Newman. This arrangement continued about
one year, when the partnership was dissolved, and Dr. Piper has since
been engaged in practice alone and has built up a very satisfactory
business. He is a capable physician and has been successful.
BIOGRAPHICAL 53I
He was united in marriage, November 20, 1907, to Miss Pearl, daugh-
ter of George and Lucy (Kirk) Best, of St. Joseph, Mo., both natives
of Iowa. The father was a steamboat captain on the Mis.~issippi river
in early life and later a superintendent for the I-Iammond Packing Com-
pany, of St. Joseph, Mo. Mrs. Piper was born at Montrose, Iowa, and
came to St. Joseph with her parents when a child, where she was edu-
cated in the public schools, graduating from the high school, and later
attended business college. Dr. and Mrs. Piper have one child. Dorus,
Jr., born July 5, 1909. Dr. Piper is a member of the Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons, the Knights and Ladies of Security, Woodmen of
the World, the Eastern Star and the County, State and American Med-
ical associations, and Mrs. Piper is a member of the Eastern Star and
belongs to the Latter Day Saints (reorganized) clnn-ch.
John M. Alexa, a successful farmer and stockman of Washington
county, Kansas, was born on his father's farm in Sanilac county, Mich-
igan, November 12, 1863, a son of John and Katherine (Burda) Alexa.
His parents are natives of Bohemia and came to the United States in
1861, and in December of that year the father engaged in farming and
stock raising in Sanilac county, Michigan, where he remained until
1873, when he came to Kansas and purchased a farm on the Little Blue
river in Washington county, consisting of 160 acres. He improved this
property and engaged in farming and stock raising and fattened a small
number of cattle each year. He gave over the management of his farm
to his son, our subject, about 1885 and has given little attention to busi-
ness affairs since that time.
John M. Alexa received his early educational discipline in the schools
of .Sanilac county, Michigan, where he was a student until the age of
ten, when his parents removed to Kansas, and he completed his stud-
ies in the schools of Washington county. He was reared a farmer and
has always followed that occupation. His early years were spent in
assisting his father in the work of the home farm, and in 1885, when he
was given the management of the pioperty, he entered into the condi-
tioning of cattle for the, market and averaged from eighty to one hun-
dred head per annum. He was successful in this branch of activity, and
he was exceedingly careful to have his animals in first-class condition
for shipping, receiving top prices for his stock. The profits from his
operations have been invested in additional acreage until the farm now
consists of 600 acres and is conceded to be one of the choice- projjerties
of this section of the Slate and one that has been brought up to the
highest point of cultivation. For a number of years Mr. Alexa has
been giving special attention to Herefords and Duroc-Jersey swine. He
usuallv raises four or five car loads of the latter and has had as many as
five hundred head on the farm at one time. When the family located in
Washington county it was sparsely settled : there were but two houses
between the Alexa farm and the countv seat, and but fine on the road
532 BIOGRAPHICAL
to Greenleaf. Upland could be then bought for $1.50 to S2.00 per acre,
and our subject has the distinction of having been the last man to pre-
empt land in the county, a tract of forty acres near his father's home
farm. Mr. Alexa has been actively identified with the civic affairs of
his township since attaining his majority and has served as a member
of the school board since 1884. He takes an active interest in educa-
tional matters and is keenly alive to the needs of the country student,
and has been of material value in assisting in the betterment of this im-
portant department of civic life. He is also a member of the board of
trustees of his township. He is a member of the Knights and Ladies
of Security and of the Farmers Union of America.
On November 5, 1902, Mr. Alexa was united in marriage with Miss
Christina Larm, a daughter of Peter Larm, a native of Sweden, who
was a pioneer settler in Wyandotte county, Kansas, later a resident of
Russell county, and now a resident of Oregon. Mrs. Alexa was born in
Kansas City, Kan., where her parents resided until she wa? six years of
age. She obtained her education in the schools of Russell county. She
is a member of the Baptist church.
Mr. and Mrs. Alexa are the parents of the following children : John
Emerson, Edna Viola, and Albert Irvin, all of whom are students in the
schools of their home townsliTp.
Thomas Davis Evans, successful farmer and stock raiser, and popular
citizen of W^ashington county, was born on her father's farm in Cham-
paign county, Ohio, July 17, 1850, a son of Thomas Davis and Xancy
(Scott) Evans. The Evans family is of Welch descent and the branch
of which our subject is a member was founded in .\merica by Griffith
Evans, a native of Wales, who came to the State of Ohic during the
early part of the last century and located on land in Champaign county,
then in its early settlement. The maternal grandfather of our subject,
Samuel Scott, was a native of Ireland, who also was a pioneer settler of
Ohio. Thomas Davis Evans, the son of Griffith and father of our sub-
ject, was a farmer and auctioneer, who married, when a young man,
Xancy Scott, and died in 1857.
Thomas Davis Evans, Jr., was reared on the parental farm and ob-
tained his education in the district schools of his native county, the
school term at that time being limited to three months. Owing to the
death of his father while the children were young, our subject being
but seven years of age at the time, he and his two elder brothers were
compelled to earn a living for the family, which was accomplished
through the operation of the home farm. On attaining his majority
our subject took over the management of this property and the support
of his mother, and was engaged in farming and stock raising until 1885,
wl'pn he came to Kansas and rented a farm five miles sourheast of the
city of Washington. He remained on this property for four years, and
removed to Thaver countv, Xebraska, where he remained one vear.
BiOGRAPincAi. 533
and then returned to Washington county, Kansas, and bought a farm
in Farmington township. lie farmed this property for -everal years
and also engaged in stock raising with success. He nexi; disposed of
this land and bought his present farm of seventy acres, v/hich adjoins
the. city of Washington, where he has since resided. As a farmer and
stock raiser he has met with gratifying success and is recognized as
one of the well read and best posted men engaged in this line of endeavor
in his section. His farm property has the best of modern improvements
and one of the most substantial farm residences in the county. Mr.
Evans has been a consistent advocate of the principles of the Repub-
lican party and has been actively identified with the political affairs of
his county. He served for one term as trustee of Farmington town-
ship, and his record while in this office reflects credit upon himself and
his constituents. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America,
the Kansas Fraternal Citizens and of the Methodist Episcopal church.
In the last named organization he has taken an active and prominent
part and is an officer in his congregation.
On January 28, 1874, Mr. Evans was united in marriage with Miss
Anna B. Jordan, a daughter of Robert N. and Pricilla (Fleming) Jor-
dan, who was reared and educated in West Liberty, Logan county.
Ohio. Mrs. Evans's father was a well known attorney of West Lib-
erty, Ohio, and he and his wife are both deceased. To this union have
been born three children : Fred J., a successful attorney, of Garden
City, Kan., and at this writing, 1913, county attorney of Finney county;
Enola B., who is deceased ; and Charles W., a farmer, of Washington
county, Kansas. Fred J. married Miss Bertha Graham and they are the
parents of two children: Dorthea and Fred J., Jr.; Charles W. married
Libby Saxton and they have one son, Charles W., Jr.
Charles W. Evans, Sr., is one of the well known stock raisers of his
county, a breeder of registered Holstein cattle and is preparing to en-
gage extensively in dairying.
James M. Moore, M. D., a successful and influential physician of
southern Kansas, was born on his father's farm in Miami county, Kan-
sas, February 2, 1870, a son of Benjamin and Frances (Drum) Moore.
The elder Moore was a native of Ohio, born in Monroe county in 1840,
and followed farming throughout his life. He came to Kansas in 1867
and located in Miami county, where he purchased a tract of land, which
he improved and placed in cultivation. He became one of the success-
ful agriculturists of his section, took an active part in the affairs of his
neighborhood, was a student of the questions and measures of the day
and enjoyed the esteem of the commimity, in which he was influential.
His death occurred February 19, 1902.
Mr. Moore was united in marriage, April 8, 1868, with Mrs. Frances
Craig, nee Drum, a daughter of Henry Drum. She was born in Monroe
county,' Ohio, in 1844. To this union were born three children: James
534 BIOGRAPHICAL
M., the subject of this sketch; Charles, born May 19, 1871, a prosperous
farmer, of Miami county; and Thomas B., born October 2, 1873, also
a farmer, of Miami county and resides on the old Moore homestead.
B3' her previous marriage with Elias Craig, a private in an Ohio regi-
ment, who died in Nashville, Tenn., in 1863, she had three sons: John
Henry Craig, a farmer, of Spring Hill, Kan.; Elias W. Craig, a farmer,
of Wellsville, Kan., and Lee W., a resident of Kansas City, Mo.
Dr. Moore obtained his literary education in the public schools of
Miami county and graduated from the Spring Hill High School with
the class of 1890. Subsequenth' he entered the Kansas City Veterinarj'
College, from which he was graduated in 1897, following which he prac-
ticed for one year. He then entered the College of Physicians and Sur-
geons at Kansas Citj', Kan., and was graduated with the degree of Doc-
tor of Medicine in 1900. He located for practice at Westline, Mo., in
1901, having spent the previous year as interne at Bethany Hospital,
Kansas City, Kan. In 1910 he took a post-graduate course in the Uni-
versity Medical College, Kansas City, Mo. He removed to Madison in
1904, where he has built up a lucrative practice, and attained a promi-
nent place among the members of his profession. He is local surgeon
of the Missouri Pacific Railway Company. He has attained the Knights
Templar degree in Masonry and is also a member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of Pythias. He has taken
an active part in the commercial life of his home city and is vice presi-
dent of Bank of Madison.
Dr. Moore was united in marriage with Miss Lula A. Elliott on
April 16, 1902. She is a native of Canada, born October 30, 1875, apd
is a daughter of I. M. Elliott, a first cousin of Thomas A. Edison. The
family are prominent in the social life of their section and the Moore
residence is known for its gracious hospitality.
Benjamin LeGrande, prominent citizen of South Haven, Kan., is a
native of Virginia and a descendant of old Virginia families, on both his
paternal and maternal sides. He was born May 21, 1861. at historic
Appomattox Court House, and is a son of Peter A. and Caroline M.
(LeGrande) LeGrande, both natives of Virginia. The father was born
at Lynchburg in January, 1830. Like the average Virginian, when the
Civil Avar came on he cast his lot with his native State and supported
the cause of the Confederacy, becoming a captain in the Southern army.
He was a gallant soldier and went to his death while in the line of duty.
He was killed at the battle of Gettysburg, July 3. 1863. Caroline M.
LeGrande, the wife and mother, was born at Appomattox Court House,
December 6, 1829. She was a Virginia school teacher before her mar-
riage, and in 1869 removed from Virginia to Missouri with her little
family, and died in Lawrence county, that State, October 9. 1906. Ben-
jamin M. LeGrande is the only surviving member of a family of five
children, he being the youngest. The names of the others are as fol-
BIOGRAPHICAL 535
lows: William Walker; Carrie; Peter A., and Archer, .'ienjainin M.
came to Missouri with his mother in 1S69 and they located in Lawrence
county, and here he attended the public schools, and later the Baptist
College. In 1886 he became a traveling salesman for a harvester com-
pany, and afterwards was engaged in the agricultural implement busi-
ness at Springfield for five years. In 1891 he came to Kansas, where
he was engaged in the agriculture business eighteen years, and in
1909 engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance business, which he
has since followed. Mr. LeGrande has built up an extensive business
in the vicinity of South Haven, in both the States of Kansas and Okla-
homa. He is a progressive business man who does things, and by
right methods has built up a large business. He is a writer of consid-
erable ability, and a frequent contributor to the press on topics chiefly
relating to conditions and advantages of Sumner county and that vicin-
ity. His ability as a writer gives him considerable advantage over the
average business man, in the way of writing advertisements, in which
he sets forth the merits of Sumner county in entertaining poetr}- and
convincing prose.
He was married, September 19, 1887, to Miss Minnie F., daughter of
George W. and Mate (Cook) Bills, of Valparaiso, Ind., wiiere she was
born September 18, 1861. They have no children of their own, but
have taken a special interest in orphans, and have reared and educated
seven orphan children. Their noble work in this great field of true
charity did not stop there. For over ten years he has acted as agent
for the Children's Aid Society, of New York City, and during that time
has found permanent homes for twenty-six orphan children. Mr. Le-
Grande is a cra3'on artist- and cartoonist of no mean ability, but has
never commercialized his ability in that directicm, Init does a great deal
of blackboard work, which is both instructive and enttvtaining, es-
pecially in Sunday school work. Mr. and Mrs. LeGrande are members
of the Congregational church and he is chairman of tlie board of trus-
tees. His fraternal affiliations are with the time-honored Masonic
lodge and he has been secretary of the South na\-en lodge for many
years.
John Poore, author, artist and associated editor of the Kiowa (."ounty
"Signal," of Greensburg, Kan., was born on a farm in Jackson county,
Ohio, on September 18, 1876, the only son of Samuel Jefferson
and Sarah (Butler) Poore, the former a native of Jackson county, born
October 27, 1850, a son of Josephus and Elizabeth (Rice) Poore. also
natives of Ohio. Sarah Butler was born in Ross county, Ohio, Novem-
ber 27, 1854. a daughter of Henry and Lavina (Rice) Butler, the
former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. Samuel J.
Poore was reared a farmer, and a few years subsequent to his mar-
riage, which occurred on March 28, 1872. he came to Kansas. Tie located
on government land in Rooks county in 1879. where he was engaged in
536 BIOGR.\PHICAL
farming and stock raising until 1890, when he removed to Enterprise,
Dickinson county, and in, 1894, to Abilene, where he engaged in mer-
cantile pursuits, and where he now resides. Three children were born of
this union, as follows : Florence, born December 23, 1872, graduated from
the Enterprise High School with the class of 1895, married, July 26,
1908, Herman F. Gartner, who was born on July 15, 1870, and died on
January 14, 1912; John, the subject of this article; and Mae, born Oc-
tober 20, 1878, in Davis county, Missouri, died February 22, 1904.
John Poore received his early education in the common schools of
Rooks county, Kansas, removed with his parents to Enterprise, Dick-
inson county, when he was thirteen years of age and attended the
high school one year. In 1893 he began to learn the printer's trade in
the printing office conducted by his uncles, James and William Butler,
at Abilene, and remained with them until 1899, when he removed to
Walsanburg, Colo., to accept the position of editor and manager of the
"Yucca,"' a weekly newspaper. His connection with this publication
ceased in 1901, and he returned east and was engaged in metropolitan
newspaper work in Topeka. Kansas City, Columbus, Ohio, and Pitts-
burgh, Pa. In 191 1 he purchased "The Motor" at Manchester. Kan.,
which he edited and published until April 10, 1913, when he formed a
copartnership with R. T. ("Dick") Holmes, buying the Kiowa County
"Signal" at Greensburg. It is the pioneer paper of Kiowa county,
founded in 1884 by W. E. Bolton. It has a large circulation and is one
of the most influential newspapers of southwestern Kansas. The me-
chanical equipment of the office is modern, electric power being used in
operating the linotype, presses, folder and cutter. As a newspaper man,
Mr. Poore is well and favorably known. He is a vigorous writer, has a
wealth of energA" and his editorials are worth while. It has been his aim
to make the paper with which he is connected alive with interest and
of real practical usefulness. On the thirty-seventh anniversary of his
birth "A Prairie Concert." a handsomely bound volume of which he is
the author and which has received favorable criticism, was placed on the
market. He has done some very clever work in oil and crayon and the
walls of his parents' residence, as well as those of a number of his
friends, are decorated with original subjects by his brush.
Mr. Poore married November 15. 1910, at McPherson. Kan., Miss
Flora Warren, daughter of J. K. Warren, a farmer of Durham. Kan.,
formerly of Illinois. ■ She is a native of Marion county, Kansas.
Gustavas Stolpe. — In the death of the late Gustavas Stolpe, of Mad-
ison, Kan., which occurred August 26, 1913. there passed into life eternal
another Kansas pioneer and highly respected citizen of Greenwood
county. He was born July 21. 1835. in the little hamlet of Vermland
Sweden, where he was reared and educated. Here he was married July
25, 1868. to Miss Christine Hult. also a native of Sweden, and in 1868
the young couple immigrated to America to begin life in the land of pos-
BIOGRAPHICAL 537
sibilities. In his }-outh he learned the cabinet-maker's trade and was a
skilled workman. Xot being able to speak the English language and
being unfamiliar with the ways of the country, he did not seek employ-
ment at his trade when he landed in New York, but came directly west,
first going to Omaha and a little later locating at Topeka, Kan., at
that time the western terminus of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
railroad. His first employment in Kansas was on the grading gang on
the road bed of the Santa Fe railroad, and, in after life, he enjoyed tell-
ing how he had to depend on the motions of the foreman and imitate
hi^ fellow workmen in order to understand what he was required to do.
With that inborn thrift so characteristic of the Swedish immigrant, he
and his wife determined to possess some property in their own name.
In iSfiQ they removed to the Verdigris valley, where, in company with
Peter Tellene and John Stolpe. a brother, he bought 320 acres of school
land three and one-half miles west of Madison, on the river. Mr. and
Mrs. Stolpe improved the farm and built the stone house, now known
as the Rinks Bitler homestead, where they lived until 1880. The 320
acres of school land were divided in 1874, John Stolpe getting the
Bitler homestead, and Gustavas and his wife the fertile farm that Mr.
Stolpe now owns on the south branch. Times were hard for the pio-
neers of those days and money w-as scarce, and to increase the family
income. Mr. Stolpe opened a wagon shop in the "old town," which he
conducted while Mrs. Stolpe operated the farm. He walked to and
from his work each day, until 1880, when they moved to town and
opened the first hotel in the new town on the site where Sol Green's
residence now stands. They later established the present Stolpe hotel,
which Mrs. Stolpe now conducts, in connection with the management
of the farm interests and other details of the estate. During her hus-
band's lifetime she was his partner and business adviser as well as wife,
and her former experience well fits her for the business responsibilities
which have fallen to her lot. Gustavas Stolpe was a strong character
with a rugged personality. He used to say : "The world is my country
and to do good my religion." His motto was : "The time to be happy
is now. the place to be happy is here, and the way to be happy is to
make others happy." I'nderneath his rough exterior a warm heart
beat in unison for the poor and the unfortunate. There was no artificial
deception or love of display in his make-up, just plain, honest, every-
day Gust. Stolpe, and he was loved and respected for what he was, not
for what he pretended to be. His door was always open to his less for-
tunate fellow man. and his time, money and advice were freely given
to help them in the battle of life. He was a Mason and had been a
member of that lodge for a number of years. Mr. and Mrs. Stolpe never
had any children of their own, but years ago adopted and raised two
children : Mrs. Tillic Thompson, of Montrose, Colo., and C'lnrcnce Stolpe,
iif Kansas City.
538 BIOGRAPHICAL
Roy A. Hoisington, editor and owner of the Enterprise "Push," at
Enterprise, Kan., is a native of the Sunflower State. He was born at
Great Bend November 2"/, 1880, and is a son of Andrew J. and Mary
(Smith) Hoisington. The father was born July 7, 1848, at Quincy, 111.,
and was a son of A. J. and Elizabeth (Limb) Hoisington. A. J. Hoising-
ton was a native of New York and his wife was an English woman.
She came to America with her parents at the age of seven years. An-
drew J. Hoisington, the father of Roy A., removed with his parents from
Quincy, 111., to Madison county, that State, in 1859, where the father
followed farming until his death. Andrew J. Hoisington was a college
graduate and taught school for a short time in earl}' life, when he
bought an interest in a newspaper at Winterset, Iowa, and learned print-
ing. He was one of the owners and editors of the Winterset "Madi-
sonian" until 1873, when he sold his interest in that newspaper and came
to Kansas, locating at Great Bend. Here he founded the Great Bend
"Register," which was the first newspaper published in Barton county.
He took a prominent part in the public affairs of Kansas and occupied
a prominent place in State and local politics until his death. He was
postmaster of Great Bend several years and was also register of the
United States land office at Garden City for a number of years. The
present town of Hoisington, Kan., was named in his honor.
Roy A. Hoisington, the subject of this review, was educated in the
public schools of Great Bend and in early life learned the printer's
trade in his father's office. In 1902 he bought the Leoti "Standard"
at Leoti. Kan. This was the beginning of his journalistic career and he
was editor of that paper until 1906. He was also postmaster of Leoti
from 1907 until 191 1. In September, 1912, he bought the Enterprise
"Push" and has made many improvements in the paper and plant. He
has installed a new power press and equipment, and now has an up-to-
date printing plant where he also does an extensive job printing busi-
ness. The "'Push" is a live newspaper which has a wholesome influence
within the scope of its circulation. Mr. Ploisington was married .Au-
gust 4. 1904. at Leoti to Hiss Margaret, daughter of James H. and
Mary Riley, of Wichita county, Kansas. Mrs. Hoisington was born
.'\ugust 21, 1885, at Seymore, Iowa. The Riley family came to Kansas
in 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Hoisington are the parents of four children:
Albert James, born April 27, 1906; Verne Eugene, born June 21, 1908;
Duane Wesley, born July t, 1910, and Clyde Riley, born July i, 1912.
Mr. Hoisington is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons
and is a Republican.
John George Dieter. — In the development of the agricultural resources
of Kansas which has placed her, in this respect, in the front rank among
her sister States of the I'nion, opportunity has been given many men
not only to cause the desert to bloom, to realize substantial financial
return, but to become leaders and teachers among their fellow men.
BIOGRAPHICAL 539
Tlie man whose name initiates this article has been a resident of Kansas
since 1866, has been of potential value in the upbuilding of the common-
wealth, and deserves distinctive recognition in this publication. As a
farmer and breeder of pedigreed horses, cattle and swine he has at-
tained wide recognition for success ; as a merchant he occupies a prom-
inent place in the commercial circles of Clay county ; as an official of
the government he has served v»'ith credit ; he was for three years a gal-
lant defender of the Union cause in the Civil war ; and in his home town,
where he has resided for forty j-ears, he has been given the sobriquet
"Father of Oak Hill," a title justly his due, as a result of his labor
during the formative period of the town, of which he was one of the
original settlers.
John George Dieter was born in Germany April 20, 1841, a son of
John P. and Katherine (Ramye) Dieter. His boyhood years were passed
in his native land, where he received his education and learned the
trade of a cooper. Desiring to avail himself of the broader opportunities
offering in America, he immigrated to the United States in 1858 and
for a period of si.x months was employed at his trade in the city of New
York. He next became a resident of Zanesville, Ohio, where he was
employed as a barber until 1861, when he returned to New York and, on
May I of that year, enlisted as a private in Company D, Fourth New
York cavalry. With his regiment, which was attached to the Army of
the Cumberland, he participated in a number of the important battles
of the war, among which were the battle of Wilson's Creek, New Madrid,
Island No. 10, Corinth, Perry ville, Chickamauga and Stone River, being
seriously wounded in the last named engagement. He was mustered
out at Columbia, Tenn., May i, 1864, and subsequently returned to his
native land, where he remained until 1866, his father passing away dur-
ing this period. In the last named year he returned to the United States
and located in Junction City, Kan., journeying from Kansas City on the
first train that was run over the Union Pacific railway's new line up
the Kaw valley. He established one of the first barber shops in Junc-
tion City and conducted it until 1873, when he removed to Clay county,
where he had viewed a homestead in 1867, engaged in placing his raw
land in cultivation and became one of the founders of Oak Hill. His
initial venture in the field of merchandising was taken in 1880, when
he established a genera! store at Oak Hill and carried a stock of goods
totaling $20,000 in value. This venture proved of sound and continuous
growth, his possession of those qualifications necessary to commercial
success was satisfactorily proven, his trade area gradually increased,
until he was compelled to build, in U)i2, a large, modern brick store
building in order properly to care for the wants nf his customers. This
building was totally destroyed by fire on July 21. 1913. since which
time he has erected even a better and larger structure than that de-
stroyed. He has been a consistent buyer of choice farm lands and.
549 BIOGRAPHICAL
besides tlie homestead on which he settled in 1873, he is the owner of an
additional tract of 680 acres. His farming operations have been marked
by the same attention to detail, comprehensive knowledge of the needs
of the business and broad progressiveness that has made for his suc-
cess as a merchant. He is a lover of fine stock and his operations in
this line of activity have been upon a large scale. He has stocked
his farm with the best animals that money could buy, and as a breeder
has received recognition as one of the foremost in his section of the
State. He was one of the active promoters of the organization of the
Oak Hill State Bank, chartered in 1907, was elected its vice-president
and served in this capacity until 1910. He was appointed postmaster
of Oak Hill in 1880, serving until 1893, and was appointed a second
time in 1897 and is still serving in that capacity. During the interven-
ing years, 1893 to 1897, he served as assistant postmaster. He is a
charter member of luka Post, No. 304, Grand Army of the Republic, and
has filled the various chairs in that body.
On October 8, 1868, Mr. Dieter married, at Junction City, Kan., Miss
Johanna W. Johnson, a daughter of Daniel Johnson, a native of Sweden,
where she was born in 1850, and came to the United States with her
parents in 1868. To this union have been born nine children : John
George, born July 26, 1869, graduated from the Clay County High
School and is now a manufacturer of mattresses at Dallas, Texas ;
Anna Margaret, born Juh' 26, 1871, graduated from a commercial col-
lege at Sedalia, Mo., and is the wife of the Rev. Louis P. Cain, pastor
of the Edgewater Presbyterian church, Chicago; Minnie, born Decem-
ber 23, 1873, graduated from the Kansas State Agricultural College, sub-
sequently a teacher for five years, and is now the wife of T. R. Conkling,
M. D., of Abilene, Kan. ; Katherine, born April 4. 1879, a graduate of
the musical department of Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kan., the wife
of Omer N. Need, M. D., of Oak Hill, Kan.; John N., born August
31. 1882, a graduate in pharmacy from Kansas University with the class
of 1900, and later studied medicine in Chicago and Heidelberg, Ger-
many, and is now a practicing physician at Abilene, Kan. ; Charles A.,
born June 3, 1884, was graduated from the Abilene High School with the
class of 1901, and from the department of pharmacy of Kansas Univer-
sity with the class of 1907, and from the Kansas City, Mo., Medical
College, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, a member of the class
of 1913; John Phillip, born September 20, 1886, died March 20. 1899;
Nellie Beatrice, born April 3, 1889: and Frank Henry, born June 4, 1891,
a graduate of the Clay County High School with the class of 1913.
Stuart Earl Tilton, editor anil puldisher of the Longford "Leader,"
one of Clay county's prosperous weeklies, was born at Hope, Kan., Sep-
tember 26, 1891, a son of Oscar C. and Lois J. (Smith) Tilton. The elder
Tilton is a well known veterinary surgeon and farmer of Hope, where
he located in t88o. He was born at Ghana, 111., May 17, 1855, married,
BIOGRAPHICAL 54I
in 1874, Miss Lois J. Smith, a daughter of A. B. and Martha (Ford)
Smith, born in Illinois January I. 1854. As previously stated, he came
to Kansas in 1880 and purchased a farm at Hope, Clay county, which
he has since operated successfully and has also practiced his profes-
sion. He is well and favorably known to the citizens of his home
county, enjoys a profitable practice and is highh' esteemed by his neigh-
bors. Five children have been born of this union and are as follows :
Mabel Grace, born Mav 20, 1875, married Hiram Coke, a farmer of
Shawnee county, Kansas; Ernest Clarence, born June 20, 1881, farmer
in Texas, married Miss Rosa Wright in 1900 ; Alice, born May 23,
1883, married, in 1901, William Sinclair, a locomotive engineer; Stuart
Earl, the subject of this sketch ; and Lois Helen, born September 9,
1895, a student in the Hope High School and member of the class of
1914.
Stuart Earl Tilton acquired his education in the public schools of
Clay county and was graduated from the Hope High School with the
class of 1908. Following his graduation, he secured employment in a
printing office at Enterprise, Dickinson county, where he learned the
printer's art and received his first lessons in journalism. In November,
191 1, he purchased the Leoti "Standard," which he edited and published
until 1912, when he disposed of this paper and bought his present prop-
erty, the Longford "Leader." I'nder his management this publication
has attained a good circulation, is alive with interest and real practical
usefulness, and is welcomed as a personal friend in the homes of its sub-
scribers. The equipment of the office is excellent and a satisfactory job
printing business is being done.
On .\j)ril 3, 1913, Mr. Tilton married Miss Alberta Kensella, a daugh-
ter of Patrick Kensella, of Osawatomie, Kan., who was born at Paola,
Kan., July 25, 1893. She was graduated from the Fort Scott High School
with the class of 1910 and during the year preceding her marriage was
employed as a railway telegrapher.
Wilson Carlisle Price, editor and publisher of Oak Hill, Kan., is a
native of Illinois and was born at Port Byron August 6, 1891, a son
of Rev. W. S. and Nellie F. (Willis) Price. Rev. Price was born on his
father's farm near Galva, 111., July 10, 1857. . He was reared a farmer,
acquired his education in the public schools, and during his early life
engaged in teaching. He subsequently entered the newspaper field and
for several years was employed in various capacities on daily papers.
Following his work as a journalist he studied for the ministry and en-
tered actively into the work of the gospel at Fairl)ury, Neb., in 1908.
where for a short time he published a paper. In 1909 he was assigned
to the pastorate of the Methodist Episcopal church at .\da. Kan. In
191 1 he established at Oak Hill, Clay county, the "Gazette," a weekly
paper, and also engaged in the furniture business. In 1885 he married
Miss Nellie F. \\'i!lis, who was born at Wnodliall. 111.. May 5, 1863
542 BIOGRAPHICAL
a daughter of Dr. \\'illis. of that town. They are the parents of the fol-
lowing children : Irma Elizabeth, born January 14, 1888, the wife of
S. S. Hale, a farmer of Clay county, Kan. ; Isaiah Glenn, born July 3,
1889, a printer of Chicago, 111.; Wilson Carlisle, of this sketch; Robert
McNair, born October 8, 1895, employed on the "Gazette" at Oak Hill ;
Archie Rollins, born November 16, 1897; Frances Eleanor, born Novem-
ber 16. 1900: and Howard William, born on September 4, 1906.
Wilson Carlisle Price received a good common school education and
gained his knowledge of the printer's art and journalism from his father.
His first employment was on the paper published by the latter in Fair-
bury, Neb., and later, on the establishing of the "Gazette," he continued
in that vocation. On January, 1913, he became its owner and has since
edited and published it with success. It enjoys a healthy circulation
and the job department of the office is well equipped and prosperous.
Judging from his work to date, !Mr. Price will become favorably known
among Kansas journalists at no distant date.
John Gilman, influential citizen, now retired, of Madison, Kan., and
the last survivor among the early pioneers of Greenwood county, was
born at Chelsea, Vt.. March 25, 1830. His ancestors, both paternal and
maternal, were among the early settlers of New England and were of
Scotch descent. He was reared a farmer and obtained his education in
the schools of his native State. In 1859 he decided to seek opportunity
for advancement in the West and came to Leavenworth and from there
went overland by wagon to Pike's Peak. He spent a few months pros-
pecting in the Rockies and then returned to Kansas, where he located
a homestead in Greenwood county, nine miles southeast of where the
present city of ]\Iadison was built. His nearest post office at the time
was Shell Rock, which was abandoned in 1884. On the call of Presi-
dent Lincoln for volunteers in 1861 he enlisted as a private in Company
E, Fifth Kansas cavalry, and served under Col. Powell Clayton from
January 4. 1862. to January 9, 1865. He was in a number of important
engagements, including the battles of Pine P.luff, Pea Ridge and Prairie
Grove, Ark., but was never wounded seriously. On completion of his
military service he returned to his homestead in Greenwood county and
engaged in farming and stock raising, remaining on this place until
1888, when he became a resident of Madison. With the late William
Martindale he was one of the first to settle in this section of Kansas,
and is the only survivor of that early settlement. Mr. Gilman realized
a substantial success as a farmer and became one of the influential men
in his section. From the formation of- the Republican parly he was a
consistent advocate of its principles and policies and took an active part
in its affairs in his county. He was appointed postmaster at Madison
December i, 1901, and served until March i, 1911, when he was suc-
ceeded by his son. George Gilman, a sketch of whom follows this article.
Mr. Gilman has been one of the useful citizens of his county and enjoys
BIOGRAPHICAL 543
the respect and esteem of the community. He has traveled a great deal
and for several years has spent his winters in Florida. He was united
in marriage with Miss Mary E. Shaw, a daughter of W. W. and Anne
F. (Miller) Shaw, on January 29, 1872. Her father was a pioneer of
Greenwood county, locating there in 1869, and served as postmaster of
Shell Rock for the fifteen years previous to its abandonment. The Shaw
homestead was on the Verdigris river, eight miles southeast of the pres-
ent city of Madison. He removed to Seattle, Wash., in 1902, where
he died in 1908, his wife following to her last rest in that city in 191 1.
There were eight children in the Shaw family, who are as follows : Mary
E., Martha, ^^'illiam F., Charles M., Ida, Alice, Etta and Ina, all of whom
are living with the exception of Martha, who died in 1908. Mrs. Oilman
was born on May 29, 1850. Mr. and Mrs. Gilman are the parents of
eight children, who are as follows : William, born November 23, 1872,
died February 19, 1891 ; Annie M., born May 22, 1874, the wife of Louis
J. Fellay : Martha E., born December 10, 1878, the wife of Virgil E.
Swain, a merchant of Madison, Kan. ; Mary, born January 6, 1884, the
wife of Dr. A. L. Warth. a successful veterinarian of Madison ; Bessie
L., born September 17, 1888, the wife of \\\ L. Jones, a farmer and stock-
man; Roy D., born October 17, 1892; Charles Z., born December 15.
1880, a merchant of Madison, Kan., married, in 1909, Miss Hattie John-
ston : and George, whose sketch follows.
George Gilman, who is so capably and acceptably filling the office of
postmaster of the city of Madison, Kan., was born on his father's farm
in Greenwood county on March 26, 1876, a son of John and Mary E.
fShaw) Gilman, a review of whom precedes this article. He ac(|uired
his education in the schools of his native county and was graduated from
the Madison High School with the class of 1894. Subsequently he com-
pleted a two-years course in the State Normal School at Emporia, and
a one-year term in Kansas I'niversity. In 1900 he established the
Madison "News," of which he was the editor and publisher until 1906,
when he became assistant postmaster, under his father, at Aladison. On
the retirement of the elder Gilman, in 191 1, he was appointed to suc-
':ced him and has since filled that office with credit to himself and to
t!".c 'satisfaction of his townspeople. He is a Republican and has been
active in party affairs. His fraternal affiliations are with the Knights
of Pythias, and he is one of the active and influential members of this
order in Kansas. He was elected, in May, 191 3. grand prelate of the
G'-ancl I.iidge of Kansas. Mr. Gilman is unmarried.
Thomas Thompson Ferguson, an honored Kansas pioneer, and vet-
eran of the Civil war, is a native of the Buckeye State, born in Franklin
county, October 17, 1830, a son of William and Zela (Jamison) Fergu-
son. The father was a native of Kentucky and the mother of Ohio.
They spent their lives in Ohio, where Ihe former died, November 19,
1868, aged seventy years, and the wife and mother departed this life in
544 BIOGR.\PHICAL
March, 1876, at the age of sevent3'-one. They had eight children, only
two of whom are now living: Thomas Thompson, the subject of this
sketch, and Malinda. now the wife of Joseph Spangler, a farmer residing
near Columbus, Ohio.
Thomas Thompson Ferguson was reared on a farm and educated in
the public schools of Franklin county, Ohio. He followed farming in
his native State until 1874, when he removed to White county, Indiana,
engaged in farming there until 1878, when he came to Kansas, settling in
Butler county, and followed farming until 1887. He then engaged in the
furniture and undertaking business at Latham, which he conducted for
three years, when he engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance busi-
ness, and at the same time was elected justice of the peace, holding that
office twenty years. He has also held school and township offices for
many years, and was police judge of Latham five years. He has taken
an active interest in the public life of his town and county, and is one
of the grand old men of Butler county. When the Civil war broke out
he responded to the President's call for volunteers, enlisting in Company
D. One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio infantry, and at the expiration
of his first enlistment he reenlisted in Company C, One Hundred and
Ninety-first Ohio infantry, serving until he was honorably discharged at
the close of a military career, of which he may be justly proud. Mr.
Ferguson was married November 7, 1850. to Miss Hannah Newland, of
Franklin county, Ohio, where she was born October 10, 1831. She was
a daughter of John and Aimy (Waldo) Newland. To Mr. and Mrs.
Ferguson were born ten children: Mary Jane, born June 15, 1852; now
the widow of Thomas K. Settle; George H.. born April 10, 1855, now a
hotel keeper at Wolcott, Ind. ; Charles W., born March 2. 1859, a retired
farmer. Latham. Kan.; William E.. born May 22. 1861, now postmaster
at Latham, Kan.; Oscar J., born Ma}' 23, 1863, now in the L'nited States
mail service, Latham, Kan.; Elnora, born June i. 1867, died July i,
1887 ; Ira W.. born July 27, 1870, now resides in St. Louis. Mo. ; Frank
T., born February 9. 1873. now Santa Fe station agent at Raton, N. M. ;
Rva M., born December 8. 1875. died February 20. 1904, and James O.,
born August 6, 1880, a merchant at Tulsa, Okla. ^Ir. Ferguson is a
member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Latham Post, No. 340,
and has been post adjutant for many years.
Moses Goodwin Patterson. — A man's real worth to his community is
best determined by inquiring into the sentiment of his neighbors and
fellow citizens. Their estimate of him is found to be of more value in
uncovering the truth than all other sources of information. However,
if there is found in this sentiment a diversity of opinion, it is difficult
to arrive at accurate conclusion. On the other hand, if absolute har-
mony prevails in it, if it is found to be a single unit, if a man's neighbors
and daily associates, without a single dissenter, proclaim him to be a
worthy citizen and a power for good in the community, then accuracy
l^uCtjy^^^
{y^^
BIOGRAPHICAL 545
of conclusion is made easy ; for no precedent exists in whicli perfect
harmony of public opinion has proved to be wrong. The conclusions
formed and herein set forth with reference to the man under considera-
tion have been moulded entirely from the sentiment of his friends and
fellow citizens, and since this sentiment had in it not a single discordant
note, its accuracj- can be fully vouchsafed and relied upon.
Moses Goodwin Patterson was one of Clay county's most influential
men of affairs. He was a resident of Clay Center for twenty-five years,
interested directly or indirectly with many of its business enterprises,
realized a large and substantial success in the commercial world, and in
attaining prominence and wealth retained the friendship and esteem of
all. He was born in the city of New York, February 9, 1848. He was
a son of Hiram G. Patterson, also a native of that city, who died in 1855.
Young Patterson was left an orphan when but seven years of age, and
he was early compelled to rel_v upon his own resources, so his boyhood
life of hardship, struggle and early privations taught him frugality, and
at twelve years of age the fine elements of character turned him away
from the city life, and at the age of sixteen he was holding a position of
responsibility and trust as manager of a general store at Pond Eddy,
N. Y. At the age of eighteen he sought the opportunity then offering
in the West, and removed to the city of Chicago, and established him-
self in the mercantile business.
In the spring of i86g he went to Dexter, Iowa, as railroad agent for
the Rock Island. While at Dexter, on May 22, 1870, he was married to
Nettie Eleanor Young, daughter of James and Caroline (Lewellen)
Young, who was born at Appola, Pa., February 25, 1850. She was a
home woman in the very best and sweetest meaning of the word, pos-
sessed' many lovable characteristics, exercised a wholesome influence on
all that was best in society, and was a helpmate who was ever ready to
encourage and assist her husband and children to overcome the dis-
appointments and trials wliich at times came to all. ?Ier death occurred
July 7, 1908, at her home in Clay Center.
From Dexter, Mr. Patterson went to Fairfield, Iowa, to serve as agent
for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad. In 1871 he was trans-
ferred to r>arry. 111., to become agent for the Wabash railroad, holding
this position for fourteen years. During this time he also engaged in
the grain and coal business, buying and shipping in large quantities.
After one year spent as cashier of the Barry Exchange Bank, in which
he held stock, he went to Kirksville, Mo., where for one year he served
the ^^'abash Railroad Company as its agent. In 1887 he secured the
position as agent of the uptown express office at Clay Center, Kan.,
where he resided until his death. While the express office did a good
business it did not give outlet for his business energies, and he bought
and sold poultry and grain in connection with his duties as agent. In
time he resigned the agency of the office to be able to devote himself
546 BIOGRAPHICM-
to larger activities. He purchased an elevator and engaged in the grain
business, later adding coal and marble.
In the year of 1905 he sustained a very heavy loss in the failure of
the Barry Exchange Bank. This loss coming late in life, and after the
effort put forth to accumulate some of this world's goods, it was a severe
blow. He met it bravely and it seemed now, as before, everything to
which he gave his personal supervision was successful, and he died a
man of means, from a most humble beginning. He was liberal with his
town and all its aspirings; with his church and all its ambitions; with
the dependent poor; with less fortunate relatives and the many charita-
ble demands that must be met and carried. At the time of his death,
which occurred suddenly, January 7, 1912, the following offices of trust
were held by him : Vice-president and director of the First National
Bank, Clay Center; director of the First State Savings Bank, Clay Cen-
ter; director of the Bank of Wakefield; director of the Bank of Indus-
try; treasurer and trustee of the First Baptist Church, Clay Center;
treasurer of the Masonic lodge, Clay Center, and treasurer and director
of the Clay Center Chautauqua Association. It was his fine business
capacity that enabled him to perform these duties with marked ability
and skill, and at the same time conduct and manage his own extensive
business affairs. With it all, he was quiet and unobtrusive, and few
realized the man}- responsibilities borne by him. Political office never
appealed to him, although he never neglected his civic duties and obli-
gations. He was a Republican.
He was one of the most prominent Masons of his county, and one
of the most active as well. He had attained to the Knights Templar
degree, and was a Noble of Iris Temple Shrine, Kansas City, ]\Io.
Two daughters survive, viz. : Caroline, born at Fairfield, Iowa, on
March 15,1871, a graduate of the Clay Center High School, with the
class of 1891, and of the Kindergarten Department of the Kansas State
Normal School at Emporia. For ten years she followed the profession
of teaching, holding position as primary instructor in the schools of
^^'amego, Wakefield and Clay Center. On January 9, 1895, she married
Joseph Clark Thompson. His death occurred December 24, 1898.
Ada Pearl Patterson, the second daughter, was born at Barry, 111.,
September 18, 1873. On November 22, 1904, she married Louis Mitchell
Linnell, of Chicago, 111. They have two daughters, Eleanor Louise, born
at Chicago. 111., November 26, 1906. and Lois Carolyn, born at Oak Park,
111., September 3, 1913.
Mr. Patterson was an unusual and remarkable man. ^^'hile not edu-
cated technically, he had at his command a surprising fund of general
knowledge, and on any occasion or in any meeting he could talk inter-
estingly and informingly upon whatever topic was forward for discus-
sion. He was a good traveler and a great reader, taking special inter-
est in anything pertaining to successful business men or self-made men.
BIOGRAPHICAL 547
He was a man of the highest integrity and character ; a Christian man
and served his Master as a member of the First Baptist Church of Clay
Center. He united with the church of this faith while living in Barry,
111. He gave much of his time to the church, and conducted his life as
a believer in the teachings of the gospel. He was a typical progressive
and successful man of affairs, a leader and teacher in whatever he un-
dertook, and, within the lines of his endeavors. Clay Center has never
had a more useful citizen.
Thomas E. Trigg, a well known Kansas newspaper man, who is editor
of the "Mirror," of Latham, Kan., is a native of Iowa, and was born at
Albia, September 15, 1862. He is a son of William A. and Mary E.
(Ware) Trigg. The father is a Kentuckian, born in 1838, a son of
Thomas E. Trigg, a Kentucky planter and slave owner. William A.
Trigg removed to Albia, Iowa, in i860, and followed teaching until 1878,
when he removed to Kansas, locating in Linn count}-, where lie was en^
gaged in farming about a year, and was elected probate judge of Linn
county, serving four years. In 1881 he purchased the Mound City "Clar-
ion," and in 1886 he bought the Garnett "Eagle," publishing both papers
for several years. In 1908 he was elected representative from Ander-
son county to the State legislature, serving on several important com-
mittees in that session. He is now living retired at Garnett, Kan.,
after an active and useful career. His wife, Mary E. Ware, was a
daughter of Thomas C. and Mary Ann (Jones) Ware, both natives of
Indiana, where Mrs. Trigg was born in 1842. She passed away at her
home in Garnett February 11, 1901. Mrs. Ware was a cousin of the
late Eugene F. Ware, the well known Kansas poet and writer.
William A. Trigg and Mary K. W'are were the parents of foiu" chil-
dren : Thomas E., the subject of this sketch ; Clarence Jay, born in
1865, now clerk of the municipal court in Kansas City, Mo.; Fred Clyde,
born in October, 1868. now on the editorial staff of the Kansas City
"Star," and Anna S., born in 1872, nOw the wife of Lee P. Cayot, a
merchant of ^^'estphalia, Kan. Thomas E. Trigg received his education
in the old Lane Universitj' at Lecompton. He learned telegraph}' in
early life and followed railroad station work three years. In 1888 he be-
gan his active newspaper career as editor of "The Globe," at Ciiautau-
qua. Kan.
He also published the Cedarvale "Commercial" and was county
printer of Chautauqua county in 1909. In 1910 he purchased "The Mir-
ror." which he has published since that time. "The Mirror" is a li\e-
up-to-date country newspaper, with a good circulation. Mr. Trigg was
united in marriage August 8, 1892, to Miss Ella B. Vincent, daughter of
Captain A. B. and Nancy C. (White) Vincent, of Macon county, Mis-
souri. Mrs. Trigg was born February 15, 1872. at Macon City, Mo. To
Mr. and Mrs. Trigg have been born two children. Thomas C, born May
26. 1893, a student in the Latham High School, and a nienilicr of the
548 BIOGRAPHICAL
class of 1914, and Eula Benton, born in February, 1907, died Septem-
ber 17, 1909. Mr. Trigg is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Ole Erickson Ladd, now deceased, was a prominent pioneer and highly
respected citizen of Greenwood county. He was a native of Norway,
born November 15, 1839, a son of Erick and Karen Ladd. He came to
America with his parents in 1851, being then twelve years of age. The
famih' located in Stoughton, Dane county, \\'isconsin, where his par-
ents resided until their deaths.
In the spring of 1857, when Ole E. Ladd was about eighteen years
of age, he came to Kansas City, Mo., where he was employed as stage
driver for nearly two years, between Kansas City and Leavenworth.
This was before the railroad was built between those points. In the fall
of 1858 he, accompanied by A. Erickson and others, drove to Greenwood
county with an ox team, their wagon being the first then known to
have crossed the east branch of Fall river. Here, in the broad fertile
valley lying between the east and west branches of Fall river, they
located on Government land, about seven miles northwest of the pres-
ent town of Eureka, which is the county seat of Greenwood county.
They were, therefore, two of the first permanent settlers in Greenwood
countv. Amnnd Erickson located his claim near the claim of Ole E.
Ladd."
In the year i860 Ole E. Ladd returned to Kansas City and on March
13 was married to Miss Cecilia Erickson, a sister of Amund Erickson
and Erick Erickson, and a daughter of Eric and Gertrude Erickson, both
natives of Norwaj', where Mrs. Ladd was born, July 28, 1836. After
their marriage they removed to their homestead in Greenwood county,
where he engaged in farming and stock raising, in which business he
was very successful.
The year of the drought, i860, they suffered many privations; added
to this the daily fear of being attacked by hostile Indians and the many
alarms — many of which were false — of Indians coming, caused many
hurried gatherings and forming of scouting parties, of which Mr. Ladd
was alwa}'s a member. During these first few years he did much
freighting from Topeka, lUirlington and Emporia. He lived with his
family in the log cabin until the years 1868-69, when he built the pres-
ent home, this being the first frame house built northwest of Eureka. In
later years he conducted business on a large scale, and was one of the
big cattlernen and land owners of Greenwood county. He was a good
business man, and was successful from the beginning, and amassed a
comfortable fortune. He always took a prominent part in the public
affairs of his county, and was always a strong advocate of good schools
His political views were Republican, but he never aspired to hold public
office. The extent of his interest in politics was for the public good
rather than for private gain. He was an active member of the Lutheran
BIOGRAPHICAL 549
church, and his fraternal affiliations were with the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows. He was liberal to a fault and many friends can attest
to his 'generosity and hospitalit}-. He delighted in travel and after
middle life made two visits to his Fatherland, and one trip to Liverpool,
England, with a shipment of cattle.
To Mr. and Mrs. Ladd were born twelve children, eight of whom grew
to manhood and womanhood, five daughters and three sons, four having
died in infancy, three daughters and one son. The children of this mar-
riage are as follows: Karen C. Ladd, born December 19, 1861, a grad-
uate of the State Normal School at Emporia, Kan., in the class of 1882,
now the wife of Gilbert Bitler, a prominent stockman and banker of
Eureka. Mr. Bitler is a native of Ohio, and was born April 26, i860.
Mr. and Mrs. Bitler have four children: Samuel Ladd Bitler, born Oc-
tober 28, 1883; Olen George, born March 16, 1888; Vashti Cecillea, born
April 25, 1890, and Gilbert Edwin, born July 12, 1892. The sons are
associated with their father in the cattle business in Greenwood county,
and Vashti Cecillea, their only daughter, a talented elocutionist, is a
graduate and post-graduate of Emerson College of Oratory, Boston,
Mass., who is now engaged as a reader in the employ of an entertain-
ment bureau of Boston. Only one of Mr. and Mrs. Bitler's children are
married, Olen G., who married Florence Frymire, February 15, 1910,
and they have one daughter, born July 5, 1912, named Karen Dean, who
has the honor of not only having the name of her two grandmothers,
but Karen, the name of her great-great-grandmother.
The other children of Mr. and Mrs. Ladd are : Elena M., born No-
vember 3, 1863, now the wife of Sherman B. Dray, of Peoria, 111. They
have a daughter and son. The daughter, Marj' Cecille, now Mrs. H. A.
Jurgens, of Minneapolis, Minn., educated in music and is a musician of
note, and the son, Moses Ladd Dray, an artist, who makes illustrating
and cartooning a specialty.
Louisa Jane, born December 30, 1866, married James W. Teter, a
wealthy farmer and stockman, of Eldorado, Kan., is now deceased, leav-
ing two children, Gladys Louise and James Ladd Teter. The former is a
graduate of Eureka High School, and a student of music, and the latter
a student in the Eldorado schools.
Edwin Nelson Ladd, the oldest son, was born Juh' 27. 1868. married
Miss Delia Worley, and is extensively engaged in farming, and is now-
serving his second term as sheriff of Greenw'ood county.
Charles Christian Ladd was born September 7, 1871, married Miss
Flora Sample, and they have four children : Ole Elwin, John Elmer,
Claude Albert and Lilian.
Mr. Charles Ladd is a merchant, owning one of the finest grocery
houses in Eureka, and also does extensive farming near Eureka.
The youngest son, Louis .Mbert Ladd, was born November 25, 1876,
does farming extensively, and is also a stockman and cattle feeder. He
55 5 BIOGRAPHICAL
married Miss Carrie Nystol, and they have two children, Louise Al-
berta and Lambert Nj'Stol. He now owns and lives at the old Ladd
homestead, seven miles northwest of Eureka.
Saidee Olivetta Ladd was born ^larch 20. 1882, married George Cul-
ver, a farmer of Greenwood county, and lives near Eureka. The}' own
large land interests.
Maidee Adele Ladd was born May 4, 1884, is not married and resides
with her aged mother in Eureka.
Mr. and Mrs. Ole E. Ladd are numbered among the very few who
had the good fortune to spend fifty years of life together. On March 13,
1910, thejf celebrated their golden wedding, and hundreds of friends
showered congratulations upon them on this, their fiftieth anniversary.
The Ladd family, with the exception of Mrs. Dray, all live in and near
Eureka, and rank among the prominent pioneers of the State, and are
'well and favorably known.
Dr. William Nicholas Hobbs, one of the leading veterinary surgeons
of the State, and a member of a pioneer family of Smith county, is a
native of Appanoose county, Iowa, born September 5, 1861. He is a son
of William F. and Sara Ann (Williams) Hobbs, natives of Kentucky.
The paternal and maternal grandparents of Dr. Hobbs came from Ken-
tucky together, and settled in Pike county, Illinois, and later both fami-
lies removed to Platte county, Missouri, where they engaged in farming
and lived neighbors to each other. Here \\'^illiam F. Hobbs and Sara
Ann Williams were married. Shortly afterward the Civil war broke out
and, on account of the strong slaverj^ sentiment in that locality they re-
moved to Iowa, where they remained but a short time, when they decid-
ed to return to Pike county, Illinois, and made the trip in a wagon. Dr.
Hobbs was but two months old when his parents made this trip. To
William Hobbs and Sara Ann Williams were born eight children: Ve-
turia, married J- O. Rubin, a contractor and builder at Boise City,
Idaho; Florence, now the wife of D. A. Cline, a retired farmer of Holton,
Kan.; Katherine, married A. C. Hobbs, who is now deceased, and she is
now the wife of E. R. Rice, of Athol, Kan.: Emma, now Mrs. Tondro,
of East St. Louis; William N., the subject of this sketch; Charles W., a
personal sketch of whom appears in this volume ; Daniel H., a personal
sketch of whom also appears in this volume, and May, married E. A.
Powell, of Kensington, Kan. She died in 1894. In the spring of 1872,
William F. Hobbs, the father, left the Illinois home, with a view of find-
ing government land suitable for the future family home, and finally
located a claim in Smith county, Kansas, in what is now known as
\'alley township. He then sent for his family, who came as far as Kan-
sas City by rail that fall, and shortly afterwards the father returned to
Missouri and spent the winter with his family near Kansas City. In
the spring he returned to his Smith county claim, taking with him two
of the girls. Katherine and Emma, and in the fall of that vear returned
BIOGRAPHICAL 55I
to Missouri for the rest of liis family. He fitted out a wagon for the
trip, and started west in- February, 1874. They found the roads in bad
condition, and encountered a great deal of severe weather, but finally,
on March 12, 1874, they reached their new home, where the father, on
his former visits, had built a little log house, 18x20 feet. The roof was
made of poles, covered with bark from cottonwood trees, which was cov-
ered with sod and earth, and made a very comfortable pioneer home. But
the family endured the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life
of that section. They were poor, the father's entire capital consisting
of $10 in money. The first year they planted a crop of corn, but in
July the grasshoppers appeared and completely destroyed it, as well as
every growing thing in that section. However, they had harvested
about four acres of wheat, which left them in very good condition for
the coming winter. The nearest mill where they could get grain ground
was at Waterville, a distance of over a hundred miles. The father fre-
quently made this trip. Later, when the railroad was built to Hastings,
Neb., he frequently went there, which was also about 100 miles distant.
The family continued to make their home on this place, which later
became one of the highly cultivated and profitable farms of Smith
county. The parents both spent their lives there. The father died in
1898, and the mother survived him twelve years, passing away in 191 1.
Dr. Hobbs began his education in the subscription schools in a primi-
tive sod school house. He attended the first school in that section, which
was taught by Miss Nancy Dinvvicldie. At that time the school year
consisted of a term of only three months, but young Hobbs and his
brothers were anxious to obtain an education and improved themselves
by self-study, in addition to attending school. Early in life he became
interested in the study of medicine, and he and his brother, D. H., l^egan
reading along medical lines by themselves, and later took up the study
of veterinary medicine (and when mere boys were considered very ca-
pable practical veterinarians), and were frequently called to attend sick
horses and stock in the neighborhood, and in this way got a great dea'
of practical experience in early life. In 1894 Dr. Ilobbs entered the
Kansas City Veterinary College, and was graduated from that institu
tion in the class of 1896, with the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Sur-
gery. He then located at Holton, Kan., and began the practice of his
profession, and later opened a veterinary hospital, and was very success
fill. He remained in Holton imtil 1908, when he disposed of his business
and removed to Lebanon, forming a partnership with his brother, Dr
D. 11. I fnbbs. in the practice of veterinary surgery. They also operated
extensively in real estate. From 191 1 until 19T3 he was professor of
surger\-, dentistry and obstetrics at the St. Joseph Veterinary College
St. Joseph. Mo. In 1912 he was appointed bv the Kansas Live Stock
Sanitary Commission to study the horse plague, which swept over the
State in that year. In 1911-12 he was president of the State Veterinary
552 BIOGRAPHICAL
Association of Kansas, serving two terms. In 1913 he went to Omaha,
as manager of the Hawkeye Serum Company: in the manufacture of a
hog serum, and in July, 1913, disposed of his interests there, and came
to Topeka and established the Topeka Serum Company, which he is
conducting in partnership with his brother, Dr. Daniel H. Hobbs.
Dr. Hobbs was united in marriage August 19, 1886, to Miss Lizzie
Smith, of Griggsville, 111. She is a daughter of Spencer H. and Eliza-
beth (McWhirt) Smith, both now deceased. Mrs. Hobbs was reared
and educated in Illinois, and is a graduate of the Griggsville High
School, and was a teacher for a short time before her marriage. Dr.
and Mrs. Hobbs have three children, Florence, now Mrs. Carl Adams, of
Lebanon, Kan.; Alice, a teacher at Lebanon, Kan., and Russell, a stu-
dent at Lebanon. The Hobbs family are members of the Christian
church. Dr. Hobbs is a member of the State Veterinary Association, the
Missouri Valley Veterinary Association and the American Veterinary
Association. His fraternal relations are with the Independent Order ol
Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America.
Frank Thomann, a pioneer of Marshall county, who has been a factor
in the material development of that section of the State since his boy-
hood, came to ^larshall county with his parents when he was about ten
j'ears of age. Frank Thomann was born in the Province of Alsace,
France, March 27, 1847. ^"d is a son of Jacques and Victoria (Bishop)
Thomann, both natives of the same place, and of Swiss descent. The
father was a civil engineer in his native land, following that vocation
there until 1856, when the family immigrated to America, landing in
New York in August of that year, and immediately went to Philadel-
phia, Pa., where they remained until March 27, 1857, when they started
west. They came as far as Pittsburgh. Pa., by rail, and from there took
a river boat and came as far as St. Joseph. ^lo., by water. Here they
bought a yoke of cattle and a wagon, and in company with George
Giiittard, a brother-in-law, started on the long trip to Marshall county,
Kansas. There were few settlers along the trail, and on the entire trip
from the Missouri river, they saw, perhaps, less than a half dozen houses.
June 4, 1857, they arrived at the place which they proposed to make their
future home, locating on the creek about four miles north of where Beat-
tie now stands. Here they preempted land, and lived in a tent, and pro-
ceeded to build a more substantial residence, which consisted of a log
house of the pioneer type. They were the first settlers in this imme-
diate section, which was then considered the frontier of the unsettled
plains. Large game was plentiful, such as deer, antelope and turkeys,
but there were no buffaloes here then. However, there were large
herds of them a short distance west of the Blue river. There were also
many Indians near this vicinity, but they gave no trouble, with the ex-
ception of an occasional Indian scare now and then, which was a regu-
lar incident of pioneer life. These were the days of the overland stage
IIIOGRAPHICAL 553
coacli, and llie pony express, and many pioneer institutions which have
long since disappeared. George Guittard, who came with the Thomann
famil}', opened a stage station shortly after coming here, which was
located on the California stage line, and known as Guittard station. Mr.
Guittard was one of the first county commissioner of Marshall county.
Jaques Thomann followed surveying to some extent after coming to
Kansas, doing some of the early surveying in the country, among which
was a road from Atchison to the Nebraska line. He was the first coun-
ty surveyor of Marshall county, but his career was brought to a close
while he was still a comparatively young man. He died May g, 1864.
Frank Thomann was educated in the schools of his native land up to
tlie time that the family came to this country, after which he attended
such schools as the new country provided, until his father's death, when
he remained at home to help care for his mother. At that time he, and
an older half-brother, Joseph Thomann, worked the home farm and were
very successful in farming and stock raising. He remained on the farm
until 1884, when he sold out to his half-brother, and removed to Beattie,
and engaged in the grain business with Brunswig & Company at Beat-
tie. He was also one of the organizers of the Bank of Beattie, and at
that time one of the heaviest investors in that institution. He remained*
at Beattie five 3'ears, or until 1889. At this time the town of Summer-
field was just starting, and he decided to cast his lot with the new town.
He and August W'uester formed a partnership, and engaged in the drug
business in Summerfield, under the firm name of Wuester & Thomann.
This partnership continued until 1894, when a part of the town was
destroyed by fire, which swept away their store. Mr. Thomann rebuilt
and engaged in business alone then, doing business under the name of
Thomann & Company, and continued for several years. In addition to
the drug business, he was also in the grain business and prospered in
that. In 1892 he built a large elevator at Summerfield, known as the
Brunswig Elevator. They also built elevators at Bookwaltcr. Axtell,
Mina and Summit. Tie was also extensively interested in the Summer-
field Hardware &: Implement Company, and was manager of this enter-
prise for ten years. He has disposed of his interest in this business,
and also the drug store, and is now devoting his attention to the grain
business and his banking interests. The State Bank of Summerfield
was organized about tlie time that he came to Summerfield and he
immediately bought a large block of stock in that institution, and has
been its ]iresident since 1889, thi; year of its organization, and since
that time he has been active in directing the policy of the bank, which
has had a prosperous business, and is one of the substantial banks
of Northern Kansas. Mr. Thomann was married March 10, 18S3, to Miss
Charlotte, daughter of .\braham and Margaret (Bauci*) U'uestcr, 1)nih
natives of Germany. They came to Kansas witli the Thomann family.
and settled on adjoining farms in Marshall county, but returned to .St
554 BIOGRAPHICAL
Joseph. Mil., remaining until i860, when they again came to Marshall
county, and made their future home here. The father was a success-
ful farmer, and died in September, 1913, at a ripe old age, and his wife
departed this life in November, 191 1. at the advanced age of eighty. Mrs.
Thomann was born and reared in ^^larshall county. To Mr. and Mrs.
Thomann have been born four children : James A., deceased ; Charles
Wilber, married Maud Jones and resides at Frankfort; Warren Frank,
married Xiiia Kelley, resides at Frankfort, and Frank Charles, a student
at Kansas University, Lawrence, Kan. While Mr. Thomann has been
and still is active in the commercial and industrial life of his county,
he has found time to take an active interest in the public and political
affairs of Marshall county. He is a Democrat, and although interested
in the welfare of his party and the promotion of its principles, he has
never sought office. However, as a matter of public interest, he has
served on the school board of Summerfield, and at one time was ap-
pointed fish and game warden of ^Marshall county, and served as mayor
of Summerfield one term. He is a Royal Arch Mason, a Knight Tem-
pler and a member of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to the An-
cient Order of United Workmen, and he and Mrs. Thomann are mem-
ber^ of the Knights and Ladies of Security.
John Webster, a pioneer stockman of \\'ashington county, Kansas,
now a resident of Oklahoma, was born in England and is of Scotch
descent. He was reared a farmer and about 1857 came to Canada, lo-
cating near the cit}- of Hamilton. He became a resident of Kansas in
1868, when he engaged in farming and stock raising near Troy, Doni-
phan county, on a rented farm. He was a lover of animals and his nat-
ural inclination was for stock raising. In order to secure free range for
his cattle he removed, in 1870, to Washington county, at that time with-
out a herd law, where grass was abundant and conditions most favora-
ble for success in this line of endeavor. He located a homestead ad-
joining a section of school land and brought a large number of horses,
cattle and hogs and soon had the largest stock enterprise in this sec-
tion of the State. He broke a large acreage and placed it in cultivation,
also fencing and cross-fencing his land. Shortly after he had things
well under way a herd law was passed, which was not only a keen dis-
appointment to him, but necessitated securing pasture for his stock.
He purchased a half-section, adjoining his quarter, and proceeded to
put this into profitable operation. He was the principal taxpayer in
his school district, and as the country settled rapidly a school house
was built and a school established, while the expense was to a great
extent borne by him. He found farming in Kansas at this time was
far from profitable and full of discouragements. Hogs sold at two
dollars per hundred and the early settler had no market for his other
products. Grasshoppers and droughts also came to discourage him and
during the year 1871 he lost his wife. Notwithstanding these severe
BIOGRAPHICAL 555
losses he continued to forge ahead and l)ecame a hea\-y lireeder and
shipper of stock. He had planted seven miles of Osage orange fence
on his land, and about the time it got niceh- grown barbed wire fence
was first placed on the market, and his labor and expense were to a
great extent thrown away. The crowning misfortune of his Kansas
experience came in 1886, when he became involved in a bank failure,
which left him a bankrupt with some unpaid debts. He remained in
the State until 1905, when he removed to Livingstone, Mont., where
he farmed until 1910, when he located near Perry, Okla. While he was
unfortunate in his business career in Kansas, he was one of the most
progressive men v^dio settled in Washington county and was an active
factor in its development, and one of Washington county's most val-
uable citizens.
Mr. \\'ebster was twice married. His first wife was Miss Eliza
Molyneaux, the daughter of a French Huguenot, who came to Canada,
whom he married in 1862, and who died in 1871, leaving three children:
Fannie M., William Henry, a sketch of whom follows this article, and
Emma, the wife of Theodore B. Lamoreaux, of Greenleaf, Kan. In
1874 he married Ellen Molyneaux, a sister of his first wife, by whom
he had two children : Eliza, who is deceased, and James, of the firm
of Webster Brothers, stockmen of Rooks county, Kansas.
William Henry Webster, a popular and influential citizen of Greenleaf,
and senior member of the firm of Webster Brothers, extensive stockmen,
of Rooks and Washington counties. Kansas, was born at Maryville, Mo.,
February 26, 1868, a son of John and Eliza (Molyneaux) Webster, per-
sonal mention of whom precedes this article. He was reared on his
father's farm in Washington county and obtained his education in the
country schools, which he attended until he was aged seventeen. "Wil-
lie," as he was known to his familiars, began learning the A B C's of
farming when he was hardly able to herd the cows, and under the instruc-
tion of his father became proficient in all its details. Before attaining
his majority he was practically in charge of the property, which was
one of the largest and best improved in the county. Through tiie
failure of a bank, in 1886, his father was obliged to mortg.ige the farm
and it was sold under foreclosure, it was bought in by Caldwell &
Peterson, of Concordia, holders of the second mortgage, wlio consid-
ered it an "elephant," and who consulted the sheriff. A. TT. Scott, of
Washington county, as to what was best to do witli tlicir new farm.
He told them that if they could come to terms with Webster's eldest
son they would make no mistake. J. W. Peterson went out to the farm
with W. H. Webster and the same evening closed a deal by which the
latter bought the property for the amount of the total indebtedness,
which was $7,100, with a payment down of $130 ami llic balance on
reasonable terms. I'ndcr the handicaj) of this large debt, with one-half
of the propert)- in Prairie hay, which yielded no revenue and limited
556 BIOGRAPHICAL
credit, young Webster made his start. He was able to secure ma-
chinery, horses and equipment and soon had the farm on a paying
basis. Crops were bountiful but prices were low and it required several
years in which to establish a credit, on which to run a ranch property
of this extent. This he accomplished, however, and became an exten-
sive feeder and dealer in cattle and hogs. His farm animals and equip-
ment at first were cheap and poor, but in a few years these were re-
placed by the best horses and mules obtainable, and equipment and
improvements keep pace with the stock used on the ranch. He soon
attained recognition as one of the expert judges of horses, mules and
cattle of his State and he probably has marketed more high priced
mules than any man in his section of the State. In addition to his
home ranch he leased considerable pasture land and grazed large num-
bers of cattle, which he wintered and conditioned for market. Up to
the jear 1901, James Webster, a younger brother of our subject, had
remained on the old home place, and in this year the bo3's formed the
firm of Webster Brothers, and leased 1,100 acres of land in Rooks
county, which was placed in wheat, realizing a dream of years on the
part of William H. This acreage was increased in 1902 to 2,300 acres.
They had varied success in this enterprise, the crop of 1903 vielding
about 30,000 bushels, some acreage running fifty bushels, while other
sections were a total loss. They later bought a tract of 960 acres in
Rush township, which they placed in wheat and corn, and fed large
numbers of hogs and cattle, realizing a nice profit. This ranch they
sold and bought 480 acres of choice river bottom land six miles south-
west of Stockton. They operate this property and leased lands, totaling
4,000 acres. They feed from 800 to 1,200 head of beef cattle and 400 to 600
head of hogs and are known among stock raisers as highly successful,
and experts in their line.
Mr. Webster is possessed of qualifications for the successful han-
dling of large propositions in his line of endeavor, and has made a
very creditable success. He is a progressive and aggressive man, who
has been of great value in the development of his home county, as well
as that of Rooks, and as he is in the prime of life his future usefulness
to the agricultural life of the State will be of great value. Political
affairs have never taken much of his time, and political office has never
appealed to him. He is a Democrat. His fraternal affiliations are with
the Modern \\'oodmen of America, the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, his membership
in the latter being in Concordia Lodge, No. 586.
Mr. Webster married, in May, 1902, Miss Harriette E. Lewis, a
daughter of William A. Lewis, a retired farmer, of Clay Center, who
is one of the pioneers of Clay county, Kansas, where he located in 1868.
They are. the parents of one child, a daughter, Helen Alma Webster,
born in May, 1906.
BIOGRAPHICAL 55/
Samuel T. Powell, who during- his lifetime was prominent in the af-
fairs of Marshall county, is now deceased. He was born in Stanhill,
N. Y., January 5, 1842. His parents were Benjamin S. pnd Gerushia
Powell, both natives of the Empire State, where the father was a
farmer. Samuel T. received a good education. He attended the public
schools of his native town and the college at Fort Edwards, N. Y.
After this he recived a business education, and when a young man en-
tered the emplo}' of a bank as clerk, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. remaining
here five years, after which he was connected with the bank at Castle-
ton, X. Y., for two j'ears, and in 1871 came west, locating at Waterville.
Marshall county. For several years he was connected with the Mar-
shall County Bank, when he decided to engage in the banking business
for himself and established the Bank of Waterville, Waterville, Kan.
He conducted this institution until, on account of failing health, he
disposed of his banking interests, and later engaged in loaning Eastern
capital in Marshall and adjacent counties. This business developed
rapidly, and he did a very extensive loan business of this character,
and was instrumental in bringing a great deal of Eastern capital into
the State, which contributed largely to the upbuilding and rapid devel-
opment of northern Kansas. The early settlers had to have money to
build their homes and improve their farms. Mr. Powell was a careful
and trustworthy investor, but as a representative of capital was always
lenient with the borrower, and his method of dealing with the worthy
unfortunate contributed in many instances to the eventual financial
success of many an early settler in Kansas. He was also interested
quite extensively in the banking industry in the northern part of the
State. He was president of a bank in Cuba, Kan., several years and also
president of the Cl3'de Exchange Bank for seventeen years. His busi-
ness extended throughout the entire scope of northern Kansas, from Wa-
terville to the Colorado line. Mr. Powell was united in marriage, Sep-
tember 5. 1872, to Miss Sarah E. Griffin, a daughter of Henry II. and
Chloe (Fletcher) Griffin, the former a native of Maine and the latter
of Massachusetts, both of Scotch descent. Henry H. Griffin was
prominent as an educator and lecturer and for a time held a professor-
ship in the I'niversity of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He was an eminent
geologist and for years delivered lectures in the principal cities and towns
of the country. He came to Kansas in 1871 and for a time was a teacher
at \\'aterville. Mrs. Griffin. Mrs. Powell's mother, was a well erlucated
and highly cultured woman. She was a graduate of Lyons College,
Lyons, Mass.
To Mr. and Mrs. Powell were born two children: Kalph L., Ixirn No-
vember 14, 1873, died at the age of seventeen years; and Charlton B.,
liorn Xovcmbcr 9, 1878, died at the age of five years. Mrs. Powell was
horn in .Allen's Grove, Wis., and when a child her parents removed to
Rose Hill, 111. She attended the public schools there and at Kewanec.
55^5 BIOGRAPHICAL
111., and had the advantages of her father's private tutoring, and thereby
received an excellent education. She is a high type of American woman-
liood, charitable and solicitous of the welfare of others. She takes an
active interest in church work, to which she has devoted a great deal of
time and talen. She has always helped care for the sick and assisted the
needy, and during the lifetime of her husband their interests in this work
was mutual. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in
which Mr. Powell also held membership and was a liberal contributor to
that organization.
Mr. Powell departed this life November 28, 1891, and in his death
Marshall county lost one of its most valuable and respected citizens.
Perry Anderson, of Bigelow, Kan., ranks among the progressive and
successful agriculturists of Marshall county. He is a native of Ohio, born
near Bluffton, Hancock county, October 12, 1850, and is a son of William
and Jane (Tom) Anderson, the former a native of Ireland and the latter
of Scotland. The father was a farmer and followed that occupation until
his death, which occurred in September, 1861. Perry Anderson was
reared on a farm in Ohio and educated in the public schools of that State.
He remained at home until 1873, when he came to Kansas and settled one
mile north of Frankfort, where he bought a homestead right. He re-
mained on this place until the spring of 1881. He then traded that farm
in part payment for a larger place in Bigelow township, where he now
lives. He was engaged in stock raising quite extensively on his original
farm, but after locating on his present place v.-ent into that business on
a larger scale, and also began feeding and shipping cattle. He feeds and
ships as high as 200 head a 3'ear, and is also an extensive hog raiser.
His present farm consists of 380 acres, located along Clear Fork and
Vermillion creeks in one of the most fertile sections of northern Kansas.
Mr. Anderson married Miss Mary L., daughter of Robert and Martha
(Turner) Blair, both natives of Ohio. Robert Blair was a carpenter and
was also engaged in farming and stock raising. Mrs. Anderson was born
and reared in Ohio, educated in the public schools of Bluffton and .Ada,
Ohio. After finishing school she taught several terms. To Mr. and Mrs.
.\nderson have been born five children : Roy : Charles ; Susie, who mar-
ried William Rebb and resides in Marshal! county ; May, who married
O. W. Jones, of Barrett, Marshall county, and Bert, deceased.
Mr. Anderson is a Republican and has served nine years as treasurer
of the school hoard. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are members of the Pres-
byterian church. He is one of the substantial citizens of Marshall county
and the type of man whose energy and thrift have contributed to the up-
building of the commonwealth of Kansas.
Asa Ray Darby. — Kansas is primarily a great agricultural State, and
he who has successfully devoted himself to that line of endeavor within
its confines for over fifty }-ears, certainly has contributed to the great-
ness of the commonwealth. Such is the distinction of him whose name
BIOGRAPHICAL 559
introduces this review. Asa Ray Darby is a native of the Buckeye State,
born August 25, 1847, in Monroe county, Ohio. For a more extended re-
view of the Darby family history see biographical sketch of Philip Darby,
which appears elsewhere in this volume.
Asa Ray was about eleven years of age when the family came to
Kansas and settled in Washington county, and here, surrounded by
pioneer life on the frontier of the then rapidly developing West, the boy
spent that formative period of his life which develops character and self-
reliance. \\'hen the family came I0 Washington county the entire popu-
lation of the county numbered about twenty. There were many Indians
here yet, and there were considerable Indian troubles in the adjacent coun-
ties on the west during the '60s, but none of any importance in the vi-
cinity of the Darby homestead, except periodical Indian scares. There
was plenty of large game, including deer, antelope, wild turkej' and
buffalo, and while not a professional hunter, Mr. Darby has frequently
hunted buffaloes. He received his early education in the public schools
and attended school in the log school house at Washington, Kan, which
was the first school building in that vicinity. When he was twenty-one
3'ears of age he took a homestead in township 2, range 2, and began
farming for himself, according to the style of farming in those days, and
has been continuously engaged in farming and stock raising ever since,
and has met with a very satisfactory degree of success. He owns one
of the best farms in the county, which is located in Mill Creek town-
ship.
Mr. Darby has been twice married. On September 2, 1887, he mar-
ried Clara B. Ilayworth, a daughter of John and Louisa Hayworth, the
former a native of Indiana and the latter of Nortli Carolina. Mrs. Darby
was born in Iowa, where the family were farmers. They came to Kan-
sas in 1885 and settled in Washington county, where they still reside.
To Mr. and Mrs. Darby were born three children : Vernon Ray, a
barber in Munden, Kan. ; Herbert O. W. and Winifred May, both at
home. The wife and mother died January 4, 1904 Mr. Darby married,
on January 11, 1911, Sarah E. Garrett. She is a daughter of James and
Mary Garrett. Her father was a native of Scotland and her mother of
England. Mrs. Darby was born in Illinois and came to Kansas with
her parents about 1880, settling in Washington county. They are both
now deceased. Mr. and Mrs, Darby are members of the Methodist
Episcopal church, of which he is a steward. Politically he is a Repub-
lican.
Roley S. Pauley, State senator and leading stockman and farmer, of
Beattie, Kan., is a native of Indian. He was born in Monroe county,
Jime 23, 1849, a son of .Solomon and Amercus (.Smock) Pauley. The
former was born in Lexington, Ky., and the latter at Bloomington, Ind.
In 1855 the family removed to Iowa, settling in Monroe county, where
the father followed farming until his death, October 18, 1892, and
where the mother now resides.
560 BIOGRAPHICAL
Roley S. Pauley was reared on the farm and educated in the country
schools, and took a course in the business college at Burlington, Iowa.
He remained on the home farm in Iowa until the spring of 1878, when
he came to Kansas, locating in Marshall county. He began on a rented
farm, and in 1882 bought the farm where he now resides. When he
came this section of the country was sparsely settled and the towns
of Axtell and Beattie had just been started. He brought four head of
horses with him, and \\ith this outfit began life in the new country.
During his first two years in Kansas he was unmarried, and lived alone,
keeping house for himself.
On December 22, 1881, he was united in marriage to Miss Nora E.
Totten, daughter of Joseph and Susan Totten. natives of Illinois, who
came to Kansas in the early '60s, settling in Marshall county, where
the father followed farming throughout the remainder of his life. He
died in 1892, and ten years later his widow passed away. Mrs. Pauley
was born in Marshall county and received her education in the public
schools of Beattie. To Mr. and Mrs. Pauley have been born nine chil-
dren, six of whom are living: Delia E., at home; Ray S., who married
Nellie E. Graham and resides in Rook township, Marshall county, they
have two children, Martin and Calvin ; Susan A., deceased ; Jesse T.,
at home; Lulu A., deceased; Elsie T., at home; Cora E., at home;
Mayne. at home ; and Roley, deceased.
Earl}^ in his farming career in Marshall county !Mr. Pauley began
raising standard bred stock, but made a specialty of no particular breed.
He also fed cattle for the market a few years, but finally drifted into
general farming and stock raising and has been very successful in this
line of endeavor. In 1^96 he was elected county treasurer and at the
expiration of his first term was reelected, serving four years. He is a
Republican and an active worker in his party and has been a delegate
to several State, Congressional and National conventions. While he
was county treasurer he resided in Marysville, but at the expiration of
his term returned to his farm. In 1912 he was elected State senator
for a term of four 3-ears and represented the Nineteenth senatorial dis-
trict in the session of 1913 and served as a member of the following
committees : Live Stock, Fish and Game, and Hygiene.
Mr. Pauley has been active in other enterprises as well as farming
and politics. He was one of the organizers of the Bremen State Bank,
of Bremen, the Citizens State Bank, of Marysville, and the State Bank,
oi Bigelow, but has recently disposed of his interests in these institu-
tions. He is now interested in the Mutual Telephone Company and
for one term was secretary of that company. He is a member of the
Ancient Free and Accepted IMasons and the Ancient Order of United
Workmen. The Pauley family belongs to the Baptist church.
Nicholas S. Kerschen, a leading farmer and stockman of ^larshall
county, is a native of Luxemberg, Germany, born April 29, 1869. He is a
son of Charles and Mary N. (Klein) Kerschen, both natives of Luxem-
BIOGRAPHICAL 561
berg. The father was a \vca\er in early life, fnUowing that occupation
until 1873. when the famil}' immigrated to America. They came to Kan-
sas and settled in Marshall county, making their home in Marysville
township. The father bought eighty acres of land and followed farm-
ing until his death in 1893.
Charles Kerschen and Mary N. Klein became the parents of two sons,
Nicholas S.. the subject of this sketch, and Peter G., who died in 1886, in
the prime of manhood. He was a well educated young man, with a
promising future, and had been a teacher in the Marshall county schools
for some time. In 1908 the mother passed away also. Nicholas S.
Kerschen was a child of only four years when his jiarents came to Kan-
sas. Here he was reared on the home farm and educated in the public
schools. He remained on the farm assisting his parents until his mar-
riage, which took place July 2, 1891, the lady of his choice being Miss
Margaret Koppes, a daughter of N. S. Koppes, Sr., and Lena (iKlas)
Koppes, also natives of Luxemberg, Germany, and pioneers of Marshall
county. The Koppes family came to Kansas in the late '50s, locating on
Government land in Marshall county, where the father was pursuing the
peaceful life of a farmer until the Civil war broke out, when he enlisted
in Company K, Thirteenth Kansas infantry, and served throughout the
war. His regiment was attached to the Army of the West, and he saw
much service in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas. At the close of the war
he returned to his Marshall county farm, where he spent the remainder
of his active life. A few years before his death he retired and removed
to Marysville, where he died in April, 1909.
His wife passed away in 1897. Mrs. Kerschen was born in Marshall
county, October 15, 1871, where she was reared and educated. Mr. and
Mrs. Kerschen have two children: Carl N., born September 8, 1894, and
Arthur, born August 7, 1897. Both boys are now students in the high
school. After his marriage Mr. Kerschen continued to follow farming,
and in a few years began raising Poland China hogs and cattle on a very
extensive scale, and has been very successful in this and his other farm-
ing operations. He first bought 200 acres of land and has added to his
original holdings from time to time, and now owns 550 acres of some of
the best land in Marshall county. He is a progressive and public-
spirited citizen, and has taken an active jiart in public affairs, and par-
ticularly in the improvement and increased efficiency of the public
schools, and has served on the school board of his township for thirteen
years, and was treasurer of the township board for eleven years. In
1912 he was elected to the legislature from the Fortieth district, and
during that session served on the committee on highways and the horti-
cultural committee, besides three other committees. He has taken an
active interest in the State military organization and from 1884 until
1891 was a member of Company G, Third regiment, Kansas National
Guard. He is a Republican and prominent in the local councils of his
562 BIOGRAPHICAI,
party. The family are members of the Catholic church. He is one of
the substantial men of Marshall county and has a broad acquaintance,
who know him as a man of the highest integrity.
Michael Nester, the popular sheriff of Marshall county, is a native of
Germany, born at Wurtemberg, September 24, 1872. He is a son of
Cyrakus and Mary (Galster) Nester, both natives of Wurtemberg and
descendants of old and honorable German ancestry. In 1878 the Nester
family came to America and settled near St. Louis, where the father fol-
lowed farming, which had been his occupation in the Fatherland. He
remained there two years, coming to Kansas in the fall of 1880, and lo-
cating at Marysville. He was first employed as a landscape gardener
and decorator, and still resides at Marysville.
Sheriff Nester received his education in the parochial and public
schools of Marysville, and after leaving school was employed by a
butcher for a short time, when he engaged in that business for himself
In 1896 he went to Oregon in the employ of Swift & Company, and was
engaged in trailing sheep and cattle from the Pacific coast east as far
as Colorado. The plan was to drive a herd of sheep or cattle over the
range to points in Colorado, then return to Oregon and repeat the opera-
tion. During the time he was thus employed he spent the winters at
Marysville, and in 1900 he resigned this position, becoming city mar-
shal of Marysville. After serving in this capacity three years, he was
appointed under sheriff by Sheriff F. J. Barrett, serving in this capacity
with different sheriffs until 1912, when he was elected sheriff, which
office he now holds.
Mr. Nester was married December 24, 1901, to Miss Dora, daughter
of George and Sarah C. (Wood) Hankins, the former a native of Illi-
nois, and the latter of Iowa. The Hankins family came to Kansas in
1880, where the father was engaged in teaching and farming until 1907,
when he removed to Colorado, where he is still actively engaged in
teaching. Mrs. Nester was bor-n on a farm in Marshall county. Kansas,
and received her education in the public schools, attending the high
school at Oketo. Later she attended the Normal College at Marys-
ville, where she was graduated in the class of 1900, and taught two
terms prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Nester have been born
three children: Michael C, deceased; George Myron, deceased, and
Blanford Murlin, now a pupil in the Marysville schools.
Mr. Nester is a Democrat, and has taken an active part in his party
organization. His fraternal affiliations are with the Modern Woodmen
of America. He has served as a peace officer in various capacities in
Marshall county over thirteen years, and has ever been capable and effi-
cient. His long experience in that capacity well qualifies him for the
responsible position which he now holds.
Paul N. Schmitt, a leading educator of Marshall county, and the
jiresent county superintendent, was born in Chicago, 111., August 17,
1879. He is a son of John and Catherine (Gieres) Schmitt, natives of
BIOGRAI'HICAL 563
Luxemberg, Germany. The father was a shoemaker in his native land,
having learned his trade in Paris, France, and worked at it since com-
ing to this countr3^ In 1871 he immigrated to America, and about a
year later Catherine Gieres also came to America, locating in Chicago.
John Schmitt and Catherine Gieres were married in Chicago, and in
1880 came to Kansas, locating at Marysville, where he engaged in cus-
tom shoe making, but with the advent of factory made shoes, he turned
his attention more to repairing and now runs a repair shop in connection
with his shoe store in Marysville.
Paul N. Schmitt, the subject of this sketch, was reared in Marysville,
attending the common schools and the high school and later took a
course in the Normal Academy at Marysville, and in the meantime as-
sisted his father in the shoe business. He completed the normal course
in 1897, when he entered St. Benedict's College at Atchison, where he
pursued his studies two years. He then taught school a year, when he
took a course in the St. Joseph Business University at St. Joseph, Mo.,
and after that taught in the rural districts of Marshall county several
terms. He then taught one year at Bigelow, .when he accepted the prin-
cipalship of the Oketo schools, where he remained three years. While at
the latter place he made many improvements and raised the standard of
the schools there. During his first year he added the ninth grade work,
and the second year the tenth grade work, and during the last year
raised the standard to the eleventh grade. His work along general edu-
cational lines has been no less progressive than the splendid showing
that he made with the Oketo schools.
Mr. Schmitt was married January 29, 1904, to Miss Veronica, daugh-
ter of Peter and Sussan (Schmidler) Koppes, the former a native of Lux-
emberg, Germany, and the latter of Wisconsin, of German descent. Mr.
Koppes came to Kansas about 1857, located a farm, and after a few years
returned to Wisconsin, where he was married, and brought his bride to
Kansas, and followed farming and stock raising in Marshall county until
1906, when he removed to Marysville and lived retired until his death,
July 29. 1913. The wife and mother now resides at Marysville.
Mrs. Schmitt was born on the old homestead which her father lo-
cated on Horseshoe creek, in Marshall county, and received her educa-
tion in the district schools and the Normal School at Marysville. She
was a teacher for a number of years and taught three years in the rural
schools of Marshall county, four years in the city schools of Herkimer,
and two years in the primary department of the Marysville city schools.
To Mr. and Mrs. Schmitt have been born three children : Cecilie. aged
eight years; Agnes, aged five, and .'\dclaide. aged eighteen months. Mr.
Schmitt was appointed census enumerator for Clear Fork townshi]). Mar-
shall county, in'1910, and performed this task in addition to his regular
school work. In 1912 he was elected county superintendent of schools.
He is a progressive and juactical educator, and his adminisl ration is not-
564 BIOGRAPHICAL
able for its efficiency. Mr. and Mrs. Schmitt are communicants of the
Catholic church.
J. J. Tilley, of Frankfort, Kansas, is a representative of the successful
stockmen of Northern Kansas. Mr. Tilley was born in Upper Canada,
No\'ember 25, 1859, a son of James and Margaret (Watt) Tilley. The
father was a native of England, and the mother of Canada. James
Tilley was only six years old when his parents emigrated from England
to Canada, and here he grew to manhood and was married. In 1870
he came to Kansas with his family, locating in Wells township, Marshall
county, where he took a homestead, and followed farming there until
his death, and his widow tiow resides there. J. J. Tilley, whose name
introduces this sketch, obtained most of his education in the public
schools after coming to Kansas, and the old school house which he at-
tended is still standing, but has long since been abandoned for school
purposes, and is now used as a barn. It was the custom of farmer boys
in those days to attend school about three months during the winter
season and work on the farm the balance of the year, and such was the
experience of young Tilley.- When he was about nineteen years of age
he began farming for himself on a rented place. He continued here a
few years as a renter and as an evidence of his success he now owns the
farm. His father was a successful stockman, and quite an extensive
breeder of pure-bred Hereford cattle thirty-five or thirty-six years ago,
and when J. J. took up stock raising as a business for himself he natur-
ally followed in the footsteps of his father, and also became a Hereford
breeder. He now has one of the largest herds in Marshall county. He
is also extensively engaged in feeding and has been successful in that
line. He is also a successful hog raiser, and an extensive producer of
"baby beef," fattening large numbers of calves for the market while they
are still young. He has the distinction of shipping the best carload of
baby beeves sold on the Kansas City market during the year of 1913.
Mr. Tilley takes an active interest in public affairs and has served on
the school board over eighteen years, and was treasurer of Rock town-
ship two terms. In 1912 he was elected to the legislature from Marshall
county, and was active in the legislation of that session. He served on
the taxation, railroads, horticulture and temperance committees. Po-
litically he is a Democrat, and his fraternal affiliations are with the In-
dependent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a member of Frankfort Lodge,
No. no. and the Tilley family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Tilley was married November 25, 1882. to ]\Iiss Jerusha Ann, a
daughter of Solomon and Mary E. (West) Dotson, both natives of Vir-
ginia. The Dotson family resided in Missouri for a time, where the
father was engaged in farming, and in 1869 they came to Kansas, set-
tling in Marshall county, where they homesteaded. the father following
farming until his death. Mrs. Tilley was born in Missouri and was only
a child when her jinrents came to Marshall county. She received her
UIOGRAPHICAL 565
educalion in the district schools of Marshall county and the Axtell High
School. To Mr. and Mrs. Tilley have been born three children: Charles
A., married Miss Georgia Shrotit, and they have one child, Anna Lucile;
Alvah H., at home with her parents ; and Frederick, a student at Moody
College, Chicago, 111. Mr. Tilley is progressive, public-spirited, and one
of the substantial men of Washington county.
James Kennedy, a leading farmer and stock raiser of Marshall county,
is a native son uf Kansas, born in Clear Fork township. Marshall county,
September 28, 1870. He is a son of William and Catherine (Kelley)
Kennedy. The father was a native of Ireland and came to .-Vmerica when
about fourteen years of age, first settling in Massachusetts and later
came west, locating in Iowa. He came to Kansas about 1856 and set-
tled in Marshall county. Catherine Kelley, his wife, was a native of
Xew York and of Irish parentage. The Kelley family came to Kansas
in 1856 and here William Kennedy and Catherine Kelley were married.
William Kennedy made farming the chief occupation of his life. How-
ever, he worked for a short time in a woolen mill in Massachusetts.
W'hen he came to Kansas he bought government land in Alarshall county,
where he followed farming and stock raising and was very successful.
He died November 19, 1897, and his wife passed away April 12, 1906.
William Kennedy accumulated a large amount of land, and at his
death owned over 2,000 acres. He reared a family of ten children:
Henry, James, William A., Mary, Margaret, Kate, Agnes, Clara, Nellie
and .A.nna, all of whom are living except Anna. James Kenned\- was
reared on a farm and attended the common schools in District No. j8,
the building being a primitive structure of native timber. The boy com-
pleted the common branches at this school and later attended the Jesuit
College at St. Marys for two years. He then returned home, where he
was engaged in farming and stock raising with his father until the death
of the latter. When his father died, James continued on the home place,
taking up the management where his father left off. He had the advan-
tage of a thorough business training under his father from childhood.
\A'hen a mere boy his father often permitted him to buy large bunches
of cattle on his own judgment, and in later life these experiences proved
valuable to him, as he is now one of the most successful men in his line
in Marshall county. His father had begun to work into the pure-bred
Hereford cattle before his death, and James has continued with this
plan. He has shipped a great many pure-bred cattle to various parts of
the country, often as far as Old Mexico, for breeding purposes. His pure-
bred herd now numbers about fifty head. He also has continued feed-
ing cattle for market, and on an average feeds about 350 head each year
and usually keeps about 600 head on his farm. He still owns the old
homestead, but the old log house of the pioneer days has disappeared,
which has been replaced by a commodious stone residence. This place
has been noted for the hospitality of its owner and a stranger was never
566 BIOGRAPHICAL
turned away from its doors. When the travelers of the earh- days reached
Kenned3-'s stone house they knew they were welcome to food and shel-
ter, ilr. Kennedy takes an active part in the public affairs of his county
and is now serving his third term as county commissioner from the Third
district of Marshall county. Politcally, he is a Republican.
He was united in marriage, April 24, 1899, to Miss Anna, daughter of
Joseph and Sophia (Ganter) \^'endling. The parents were natives of
Germany, but came to America when quite young. They settled in Kan-
sas about 1880, locating in Marshall county, where the father followed
farming until his death in 1902. The wife and mother now resides in
Frankfort. Mrs. Kennedy was born in New Orleans, but her parents re-
moved to Wisconsin when she was a child, and she was reared and edu-
cated in that State, coming to Kansas with her parents. To Mr. and Mrs.
Kennedy have been born six children : Regina, William, Felicita, Cath-
erine. Collette and Charlotte. The family are members of the Catholic
church.
David B. Walker, a prominent Marshall county pioneer and veteran
of the Civil war, is a native of Ohio. He w'as born December 19, 1845,
and his parents were Isaac and Winifred (Barrett) \\'alk<jr, natives of
Harrison county, Ohio. The Walker family trace their ancestry back
to colonia times, Ebenezer \\'alker, a direct lineal ancestor, was a sol-
dier in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war and was killed
while in the service. He left a son, Aaron, who was the father of Isaac,
the father of David B., whose name introduces this sketch
Isaac Walker was a wagon-maker and for years followed that occupa-
tion in Ohio, doing an extensive business. In 1856 he came to Kansas
with his famil}^ making the trip by boat from Wheeling, W. Va.. down
the Ohio river and up the Mississippi and !\Iissouri rivers to St. Joseph,
Mo. They drove from St. Joseph to Marshall county, Kansas, and
reached their destination May 18, 1856, settling near the forks of Ver-
million creek, south of where Frankfort now stands. Here the father
took a claim and built a log cabin for a home. They were the first set-
tlers on the west fork of \'ermillion creek and their nearest neighbors
were at Marysville, about fourteen miles distant. They used oxen in
breaking their land and did all their farm work with oxen for several
years as there were few horses in the country at that time. B'jffaloes were
plentiful along the Blue river and they often went buffalo hunting there,
and in this way obtained their meat supply. Deer and antelope also were
plentiful and Mr. Walker says he has often stood in the door of his home
and seen lots of deer and antelope, and at one time counted as many as
eleven different herds of from three to seven deer each. At the time
the Walker family settled in this section there were many Indians here
and there was an Indian village located on the Walker homestead for a
time. Several different tT-ibes of Indians frequently gathered here and
BIOGRAPHICAL 567
held regular Indian po\v-\vo\vs for days at a time. Owing to the favora-
ble location and the fact that Isaac Walker, the father, was friendly with
the Indians, made this a favorite camping place for them, and for fifteen
years or more there was an Indian village here. There was no serious
trouble from Indians in this settlement, but there was considerable In-
dian trouble along the \\ hite Rock and Blue rivers on numerous occa-
sions and several people who were massacred were well known to the
Walker family. About 1857 the old town of Sylvan was located near
where Winifred now is. This was the county seat of Marshall county,
later changed to Marysville, and the present Walker home stands near
the site of the old log court house. Isaac Walker, the father, was an
ardent Free State advocate and was known as "Free Soil" ^^'alker. He
followed pioneer farming and stock raising, and for twenty-five years or
more after he located here his horses and cattle ran at large over the
plains, as there were no fences in those days. St. Joseph, Mo., was their
nearest trading point and the trip there was made with ox teams. The
Fremont trail, or the Government road, leading to the west passed eight
miles north of the Walker homestead and at times miles of seemingly un-
broken wagon trains of ox teams and prairie schooners could be seen
winding theii" way westward on this trail.
David n. W'alker was reared among these pioneer surroundings and
remained at home until the Civil war broke out. In September, 1862,
he enlisted in Company G, Thirteenth Kansas infantry, and saw service
in Missouri, Arkansas and Indian Territory. He was severely wounded
at Forsythe, Mo., and shortly afterwards was discharged on account of
disability resulting from his wound. In fact, he was permanently dis-
abled. The misfortunes of the war fell heavily on the W'alker family.
The father while in the service was severely wounded ,ind the onl}-
brother of the subject of this sketch, who was a member of the Eighth
Kansas infantry, was killed on the field of battle. In the hitter part of
1863, after being discharged from the service, David 11. Walker returned
to Kansas. He found the old home neglected and almost desolate,
being practically abandoned while the father and two only sons were
in the arm3^ He was broken in health, but set out to start life over again
with the same determination that he had marched to the front during
the war. In 1865 he drove an ox team to Denver, crossing what was then
known as the Great American Desert, and after returning to Marshall
county engaged in farming^nd stock raising. He took a homestead near
his father's, where he farmed and also worked in a saw and grist mill
at Barrett's. This mill was operated by A. G. Barrett, an uncle, and was
the first mill in Marshall county. Mr. Walker has been successfully en-
gaged in farming and stock raising since that time. He has raised Here-
ford cattle for many years. His original herd of Herefords was from the
celebrated Morgan herd, which was the first in Kansas. He now owns
his original homestead and also the one where his father settled, tlie old
568 BIOGRAPHICAL
land warrant to his father being signed by President Buchanan. His
place now consists of about 900 acres.
In 1880 Mr. Walker married Miss Annette, daughter of James and
Martha (Chattuck) Barrett, natives of Illinois. The Barrett family re-
moved to Iowa at an early day and in 1870 came to Kansas, settling in
Marshall county, where the father followed farming. Mrs. Walker was
born in Jasper county, Iowa, and was about nine years old when she came
to Kansas with her parents. To Mr. and Mrs. Walker have been born
four children : Carroll, who is in the grain and elevator business at
LilHs, Kan.; Isaac B., also a grain and elevator man, at Winfred, Kan;
Volney and Marshia, high school students at Frankfort. Mr. Walker is
a public spirited man and has taken an active part in the development
of his locality. In 1909, when the railroad was built through what is
now the town of Winifred, he made a liberal concession of land for the
railroad company and built the first houses on the new town site of
Winifred. He also built several business places, including a bank build-
ing, and in 1910 organized the State Bank of Winifred with a capital of
$10,000, and has been president of that institution since its organization.
He was practically the founder of the town of Winifred. He is also presi-
dent of the Marshall County Mutual Insurance Company and has held
that office since its organization. This is one of the prosperous and well
managed mutual insurance companies of the State. He is a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the
Grand Army of the Republic.
Walter Williams, one of the most successful and extensive stockmen
of Northern Kansas and influential citizen of Washington county, was
born in Middlesex, England, July 30, 1858, a son of John and Mary Ann
(Painter) Williams. The elder Williams was a farmer and dairyman,
who brought his family to the United States in 1869 and located a home-
stead in Marshall county, Kansas. The following year he removed to
Washington county, near the present town of Hanover, where he had
purchased a farm on the Little Blue river, which afforded eas}- access
to water, a condition lacking on his homestead in Marshall county, and
the cause of his removal. Here he engaged in raising cattle, and as at
that time there were no fences or herd laws, their stock had free range
over an extended territory. Mr. Williams was the first to raise alfalfa,
then known as lucem, in this section of the country. His planting was
in the nature of an experiment, however, and he did not follow it up.
He was successful in the cattle raising business, and was recognized as
one of the best posted men in this line of endeavor in his section of the
State. He and his wife are both deceased.
Walter Williams received his early educational discipline in England,
and resumed his studies in 1870, when a school house was built on the
Little Blue river near his father's farm in Washington county. The
school term consisted of about five months, and the course of studies
BIOGRAPHICAL 569
was limited to the fundamentals. On completion of his studies he was
given an interest with his father, and on the death of the latter he con-
tinued the business. During the elder William's life, they did not fatten
cattle for market, but seeing the advantage of this feature in the stock
business, Mr. Williams has followed it with profit, and each year sees
from 600 to 700 head of beef cattle conditioned for the market from his
ranch. The home place consists of 700 acres, of which 250 acres is in
alfalfa. Its improvements are modern and substantial, and it is one of
the most valuable agricultural properties in this section of the State.
Mr. Williams has, in addition to the home ranch, pasture rights on 1,200
acres of grazing land. While active in the civic affairs of his county,
and often urged to accept political office, he is essentially a business
man and has had neither time nor inclination for office. His fraternal
affiliations are with the Masonic order, being a member of Hanover
Lodge, No. 69, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
Mr. ^^'illiams has been twice married. His first wife was Miss
Amanda Roberts, to whom he was united on September 15, 1878, and
whose death occurred in 1881. To this union one son was born — Clar-
ence Williams, a graduate of the schools of Washington county, and
now a successful stockman and ranch owner of Wyoming. On May 15,
1885, Mr. W'illiams was united in marriage with Miss Jane Lowe, a
daughter of Alonzo Lowe, a pioneer settler and stockman of W'ash-
ington county. Mrs. Williams is a native of the county, and received
her education in its schools. Five children have been born t<i this union:
Emmie, the wife of Willard Donahue, who, with her husband, resides on
the home place; Maude, the wife of George Kile, of Hanover, Kan.;
Lulu, Grace and Floyd, who reside with their parents.
Mr. Williams is a high type of the conservative, unassuming man of
affairs, a typical progressive farmer and stockman, who has been a
leader and a teacher in whatever he has undertaken, and whose busi-
ness integrity and honesty are unquestioned. W^ithin the lines of his
endeavor he has been one of the most useful citizens of his section of
the State, and enjoys to the full the confidence and esteem of his neigh-
bors and acquaintances.
John Alfred Jeffries, a successful farmer and stockman of Southern
Kansas, now living retired at South Haven, is a native of Ohio. He
was born on a farm in Fayette county. May 5, 1856, and is a son of Wil-
liam and Ruth (Johnson) Jeffries. The father was also a native ol
Ohio, born January 12, 1819. In 1859 the family removed to Champaign
coimty, Illinois, where the father followed farming until his- death, No-
vember 4. i8(')3. He was a deeph' religious man and lived a consistent
Christian life. W'illiam Jeffries and Ruth Johnson were married .August
3, 1837. Shs was also a native of Fayette county, Ohio, born A]irU 27,
1818. a daughter of William and Eliza Johnson. The father was a native
of Maryland, and died in 1867, at the advanced age of 104 years. Mrs.
5/3 BIOGRAPHICAL
Jeffries died in Champaign county, Illinois, April 2"/, 1891. John Alfred
Jeffries was one of a family of ten children, as follows : Simeon C. born
May II, 1838, a farmer in Oklahoma; James, born December 21. 1839.
served as a private in Company I, One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Illi-
nois infantry during the Civil war, and died December 29, 1893 ; Xancy
J., born October 14, 1841, married William Hewerdine, who died at
Champaign, 111., December 17, 1913; Mary Ann, born November 4, 1843,
now the wMfe of George Hewerdine, a retired farmer of Fisher, 111.;
Elizabeth, born September 12, 1845, now the widow of G. L. Whitney,
and resides at Danville, 111.; William Mathias, born November 30, 1847,
a farmer in Arkansas ; Sarah D., born November 28, 1849, now the wife
of George Evans, a farmer in Champaign county, Illinois ; Andrew Jack-
son, born November 28, 1851, died September 17, 1853; Phoebe E., born
December 23, 1853, now deceased ; John Alfred, the subject of this
sketch, and George L., born Januar\' 20, 1862, a farmer in Noble county,
Oklahoma.
John Alfred Jeffries was educated in the public schools, but has ob-
tained his education largely in the school of experience. He remained
on the farm in Champaign county until 1886. He had no capital, but
was ambitious and determined to win. and he has succeeded. When he
first came to this State he located in Green township. Summer county,
and farmed on rented land the first five years. In 1891 he purchased a
farm of 320 acres in South Haven township, which he still owns. This is
one of the best improved and most highly cultivated farms in the county.
He also owns considerable land in New Mexico and has other invest-
ments. After a successful career, Mr. Jeffries retired from active labor
on his farm, in 1906, and now resides in South Haven. He is a Repub-
lican and has taken a prominent part in the politics of the State. He
represented the Seventy-fifth district, composed of Summer county, in
the lower house of the Kansas legislature in the sessions of 1903-05-07,
and is the only man ever elected to that office for three successive terms
from the Seventy-fifth district. He introduced manj- important meas-
ures which became laws, among which was the law requiring railroads
to equip locomotives with electric headlights. He was a member of the
committee on railroads for two sessions, and also served on other im-
portant committees. He was treasurer of the South Haven school board
for nine years, and has been honored by other local offices from time to
time, serving one term as mayor of South Haven. Mr. Jeffries married
Miss Sarah Jane Chism, a native of Champaign county, Illinois, born
February 4, 1863, a daughter of Thomas J. and Margaret (Swan) Chism,
both of whom were natives of Darke county, Ohio, the father born
December 8, 1836, and the mother September 14, 1838. Mrs. Jeffries
was one of a family of nine children, all of whom are now living: Anna,
born November 21, 1862, now the widow of John Williams; Sarah Jane,
the wife of Mr. Jeffries ; James Sherman, born August 14, 1868, a farmer
lUOC.RAPIIICAL 571
near Haskell, Okla. ; Charles Anson, born August 7, 1870, a farmer in
Illinois; Cora Catherine, born July 10, 1872, the wife of H. L. White,
farmer, Sumner county. Kansas; Lilly May, born November 5, 1874, the
wife of \\'illiam Susdorf. grain merchant, Gibson City, 111.; Olive Maude,
born January 25, 1876, wife of George Swartz, Mahomet, 111.; Mary
Ellen, born May 5, 1878, now the wife of Ansly Susdorf, a farmer in
Michigan, and Ada Margaret, born November 29, 1883, the wife of Roy
Logan, Arkansas City, Kan.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jeffries have been born five children : Thomas F.,
born May 13, 1881 ; a farmer in Sumner county; Ruth Anna, born No-
vember 9, 1882, married J. S. Ellison, a farmer, Sumner county, July 14,
1899; John Alfred, born September 27, 1885, principal of the high school,
Harper, Kan. ; Bessie May, born January 23, 1887, married Lloyd Lantz,
October 28, 1906, and Gladys Faye, born July 27, 1893, married Charles
L. Bruce September 20, 1910. Mr. Jeffries is one of the substantial men
of Sumner county, and has achieved well merited success. Starting in
life a poor boy, he has accunuilated a comfortable fortune. He is a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The family arc
members of the Congregational church.
Jesse P. Richmond, pioneer resident of South Haven, Kan., who cast
his lot with Kansas over forty years ago. is a native of Ohio, where he
was born October 5, 1831, on a farm in Jackson county. lie is a son of
Lineus and Sarah (Pickard) Richmond. The father was born at Litch-
field, Conn., October 4, 1801, and in 1816 came to Jackson county, Ohio,
where he resided until 1834, when he removed to Knox county, Illinois,
which was then a sparsely settled country, and considered the heart of
the wild and unbroken west. Here the senior Richmond spent the re-
mainder of his life and died in 1888. Sarah I'ickard, his wife, was a
Virginian, born in 1816. They became the parents of nine children, as
follows: David, John, Mary Ann, Emily, Sarah, John C. and Solomon,
all of whom are now deceased, and Jesse P., the subject of this review;
Eliza and Guy W., who reside at Centralia, Wash.
Jesse P. Richmond was married January 25, 1852, to Miss Elizabeth
Stinson, daughter of John and Hannah (Cunigum) Stinson, of Knox
county, Illinois. Mrs. Richmond was born September 22. 1830, at Zanes-
ville, Ohio, her parents being pioneers of that State.
To Mr. and Mrs. Richmond have been born seven children: Ullman,
born October 26, 1852; Thomas G., born August 22, 1856; I'.licry j.. born
April 4, 1858; Harry, born April 3, i860; Jesse A., born June 3, 1862;
Nettie, born August 2, 1864, died October 18, 1865. and Charles N., born
September 6, 1866, is now deceased. Mr. Richmond came to Sumner
county, Kansas, in 1877. locating on Government land in South Haven
township. He was one of the first settlers of Sumner county, and here
engaged in farming and stock raising, and lias met with satisfactory suc-
cess from the start. In 1910 he retired, after having gained a competency.
:>/^
BIOGRAPHICAL
and is now enjoying the fruits of an active and well spent life. He has
been a life-long Democrat, but never aspired to hold public office. He
has been a Mason since i860, and the family are members of the Con-
gregational churcli.
John W. Peckham, a well known citizen of South Haven, .Sumner
county, is a native of Indiana, born December 23, 1852, on a farm in Mart
shall county. He is a son of John C. and Isabelle (Hackenberry) Peck-
ham. The father was born Januarj- 5, 1821, in Holmes county, Ohio, and
in 1849 removed to Indiana, where he followed farming, when he again
removed, this time to Missouri. He was engaged in farming there when
the Civil war broke out and he enlisted in the Thirty-second Missouri in-
fantry, serving about three years, when he was discharged on account of
disability. In 1877 he removed to Kansas with his family, settling on
Government land in Sumner county near the present site of South Haven.
Here he followed farming and stock raising and was successful. He re-
tired in 1889 3"*^ spent the remainder of his life in South Haven,
where he died August 8, 1907. He was a member of the Grand Army of
the Republic and the Christian church. His wife was a native of Holmes
county, Ohio, born April 27, 1825. They were the parents of six chil-
dren : Sarah Jane, born January 29, 1850, now the wife of George W.
Marshall, an Ohio farmer; James W., the subject of this sketch; Alice,
born May 12, 1855, now the wife of Horton L. Miles, a merchant and
stockman, Montrose, Col. ; Eliza, born August 26, 1858, married Erastus
West, farmer, Logan county, Oklahoma; Emma, born March 13, 1863,
married Robert ^McGregor, farmer, Sumner county, Kansas, and Ella,
born September 8, 1865, married David B. Clark, Wichita, Kan.
James W'. Peckham was educated in the public schools of DeKalb
county, Missouri, and followed farming in that State until 1876, when he
came to Sumner county, Kansas, locating on Government land near the
present town of South Haven. Here he engaged in farming, and during
the years when they had crop failures he was engaged as a Government
freighter, hauling supplies from the nearest railroad to the United States
Indian agencies and the military posts, and on these trips he frequently
experienced many incidents of frontier life. He sold his original home-
stead in 1886, and now owns several well improved farms, two of which
are near South Haven. He retired from active business in 1907. He has
done his work and succeeded in accumulating a comfortable fortune and
is now enjoying life in peace and plenty. Mr. Peckham was united in
marriage, May i, 1881, to Miss Ella Cronkhite, daughter of Lansing and
Sarah (Gundy) Cronkhite, of Warren county, Indiana. To this union
were born three children, all of whom died in infancy. Mr. Peckham is a
Democrat, but has never aspired to hold public office. However, he
served on the city council of South Haven in 1909-10. He is a member
of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Haven Lodge No. 157. and
both he and his wife are members of the Christian church.
BIOGRAPHICAL 573
James G. Strong, a prominent attorney of Blue Rapids, Kan., was born
at Dwight, 111., April 23, 1870. He is a son of James G. and Rebecca M.
(Witt) Strong, both natives of Lebanon, Ind. The father was a graduate
of the Indianapolis Law School and practiced law in Dwight, 111., for a
number of years. While there he was a member of the Illinois house of
representatives, representing Livingston county. He also served in the
Illinois senate several terms. He drafted the first railroad commission
bill in the United States, creating the office of railroad commissioner of
Illinois. He was a stanch Republican and among his political friends
and associates were many men who became State and National charac-
ters. In 1882 he came to St. Marys, Kan., where he was engaged in the
grain and milling business ; also in the real estate business. He removed
to Blue Rapids in 1891, where he was engaged in the same line of busi-
ness for a time, and later took up the practice of law again, and until the
time of his death practiced in partnership with his son, James G., whose
name introduces this review.
James G. Strong received his early educational discipline in the pub-
lic schools of Dwight, 111., and St. Marys, Kan., graduating from the same
at the latter place. He then entered Baker University. He was
at Baker University three years, when he came to Blue Rapids and stud-
ied law under his father and was admitted to the bar in 1895, '^"'i sinct
that time has been engaged in the practice of his profession in Blue
Rapids. He has been city attorney of Blue Rapids fifteen years and has
served two terms as assistant attorney general of the State of Kansas,
and been a member of the school board six years. He is a Progressive
Republican and takes an active interest in the party organization and is
a member of the Fifth district congressional committee and organized
Marshall county and assisted in carrying it for Roosevelt in 191 2 and was
a member of the National Repulilican convention the same year from the
Fifth congressional district.
He was a member of the committee that drafted the "Get together"
recommendation at the convention recently held at Topeka. Mr. Strong
iias been active in an industrial way outside of the field of his profes-
sion and politics. He is president of the Blue Rapids Telephone Com-
pany, which he organized, and has held that position since its organ-
ization. He also organized the Marshall County Power and Light
Comjiany, of wliich he is manager. This company has invested many
thousand dollars in the equipment of its plant and now lias the finest
water power to be found in the State. It is capable of furnishing ail
necessary light and power to the surrounding country for a considera-
ble distance. His telephone office is equipped with all nnHlcrn im-
provements. Mr. .Strong has done much ti> inipnn'e this s^'ctinn (if the
State.
He was married, December 18. 1894. to Miss Frances E. Coon, daugh-
ter of Emir and Elizabeth (P.ovnton) Coon, of Elvria. Ohio. Emir
574 BIOGRAPHICAL
Coon was a son of Judge John V. Coon and both father and son were
prominent lawyers of Marshall county, Kansas. Judge Coon was a
member of the Genesee colony, which settled Blue Rapids, Kan. Mrs.
Strong was born in Elyria, Ohio, came west with her parents as a
child, and received her education in the public schools of Blue Rapids
and is a graduate of the high school. To Mr. and Mrs. Strong were
born two children, George E., who is a student in the University of
Kansas, and Erma E., who is attending high school at home. The
family are members of the Episcopal church and Mr. Strong's fraternal
affiliations are with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and the Mod-
ern \\'oodmen of America and has often represented these various
orders in their State meetings.
John William Nordstrom, abstractor, real estate and insurance agent
of Clay Center, and former clerk of Clay county. Kansas, of which he is
a native son, was born on his father's farm in Hays township, January
20. 1871. a son of Olof W. and Jane (Hannell) Nordstrom. Olof W.
Nordstrom, the founder of the family in America, was born in Sweden.
November 2, 1843. He came to the United States in 1867, first locating
in Henry county. Illinois, where he remained three years, his employ-
ment being that of a farm hand. In 1870 he came to Kansas and located
on Government land, in Hays township. Clay county. His capital
totaled fifty cents, and with this sum of money, energy, ambition and
good health, he started for himself. As a means of sustenance, while
proving up on his claim, he secured employment in the Alonzo Dexter
Mill, at Clay Center, and remained in this occupation some little time.
He underwent the hardships common to the lot of the pioneer of that
period, was an untiring worker, frugal, possessed the qualifications of a
successful farmer, and was, with his accumulated profits, a consistent
buyer of farm lands. He is one of the substantial citizens of his county,
possesses the esteem of his neighbors, and his influence in the com-
munity has been for good. In 1868, while a resident of Illinois, he mar-
ried Miss Jane Hannell, also a native of Sweden, born June 5, 1844. and
came to the United States with an uncle, who was a member of a Swed-
ish colony which located in Illinois. Her father was a pioneer pilot on
steam vessels in the Gulf of Bothnia. To' this union six children were
born: John \\'illiam, the subject of this article; Martin Ole, born Octo-
ber 20. 1872, who married, in 1900, Miss Ida Nyman. of Riley county;
Edward Alfred, born September 27, 1878, graduated from Bethany Col-
lege, Lindsborg, w-as a professional musician, married, in 1901, Miss
Georgie Robbins. He died on February 20, 1903. Jennie Mabel, born
December 12, 1881. died on March 16, 1901. Ernest Joshua, born No-
vember 6, 1889, graduated from the Clay Center High School, and is a
salesman at Plattsburg. Mo. He married, in 1910, Miss Anna \\'arner,
of that city. Edward, the third child, died in infancy.
BIOGRAPHICAL 575
John William Nordstrom received his early education in the schools
of Clay county, was graduated from the Clay Center High School, com-
pleted a course in Bethany College, Lindsborg, in Spaulding's Business
College, Kansas City, Mo., and also in the Kansas State Normal School
at Salina, Kan. On completion of his studies in the last named institu-
tion, he engaged in teaching in the schools of Clay county, and remained
in educational work for twelve years. As a teacher, he attained recog-
nition as one of the able, conscientious, and energetic men of his profes-
sion. He received the nomination, on the Republican ticket, for superin-
tendent of public instruction of Cla\- county, in 1896, but was defeated
by the Populist candidate, although he led his party ticket. He was
elected clerk of Clay county, in 1908, and elected to succeed himself in
1910. His administration, of this department of the county's business,
during the four years in which he was in charge, reflects credit upon
himself and his constituents. He has been a consistent advocate of the
principles and policies of the Republican party, active in party work, and
influential in its councils. He is numbered among the progressive and
public-spirited citizens of Clay Center, is always ready to assist, both
with time and money, any movement which has for its object the de-
velopment and betterment of the city. Mr. Nordstrom is a student,
widely read, speaks and writes both the Swedish and English languages.
and served for some time as official court interpreter for the Swedish
colony. He is a member of the Ivnights of Pythias and Modern Wood-
men of America.
Mr. Nordstrom married, April 19, 1899, Miss Harriett E. Heusted,
daughter of Capt. W. V. and Mary R. (Campbell) Heusted. of Clay
Center, who was born on her father's farm in Bloom township, Clay
county, June 30, 1873. She is a graduate of the Clay Center High School
and was a successful teacher previous to her marriage, having taught in
the Clay county schools for eight years. Her father, Captain
Heusted, is a native of New York, a veteran of the Civil war, serving
with a Michigan regiment with the rank of captain, and married while a
resident of the last named State, Miss Mary R. Campbell. He brought
his family to Kansas in 1869, and located on land in Clay county. He
has been actively concerned in the development of the county, is one of
its influential citizens, and has served in public office with honor and
distinction. He was twice elected to the office of treasurer of Clay
county, attended, as a delegate, the Republican National convention at
Philadelphia, which nominated McKinley, and also the convention at
Chicago, in 1908, which nominated Taft.
Mr. and Mrs. Nordstrom are the parents of three children : \\'ayne
Vivian, born August ID, 1900; Mabel Irene, born March 17, 1904; and
Kathleen Pinn, born July 30, 1912, the latter being the name of the Na-
tional flower of Sweden. Mr. Nordstrnm's father and mother visited
576 BIOGRAPHICAL
tlieir native country in 1913, after an absence of forty-five years, and
also made an extended tour of the continent.
Emerald E. Brown, superintendent of public instruction of Greenwood
county, is a native Kansan. He was born on a farm in Chautauqua
county, near Sedan, November 10, 1886, and is a son of Jackson R. and
Ida (Failger) Brown. The father is a native of Missouri and was born
in St. Louis county, December 11, 1864, a son of John and Lucinda
(Stein) Brown, both natives of Missouri. Jackson R. Brown came to
Kansas in 1882 and bought a farm in Chautauqua county, where he was
successfully engaged in farming until 1892, when he removed to Man-
hattan. He remained there but a short time, when he bought a farm in
Greenwood county, which he conducted until 1913, when he retired and
removed to Eureka, where he now resides.
Ida Failger, the wife of Jackson R. Brown, was born in Harrisburg,
November 5, 1864. She was the daughter of Jacob Failger, who came
to Kansas with his family in 1871, locating in Cherokee county, where
they remained until 1879. when they removed to Sedan. The father died
at Manhattan, October 11, 1908.
Emerald E. Brown, the subject of this review, is the elder of two chil-
dren, the younger being Elsie May, born May i, 1889. She is a graduate
of the Manhattan High School of the class of 1905, and of the State Agri-
cultural College of the class of 1909, and is now the wife of Arthur Rose,
of Salina, Kan. They have one child. Emerald E. Brown was educated
in the public schools of Chautauqua and Greenwood counties, and grad-
uated in the Madison High School, class of 1902. He then attended the
Kansas State Agricultural College one year and the State Normal School
at Emporia two years, at the same time teaching at intervals. He was
the principal of the Fall River school one year, and in 1910 was elected
county superintendent of schools of Greenwood county, and reelected
to that position in 1912. During his administration of the office he has
introduced many practical reforms. He has consolidated several of the
smaller school districts into central schools, which is giving excellent re-
sults, and he is recognized as one of the progressive educators of the
State.
Mr. Brown is a Knight Templar Mason, a member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Knights of Pythias. He is a close stu-
dent, a keen observer and is well fitted for the responsible position which
he hi lids.
Wallace Whitfield Wicks, who for over forty years was one of the sub-
stantial farmers of Sumner county, Kansas, passed to his reward No-
vember 27. 1913. He came to this State to better his condition in life,
and lived to realize his ambition. His faith in Kansas proved to be well
founded. Wallace Whitfield Wicks was a native of Long Island, New
York, born November 27, 1837. He was a son of John and Caroline
(Schofield) Wicks, the former a native of the Empire State, and the lat-
BIOGRAPHICAL ^-^-J
ter of Connecticut. He spent his early life in his native State, and in
1868 went to Illinois, where he was engaged in farming until 1870, when
he came to Kansas and settled in Sumner county, where he bought
Government land. Here he engaged in farming on an extensive scale,
at one time his farm consisting of 640 acres. He was very successful in
his agricultural pursuits and prospered. He was a self-educated man and
a close student of men and affairs, taking a keen interest in current
events. His political views were Republican, but he persistently re-
fused to accept office, which was frequently offered him by his party,
being of a modest and retiring disposition he did not aspire to political
honors. Mr. Wicks was united in marriage March 7, 1868, to Miss Mary
Jane Ralston, a daughter of Andrew and Eleanor (Hanna) Ralston. Mrs.
Wicks was born in Belmont county, Ohio, May 7, 1842. To Mr. and
Mrs. Wicks were born four children, as follows : Mary Kate, born De-
cember ID, 1868, married Hanson Crow, February 22, 1892, and to this
union have been born seven children: Alice, Raymond, Robert, Harold,
Gerald Edgar, Joseph Wallace and Lois Katherine. Wallace Whitfield,
Jr., born August 8, 1870, and died June 10, 1871, was the second child of
the Wicks family. The only surviving son born to Mr. and Mrs. Wicks
is Francis Ralph, born June 13, 1876. married Lena Dinsmore, who died
in 1902, leaving two children : Mary C. and Lena. The youngest of
the Wicks family is Carrie May, born April 12, 1882. She married Alex-
ander Easter, Januarj' 10, 1902, and they have five children: Cora.Lu-
ceile. Wallace, Whitfield, Margaret Marie, Harry Blaine and Mildred.
The Wicks family occupy a prominent position in Sumner county, where
they are well and favorably known and have many friends.
Isaac B. Ellison, who for years was one of the active meii of affairs of
Sumner county, Kansas, is a native of Indiana. He was born on a farm
in Madison county. July 26, 1843, ^"d 's a son of James and Susanna
(Mitchell) Ellison, both natives of Virginia. The father came to Indi-
ana with his parents, who were early pioneers of that State. Susanna
Mitchell was a daughter of James Mitchell, who was a soldier in the
War of 1812. Isaac B. Ellison was one of a family of fifteen children,
all of whom grew to maturity and seven are now living. There were
ten sons and five of them served in the Civil war. The following are
the surviving members of the family: Riley, retired. Logan county,
Oklahoma; Charles, retired, Henry county. Indiana; William M. resides
in Illinois; David F., a farmer in Madison county, Indiana; Sarah, mar-
ried Jerry Cunningham, of Logansport, Ind., and Isaac B., of this re-
view. The deceased children are: James, Jesse, Granville, John, Joseph,
Fannie, Lucy, Elizabeth and Ellen. The father died in 1856 and the
mother in 1868. both in Madison county, Indiana.
Isaac B. Ellison was reared on his father's farm in Madison county, and
his early life was spent in the uneventful way of the average farmer
boy. until the onthrcak of the Civil war, when, on March T. 1862. he
578 BiUOKAPHICAL
enlisted in Company A, Nineteenth Indiana infantry. He participated in
the battles of Bull Run (second), Gettysburg, Fredericksburg and nu-
merous other engagements. He was discharged on account of disability
before the close of the war, with a good military record to his credit.
He was in many hard-fought battles and had several narrow escapes, but
only received one slight wound. After his discharge from the army he
returned to his Indiana home, and remained on the farm until 1870, when
he removed to Piatt county, Illinois, remaining here two years, when he
returned to Madison county, Indiana, and in 1880 came to Sumner
county, Kansas, and bought one-half section of land near South Haven,
which he still owns. This is one of the best improved farms in the
county, and here he carried on farming and stock raising successfully
until 1901, when he retired and removed to South Haven, where he now
resides. He has never been active in politics, but has always taken a
commendable interest in public affairs, and has been a member of the
South Haven city council several years. He is a Democrat and a mem-
ber of the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Ellison was united in mar-
riage May 5. 1865, to Miss Sarah A. Keesling, a daughter of Jacob and
Nancy (Riggs) Keesling. She is also a native of Indiana, born in Mad-
ison county, August 12, 1843. Mrs. Ellison's father was a native of
Ohio, born May 19, 1813, and died in March, 1893, and her mother
was born in 1818, and died August 29, 1879. They both spent the lat-
ter part of their lives in Madison county, Indiana. They were the par-
ents of fifteen children, fourteen of whom lived to maturity. The fol-
lowing are now living: Catharine, married Moses Parker; Margaret,
now the widow of G. Riggs; Nancy E. ; Almira, widow of John Ellison;
Melvina, married L. Bristol ; Jacob S. and Sarah, now Mrs. Isaac B-. Elli-
son, the subject of this sketch. The deceased members of the Keesling
family are as follows: Susanna, Beniah, Jackson, Martha, Emma Jane,
Matilda, Martin Luther and James.
To Mr. and Mrs. Ellison have been born seven children : A son, who
died in infancy; Jacob Newton, born March 6, 1867, and died January
16, 1885 ; Charles Henry, born March 30, 1875, and died January 20,
1882; Laura C, born March 31, 1868, and died October 29, 1880; Nancy
Elizabeth, born December 12, 1867, married William Hope ; Nola C,
born June 4. 1868, married Cyrus Blue, and James S., married Anna
Jeffries. During his residence of nearly thirty-five years in the State
of Kansas, Mr. Ellison has gained an extensive acquaintance and ranks
as one of the most respected citizens of Sumner county, where he is best
known.
Samuel S. Simpson was born in Adams county, Ohio, February 22,
1839, and died at .\xtell, Kan., January 3, 1906. His parents came from
Virginia to Ohio, and from thence to Iowa, settling in Jackson county,
Iowa fnear the town of Bellevue), while Iowa was a territory. Samuel
S. Simpson was married to Adelaide L. Phillips in 1868. The Phillips
BIOGRAPHICAL 579
family came from Massachusetts to Randol])li county, Illinois, and set-
tled near the present town of Red Bud at an early date. To Samuel S.
Simpson and wife were born five children, as follows: Albert P. Simp-
son, Mary B. Simpson (now dead), John E. Simpson, Samuel S. Simpson,
and Florence Simpson. The family make their home at Axtell, in Mar-
shall county, and are largely interested in Kansas lands.
Henry M. Blue, a Kansas pioneer who has led an active and success-
ful career, is now living retired at South Haven. He is a native of Vir-
ginia, and was born in Hampshire county. May ii, 1848, a son of John
and Delilah (Pownell) Blue, also natives of \'irginia. The father was a
blacksmith and followed that vocation throughout life. The family re-
moved to Cumberland, Md., prior to the Civil war, where the father died
in 1856, and the mother returned to Virginia, where she passed away in
1859. They were the parents of eleven children, only three of whom are
now living, as follows: Ruth, born in 185 1, now the wife of R. X. Can-
trell, South Haven, Kan.; Martha E., born in 1842, married Aaron Boyer,
Horatio, Ohio, and Henry M., the subject of this sketch. Mr. Blue re-
ceived his education in the public schools of Ohio and Illinois, and has
followed farming most of his life. He has been twice married, first in
1872, to Miss Aveline Nichol, who died April 21, 1877, leaving two chil-
dren : Nathan, born November 25, 1875, and died August 6, 1886, and
Joseph C, born December 15, 1876. On July 3, 1878, Mr. Blue married
Mrs. Emily Lalicker, nee Holmes, a native of Brown county, Indiana,
born November 5, 1847. I'^^'' first husband was John Lalicker, who died
July 10, 1876, leaving three children: Elmer, Charles S. and Clarence.
To Mr. and Mrs. Blue have been born four children: John Quincy, born
June 20, 1879, now cashier of the Ashton State Bank at Ashton, Kan.;
Frank .\., born September 4, 1881 ; Claud E., born January 9, 1888,
banker, Wichita, Kan., and Earl M., station agent at South Haven for the
Kansas Southwestern railroad. Mr. Blue came to Kansas in 1879, and
settled in Norton county, locating on Government land. He remained
here three years, and lived in a dug-out, experiencing all the privations
and hardships incident to pioneer life on the plains, with little hope or
encouragement. In 1882 he came to Sumner county, without capital, and
bought a farm near South Haven, whicli he mortgaged for the purchase
price and began life over again. He succeeded from the start, and has
bought and sold several farms, and followed farming extensively, and
made money, becoming one of the substantial men of the county. He
is interested in several enterprises besides farming, being a stockholder
in the State Bank of Ashton, and the Union State Bank of Hunnewell.
Politically, Mr. Blue is a Republican, and has served three years as
trustee of South Haven township. He and the family arc members of
the United Brethren church. Since retiring from active business Mr.
Pilue has sjient some time in travel, and in 1913 took a trip back to his
old Virginia homo fnr the first time in half a cciiturv.
58o BIOGRAPHICAL
Howard F. Martindale, a native of the Sunflower State, and a mem-
ber of one of the pioneer families of Greenwood county, was born in that
county June 5, 1872. He is a son of William and Sallie (Mauser) jNIar-
tindale. The father w'as a native of Darke county, Ohio, born February
12, 1835. His father was an Ohio pioneer and veteran of the War of
1812. William IMartindale came to Kansas in 1857. He drove an ox
team from Westport, now Kansas City, Mo., to Greenwood county, and
located on Government land one mile east of the present to\vn of Madi-
son. He was one of the first white settlers in this section and endured
the man}- hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. He fought
Indians and lived on buffalo meat and other wild game, which was plen-
tiful, while domestic meat was not only scarce, but could not be had at
any price. He was a successful farmer and cattleman, and prospered
from the beginning. He bought and fed cattle on a large scale, and at
the zenith of his career was one of the w-ealthy men of the State. He
lived on his original homestead until 1886, when he removed to Emporia,
and he, with some others, organized the old Xeosho \alley Bank, which
later became the First National Bank of Emporia. Previous to this he
had organized the private bank of Martindale, Tucker & Company, at
Eureka, in 1870. The First National Bank of Emporia failed in 1898,
through the speculation of some of its officers, and when the president
of the institution committeed suicide and the cashier fled to Mexico. ^Ir.
Martindale, who was one of the principal stockholders, came forv^^ard
and sacrificed a large portion of his fortune to liquidate the bank and
pay the depositors. He always took an active interest in public mat-
ters, and was honored with many places of trust and responsibility. He
was the first country treasurer of Greenwood county, and l^ter served as
clerk of the district court. He also represented Greenwood county in
the lower house of the State legislature, and afterward served a term in
the State senate from the Twenty-fourth district, and during both ses-
sions was active and made a good record. He was a Knight Templar
Mason, and prominent in ^lasonic circles. He had an extensive acquain-
tance throughout the State, and was a man whose judgment and counsel
was sought on many important matters by those who knew him best.
He quietly passed awa}- at his Emporia home, November 16, 1909, and
thus ended the career of another Kansas pioneer whose life's work was
well done. \\'illiam Martindale and Miss Sallie Ann Mauser were mar-
ried in 1867, ahd nine children were born to this union, only two of
whom are now living, Howard F., whose name introduces this sketch,
and James Chester, born January 20, 1879, now a resident of Colorado
Springs, Colo. He married Miss Mary Folsom in 1905, and they have
one child, Mary Alice. Howard F. Martindale attended the public
schools of Greenwood county and later the Emporia High School, where
he was graduated in the class of 1893. ^^ then attended the Kansas
University two vears, when he returned to the familv ranch near Mad-
BIOGRAPHICAL 58 1
isoii, where he followed farming and stock business until 1900. lie then
-accepted a position as bookkeeper in the Madison Bank, and was elected
assistant cashier in 1903. In 1909 he became cashier and five years
later was elected president and has been the active head of that institu-
tion since. The Madison Bank is the pioneer bank of Madison, and is
one of the substantial financial institutions of the State. Mr. Martin-
dale was married January 5, 1898, to Miss Erma, daughter of W. H.
and Florence (Wasson) James, who came from Illinois to Kansas in
1872, settling in Greenwood county, where the father was a successful
farmer. He died May 20, 191 1. Mrs. Martindale was born near Madi-
son, May 20, 1878, and was a teacher in Greenwood count}- prior to her
marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Martindale have been born three children,
one of whom is living, Sallie, born September 16, 1898. Mr. Martindale
is one of the capable financiers of Greenwood county, and enjoys the
confidence of the business world. He is a Knight Templar Mason, and
a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
John L. Elliott, a successful man of affairs and president of the Ash-
ton State Bank, Ashton, Kan., is a native of the Hawkeye State, although
he has been a Kansan since he was eight years of age. Mr. Elliott was
born on a farm in Fayette county, Iowa, May 21, i860, and is a son of
William P. and Mary C. ( Mathias) Elliott, the former a native of Wayne
county, Pennsylvania, born June 29,- 1824, and in 1865 removed to Iowa,
where he remained until 1868, when he came to Kansas, first settling in
Johnson county. He remained there until 1877, when he went to Sum-
ner county and bought 160 acres of land, upon which the town of Ash-
ton is now located. William P. Elliott followed teaching in connection
with farming most of his life, and was recognized as a very capable man.
He spent the latter days of his life in Ashton, where he passed to his
eternal reward. May 28, 191 1. He was a member of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows and a lifelong Republican. His wife was a native
of Wooster, Ohio, born July 27, 1833. She was a true type of the noble
Christian mother, and after a long and useful life, passed away, March
18, 1912. They were the parents of five children, as follows: Mary J.;
Florence V.. deceased ; Leuretta, deceased ; John L., the subject of this
article, and Emma B., now the wife of E. A. Smith, of San Francisco, Gal.
Mr. Smith bears the distinction of having performed the unique feat of
driving an Alaska dog team from Nome, Alaska, throughout the United
States, and visiting every State capital, during the years of 191 1 and
1912.
John L. Elliott received his early education in the public schools of
Johnson and Sumner counties. In 1891 he bought his first land and en-
gaged in farming, and since then has added to his holdings from time to
time, until he is now one of the large land owners of Sumner county.
In 1894 he engaged in the general mercantile business on an extensive
scale at Ashton, Kan., and also was engaged in the grain business. He
582 BIOGRAPHICAL
met with success and prospered, and in 1909 organized the Ashton State
Bank, and became its first president, a position which he still holds.
The charter of this institution bears the date of November 15, 1909, and
the initial capital was $10,000, which has been increased to $15,000.
This bank has had a substantial and healthy growth under capable man-
agement, and is a substantial institution. Mr. Elliott was united in mar-
riage October 16, 1901, to Miss Marie Peters, daughter of Echart and
Christina (Reck) Peters, of Ashton, Kan. Mrs. Elliott was born in Co-
lumbus, Ohio, September 15, 1880. Her parents are natives of Germany,
and came to America in 1866. To Mr. and Mrs. Elliott have been born
one child : Forest P., born July 2, 1905. Mr. Elliott is one of the pro-
gressive business men of Sumner county, and is ever ready to support
with his time and monej' any movement for advancing the well-being of
the community. He was the first postmaster of Ashton, receiving the
appointment in 1884, when the office was established on his farm. He
is a Republican and a member of the }iIasonic lodge.
Abe Kepner Stoufer, for many years identified with the stock, news-
paper and mercantile interests of Liberal and Seward county, is one of
the up-to-date business men who are making history in the Southwest
and developing that section to a high degree. Mr. Stoufer claims Penn-
sylvania as the state of his nativity, being born at Newburg September 21,
1858. a son of Rev. John M. and Margaret E. Kepner Stoufer. The
father was born on a farm in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in No-
vember, 1818. His grandparents were natives of Germany, who came
from the Fatherland at an early day and located in Pennsylvania, where
their children were born and reared. John Stoufer was a farmer in early
life, but studied for the ministry and began preaching in the Church of
God at the age of twenty-five. He was an eloquent and successful min-
ister and remained active in church w^ork until his death, in January,
1893. at Newburg, Pa. Mrs. Stoufer, who was born in 1829. in Perry
county, Pennsylvania, was an orphan ; she was married in 1845, ^"^
after becoming the mother of eleven children, passed away in 1886. There
were six sons and five daughters in the Stoufer family: ^^'illiam S.,
Ellen Jane, Samuel S., Katharine E.. deceased, .A.be Kepner, Annie E.,
John H., deceased, Doyle S., Carrie, Frank E. and Blanchard A.
Abe Stoufer was educated in the public schools of Cumberland county. '
Pennsylvania, and at the age of seventeen assumed charge of his father's
farm, which he conducted until 1878, when, in the company of his
brother, William, he came west, settling at Lathrop, Mo., where the
two worked on a farm a season. William Stoufer had learned the
printer's trade in Pennsylvania and secured employment for the winter
at an office in Lathrop. Abe entered the same office to learn the trade.
For a year and a half he remained in Lathrop, then went to Liberty for
about the same length of time, but in 1881 became the foreman of the
first paper published in Excelsior Springs, where he remained a year.
BIOGRAPHICAL 583
In 1883 Mr. Stoufer helped start a newspaper at Richmond, Mo., but in
May of that year returned to Lathrop and bought the "Monitor," in the
office of which he had learned the trade. For three years Mr. Stoufer
ran this journal, but in 1886 sold it and located in Seward county, Kan-
sas, having filed on a government claim there the year before. April
22, 1886, he issued the Fargo Springs "News," which he owned and pub-
lished until January i, 1900. During this time he moved the plant twice
to keep it at the county seat, which was being moved, and not an edition
of the paper was missed. After coming to Liberal the name of the sheet
was changed to the Liberal "News," which Mr. Stoufer sold to Ray Mill-
man in 1900. In 1896 Mr. Stoufer bought a tract of land six miles north
of Liberal, to which he added until he had a 6,000-acre ranch. This he
stocked with cattle and ran until 1905, when the land was divided and
sold as farms. The next year he embarked in the lumber and mercantile
business in Liberal, which grew rapidly and was an exceedingly profit-
able concern. In 1908 Mr. Stoufer disposed of his lumber yard interests,
but is still interested in the largest mercantile establishments in the city.
He holds stock in the Citizens' bank, having been one of the organizers
of that institution in 1908. Mr. Stoufer has done much toward the up-
building of Liberal, having been the owner and editor of the Liberal "In-
dependent" for three years ; in 1894 and 1896 he was clerk of Seward
county; from 1888 to 1892 he was postmaster of Arkalon, and in 1896
was appointed postmaster of Liberal, an office which he filled with merit
until April, 1901, when he resigned to look after his business interests.
]\Ir. Stoufer is one of the prosperous and progressive citizens of Seward
county and Liberal, and now devotes his time to his growing interests
in that vicinit3^ He owns one of the finest homes in Liberal, and aids all
civic improvements. In politics he is Progressive, while his fraternal
associations are with the Independent Order of Odd I'"ellows and the
Ancient Order of United Workmen. On December 5, 1889, Mr. Stoufer
married Hattie M. Martin at Garden City. She was born at Monmouth,
111., November 5, 1S72, the daughter of Solomon M. and Amelia Frazelle
Martin, the latter dying at Garden City November 5, 1912. There are
three children in the Stoufer family: Paul Martin, born March 13, 1891,
who graduated from the high school in 1910 and then took a course in
journalism at the Kansas State Agricultural College before becoming
manager of the Liberal "Democrat"; Eugene Edwin, born February 9,
1809. 3nd Margaret .Amelia, born January 18, 1905.
Harry Ward Magruder, the president and manager of the Liberal
Light, Ice & Power Company, is an example of the young business men
of Kansas who are materially assisting in the upbuilding of this great
commonwealth. He was born on a farm in Knox county, Missouri, Oc-
tober 12, 1880, the son of Amos C. and Katharine .Mbertson Magruder.
His father was the son of William and Frances Kidd Magruder, both na-
tives of Virginia, who had seven children, the others being Justine, Duda,
584 BIOGRAPHICAL
Anna, Charles, Dora Maud, and William, -who was engaged in farming
early in life. In 1883 Amos Magruder removed t\'ith his family to Pratt
county, Kansas, where he followed farming, which was the vocation of
his early life, until 1898, when he sold out and located in Knox county,
Missouri, and opened a mercantile establishment at Hurdland. He was
engaged in its management until 1912, when he retired from active busi-
ness and now lives at Barton, Mo. Mrs. Magruder was born at Nash-
ville, Tenn., November 23, i860, the daughter of Harry B. and Jennie
Brown Albertson. both natives of Pennsylvania. There were eight chil-
dren in the Magruder family : Harry, of this record ; Jennie, born Sep-
tember 18, 1882, the wife of Homer Little, a farmer of Knox county, Mis-
souri; William Francis, born December 14, 1884. a merchant of Hurd-
land, Mo.; Joseph M., born in April. 1886, died in Hurdland in 1901;
Alice, born August 22, 1893, is a teacher at Hurdland ; Charles, born in
June, 1859, lives with his parents; IMinnie. born in 1897, lives at home;
Vernon, born in 1899, died in 1902.
Harry Magruder, the subject of this review, was educated in the public
schools of Pratt, Kan., and upon graduating began to teach in 1899. He
followed this profession for three years, but in 1901 took the government
civil service examination for the United States mail service, and in
March, 1902. became a mail clerk on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
railway, running between Pratt and Kansas City, Mo., a position he filled
six years, being promoted four times until he was in charge of the car.
In 1908 Mr. Magruder came to Liberal to promote and organize the
Light. Ice & Power Company, with a capital of $45,000. He was at once
elected president and manager of the concern, which has a modern plant
with all the latest equipment. The electric department furnishes light
and power for domestic use, the local mills, elevators, railway shops and
city pumping station. Mr. Magruder is recognized as one of the progres-
sive and prosperous business men in one of the most progressive sections
of the State, which is 'being developed by the enthusiastic men who have
capital and business enterprise. In politics Mr. Magruder is a Demo-
crat, but does not aspire to public office, as he 'is too busy with his com-
mercial enterprises. He is a member of the Masonic order, being a
Knight Templar. On April 23, 1904, Mr. Magruder married Myrtle, the
daughter of Scott and Esther Layton Rezeau, of Cullison, Kan. Mrs.
Magruder was born at Emporia, Kan., April 10, 1882. She graduated
from the high school at Pratt, Kan., in 1902. and taught in Pratt county
before her marriage. Mr. Rezeau was a native of New Jersey, his wife
of Pennsylvania ; they came to Kansas in 1873 3"<i located in Brown
county, but now live at Cullison. There were eight children in the fam-
ily : Elsie, Myrtle, Charles, W^illiam, Brice. Harvey, Mary and Pearl.
Mr. and Mrs. Magruder have three children : Harriet, born June 14,
1906: Marion, born April 26, 1908. and Samuel Henry, born October 23,
1911.
t%^ ^J^^^^eyau/^^
BIOGRAPHICAL 585
John R. Mulvane, president of tlie liank of Topeka, is one of the best
known business' men of Kansas. Uniting, with great natural capacity,
the quahties of energy, honesty and daring, he has carried a great num-
ber of undertakings to marked success. Today he is rated as one of
tiie rich men of the West, and every dollar of his fortune has been made
by his own unaided efforts. He was born in Newcomerstown, Tusca-
rawas county, Ohio, July 6, 1835. He once told his biographer that his
education was secured sitting on a slab seat in a pioneer country school-
house. At an early age he went into his father's tannery to learn the
trade, and while still a boy gained such a knowledge of general mer-
chandising that at the age of twenty he was able to take practical charge
of his father's country store.
The Mulvane family originally came from the Mcllvanes of Scotland.
The first American representative came to North Carolina before the
Revolutionary war. About 1803 John Mulvane, the paternal grandfather
of John R., located in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, where he was one of
the five original taxpayers of the county. He married Mary McCune,
daughter of James McCune, who served as an ensign in the United
States navy during the war of 1812 and received as a reward from the
government a tract of land in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, upon which
he settled. John Mulvane was a soldier in the war of 1812. His son,
David, the father of John R. Mulvane, married Mary Ross, the daugh-
ter of William Ross, an Irishman of County Cork, who came to Ohio
in 1805 as- a missionary to the Delaware Indians. The wife of Wil-
liam Ross was Jane Whittaker, an Englishwoman. One of her broth-
ers was the owner of the great cotton mills near Philadelphia, and
another was an iron founder who made cannon for the Federal govern-
ment during the Civil war. David Mulvane was first a farmer boy
and then a laborer on the Ohio canal. By perseverance and industry
he steadily improved his condition and became the leading merchant
and manufacturer in Newcomerstown.
In 1865 John R. Mulvane left his father and engaged in merchandis-
ing at Princeton, 111., with his brother, Jacob Mulvane. His health
.soon failed and after some time spent in a sanitarium he came to
Kansas, arriving in Topeka in August, 1868. He had some means
and at first dealt in land and cattle. In January, 1870, he became
cashier of the Topeka Bank and Savings Institution, and thus com-
menced the career that has made him one of the best known financiers
in tlie West. In July, 1878, this bank was reorganized as the Bank of
Topeka, Mr. Mulvane becoming the president, which place he has held
ever since. However, he has not confined his entire time and energy
to banking, but has engaged in other enterprises of various kinds and
great proportions. With his brother, Joab, he was one of the powers
that completed and made a success of the Topeka Water ComiKiny and
was a potent factor in the reorganization of the Topeka Street Railway
586 . BIOGRAPHICAL
Company. In both enterprises he made money. The following year (1879),
with his brother, Joab, and W. B. Strong, he bought a little telephone
exchange that was trying to do business in Topeka. Out of this begin-
ning has grown the great Missouri & Kansas Telephone Companj', of
which Mr. Mulvane was president and a heavy stockholder. Mr. Mul-
vane has been largely interested in the salt industry and was one of
the large stockholders in the companies operating in Hutchinson; was
one of the promoters of the Beatrice Creamery Company of Lincoln,
Denver and Topeka, whose output of the famous Meadow Gold butter
is larger than that of any other brand in the United States. He is a
large stockholder in the Charles A\'oIff Packing Companj^ of Topeka ^ind
is one of the largest owners of irrigated lands in Bent county, Colorado.
He is director and vice-president of the Globe Surety Company, and
director in the Commerce Trust Company, all of Kansas City, Mo.
Mr. Mulvane married Miss Hattie M. Freeman at Xewcomerstown,
Ohio, August 16, 1856. Xo children were born to this union, but Mr.
and Mrs. Mulvane adopted and reared the two orphan children of Mr.
Mulvane's youngest sister. He has been a member of the Baptist church
for more than forty j^ears, and for twenty years has been a member of
the board of directors of the First Baptist Church of Topeka. He is
president of the Topeka Free Library, of which he was one of the organ-
izers. In cooperation with Bishop Vail he was one of the organizers
of Christ's Hospital of Topeka, in which corporation he still holds the
position of treasurer. He is a member of the Commercial Club and
of the Country Club, is a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason,
Knight Templar and an Odd Fellow. Since 1901 he has been one of
the trustees of \\'ashburn College.
Roscoe Townley Nichols, the leading physician and popular mayor of
Liberal, Kan., is one of the men of the medical profession endowed by
nature with marked mental powers, a comprehensive knowledge of medi-
cine and sympathy as wide as the universe, thus meeting all the require-
ments of the ideal doctor, and today is the respected and loved family
physician of many homes in his city and surrounding country. He
was born in Wayne county, Iowa, February 20, 1881, the son of Herman
Vedder and Alice Townley Nichols. Dr. Nichols's paternal grandparents
were of German stock, a race that has furnished this country so many
excellent citizens. His father was born in New York State April 6, 1851.
He chose medicine as his profession and while still a young man re-
moved to Wisconsin, practicing a few years in Waukesha. In 1872 he
located in ^^'ayne county, Iowa, where he was engaged in professional
work nine years, and then opened an office at Trenton, Mo., living there
until 1889. That year the doctor and his family came to Seward count}-
to settle on government land near Liberal. Dr. Nichols gave up medi-
cine and engaged in farming until 1895. when, with his family, he went
to Manhattan, Kan., to place his five children in the State agricultural
BIOGRAPHICAL 587
college. Three years later, in 1898, he returned to Liberal anil resumed
the practice of medicine. In the meantime he read law and was ad-
mitted to the bar in Seward county, but never practiced. Dr. Xichols
ever took an active part in the life of his community and politics, repre-
senting his district in the State legislature. He was a stanch member
of the Republican party, being elected on that ticket. In 1901 he went to
Alaska, where he was engaged in the active practice of his profession
until Xovember 3, 1907, when he died of heart failure, and was buried at
Fairbanks. During his life the doctor was a member of the Masonic
order. On June 25, 1872, Dr. Herman Nichols married Alice Townley
at Waukesha, Wis. She was the daughter of Robert and Mary Townley,
residents of Wisconsin. Mrs. Nichols was born near Boston, Mass.,
March 23, .1851, and became the mother of seven children: Schuyler,
born November 14, 1875, ^ graduate of the Kansas State Agricultural
College, with the class of 1898, a graduate of the Barnes Medical College
of St. Louis in 1901, and now practices medicine at Herrington ; Harriet
Grace, born December 22, 1878, a graduate of the Kansas Agricultural
College in 1898, now the wife of Rome P. Donahoo, a prominent Demo-
crat of Tucumcari, N. M. ; Roscoe ; Lillian, born February 5, 1886, died
on December 14, 1888; Gladys Irene, born April 23, 1888, a graduate of
the Kansas Agricultural College in 1910, now the wife of Edward Dear-
born, an electrical engineer who lives in Kansas City, Mo. ; Jessie. Ijorn
December 8, 1891, a graduate of the Kansas Agricultural College witii the
class of 1912, and Victor, born May 16, 1896, who died January 30, 1901.
Roscoe Nichols received his elementary education in the public schools
of Liberal, and in 1895 entered the State agricultural college, graduating
there in 1899, with the degree of Bachelor of Science. Having determined
to become a physician he entered Barnes Medical College, at St. Louis,
where he studied two years before entering the medical department of
Northwestern LIniversity, Chicago, 111., graduating there in 1902. Ujjon
leaving college the young doctor returned to Liberal, forming a partner-
ship with his brother, Schuyler, who removed to Herrington in 1905,
since which time Dr. Roscoe Nichols has assumed sole charge of their
practice, which has increased in a flattering and satisfactor}- manner.
Today Dr. Nichols is recognized as one of the leading members of the
medical fraternity in the Southwest. He is a man of great mental ability,
which was recognized by the people of Liberal when they elected him
mayor of the city in April, 1911, an office he has filled with merit. In
addition to his practice, the doctor is also the local physician of the Chi-
cago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad. He is a Knight Templar Mason,
and belongs to the Wichita Consistory, No. 2. On May 3, 1903, Dr.
Nichols married Osa, the daughter of L. F. Clark, of .Seward county.
Mrs. Nichols was born at I'nionville, Mo., October 12, 1881. She has
three children: Harry Dale, born March 15, 1904; .Mice Cecelia, born
August 22, 1905. and Roscoe Trnvnlcy. Jr.. burn TV'comber 14. 1007.
5SS UIOGRAPHICAL
Xovember 5, 1912, Dr. Nichols was elected representative from Seward
county to the State legislature on the Democratic ticket, in a county
normally Republican.
Albert Edward Blake. — The history of Kansas chronicles no greater
changes than those in the business of the State. Todaj' the conquests
are not of Indians and unbroken prairies, but of commerce- and agricul-
ture; commercial prosperity and improvements appear in every walk of
life, and today the victor is the man who can successfully establish and
operate large business concerns. A man who is representative of this
class is Albert E. Blake, one of the progressive citizens of Liberal. He
was born at Winslow, Province of Quebec, Canada, February 13, 1866,
the son of Bensley Edward and Christina McCook Blake. The father
was a native of New Hampshire, born at Landaff December 23, 1833, and
died at Liberal September 11, 1912. For more than a quarter of a cen-
tury he was one of the leading merchants of the Southwest. Mr. Blake
came to Kansas in 1868. Soon after his arrival he enlisted in the Nine-
teenth Kansas cavalry, which was recruited to protect the settlers
against the Indians. From the time he first located on a claim in Mitchell
county Mr. Blake made a study of soil and climatic conditions, which
in a great measure led to his success, as he was one of the first to dis-
cover the fact that this part of Kansas was well adapted to raising
melons, which he raised extensively.
Albert Blake came to Kansas with his parents in 1868 and attended
school at Beloit until they removed to Schuyler county, Missouri, in
1874. Mr. Blake was engaged in farming there until 1877, when the
family returned to Hodgeman county, locating on government land, but
were there but four years, as the elder Blake removed to Greenwood
county, where he engaged in cattle raising. In 1887 this ranch was sold
and the family went to Seward county, opening the first grocery in the
old town of Oak City. A year later the town was moved and became
Tyrone ; the Blakes moved with the town and again conducted the lead-
ing store there. Albert Blake was appointed postmaster of Tyrone,
serving in that office four years. In 1899 the town of Tyrone was re-
moved to Oklahoma, just one mile from its original location, which was
on the ranch owned by Bensley Blake. Both father and son came to
Liberal in 1900, opening a hardware and implement house, under the firm
name of Blake & Son. They soon built up an extensive business, which
was carried on until Mr. Blake died in 1912. Since then the firm has
been incorporated as the Blake Hardware & Manufacturing Company,
of which .\lbert Blake is the treasurer and general manager. The com-
pany carries on a wholesale oil business : handles broom corn and auto-
mobiles, and today is rated as one of the largest and most successful busi-
ness houses in the Southwest. Mr. Blake has branched out from his
first enterprise and is now the owner of the ""Liberal Democrat," one of
the leading organs of Seward county. He also owns and operates a grain
BIOGRAPHICAL 589
elevator and a wholesale oil depot at Forgan, Okla. Mr. Blake takes an
active interest in all matters pertaining to the upbuilding of Liberal,
having served on the city council several times. In politics he is a Dem-
ocrat. On June 2, 1897, ^^^- Blake married Laura .\., the daughter of
Frederick C. and Martha J. Thompson Steen. Mrs. Blake was born in
Gasconade county, Missouri, October 4, 1867, her parents being natives
of that State. Mr. and Mrs. Blake have one child, Gladys, born June
30. 1903.
John Calhoun McClintock, A. M., M. D., LL. D., a distinguished
surgeon of Topeka, Kan., was born on a farm in Pickaway count}-, Ohio,
February 11, 1835, and is descended from ancestry that has had repre-
sentatives of distinction in various professions, as well as in military
affairs, both in America and in Great Britain. Dr. McClintock is a son
of Dr. John McClintock, also a physician, born in Ross county, Ohio,
January i, 1826, whose father. Capt. Joseph McClintock, commanded a
company of volunteers in the War of 1812 and served in the memorable
battle of Lake Erie, under Commodore Perr}-, as captain of the ship
"Lawrence." A painted portrait of Capt. Joseph McClintock in the cele-
brated painting, "Perry's Victory on the Lake," is preserved in the State
capitol at Columbus, Ohio, and another copy of the same picture hangs
on the walls of the national capitol at Washington, D. C. He was born
in Ireland and was but a small boy when his parents immigrated to
America. He was married in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth
Bradley, whose mother's maiden name was Hazlett, and after the birth
of their first child traveled on horseback to Ross county, Ohio, where
they lived until their respective deaths. Capt. Joseph McClintock was
a son of William McClintock. who was born in Scotland about 1752, and
immigrated first to Ireland, thence to America and became the founder
of the family in America. William McClintock first located in Mercer
county, Pennsylvania, but subsequently removed to Ohio, where his
death occurred at Locust Grove about 1843. Sir Leopold McClintock, a
member of the family in Ireland, was born there in 1819, was knighted
by Queen Victoria in i860 for his work as an explorer in the .Arctic re-
gions and became an admiral in the British navy in 18S4. His death oc-
curred in 1907, and a tablet to his memory has since been placed in West-
minster Abbey. In the same niche in which this tablet is placed is an-
otlier to the memory of Sir John Franklin, another Arctic explorer. A
brother of Sir Leopold McClintock was the Rev. John McClintock, a
distinguished theologian and an author of note, whose works were prin-
cipally on Biblical, theological and ecclesiastical literature. He was
born in Ireland in 1814 and died in 1870. William McClintock, the great-
grandfather of John C, was accompanied to .\mcrica by his brother,
James McClintock, who became a distinguished surgeon and was the
founder of the Colle.ge of Physicians and Surgeons at Philadelphia. Pa.
Dr. John McClintock, the father of John C, came to Topeka, Kan., in
59^ BIOGRAPHICAL
1866, and practiced his profession in that city until his death, September
II, 1882. Harriet Shipley McClintock, his wife and the mother of John
C, was born in 1821 in Fredericksburg, Md., and was a daughter of John
and Mary (Evans) Shipley, the latter of whom was a daughter of Wil-
liam Evans, a brother of John Evans, a government surveyor who sur-
veyed the State of Ohio. Hon. Job Stephenson, formerly Congressman
from Cincinnati, Ohio, was also a grandson of John Evans, the gov-
ernment surveyor. Harriet Shipley McClintock died in Topeka January
17, 1897.
Dr. John Calhoun jMcClintock was eleven years of age when his par-
ents removed to Topeka, and that city has remained his home to the
])resent time. He attended the public schools of Topeka. after which
he pursued his literary studies further in Washburn College. In 1876
he entered Rush Medical College at Chicago, 111., in which institution
he was graduated in 1879. He at once began practice in Topeka, with
his father, and did all of the surgical work for both as long as his father
lived. After his father's death he did a general practice in medicine and
surgery for several years, but finally turned his whole attention to the
practice of surgery. He has devoted all of his time to this branch of
medicine for the last twenty years and ranks as one of the foremost sur-
geons in the middle West. In recognition of his superior skill as a sur-
geon and his original work in that line he was given the honorary degree
of Master of Arts by Baker University in 1892, and in 1902 Washburn
College conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Laws, the highest
honor that institution confers. He was one of the founders of the Kan-
sas Medical College of Topeka, now the medical department of Wash-
burn College, was for many years a professor in the college and served
as its president several years prior to its becoming a department of
Washburn College, of which latter institution he is a trustee. He is
now emeritus professor of surgery in the Washburn ?iledical College.
He has served as president of the Topeka Academy of ^ledicine and
Surgery, of the Eastern Kansas Medical Society and of the Golden Belt
Medical Society. He is a member of the Shawnee County Medical So-
ciety, the Kansas State Medical Society and the American Medical As-
sociation. He has been the chief surgeon at Christ Hospital since 1884
and at present is also superintendent of the same institution. He is the
author of several articles bearing on medical topics which have been
read before medical associations and published in medical journals. Dr.
McClintock is a member of and has served as a vestryman in the Prot-
estant Episcopal church and is at the present time building at his own
expense a memorial chapel to his father and mother, to be a part of the
new Crace Cathedral and to be known as AlcClintock Chapel. Dr. Mc-
Clintock is a Thirty-second degree Mason and a Knight Templar. He
is also an Elk. He is an ex-president of the Kansas Archaeological So-
ciety and of the Topeka board of health, and is a member of the Com-
mercial and Countrv clubs.
BIOGRAPHICAL SQI
Dr. McClintock was married June 22, 1877, to Miss Ray Price, of
Atchison, Kan., who at the time of her marriage was a teacher in the
Topeka public schools. They have four daughters, all of whom are liv-
ing: Ruth, wife of Jacob C. Mohler, assistant secretary of the Kansas
State board of agriculture, is a graduate of the College of the Sisters of
Bethany at Topeka, and has the degree of Bachelor of Arts. She and
her husband have two sons — John McClintock and James Calhoun — aged
seven and four years respectively. The other three daughters of Dr.
McClintock and his wife are Helen Isis, Gertrude Valerie and Frances
Ray, all three of whom reside at home with their parents. Helen has
been a student at both Washburn College and at Washington College,
\\'ashington, D. C. Gertrude is an honor graduate of the College of the
Sisters of Bethany at Topeka, having won the Bishop Vail medal ; she
was also a student at Washburn College and is a graduate of Smith Col-
lege of Northampton, Mass., where she received the degree of Bachelor
of Arts. Miss Frances McClintock, the youngest daughter, has been a
student in the College of the Sisters of Bethany and is a graduate of Miss
Liggett's school for young ladies at Detroit, Mich.
Joseph Frantz Fuest. — From the beginning of American history the
German element in our population has been one of its best factors. The
German character stands for progress and prosperity of the most sub-
stantial kind, and Kansas is justly proud of and to be congratulated upon
her citizens who were born in the Fatherland, and one of the best repre-
sentatives is the man whose name heads this brief review. He is loved
and respected by all, and there is no man in Seward county who occupies
a more enviable position than Joseph Fuest in business and financial
circles, not alone on account of his brilliant success, but on account of
the reputation he has gained for' straightforward dealings in business
and integrity. His close application to business and excellent manage-
ment has brought well earned reward and prosperity. Mr. Fuest was
born at Erlinghausen, Germany, September 18, i860, the son of Johann
and Katharine Fiege Fuest. The father was also a native of Germany,
where he was a successful farmer on a large scale until his death, which
occurred in September, 1883. Mrs. Fuest was born and reared in the
Fartherland; her father was killed in an accident at a gold mine in South
America the year she was married, 1847. She became the mother of
seven children before she passed from life, in 1884. The family con-
sisted of five sons and two daughters, as follows : Maria, born in 1849,
the widow of Wilhelm Gerlach, who died in December, 1879, leaving his
wife and three children, who reside in Germany: Frantz, born in 1850,
died in Germany in 1897, leaving four children; Theresia, born in 1852,
married Joseph Klocke, a farmer in Germany, in 1877, and became the
mother of seven children; Hcnrich, born in 1854, came to .America in
r879, and now resides at T^inden, N. Y., where he is engaged in farming,
having married Lena Brown in 18S2. who had two daughters before her
592 BIOGRAPHICAL
death, in 1905 ; Johann, born in 1858, married Anna Fuest in 1890, and
the)- had four children before his death occurred, in 1907 ; Wilhelm, born
in 1867, came to America in 1896, locating on a farm in Wyoming county,
New York, having married Anna Walmeicer, in Germany, and now has
four children.
Joseph Fuest was reared and educated in the Fatherland, where he
heard of the many opportunities for young men in the new world, and
being ambitious he left home and country to seek fortune on the other
side of the world while still a youth of twenty. Mr. Fuest landed in
New York, March 20, 1880, and at once went to Wyoming county, where
he was engaged in agricultural pursuits seven years. He heard of the
great West, and in 1887 came to Kansas, locating on government land
in the southwestern part of Seward county, where he soon was climbing
high on the ladder of success. This fortune was not easily gained, but
is the result of hard work, thrift and business ability. As he made
mone}- Air. Fuest invested it in land, until he was the possessor of fotir-
teen quarters of fine land, which he operated until August 18. 1905, when
he disposed of his holdings and came to Liberal. During the years he
was farming Mr. Fuest raised blooded cattle on a large scale, a vocation
in which he was very successful ; he thoroughly understood the business,
to which he devoted his entire time, and the reward was justly earned.
In 1905 Mr. Fuest bought a half interest of M. H. Scandrett in a large
hardware and implement business, which has since been conducted in
Liberal under the firm name of Scandrett & Fuest. Business has in-
creased with this concern in a most satisfactory manner, and today this
-is one of the largest and most substantial houses in southwest Kansas.
Mr. Fuest has ever taken an active part in movements for the public
welfare, having been elected, in 1892, county commissioner of Seward
county, an office he has filled continuoi^sly since that date, being chair-
man of the board with the exception of a period of three months, in 1893,
during the count}- seat contest. At different times he has been a mem-
ber of the school board and is identified with all civic improvements,
being a Republican in politics. Mr. Fuest visited Europe in 191 2, return-
ingt to the scenes of his childhood after an absence of thirty-two years.
He is regarded as one of the representative and prosperous citizens not
only of Liberal, but of Seward county, where he has many warm friends
and supporters. On May 14, 1888, Mr. Fuest rharried Cora, the daugh-
ter of Samuel and Moryana Roberts Prentice, at Meade, Kan. Mr.
Prentice was a native of Orangeville, N. Y., where his daughter was
born. October 15, 1859. Mrs. Prentice was a native of Wales, who
passed most of her life in America. She passed away in 1892. There
are four daughters in the Fuest family: Nellie, born September 8, 1889,
married William B. Taylor September 8, 1909, who was born at Rock
Springs, Texas. December 10, 1884, and they now have two children,
Joseph Archibald, born August 15, 1910, and Marjorie Frances, born
BIOGRAPHICAL 593
August 25. 1912; Edna Jane, born January 31, 1891, a student in the
Kansas State Agricultural College ; Maud, born October 25, 1893, and
Blanch, born June 17, 1897. November 5, 1912, Mr. Fuest was reelected
county commissioner of Seward county for a term of four years, and will
have served a total of twenty-four years, the longest in the State.
George Sylvester Smith, M. D., one of the oldest and most honored
members of the medical fraternity of Seward county, and a partner in
the leading drug house of Liberal, is a representative of the excellent
class of Kansas pioneers who have served faithfully and long in build-
ing up the commonwealth which today is the leading State in the South-
west, due to the efforts of such men. Of no man are so many cardinal
virtues exacted as from the physician, and it has been the sterling quali-
ties of his character which gained success in life for Dr. Smith, and made
him one of the substantial and valued citizens of his community. A
native of the Old Dominion, he was born in Tyler county, Virginia
(now West Virginia), July 18, 1855, a son of William B. and Nancy L.
Wells Smith. Dr. Smith's great-grandfather was one of the earliest set-
tlers of this region, having taken government land, as a homestead, which
is still in the possession of the family. Isaac Smith, the grandfather,
was born on the old place near Centerville, August 8, 1800, and his son,
William, was also born there, January 22, 1830. He was reared to the
life of a farmer, which vocation he followed all his life, passing away
near Centerville, W. Va., November i, 1880. He had nine brothers and
sisters : John S., Peter, "David M., Isaac, Thomas, Letty L., born Sep-
tember 9. 1870, died July 14. 1886, Elizabeth, Catharine, and Mary Ann.
Dr. Smith's parents were married at Centerville, W. Va., October 26,
1853, Mrs. Smith having been born there April 18, 1835, the daughter of
Thomas and Elizabeth Ankron Wells, both natives of Virginia. Mr.
Wells raised and shipped cattle on an extensive scale and b /fore Virginia
had railroads he often drove his cattle and hogs to Baltin are to market.
There were the following children in the Smith family: George S.,
Isaac Dudley, born April 18, 1857, a merchant at Salem, W. Va., Drusilla
Peterena, born March 13, 1859, the wife of Zachariah Cain, a farmer in
Texas county, Oklahoma: Mariah Elizabeth, born March 20, 1861. who
married Sylvester Kinney, December 25, 1881, and now lives at West
Union, W. Va. ; Thomas James, born December 29, 1862, who married
Belle Hanner, at Liberal, Kan., in 1901 ; he is the father of two children,
Thomas J., born May 12, 1905, and Roy, born March 20, 1907. Thomas
Smith is a partner with his brother, the doctor, in the drug business at
Liberal, under the firm name of George S. Smith & Brother. His wife is
a native of Illinois, whose parents were pioneer settlers of Seward
county, .and now live in Liberal. Mary Alice, born September 22, 1864,
died January 4. 1870. The sixth child, Sarah Catharine, was born Octo-
ber 3, 1866, and married Ephraim B. Holland, in 1884, who lives on a
farm in Beaver county, Oklahoma. They have three children : La-
594 BIOGRAPHICAL
mon L., now assistant postmaster of Liberal ; Ethel, the wife of Leslie
Donnelley, a farmer of Beaver county, Oklahoma ; Byron, the baby boy,
still at home ; Mary Alice, the seventh child, born in 1864, died in child-
hood; Nancy L, born April 2, 1867, is the wife of W. H. Wright, a
merchant of Liberal, Kan.; Letty L., born September 9, 1870, died July
14, 1886.
George Smith received his elementary education in the public schools
of Tyler county, Virginia, and at the West Virginia Normal School, at
Fairmont. Having determined upon the medical profession for a career
he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore, Md.,
where he took two terms of preparatory work and then the regular
medical course. He then came west and entered the medical depart-
ment of the University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kan., graduating with
the class of 1891, and is proud to be an alumnus of that institution. In
1885 he came to Liberal, where he soon built up a large practice, as he
was one of the first physicians, and the people relied upon his skill and
ability. The doctor filed on a government claim, which he proved up
and now has considerable land holdings in both Seward county, Kansas,
and Beaver county, Oklahoma. He has invested in city property in
Liberal, having great faith in the future of the city. Dr. Smith takes
great interest in all public affairs, which tend toward the upbuilding of
his town ; he has served on the city council a number of times and has
served as county health officer almost continuously since coming to
Liberal, in 1885. He is a member of the Masonic order, being a Knight
Templar. Thomas James Smith, the doctor's business partner, grad-
uated from the Kansas City College of Pharmacy in 1893. He is a drug-
gist of great ability, and has been associated with Dr. Smith in all his
business dealings. Isaac Dudley Smith, another brother of the doctor,
was the original settler upon one of the quarter sections of land upon
which Liberal is situated. He made final proof on his claim in 1888
and has lived to see the rolling prairie covered with fine farms and
progressive cities.
John Norman Evans. — The State of Kansas with its various activities
and marvclously rapid development has attracted many men of great
business ability and high character, and has never lacked those of execu-
tive ability to exploit her interests. In the present connection we are
permitted to offer a brief review of the character of one of the repre-
sentative men of Seward county, whose efforts, ability and meliiods have
gained him unqualified confidence and esteem from his business and
social acquaintances. Mr. Evans is a native of the Mother Country,
England, and traces his ancestors back many centuries, in a direct line
to Edward T of England and John of Gaunt. He was born at Cheshunt,
England, June 3, 1865, the son of Di*. Nichol and Bertha (Odershaw)
Evans. Mr. Evans's direct ancestors were nearly all professional men.
His grandfather, an Episcopal minister, was fOr many years president of
BIOGRAPHICAL 595
Zion Theological College of London, and there Nichol Evans and his
four brothers and two sisters were born and reared. Nichol Evans first
sa\v the light of day in London, April 17, 1836: he was educated at
Haileyburg and then graduated from St. Andrew's College, Edinburgh,
Scotland. For many years he was one of the prominent physicians of
his country before his death there in December, 1906. Nichol Evans
married Bertha Oldershaw, in August, 1864. She was born in Lincoln-
shire, England, December 12, 1845, one of a family of six children, all
of whom remained in England during their lives. Mrs. Evans died in
England, June 5, 1910. She became the mother of nine children: John
Xorman, of this record; Arthur Iltyd, born February 14, 1867, died in
Rio Janeiro, Brazil, in September, 1892; Hubert, born JMay 22, 1869. died
in 1906, leaving one child; Lawrence, born in 1870, died in 1875; Mabel
Alice, born March 18, 1872, married Dr. W. A. Greene, who succeeded
to her father's medical practice; \^'ilfred, born in 1875, who studied
medicine, died on the east coast of Africa, in 1907, of sun stroke ; Maurice
Alleyn, born in 1877, is now a contractor at Edmonton, Canada; Con-
stance Mary, born in 1879, lives in England, and Leonard, born in July,
1880, is a bank cashier in London.
John N. Evans received his education at the Merchant Tailors' School,
a trade school founded in London in 1561. At the age of sixteen he
entered the office of a ship broker in London, where he was employed
until nineteen years of age. He had heard of the many opportunities
for young men in the new world and when only a youth, not yet of age,
left his home alone for Canada. For one year he worked. as a farm
hand, but in 1885 enlisted in Company 2, Ninety-second Winnipeg light
infantry, serving on the frontier of Canada five months during the Rial
rebellion. In the fall of 1885 he left Canada, coming to the United
States. He worked in the vicinity of Minneapolis, Minn., as foreman
in a saw mill until 1891, when he went west to the State of Washington,
where he followed the same occupation imtil 1893. That year he came
to Seward count}', locating on a government claim seven miles north-
west of Liberal, where he engaged in farming, and at the same time
1 aught school until 1903, when he was appointed postmaster of Liberal,
which office he still fills with credit to himself and to the entire satis-
faction of the residents of the city. For several years Mr. Evans has
been a member of the board of county examiners of Seward county, and
has also served as county survej'or four years. In politics he is a Re-
publican, having served as chairman and secretary of the Seward Coimty
Republican Central .Sommittee several years, taking an active part in
county and State affairs. Mr. Evans has great natural business ahihtv,
which has been well displayed in his connection with the Enterprise
Mercantile Company, of which he is president. He is a director of the
First National Rank of Liberal, and has other business interests in the
town, giving of time and money toward any project which tends toward
596 . BIOGRAPHICAL
its improvement and upbuilding. Mr. Evans is a Thirty-second degree
Mason and a Knight Templar, belongs to the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Liberal. On De-
cember 25, 1893, Mr. Evans married Bird, the daughter of John R. and
Lena Morningstern Crothers. Mrs. Evans was born on a farm near
Princeton, j\Iinn., November 18, 1874. Her parents removed to Kansas,
in 1892, to engage in farming in Seward county, near Liberal. Mr.
Crothers was a sergeant in the First Kansas artillery during the Civil
war, and saw service in some important engagements. He died in
Seward county, in 1902, after a long and useful -life. Mrs. Evans was one
of a family of eight children, and has five children of her own : Ernest
AUeyn, born January 20, 1895, now a student at St. John's Military
Academy, Salina, Kan.; Mabel Lena and Bertha Mildred, twins, born
June 18, 1897; Bertha Mildred died October 18, 1897; Clara Bernice,
born October 8, 1898, and Winifred, born December 4, 1901.
Lee E. Moore. — The industrial interests of Richfield, Kan., are well
represented by the mercantile establishment of Lee E. Moore, who owns
one of the paying and growing enterprises of the city, which con-
tributes to the general prosperity of Morton county as well as the indi-
vidual success of the owner. Mr. Moore has a very wide acquaintance
in southwestern Kansas, having been reared there. He was born in
Brown county, Ohio, August 6, 1888, the son of William E. and Cora
F. Dunbar Moore. The father was born in the same county and State
in 1852, his parents being natives of Pennsylvania who located west of
the mountains at an early day. William Moore came to Kansas in 1885,
locating at \\'ellington, but two years later he removed to Morton
county, taking up government land six miles southeast of Richfield.
This land he stocked as a cattle ranch, but he now lives on another place
seven miles south of Richfield, holding in all about 6,000 acres of land
and feeding on an average of 1,000 cattle each year. Mr. Moore, by
industry and business abilitv. has made a great success of ranching and
is one of" the prosperous farmers in his section. He is a Democrat in
politics and belongs to the Masonic order. For a number of terms he
has served as county commissioner. Mr. Moore was married at Ripley,
Ohio, in 1880, to Cora Parker, whose parents died while she was an
infant, and Mrs. ]\Ioore was adopted by the Dunbar family, who reared
her.
There were two children in the Moore family : Effie, born February 6,
18S1. married Ed G. ATartin in 1900, and lives at Garden City. She has
two children : Everett R., born at Liberal, Kan., August 5, 1905, and
Dale, born at Ponca, Okla., November 20, 1909. Lee E. Moore, the
-second child, received his education in the public schools of Richfield,
and when only eighteen years of age began to work as a cowboy on his
father's ranch, ^\'hile still a lad of twelve he bought cattle and estab-
lished a brand of his own. His herd increased rapidly and soon became
BIOGKAPlllLAL 5y7
of considerable \alue. On coming of age Mr. Moore located on govern-
ment land and still owns the original homestead. In August, 191 1, he
embarked in the mercantile business at Richfield and now has the lead-
ing retail establishment of the town, where he is making money and
gaining well deserved success. In business circles Mr. Moore is popular
and has those sterling traits of character which win friendship and
regard everywhere. July 3, 1907, he married Ersula Louise, the daugh-
ter of Samuel and Osa Minnick Fox. Mrs. Moore was born at Belle
Plaine, Kan., July 29, 1884, her parents having come to Kansas from
Missouri in 1884. Mr. Fox was a veteran of the Civil war, having served
in the Twenty-fifth Missouri infantry. He now lives at La Harpe. Be-
fore her marriage Mrs. Moore taught school in Morton county. She
now has one interesting son, William Wendall, born February 2, 1909.
Eli Grenawalt Foster, of Topeka, Kan., ranks as one of the State's
leading and progressive educators. He is a native of Pennsylvania, hav-
ing been born on a farm near Elizabethtown, that State, May 4, 1864.
He received his early education in the district schools, supplemented
with a course in the State normal school, at Millersville, Pa., from which
he graduated in 1886. After his graduation he accepted the principal-
ship of the Soldiers' and Orphans' Home, at Philadelphia, Pa., which
position he held during the school j^ear of 1886-87. But, believing the
great West was a better field for the progressive teacher, he decided to
make Kansas his future home, and at the expiration of his contract at
the Soldiers' and Orphans' Home, he came to Topeka. That was in
1887, and since that time he has been one of the city's most energetic,
wide-awake and painstaking school princij^als. During his long and
successful career in the school room he has made a careful study of
United States history, both as to subject matter and as to the best
methods of teaching the subject to pupils of elementary schools. .'Ks a
result of that study he has formulated a series of historical maps, to be
used by both the teacher and the student, which are doing much to make
the study of history interesting and definite to the average pupil. Fos-
ter's "Historical Maps" and "Outline Maps" are now used in the schools
of hundreds of cities throughout the Ignited States and in many of our
colleges and normal schools. He is the author of "Reference Manual
and Outlines of United States History," "Civil War by Campaigns,"
"Illustrative Historical Chart" (a series of large maps on American
history), a series of "Outline Maps," and a "United States History."
The Jury of Awards of the St. Louis Exposition awarded a medal and
diploma to Professor Foster for the excellence of his series of historical
maps. These publications proved so popular and the demand for them
so great that in 1906 it became necessary to organize the Historical Pub-
lishing Company, of Topeka, to publish and handle his maps and books.
Professor Foster has been president of the company since its organiza-
tion, and at the same time has successfully handled the Harrison School.
558 BIOGRAPHICAL
I'.ut in 191 1 he resigned the latter position to devote all his time to
literary work and to the publishing business.
At Millerstown, Pa., on September 2, 1890, Professor Foster was
united in marriage with Miss Alice Mitchell, the daughter of George
Howe and Elizabeth (Coleman) Mitchell, and to this union three chil-
dren were born : Jiliriam M., Ruth M. and Mitchell Eli. Professor Fos-
ter's parents, Eli and Mary (Grenawalt) Foster, are still living on the
old homestead near Elizabethtown, Pa. Both are natives of that local-
ity, the former's birth having occurred in 1829 and the latter's in 1838.
Eli Foster was a successful schoolteacher in his day, as was his father
before him. These honored parents were married in 1857 and were
blessed with five sons and five daughters; all of whom grew to maturity
and were present at their old home in 1907 to celebrate the golden wed-
ding anniversary of their father and mother.
While Professor Foster is a Republican in politics, still he reserves
the right to vote for men of high character for office, irrespective of
party. Mrs. Foster was educated at the State normal school at Millers-
ville. Pa., and later graduated from the musical department of Wash-
burn College in Topeka, and is prominent in the city's musfcal circles.
In the retirement of Professor Foster, the Topeka schools will lose one
of its best principals and most successful educators, but as his life work
will be devoted to educational research and the publication of his ex-
cellent works, Topeka's loss will be a gain to the cause of education, not
only locally but nationally.
Edgar Burnett McConnell, the owner and editor of the "Plains Jour-
nal," one of the leading newspaper men of southwestern Kansas, is de-
scended from old Colonial stock. He was born in Sumner county, Kan- ,
sas, February 9, 1879. the son of Jesse and Hannah Burnett McConnell.
Jesse McConnell was born in Johnson county, Indiana, Ma_\- 12, 1849,
and the same year the family removed to Davis county, Iowa, where the
mother died in 1896, being survived by the husband until 1902. Asa
Johnson, Edgar McConnell's great-great-grandfather, was a soldier in
the Continental army, taking part in the battle of Bunker Hill. He built
the first house in the city of Burlington, Vt., where he lived many years.
Mrs. McConnell was born in Monroe county, Iowa, November 29, 1858,
the daughter of John and Charlotte Johnson Burnett. Her father was a
native of \'irginia. and her mother of Illinois; the former died in 1909.
but Mr. Burnett still resides in Drakesville. Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Mc-
Connell were married in 1875, ^"^ two years later came to Kansas, lo-
cating on government land in Sumner county, but removed to Davis
county, Iowa, in 1880, where Mr. McConnell is still engaged in farming.
They became the parents of six children : George David, born .\ugust
16, 1877, no^y a farmer of Haskell county ; Harry Callaway, born Feb-
ruary 2, 1883, also a farmer of Haskell county : Jesse Howard, born No-
vember II, 1891 : Dale Grant, born October 14, 1898; Lottie Ruth, born
February 11. 1893. and Edgar Burnett of this record.
BIOGRAPHICAL 599
Edgar Tl. IMcConiiell was educated in the public schools of Davis
county, Iowa. When only nineteen years of age he began teaching in
Davis county, but believing there were more opportunities in Kansas,
came here in 1901, settling on government land in Haskell county. The
following six years he was engaged in operating his farm and teaching
school. In 1906 he was the Republican nominee for county superintend-
ent of public instruction of Haskell county, but was defeated by the
woman who ran on the Democratic ticket. The next year Mr. McCon-
nell came to Plains and engaged in the real estate and insurance busi-
ness until 1909, when he bought the "Plains Journal," one of the wide-
awake weekly papers of the Southwest, established November 11, 1906.
Mr. McConnell is clerk of West Plains township, and police judge of
Plains. Both of these positions he is filling with great credit to himself
and to the entire satisfaction of the residents of the community. The
"Journal" has a large circulation in Meade county, where it plays no
unimportant part in moulding public opinion, for no man has more influ-
ence in shaping policy than the journalist, and if he be a man of high
standard and clean thought does much for the upbuilding of the com-
munity and country where his paper is read. Mr. McConnell was mar-
ried April 12, 1902, to Mamie Agnes, the daughter of Amos and Eva
Penn Reniker, of Moulton, Iowa. Mrs. McConnell was born on a farm in
\'an Buren county, Iowa, July 25, 1883. Her parents were natives of
that State and were engaged in farming. They had ten children : Mamie
Agnes, Neil, Frederick, Viola, Bertha, Edith, Lillie, Muriel, Orville and
Lena. Mrs. McConnell is quite proud, and justly so, that she is a direct
descendant of William Penn, who founded the colony at Philadclpliia
during Colonial days. There are three children in the McConnell fam-
ily : Grace Edna, born October 28, 1903 ; Agnes Ruth, born October
17, 1906, and Dona Faith, born October i, 191 2. Tlie family arc mem-
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Frank A. McCoy, attorney at law and editor of the "Ilugoton
Hermes," is recognized as one of the leading journalists of the South-
west, where he not only is a leading factor in the development of Stevens
coimty, but has been the means of moulding public ojiinion through his
newspaper, which is the only one in the county. Mr. McCoy was born
on a farm near Peoria, 111., January 24, 1878, the son of Joseph A.
and Mary E. Stewart McCoy. The McCoy family lived in Pennsylvania
for many years, but the grandparents of Frank removed to Ohio, where
Joseph McCoy was born December 3, 1849, on a farm near Wooster.
In 1883 lie came to Kansas, locating in Sedgwick county, where he
farmed for two years before removing to Kingman county, where he fol-
lowed the same vocation. From 18S7 to 1912 Mr. A/fcCoy was engaged
in running a ranch in Barber county, but has given up active business
and now lives at Hugoton. Kan. In politics he is a Democrat, but never
held public office. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd
6oO BIOGRAPHICAL
Fellows. Mr. McCoy married Mary E. Stewart, at Peoria, in 1873;
she was born in Peoria county, Illinois, December 14, 1856, the daugh-
ter of James A. and Eliza Markley Stewart. Her grandfather Markley
was an eminent lawyer and jurist in Illinois, where he had a great repu-
tation. Mrs. McCoy died at Sawyer, Kan., October 20, 1909, leaving
a family of four children : Dale S., born January 17, 1874, was elected
sheriff of Stevens county on the Democratic ticket in 1908, and reelected
in 1910; is chairman of the Democratic central committee of the county
and resides on a farm four miles from Hugoton. Frank A. ; Joseph J.,
born September 30, 1893, lives at Hugoton, Kan., and Vera Madge, born
September 2, 1898, also lives at Hugoton.
Frank McCoy was educated in the public schools of Barber county;
then attended the county normal school, and when only sixteen years
of age began teaching, a vocation he followed until he was twenty-one.
He then entered the University of Oklahoma, at Norman, studying there
until February, 1903. During the two years he was at the university
Mr. McCoy was captain of the track team, and established a record of
ten seconds for the hundred-yard dash. For two years he held the medal
as the best all-round athlete in the territorial meets, including the all-
star team of Oklahoma. After leaving Norman he entered tire law
department of the University of Kansas, graduating with the class of
1905. \\'hile at Kansas University he played on the football team and
was a member of the track team in 1903 and 1905, establishing a record
of fift^'-one seconds for the quarter-mile dash, which he still holds. Mr.
McCo}- was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity while in Kan-
sas University, also of the honorary law fraternity Phi Delta Phi, and
belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The June following
his graduation from the law school, Mr. McCoy was admitted to prac-
tice before the Supreme Court of Kansas, at Topeka, and in the fall he
became the physical director of the Oklahoma Agricultural and Me-
chanical College, at Stillwater, a position he filled until 1906, when he
located at Hugoton to engage in the active practice of his profession.
The following November he was elected county attorney of Stevens
county on the Republican ticket, being reelected in 1908. In August of
the latter year he purchased the Hugoton "Hermes," the only paper
in the count)', which he sold on October i, 1909. The first of the next
■year he removed to Liberal, Kan., opened a law office and carried on
business until April, 1912, when he returned to Hugoton, opened an
office and repurchased the "Hermes." Mr. McCoy is today regarded
as one of the leading journalists of the Southwest ; he has a gratify-
ing practice, which is growing rapidly. He is the city attorney of
Hugoton, and is editor of the "Hermes," making a great success of both
business ventures. June 3, 1908, Mr. McCoy married Eula Gay, the
daughter of John A. and Anna Gwyne Kelley, of Hugoton. Mrs. McCoy
was born in Stevens county September i, 1888, and passed away Decern-
BIOGRAPHICAL 6oi
ber 30, 1908. Mr. McCoy was married a second time on August 31,
1910, to Golde Isola, the daughter of James S. and Belle Vaughn Funk.
Mrs. McCoy was born in Reno county, Kan., July 21, 188S. There
is one child in the family; James Franklin, born July 20, 191 1. ilrs.
McCoy is a musician of note and an artist, having taken several prizes
for her pictures at .the Southwestern Fair, held at Liberal, and also
took first prize for burnt wood work. She has classes in painting and
music, and today is one of the social leaders of Hugoton, where the
McCoy home is ever open to the many warm personal friends which
have been there.
Robert Morrison Crawford, capitalist, and a leading representative
of the agricultural interests of southwestern Kansas, is descended from
ancestors who for many generations lived in fair Scotland, the land of
hills and heather. They brought with them to America the Scotch
thrift, perseverance and diligence which descended to their children who
today occupy positions of credit among the citizens of affluence in this
country. Robert Crawford was born on a farm in Saline county, Kan-
sas, twelve miles south of Salina, November 20, 1871, a son of Robert C.
and Nancy Ermina Morrison Crawford. The father was born in Scot-
land November 19, 1836, and while still a small child accompanied his
parents to the United States in 1840. They located on a farm in Ran-
dolph county, 111., where the mother died about 1850, and in 1858 Rob-
ert C. Crawford came to Kansas and located on government land in
Saline county, becoming one of the earliest settlers in this section. He
engaged in farming, served as commissioner of the county at one time,
and when the town of Salina was proposed he became one of the original
members of the town site company. At the outbreak of the Civil war
he enlisted as corporal in a militia company under command of General
Curtis, serving with credit. In 1887 Mr. Crawford came to Stevens
county and in 1895 was elected treasurer of the county on the Repub-
lican ticket, holding this office, in all, five years, and died in 1904, before
the expiration of his last term. Mr. Crawford also served as deputy
clerk of the district court, as register of deeds and was mayor of Hugo-
ton at one time, and was postmaster four years. He always took an
important part in all movements for the upbuilding and improvement
of the community. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Re-
public. Mr. Crawford married Nancy Morrison at Salina, Kan., in
1861. She was the daughter of A. A. Morrison, a native of Ohio, where
Mrs. Crawford was born in 1842. She now lives in Salina. Mr. and
Mrs. Crawford had eleven children, two of whom died in infancy. The
nine living are: Marian, born in 1864, wife of A. W. Lamkin, of Sal-
mon, Idaho; Ermina, born in 1866, the wife of J. Price Perrill, superin-
tendent of the Dickinson County High School at Chapman, Kan.; Mar-
garet Adeline, born in 1868, is the wife of Harry T. Perrill, a farmer
near Bridgeport, Kan.; Myra .Mice, born in 1870, married William H.
632 BIOGRAPHICAL
Lamer, in 1890, and died in 1902; Robert Morrison; Nellie, born in
1876, is the wife of E. W. Josline, of Hugoton ; Andrew H., born in
1878, married Myrtle Dallon, in 1905, and now lives on a farm near
Salina ; Estella, born in 1883, is the wife of Allen Perrill, a farmer, of
i^alina county; William B., born in 1885, married Eva P. Bane, and lives
at Hugoton.
Robert Crawford was educated in the public schools of Saline county
until 18S7, when he came to Stevens county with his parents. In 1900
he bought land in Stevens county for a cattle ranch, which he conducted
so well that he saw there was money in this business and from time
to time added to his original holdings until today he owns 10,000 acres
in one tract, one of the largest ranches to be found today in the
Southw^est. On about 400 acres Mr. Crawford raises corn, kaffir-corn,
and sorghum for feed. Since locating in the county Mr. Crawford has
been an important factor in its development, as he is progressive in
his ideas and is a booster for his section. He takes an active part in all
public affairs and advocates modern methods in all walks of life. In
1899 Mr. Crawford was elected county treasurer on the Republican
ticket, an office he filled with credit six years. While never accepting
public office other than that in his own county, Mr. Crawford was a
delegate from Stevens county to the State Republican convention for
ten years. He is a man of genuine worth, who has many warm personal
friends and the high regard of all who know him.
Balie Peyton Waggener is a descendant of typical American ances-
try, his great-grandfather having served as a lieutenant-colonel in the
Continental army during the war for independence, and his grandfather
was a major in the United States army in the War of 1812. He was
l)orn in Platte county, Missouri, July 18, 1847, ^ ^o" of Peyton R. and
Bniseis S. (Willis) W^aggener, and until the age of fourteen years at-
tended the public schools, where he laid the. foundation of his education.
At the age of fourteen he obtained a situation as toll-gate keeper on
the old Platte City & \\'estern turnpike. While thus employed he be-
gan the study of law. reading his law books at the toll-gate after his
day's work was done. In 1866 he entered the law office of Otis & Click,
at Atchison, where he pursued his studies with such assiduity that, on
June 10, 1867, he was admitted to the bar. Three years later he formed
a partnership with Albert H. Horton, then United States district attor-
ney, under the firm name of Horton & Waggener, which lasted until the
election of Judge Horton to the office of chief justice of the Kansas Su-
preme Court, in 1876. In 1887 Mr. W^aggener formed a partnership
under the firm name of W'aggener, Martin & Orr, w'hich continued until
.■\pril 30, 1895, when the firm was dissolved and Chief Justice Horton
resigned his position as chief justice and became a member of the new
firm, known as W'aggener, Horton & Orr. David Martin. Mr. Wagr
gener's former partner, became chief justice of the supreme court of
BIOGRAPHICAL 603
Kansas to succeed Chief Justice Horton. In 1902 Judge Horton died
and later his place in the firm was taken by ex-Chief Justice Frank
Doster, under the firm name of Waggener, Doster & Orr. It will thus
be seen that Mr. Waggener was associated in the practice of law with
three ex-chief justices of the supreme Court of Kansas.
On January 4, 1876, Mr. Waggener was appointed general attorney of
the Missouri Pacific Railway Company for the State of Kansas, and on
May I, 1910, he was made general solicitor for that company for the
States of Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado, his son, W. P. Waggener,
succeeding him as general attorney for Kansas. During the forty-four
years Mr. Waggener has been engaged in the practice of law he has won
an enviable position at the bar, througli his own personal efforts. He has
never ceased to be a student of all subjects pertaining to that most
jealous of professions, and it is worthy of note that he is the possessor
of one of the most complete law libraries in the United States, con-
taining upward of 10,000 volumes. He keeps his library at his resi-
dence, which is one of the handsomest and best appointed in the city
of Atchison, and it is there that he prepares most of his cases.
Although primarily a lawyer, Mr. Waggener has found time to engage
in other enterprises. In 1892 he was elected president of the Exchange
National Bank of Atchison. Kan., which position he has since held.
He constructed and put into operation the Atchison Railway, Light &
Power system in the citj' of Atchison, and owns a sooacre farm, beau-
tifully located a short distance west of Atchison, and it is one of the
most modern farms in the State in its equipment of buildings, etc. Here
he works out his ideas regarding the raising of alfalfa, hogs and mules,
in which he has become a recognized authority.
In addition to his professional and business interests, Mr. Waggener
has manifested a public spirit in matters pertaining to tlie political con-
ditions of his city and State. Firmly grounded in Democratic principles,
he has become one of the unquestionable leaders of that party and occu-
pies a high place in its councils. In 1869 he was elected to the Atchi-
son city council — when he had barely attained to his majority. In
1872 he was the nominee of his party for the office of attorney-general
of the State of Kansas, and in 1873 was made city attorney. From 1889
to 1891, and again in 1895-07, he was mayor of the city. In 1902 he was
elected a member of the lower branch of the State legislature, which
had a large Republican majority, and during the term held the important
position of chairman of the judiciary committee. It is generally con-
ceded that he influenced much of the legislation of that session, ancj
his record so commended him to his constituents that, in 1904, he was
elected to the State senate from a strong Republican district, carr}ing
the district by a majorit}- of 1.500 votes, althnugli, at the same election,
Theodore Roosevelt, the Republican candidate for President, carried the
same district by over 3,600, an indisputable testimonial to Mr. Wag-
6o4 BIOGRAPHICAL
gener's personal popularity and his ability. Mr. Waggener is a mem-
ber of all the secret orders. In Masonic circles he is a well known
figure, being a Knight Templar and a Thirty-second degree member of
the Scottish Rite, and also a member of the Shrine.
On May 2j, 1869, Mr. Waggener married Miss Emma L., daughter
of William Hetherington, one of Atchison's prominent citizens, and of
this union were born a son and daughter, both now married. The son is
a "chip of the old block," being general attorney of the Missouri Pacific
Railway Company for the State of Kansas, and a director in and presi-
dent of the Exchange State Bank of Atchison.
But perhaps the trait of character that most endears Mr. Waggener to
the people of Atchison county is that liberality which led him, in 1897,
to inaugurate the system of giving an annual picnic to the children.
Everj^ year, at his own personal expense, he furnishes free transporta-
tion, free entertainment, and free refreshments to all the children of
Atchison county who can attend his picnic, and the larger the crowd the
greater is his delight. These picnics are not given for the purpose of
increasing his popularity, or for any self-aggrandizement whatever, but
.solely that he may steal at least one day in the year from his business
cares and derive a wholesome recreation in contributing to the amuse-
ment of the young people. An Atchison paper says :
"Every year since he has been giving his picnic it has broken the rec-
ord of the year before, vmtil this occasion is now counted a more im-
portant holiday in Atchison than the Fourth of July." The report of
the secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society for the year of 191 1
contains the following:
"An interesting feature of President Taft's visit to Kansas was his
attendance upon Balie Peyton Waggener's picnic to children, at Atchi-
son. Waggener, for twelve j-ears past, had been celebrating his birth-
day each year by giving a picnic to the children of the neighborhood.
This year he obtained the promise of President Taft to attend his pic-
nic, and so it was deferred until the date of the President's coming to
Kansas. Therefore, on September 27, Mr. Taft left Topeka about an
hour after the laying of the corner stone of the Memorial Hall building
and reached Atchison in time for Waggener's twelfth annual picnic. In
speaking to the children President Taft said : T feel highly indebted to
Mr. A\'aggener for the opportunity of attending this unique entertain-
ment. To entertain thousands of children once a year during a period
of twelve years is a privilege for which I envy Mr. Waggener. He
undoubtedly learned that important truth that the real pleasure of life
is putting happiness into others. When Mr. ^^'agge^er was welcomed
at the union depot by 3,000 of his little friends it was a token of thanks-
giving to God for having saved him to the people. I'm not here to
talk tariff, reciprocity, or any political topic, but to enjoy this wonder-
ful exhibition of thanksgiving, happiness, and prosperity.' Then, taking
BIOGRAPHICAL 605
in his hands a sih-er loving cup, he continued : 'A token is this, Mr.
Waggener, that carries real sincerity of friendship. 1 present this beau-
tiful vase of silver in the name of these people here assembled, as a
sign of love and esteem. I congratulate you on the eminence you have
obtained.' Waggener responded: 'This is a distinction unmerited. I
have no words to express my grateful acknowledgment.' Balie Wag-
gener's picnic has become a feature of Kansas history, of a most pleas-
ant nature. He is a life member of the State Historical Society, and as
a member of the legislature he was always an ardent and most liberal
friend of the society."
Upon the occasion of Mr. Waggener's return from Rochester, Minn.,
after undergoing a surgical operation of a serious nature, the following
comments appeared in the Kansas City "Journal" :
"Everybody in Kansas knows Balie Waggener, either personally or
by reputation. Many know him as a big railroad attorney, who has
gained wealth and influence: others as a successful politician, and still
others as a citizen whom they may meet any day on the streets of /\tchi-
son. But none of these people know Mr. Waggener as the children of
Atchison know him, for every tot and chick in town just naturally loves
him and he in return loves them. When Mr. Waggener was forced to
go to Rochester, Minn., two months ago, to be operated on for a serious
malady, juvenile Atchison mourned the absence of its great friend, and
there were many an.xious little hearts that beat in hope of his recovery.
Saturday, Mr. Waggener returned to Atchison. It was a most unusual
home-coming for any man, and the children of Atchison turned out to
give him joyful welcome. The little boys and girls and babies were at
the depot, in their stiffest curls and whitest dresses and shiniest faces.
Hundreds of these boys and girls formed in lines, through which Mr.
Waggener passed on his way to liis home. His automobile was pelted
with flowers and glad, childish shouts filled the air. And it is recorded
that big tears filled the eyes of the recipient of this demonstration, and
for once he couldn't say a word. And he didn't need to. For many
years he has been doing things to give pleasure to the children of Atchi-
son, and now it was the children's turn, and they naturally took pos-
session of that home-coming and made it the most beautiful and touch-
ing thing that has ever happened in llie life of Mr. Waggener. Few
men in this world ever were so fortunate as to enjoy such an ovation.
Men who liave done important tilings have been received by town bands
and by citizens covered with fluttering badges. Men have come back to
their home people to be received in the opera house, and cheers have
echoed in their receptive ears. But it must be understood tliat no sucii
a home-coming as Waggener's could come to an ordinary man. Tt
was the tribute of sincere devotion and genuine friendship. It couldn't
he bought with money or earned by material success. These Atchison
children didn'l care a rap for Waggener the railroad attorney, or Wag-
6o6 BIOGRAPHICAL
gener the politician, or even for Waggener the exemplary citizen. It
was Mr. Waggener, the good, kind friend they loved, to whom the wel-
come was given, and it sprung from sheer joy that he had recovered his
health and was with them once more. And who can say that the earth
holds a more splendid triump as the crowning glory of a life than this?
All other laudations and exclamations are tame compared with the
flushed enthusiasm of hundreds of happy children shouting from their
hearts :
" 'Waggenner, A\'aggener, sis boom ah.
Our friend, our friend, rah ! rah ! rah !' "
Austin Bailey Lynch is one of the grand old men who acknowledged
allegiance to the Union and marched from their homes to southern
battle fields when the unity of this great country was menaced by civil
war. He is a genial Irishman who has won a host of friends in the
Southwest by his kindness, honesty and generosity, for no man was
ever more liberal when a friend needed help, either financially or mor-
ally. Mr. Lynch was born on a farm in Warren county, Illinois, March
27, 1843. the son of Patrick and Margaret Harris Lynch. The father
was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1805 ; he came to the United
States and in 1829 located in St. Louis, where he followed his trade of
brick mason for three years. In 1832 Mr. Lynch bought 620 acres of
land in Warren county at $1.25 an acre and for the following twelve
years devoted his attention to farming. During this time the land
appreciated in value and he sold out to a considerable advantage, buying
more land in Sayler county, Illinois, on which improvements had been
made, and remained there until 1858, when he removed to Adams county,
living there until his death in 1873. Mr. and Airs. Lynch were married
at McComb, 111., in 1832. Mrs. Lynch was a Kentuckian by birth, born
in that State in 1813, being the usual charming southern woman of birth
and breeding. She passed away in Adams county in 1873. There were
six children in the Lynch family: Margaret, born in 1833, married
Peter Mecum in 1859, and became the mother of two children, a son
and a daughter; Michael C, born in 1841, died in 1910; Austin Bailey;
Alexander H., born in 1846. is now a cattleman at Great Falls, Mont. ;
Alary E., born in 1848. is now the widow of W. W. Shannon, and lives
at Fellsburg, Kan.; Patrick Henry, born in 1849. died in 1863; John,
born in 1853, is a farmer near Aloses, Idaho.
Austin Lynch received his educational advantages in the public
schools of Illinois and worked on his father's farm until the outbreak
of the Civil war, when he enlisted in Company I, Fifty-seventh Illinois
infantrj% on December 2, 1861. He was promoted to corporal for gal-
lantry on the battle field of Shiloh, where he was wounded, though not
severely. With his regiment Mr. Lynch participated in twenty-one im-
BIOGRAPHICAL 607
portant engagements, and was under command of General Sherman on
the memorable "March to the Sea." When the war closed he was mus-
tered out of the service July 14, 1865, and within a short time went to
Texas, where he worked on the range as a cowboy, making two trips
up the famous Chishold trail in 1870-71 to Baxter Springs with cattle
for the eastern markets. In 1872 he located on a soldier's homestead
in Barton county, Kansas, where he was engaged in farming nineteen
years. The country was little settled when Mr. Lynch first came and
lie spent much time hunting buffaloes over the western part of the State,
so he well deserves a place among the hardy pioneers who opened the
way for civilization and the plow. Mr. Lynch bought land in Allen
county in 1890, where he again engaged in agricultural pursuits until
1894, when he came west to Stevens county to buy 1,600 acres of graz-
ing land near the southern boundary. This is one of the finest and
largest ranches in the Southwest, for Mr. Lynch stocked it with fine
cattle, which have increased year by year, although he sells many each
season. Mr. Lynch's success has been phenomenal, but it is a just re-
ward for hard work directed by a master mind which finds no detail too
trivial when business is concerned. Having learned the cattle business
on the range, Mr. Lynch has conducted his ranch along advanced busi-
ness lines which he finds to be successful and today his place has the
most up-to-date equipment of any in the Southwest. He has a host of
friends in Kansas, where he conducts his business deals. He is a mem-
ber of that rapidly thinning band, the Grand Army of the Republic, hav-
ing membership in the S. A. Hulbert Post, No. 48, of EUinwood. Mr.
Lynch married Mary Robe in Barton county, in 1874, and they have be-
come the parents of eight children, four of whom are living: William
A., born in 1875, is now an engineer in Chicago; Earl, born in 1877, is in
partnership with his father; Bessie, born in 1891, lives at home, and
Hazel, born in 1893, is a teacher in Stevens county.
Robert Leslie Smith is one of the representative agriculturists of
Stevens county who, since he became one of its residents, has gained
recognition as an enterprising business man and clearly deserves men-
tion in any history of Kansas. Mr. Smith claims Illinois as the State of
his nativity, having been born on a farm in Sangamon county, June
II, 1880, the son of Hiram Newton and Christianna Clark Smith, and
is descended from Kentucky stock. Newton .Smith was born in the same
State and county as his son, January 6, 1855, his parents ha\ing been
Kentuckians who located in Illinois in 1818, while that State was. still,
the frontier. Newton was one of a family of six boys and two girls, all
of whom made names in the world worthy of their family. Mr. Smith
and Christianna Clark were married in September, 1877. Mrs. Smith
was born at Clinton, 111., March 9, 1858, the daughter of Philip Clark, a
native of England. Pour children came to bless this union: Robert
Leslie; Edna Rose, born in 1885, died in February, 1899; Russell New-
6o8 BIOGRAPHICAL
ton, born June 28, 1892, who lives with his parents; Aldora Christianna,
born April 26, 1898. The Smith family came to Kansas in 1883 and
located in Sumner county near Oxford, where the father was engaged in
farming three }'ears. In March, 1886, they removed to government land
a mile and a half east of Hugoton, where the family still reside. From
time to time Mr. Smith added to his original holdings until today he
possesses 480 acres. The ranch was soon stocked with good cattle and
horses after Mr. Smith purchased it, and he has been very successful in
his business, due to natural ability and strict attention to his farm in-
terests.
Robert Smith was educated in the public schools of Stevens county
and at the age of twenty-one began to teach, a vocation which he fol-
lowed five years. He is a Republican in politics and was the nominee
on this ticket for county superintendent of schools and once for county
treasurer. He also has believed in the future of Kansas land, from time
to time buying improved farms, so that today he is one of the large
land owners in the vicinity. In addition to property in the country
Mr. Smith owns considerable real estate in Hugoton, where he lias
taken a prominent part in civic improvements, and has given of time
and money for the benefit of the county. Mr. Smith is a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, an organization in which he
takes an active part. On May i, 1910, Mr. Smith married Ethel S.,
the daughter of John and Sarah Megredy Lahey, of Stevens county.
Mrs. Smith's parents came to Stevens county from Illinois in 1885 and
here their seven children were born: Ethel S., born September 24. 1888;
May Alice, the wife of T. E. Hogan, of Sheridan county, Wyoming, who
is the mother of three children, John Harold, Mildred and Eula Mar-
garet; Margaret Elizabeth, the widow of John Hirn ; Emma Belle;
Thomas Jefferson ; Arthur Fasten, and Ella Theresa. Mrs. Smith was
educated in the public schools of Stevens county and after completing
her education taught four years in Stevens and Seward counties before
her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one child, Robert Leslie, Jr.,
born August 8, 1911. Mr. Smith is recognized as one of the rising young
men of Stevens county ; he has adhered to high standards and his busi-
ness record, public history and private life are alike above reproach.
Edward Marion Dean. — The man whose name heads this brief review
has been an important factor in the opening up and development of
Morton county. Mr. Dean was born on a farm in Carroll county, Mis-
souri, January 29, 1869, a son of Alexander J. and Eleanor J. McClain
Dean. The Dean and McClain families came from Kentucky and Ten-
nessee and settled in Missouri in the early '30s. Alexander J. Dean was
l>orn in Cooper county, Missouri, in 1840. Eleanor J. McClain was born
in Carroll county, Missouri, in 1830, and they were married in 1867,
rearing a family of six children, of whom Edward M. is the eldest, and
are now living on a farm near CarroUton, Mo.
BIOGRAPHICAL 609
The subject of this sketch attended the country schools of Carroll
county until he was sixteen years of age, when he went to Colorado to
work on the cattle ranges. In April, 1885, he obtained employment on
the Point of Rocks ranch in Morton county, and with the exception of
two years spent in Idaho and Montana has been identified with the
growth of Morton county since that time, following the "round-up" in
the earlier days, later as a ranchman, and owner of a general store in
Richfield. In the years from 1900 to 1910 he has served as county
treasurer four terms, and one term as probate judge. Mr. Dean has
always taken an active part in all public affairs of his section, has
extensive holdings of land in Morton county, Kansas, and Baca county,
Colorado, and is at the present time engaged in the real estate, loan
and abstract business. He is one of the progressive citizens who believe
in the future of the "short grass' country and who are changing the
prairies to fruitful farms. On March 14, 1897, Mr. Dean married Grace,
the daughter of Augustus C. and Caroline Wilson. Mrs. Dean was born
in Iowa in 1875 and removed with her parents to Meade county, Kansas,
in 1886, and to Morton county in 1887. Three interesting boys have
come to brighten the Dean home: Edward Cla}-, born April 15, 1898;
Wilson McClain, born November 15, 1901, and Alexander Cole, born
December 20, 1907. Mr. Dean is a Democrat in politics and a member
of the Masonic order.
Hon. George Kelly. — In reviewing the administration of those who
have served as chief executives of Kansas municipalities few instances
can be found wherein have been displayed greater executive, financial
and constructive talent, unselfish devotion to the duties of office and
permanence of achievement than in the service of Mr. Kelly, mayor of
Goodland. To his initiative, progressiveness and untiring energy is due
in great measure its present satisfactory public service utilities. Its
Carnegie Library, completed in 1912, was made possible through his
personal efforts and concluded a campaign covering a period of ten years.
George Kelly is a native of Michigan and was born on his father's
farm near Irving, Barry county, on July 17, 1859. His father, James
Kelly, was born in Tippcrary, Ireland, in 1819, and married Mary .Shea,
born in Cork, in 1824. He came to America in 1847, ^"'^ ^o'' "^ time was
employed in construction work on the Erie canal, then building, and
on that portion near Rochester. In 1852 he went to Michigan and
bought a farm near Irving. Here he engaged in farming, which con-
tinued to be his occupation until his death in 1909. He was a Democrat
in politics, took an active interest in the questions of the times, but was
not an office holder. He was esteemed in the section in which he lived
and was influential. His wife passed away in 1898. Both were mem-
bers of the Catholic church. They reared a family of seven children,
all of whom, with the exception of Jennie, who married II. J. De Golia,
formerly a banker, of Grand Rapids, Mich., survive. They are William
6lO BIOGRAPHICAL
M. Kelly, a prominent and influential citizen of Irving, Mich., and pres-
ent owner of the old Kelly farm; James and Judson Kelly, both farmers
of Barry county, Michigan ; Margaret, the wife of William Quigley, of
Hastings, Mich., a retired farmer ; Frank Kelly, a member of the Chicago,
111., police force and the subject of this article.
George Kelly was reared on the home farm in Barry county, and
received his education in its public schools. When a lad of sixteen he
struck out for himself and secured employment in one of the lumber
camps, at that time Michigan's great industry. He continued in this
line of endeavor, in various capacities, until 1881, when he came to
Kansas and at Atchison entered the employ of the Atchison & Nebraska
railroad, now a part of the Burlington system. He remained with this
company until 1888, during which time he was given an engine and a
regular run. In the latter year he entered the service of the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific railroad, as engineer, a position he has since held,
a service which has been continuous, with the exception of about
eighteen months, due to severe illness, and is at this writing, 1912, one
of the oldest men in point of service west of Omaha. He is one of the
most popular men in the employ of the Rock Island lines and enjoys to
the full the confidence and esteem of its officials. Mr. Kelly is a charter
member of Sparks Lodge, No. 71, Knights of Pythias, of Goodland, and
has occupied its various chairs. He is also a member of Goodland Lodge,
No. 422, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, prominent in the order,
and served as a delegate from his lodge to the National Convention at
Milwaukee, Wis., in 1901. On reaching his majority, in 1880, he joined
the Odd Fellows at Bound Centre, Mich., now the Freeport Lodge, and
took all degrees. Since his first vote he has been a consistent advocate
of principles of Democracy and it is in connection with his service as
mayor of Goodland that he has become well and favorably known over
a large section of the State. He became the nominee of "his party for
this office in 1905 and was elected by the better element of both parties
by a complimentar}' majority. Municipal affairs were in badly disor-
ganized condition when he took office in April, 1905, due to the ineffi-
ciency of the various officials of previous administrations. Selfishness,
greed and incompetence had characterized their service. The first re-
form to be effected by Mr. Kelly was the building of the city's water
plant, at that time inadequate in every particular. His twenty-five
years' experience as a locomotive engineer admirably fitted him to under-
take its reconstruction. Few cities of the population of Goodland have
the equal of its present water plant. In its renovation and extension
$30,000 were expended. A steel standpipe ninetj' feet high and twenty
feet in diameter was built at a cost of $12,000, replacing an old wooden
one, having a capacity of 235,000 gallons. Two wells were added, en-
gines overhauled and a large amount of concrete work done. It is con-
ceded by those who know that through Mr. Kelley's knowledge of
BIOGRAPHICAL 6l I
metals and their values at least $3,000 were saved in the purchase of
the steel for the standpipe. In this water plant alone Mr. Kelly has a
lasting^ monument to his ability as a constructor. It represents a maxi-
mum accomplishment with a minimum expenditure. Second in impor-
tance to the water plant was the enlisting of capital to erect a modern
electric lig^hting plant. He made numerous trips to Denver, Kansas City
and Topeka in order that a legitimate concern, and not a franchise grab-
bing coterie, might be induced to take advantage of the opportunity
offered. The result of his efforts in this direction is the highly satis-
factory service now in operation. It is well to note that not one cent of
expense entailed by these trips was paid by the city, the full expense
being borne by Mr. Kelly. During this administration a notable increase
in the efficiency of all departments of city work was effected, while a
city council composed of the city's most progressive business men acted
in full accord with the mayor. He retired in April, 1907, at the con-
clusion of his term, leaving a record for devotion to duty, efficiency and
honest}- in public office which should be sufficient to fill to the full his
ambitions. During the years 1907 to 191 1 the administration of city
affairs again reached a most unsatisfactory condition. Frugality in
expenditures was seemingly of little consequence and efficiency in office
of secondary importance. In 191 1 a group of the best element in Good-
land, non-partisan in make-up, desiring to nominate a ticket which would
be sure to remedy the existing evils, if elected, persuaded Mr. Kelly to
again make the race. He received the nomination, but was taken seri-
ously ill some two weeks before election and taken to a Denver hospital.
His steadfast friends conducted his campaign, however, and he was
elected by a handsome majority. The oath of office was administered
to him on his sick bed at home, and some three months elapsed before
he was permitted to attend a meeting of the council. The same high
order of efficiency has characterized his second administration as did
his first. Conditions have obtained highlj^ satisfactory to the citizens
of the city and a marked reduction in expenditure effected. As mayor
he has given the city of Goodland an exceedingly able and frugal admin-
istration and by methods clean, capable and honest. The last monument
to his ability in getting what he goes after is the new Carnegie Library,
erected in 1912. Securing the building fund for this public utility re-
(|uircd hard work, stick-at-iveness and diplomacy, and he should he, as
the citizens are, highly pleased at the termination of a campaign lasting
ten years. The building is of steel, concrete and brick, and is fireproof.
It was erected at a cost of $10,000, and occupies grounds 75 by 140 feet.
On July 2, 1884, at Atchison, Kan., Mr. Kelly married Miss Kate Shea,
daughter of John Shea, of that city. Her father was a native of Lex-
ington, Ky., where his ancestors were early settlers and prominent in
the early life of that State. His sister, Catherine Shea, married Martin
P.akcr. the first settler nf Atchison, Kan,, whose homestead is now occu-
6l2 BIOGRAPHICAL
pied by the business section of that city. He became one of the most
prominent and wealthy men of that section of the state.
Mr. and Mrs. Kelly are the parents of five children : Vinta A., born
April I, 1887, a graduate of Lovetta Heights Academy, Denver; George
L., born May 13, 1890, an employe of the Rock Island lines, train service;
Walter, born March 6, 1892, in the bridge department of the same lines;
Harry, born May 12, 1896, call boy. Rock Island, at Goodland, and Fritz,
born March 14, 1903.
Mrs. Kelly is one of the popular matrons of Goodland, a woman of
culture, and their home is one of the social centers of the city.
Mr. Kelly is a fine type of the progressive, enterprising American.
He is a self-made man and is justly entitled to the respect and admira-
tion of his many friends. He believes in the home and fireside. He has
always insisted that the best citizen is the home builder and that such
are to be depended upon to devote a portion of their time, intelligence
and personal funds to secure that which is most desirable to the general
welfare in their home towns and cities. That he is consistent is exem-
plified by his record as mayor of Goodland, his home for twenty-five
years. He is one of the large property owners of his home city and in
1908 purchased the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway's town lot
holding, known as the C. K. & U. property, which consisted of about
1.200 lots.
Charles David Hickok, banker, capitalist and man of a^ffairs, is a
representative of the twentieth century business man who organizes,
conducts and promotes the great commercial enterprises which make the
United States the wonder of the world, for the conquests in this day
and age are not of arms, but of mind over matter, and the victor is he
who controls extensive business organizations and is able to conduct
them on a paying basis. Mr. Hickok claims Missouri as the State of his
nativity, having been born on a farm in Nodaway county, December
10, 1863, the son of James E. and Olive L. (Bowen) Hickok. On the
paternal side he is descended from Puritan ancestors who came to
America that they might worship God in the manner dictated by their
own consciences. Charles Hickok's grandparents were natives of
Massachusetts, who removed to Pennsylvania, and James Hickok was
born on a farm in Bradford county, April 27, 1833. He was reared in
his native State, but in 1857 removed to Illinois and three years later to
Nodaway county, Missouri, where he was engaged in farming until he
came to Kansas in 1877, buying land in Anderson county. Five years
later Mr. Hickok removed to Sumner county and in 1886 to Grant county,
where he was engaged in farming three years. In 1889 he returned to
Sumner county and died at Argonia September 20, 1905. During his life
Mr. Hickok was an educator, being engaged in teaching for many years.
On December 19, 1857, he was married in Erie county. New York, to
Olive L. Bowen, the daughter of Richard and Dorcas (Buffen) Bowen,
BlOGRAPHlCAl, 613
who were Quakers. Mrs. Hickok now lives in Argonia, Kan. There
were eight children in the Hickok family: James E., born February 17,
i860, died in 1881 : William Penn and Luella T'.lanche, twins, born Feb-
ruary 23, 1862 — William is a lawyer at Taloga, Okla., and Luella is the
wife of W. G. Rupp, of Trinidad, Colo. ; Charles David ; Esther Candace,
born September 17, 1865, now the widow of Joseph C. Colin, of Argonia;
Mary Angelia, born September 13, 1867, died in 1910; Hadassah Adella,
born February 3, 1870, died in 1874; Galen Richard, born June 30, 1873,
now a physician at Wichita, Kan. Charles Hickok attended the high
school at Peabody, Kan., and then spent two years studying at the
University of Kansas. He taught for a year in Anderson county and
three years in Grant county. In 1885 he took a claim in Grant county,
and since then he has taught for different periods. In 1888 Mr. Hickok
accepted a position in the county offices as copyist and bookkeeper ; as
he was an expert accountant he filled this position six years. Being a
popular man, his friends urged him to run for office, and, in 1893, he was
elected county clerk, holding this position thirteen years. At different
times Mr. Hickok bought land on an extensive scale and soon began to
carry on a loan business and started a set of abstract books. Today he
has extensive holdings of fine land in Grant, Morton and adjoining
coimties. He has been engaged in stock raising on an important scale,
a business which he found profitable. In April, 1907, with other influ-
ential men, Mr. Hickok organized the Grant County State Bank, of
which he is president. This is the only banking concern in the county,
and from the first has gained the confidence of the people by the sound
methods by which it is conducted. It has earned a surplus of $8,000 in
five years, which is a good showing for an institution so young, located
in a new country. Mr. Hickok has taken an active part in the promo-
tion and development of various industries in the county and is now
associated with R. R. Wilson imder the firm name of Home Realty
Company, which owns more than $75,000 worth of land. This company
is a potent factor in building up the county and also the town of New
L'lysses. Mr. Hickok is a member of the Masonic order, being a Thirty-
second degree Mason, a Shriner and Knight Templar, and also belongs
to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. On July 16, 1889, he married
Ellen Olive, the daughter of William and Jane Craddock McCall. Mrs.
Hickok was born in DeWitt county, Illinois, January 29, 1872; her
father was a native of Ireland who came to this country when a lad of
fifteen and to Grant county in 1878, passing away at Meeker^ Okla., in
1905, after a long and useful life. Mr. and Mrs. Hickok have ten chil-
dren: Ellen Marguerite, born August 28, 1890, a graduate of the Kansas
State Agricultural College in 191 1. is now a teacher in the Dickinson
coimty high school, at Chapman; Charles William, born April 19, 1892,
is a civil engineer, will graduate from the State agricultural college with
the class of 1913 ; Mary Elizabeth, born February 27, 1894, graduated
6l4 BIOGRAPHICAL
from the State agricultural college in 1912 and is now a student at
Columbia University, New York City; Agnes Jane, born September 9,
1896; James Allan, born December 21, 1898; Glenn Francis, born Octo-
ber 25, 1900, died September 17, 1902; Esther Blanch, born September 9,
1933, died September 20, 1903 ; Kenneth Edward, 'born November 28,
1905; Kathleen Marjorie, born August 21, 1909, and Ruth Dorothy, born
October 9, 1912. The Hickok family have a host of warm friends in
New Ulysses, where their hospitable home is ever open to guests of old
and young.
Abraham William Gibson, editor and owner of the "Greensburg Pro-
gressive," was born on a farm in Sumner county, Kansas, April 5, 1882.
He is the son of Abraham and Emeline (Hawes) Gibson. Abraham
Gibson was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1820, of German and Irish
ancestry. He came to Kansas in 1869, locating at Lawrence, where he
was a contractor. He assisted in the organization of the First Christian
church of that city. He later became one of the first settlers of Sumner
county, where he engaged in farming for sixteen years. In 1885 he
removed to Kiowa county, locating on government land three miles from
Greensburg. Here he was a successful farmer and stock grower for
twenty years, retiring at the age of eighty-five. His death occurred at
Greensburg, March 20, 1908. He was married in i860 to Emeline
(Hawes) Gibaon, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1836. Her
father was a native of France, and her mother was of English ancestry.
She died August 24, 1903.. Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Gibson were the
parents of seven children, Francis M., deceased ; Hiram, deceased ; Anna,
deceased ; Sylvia ; May ; Effie, deceased, and Abrahm W.
Abraham W. Gibson was educated in the public schools of Kiowa
county, his parents having located there when he was four years of age.
He graduated in the Greensburg high school with the class of 1899.
After teaching school for one year he attended the State Normal at
Emporia for one year, taking English and oratory. He then taught
school for three years in Kiowa county, after which he attended Henry
Reed Art College in Denver, graduating in pen and ink work as a car-
toonist. He also took a special course in journalism, equipping himself
for newspaper work. In 1905 he became associated with the "Greens-
burg Republican" as cartoonist and business manager, which position
he held for five years, making an enviable record. September 12, 1912,
he founded the "Greensburg Progressive," the first paper to be published
bearing the exclusive name of the new party. It started with a new
plant and has already become a strong local county paper.
Mr. Gibson was married January 9, 1910, at Greensburg. to Miss Eliza-
beth Am}' Wilder, daughter of John H. and Amy (Fisher) Wilder.
Mrs. Gibson was born at Lawrence, Kan., October 30, 1884. Mr. Wilder
came from Massachusetts with the Massachusetts colony about 1854 and
died in Lawrence in 1888. Mrs. Amy (Fisher) Wilder came from New
BIOGRAPHICAL 615
York to Lawrence in 1876 and died at that place in 1887. Mr. Wilder
assisted in the organization of the First Unitarian church in Lawrence.
John Seaton. — Death's fingers closed the eyes of a noble man and
opened the portals of eternity when John. Seaton crossed the valley of
the Great Beyond at his home in Atchison, January 12, 1912. In his
passing Kansas lost one of her oldest and best known politicians and
Atchison one of her most wealthy and public-spirited citizens. His was
a life of usefulness. Aside from his eighteen years in the Kansas legis-
lature, which caused him to be known as "the father of the house," his
life was full of the unusual and filled with interesting events.
John Seaton was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 11, 1834, and when
three weeks old was taken by his parents upon their removal to Louis-
ville, Ky., where he spent his boyhood. His father became a soldier
under General Scott in the Mexican war and was killed in the storming
of Cerro Gordo. Being thus robbed of his parent at an early age Mr.
Seaton was thrown upon his own resources, and at the age of fifteen
apprenticed himself to learn the machinist's trade. Before he reached
his majority he worked as a journey-man in St. Louis. At the age of
twenty-two he established a foundry at Alton, 111., having but $2.50
which he could call his own, but he prospered and had fifty men in his
employ when he removed to Atchison, in 1872. At the beginning of
the Civil war he offered his services to his country and became captain
of Compan)' B in the Twenty-second Illinois infantry, serving under
Grant when that commander fought his first battle at Belmont. Captain
Seaton was in command of the skirmish lines which opened that engage-
ment and received a letter from General Grant commending him for the
efficient manner in which he did it. His career as a soldier was filled
with deeds of heroism.
Mr. Seaton came to Atchison from Alton. 111., in 1872. Six months
before his arrival the city had voted $10,000 in bonds to any man who
would establish a foundry there. He accepted the bonds and it proved
to be a good investment for the city, as he gave employment to 200
men and built up an industry that stands without a peer in its line in
the West. The secret of his success was that Mr. Seaton did strictly
first class work. For eighteen years he carried his dinner with him to
the foundry and worked with his men, although he owned a summer
house on the seashore at Orient, Long Island, at the time of his death.
No cheap work was ever allowed to go out of his establishment under
any circumstances, and no one in the West stands higher than did he
with architects and builders. In addition to general architectural work
he filled orders for the Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific and Fort Scott & Gulf
railroads, such as casting locomotive wheels, smokestacks, steam cvlin-
ders. car stoves, etc. He was in business continuously from 1856 until
the time of his death, and in all that time ne\er failed to pav his bills
at maturity. The business of his establishment at Atchison amounts
to $250,000 annually and the works cover an area of 700 by 400 feet.
6l6 BIOGRAPHICAL
Mr. Seaton was a useful man in many other ways, and he always took
an active interest in the affairs of State. For a period of eighteen years
a member of the Kansas legislature his name is associated with many
of the important measures passed by that body. He was the father of
the binding twine factory law, which act is responsible for the estab-
lishment of a plant at the State penitentiary. He probably did more
toward the success o( the "Douglass house," during the legislative
trouble in 1893, than any other member of the Republican bod3^ As a
citizen and legislator he enjoyed the confidence and respect of Kansas
people generalh-, without regard to party affiliations. He was unalter-
ably opposed to trusts, and in general principles to corporations of a
private nature, as he believed that corporations generally are devoid
of souls.
Besides the widow four children survive Mr. Seaton. They are :
John C. of Eldorado Springs ; Roy of Atchison ; Mrs. W. H. Condit of
Kansas City; and Mrs. G. W. Hendrickson of Atchison. Another daugh-
ter, Mrs. Nellie (Seaton) Bryan, died several years ago.
Eric H. Swenson. — The State of Kansas owes much to the sturdy
sons of Sweden, who, since the early days of her statehood, have come
in large numbers to build homes within her borders. In her agricul-
tural development her Swedish citizens have been leaders and teachers,
and her commercial, political, social, and religious life has felt their
influence in a marked degree. As one of the most influential men of his
race in Kansas, one of the first citizens in Clay county, her largest land
■ owner, and identified with a number of her financial institutions,
Mr. Swenson merits distinctive recognition in this publication. Eric H.
Swenson was born in the village of Karfsasen, and the Parish of Rath-
wick, and province of Dalarna, Sweden, June 29, 1854, son of Hans E.
and Peres Anna (Andersson) Swenson. Hans E. Swenson was married
in 1835, and both he and his wife were natives of Sweden. Mrs. Swen-
son died in 1865, having borne her husband four children: Eric H. is
the oldest; Christiana, born in 1857, is the wife of Victor x\nderson, a
well known real estate broker of Clay Center, Kan. ; Anna, born in i860,
married Charles Westling, of Clay Center, Kan., and is deceased, and
Brita, born in 1863, is the widow of Hans Kalin, a leading photographer
of Clay Center, who died in 1901, while visiting his boyhood home in
Sweden.' Hans E. Swenson came with his son, Eric, to Kansas, in 1869,
and located near Clay Center, which place was then in its primitive
stage. Eric H. Swenson attended the schools of his native town until
fifteen years of age, when the family came to Kansas, and he secured
his first em]^lo\-ment in this new country as a cattle herder. In 187 1 he
became a clerk in c ne of the general stores of Clay Center, receiving his
board and clothing in lieu of salary, and was permitted to attend the
]);iblic school, in whnh he completed his education. On reaching his
majority, in 1875, he became an equal partner with P. M. Wickstrum in
'^^.^ JYr^^
< t^y\y
BIOGRAPHICAL 617
a general merchandise business, conducted under the firm name of
Wickstrum & Swenson, and at the same time was deputy county treas-
urer for two years. This propert_v, which had been an exceedingly
profitable venture, was sold in 1881, and the firm entered the real estate
field, eventually building up one of the most extensive and profitable
enterprises in central Kansas. Farm lands and city properties were
handled and a large fire insurance business was conducted. Mr. \\'ick-
strum retired from the firm and active business in 1901, and Mr. Swenson
succeeded the firm of which he had been junior member. He has made
two trips to his boyhood home in Sweden, and his return each time was
notable in that he brought with him a number of new citizens for his
adopted country. First, in 1880, he returned with a company of sixty-
eight from near his birthplace. In 1901, accompanied by his wife, he
made an extended trip through England, German}-, Holland, Denmark,
and his native land, and on his return a company of twenty-five were
brought back for settlement. For a number of years Mr. Swenson has
been engaged in the mortgage-loan business and he has placed some
$10,000,000 for clients. He is the most extensive dealer in this field in
his section of the State. His knowledge of land values is sound, his
financial sense especially keen, and his first loss through this department
of his activities is yet to be recorded. Since the early years of his com-
mercial career he has been a consistent buyer of choice farm lands and
his accumulations number some forty farms, with a total of over 6,500
acres. He is a lover of jjedigreed horses and cattle and is interested in
a small way in their breeding. He is a large owner of bank stocks and
a director in six financial institutions in Clay county — three in Clay
Center and one each in Wakefield, Industry, and ISroughton. He is
known to the banking fraternity of the State as an able and discrimi-
nating financier, and those institutions with which he is connected have
been successful. He is president of the Clay Center lAimber and Coal
Company and is the largest owner of improved business property in the
city. Mr. Swenson never aspired for any public office, but has been
president of the Clay Center Commercial Club for several years. He
married, January i. 1877, Miss Irene, daughter of .\aron Dexter, a pioneer
of Clay county. Mrs. Swenson is a niece of .\Ionzo Dexter, the founder
of the city of Clay Center. She was born near Chicago. 111., .\ugust 16,
i860, and was educated in the schools of Clay Center, Kan., and Lewis-
ton, Me. Her sister, Alice Dexter, the wife of George Murphy, Jr., of
Denver, Colo., was the first white child born at Clay Center. Mr. and
Mrs. Swenson are the parents of five children : Geneva E., born June 22.
1879, is the wife of Frank O. Oberg, <ashier of the Union State Bank of
Clay Center. Otis Dexter, born October 9. 1881, is a graduate of the
literarv department of Kansas I'niversity, in the class of 1904, and is
associated with his father in business. He married. June 21. I9'15, Miss
Rosamond Amelia, daughter of Anton Frederickson, a pioneer merchant
6l8 BIOGRAPHICAL
of Lawrence, Kan. Wilbur Eric, the third child of Mr. and Mrs. Swen-
son, was born September 15, 1892, and is in the office with his father.
Two daughters died in childhood: Edith May, born April 12, 1884. died
November 19, 1885, and Olga Irene, born August 13. 1890, died Jan-
uary 28, 1896. Mrs. Swenson is a woman of broad culture, strong char-
acter, and self-reliant, and she possesses the sterling qualities so pro-
nounced in the children of the pioneer families. She has seen every
phase of Clay county's growth and development and has been an active
and influential participant in the social and religious life of the county.
She is a member of the Baptist church and is keenly interested in its
various activities. In 1889 she journeyed to her husband's birthplace
in Sweden, in company with his sister and her two elder children, and
during a five months' residence there gained a complete mastery of the
Swedish language. Mr. Swenson is also an influential member of the
Baptist church, and it is largely due to his energetic efforts and gen-
erosity that the present church edifice, one of the best examples of
church architecture in that section, was built. He was chairman of the
building (Committee during its construction and was also its largest
donor, both of time and money. The substantial success attained by
Mr. Swenson''is the result of his own well directed efforts, the posses-
sion of more than ordinary pluck and perseverance, coupled with untiring
energy and the ability to discern the propitious moment of opportunity
and avail himself of it. He is known for his high business ideals and is
held in high esteem by the citizens of his section.
OIlie McClure Woods is one of the honored and distinguished citizens
of Liberal, Kan., who has gained an enviable standing in his community.
Mr. Woods is a man of distinct and forceful individuality and mature
judgment who is leaving his impress in southwestern Kansas, where he
has been an important factor in the upbuilding of the country, and the
promotion of the enterprises which have developed the natural resources.
He was born on a farm near Springfield, Mo.. November 22, 1886, the
son of Dorsey E. and Ollie McClure Woods. His grandfather was born
in Tennessee, but came to Greene county, Missouri, in 1844, where the
built the first house in Springfield and was for many years the county
treasurer. At the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in the Union
army for the defense of his country. He died at Springfield in 1895.
There were five children in the Woods family : Tolbert, accidentally
drowned in the White river in 1901 : \\Mlliam, who died in 1894; Dorsey
F., now running a ranch in Texas ; Simmie. the widow of D. Jarrett,
of Springfield, Mo., and Rathborn, who lives at Springfield. Dorsey
A\'oods was born in Greene county. Missouri, in 1862, where he was
reared and educated. In 1882 he married Ollie McClure, who was born
in 1884. the daughter of a Baptist minister who died in Springfield in
1892. Mr. and ^Irs. Woods had two children : Gerland Christopher,
born August 28, 1884, married Julia Roe, in 1897, and now has two
children. He is a partner with his father in the cattle business in Texas.
BIOGRAPHICAL 619
The second child was Ollie McClure, who received his education in
the public schools of Greene county, Missouri, and after graduating there
attended the S.tate Normal School at Chillicothe, graduating with the
class of 1906. Upon leaving school Mr. Woods entered the First
National Bank of Liberal as bookkeeper, a position he filled four years.
Seeing the many opportunities open for young men in the West he
engaged in the real estate and loan business. Mr. Woods began selling
land over all the Southwest, being emigration agent and land commis-
sioner for the land owned by the Atchison, Topcka & Santa Fe railroad
in Seward county, Kansas. Mr. Woods has been instrumental in many
extensive land deals for the opening up and development of southwestern
Kansas, such as the sale and division into small farms of the Gurney
Ranch Company's holdings t)f 1 2,000 acres, which was completed in
1910, and many others of like magnitude. Today Mr. \\'oods carries
on one of the most extensive business enterprises in the Southwest. He
is a member of the Masonic order, being a Knight Templar, having taken
the Thirty-second degree. In politics Mr. Woods is a Democrat, but
has never sought political preferment.
On May 22, 1909, Mr. Woods married Bessie Lucile, the daughter of
Cecile C. and Belle Adams, of Hooker, Okla. Mrs. Woo3>; was born in
Christian county, Illinois, July 20, 1887, and for a number of years was
a teacher in the schools ; being a fine musician, she also had charge of
that branch. She is an accomplished pianist and vocalist, having given
pleasure to many by her public appearances. She is one of the favorites
of the social circles of Liberal. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have two children,
twin sons: Delmar Lerov and Dc.xtcr Waldo, born May 20, 1910.
James Frederick Herrick, one of the leading representatives of the
stock industry of Stanton county, is closely associated with progressive
movements in the Southwest, and has served with merit in the public
offices to which he has been elected. Mr. Herrick. who at present fills
the position of county clerk, was born on a farm in Cass county, Mis-
souri, .September 17, 1875, ^ son of Dudley and Nancy P. (Bowman)
Herrick. The father of James was born in St. Lawrence county. New
"S'ork. February 14, 1835, on a farm where his parents spent their lives.
-Amid the primitive surroundings of countr}- life lie was reared and
educated, learning to become self-reliant and capable. In 1870 Mr. Her-
rick located in Cass county, Missouri, where he engaged in farming for
seventeen years, but, hearing of the fine openings in western Kansas,
came to Stanton co'unty, locating on a government homestead and pre-
emptoin claim, where he died February 12, 1897. Dudley Herrick mar-
ried Nancy Bowman at Pleasant Hill, Mo., in 1874, and as she was the
daughter of George and Nancy Bowman, native of Kentucky. James
Herrick traces his ancestry back to the old stock of the Blue Grass State
Mrs. Herrick came to Missouri in 1870 and there met her future hus-
623 ■ BIOGRAPHICAL
hand. There were seven children in the Herrick famil}^ six of whom
are still living: James F. ; Albert, born in 1876, now a stockman, of
Stanton county; George W., born in 1878, also a storkman, of Stanton
county; Fannie E., born in 1880, is the wife of Charles H. Willis, and
has five children : Harry W., born in 1885, a stockman, of Stanton
county, who married Effie Womble, who has one child.
James Herrick came to Kansas with his parents in 1887. He received
his education during the first years in Cass county, Missouri, but after
the family came west he attended school in Stanton county. From 1893
to 1898 he was in Colorado working on a ranch, where he learned the
practical side of the cattle business. On his return to Stanton county
Mr. Herrick engaged in the stock business for himself. From time to
time he has purchased additional grazing and farm land and today has
several sections which are highly improved, where he has been successful
to a gratifying degree. In 1900 he was elected clerk of the district court
on the Democratic ticket and was reelected in 1902, holding the office
four years. Two years after leaving office he was elected county clerk
of Stanton county, was reelected in 1908, 1910 and 1912, which proves
his personal and political popularity in the county. Mr. Herrick is
regarded bv his friends and associates as one of the leading citizens of
Johnson, as he is in sympathy with all movements for the improvement,
development and upbuilding of his community and county, where he is
ever more than willing to use his influence for civic betterment. As
this sketch shows, he is distinctively a self-made man — one of nature's
best, and one whom no force of circumstances could defeat. His friends
are many and on the list are many of the representative men of the
Southwest. On February 28, 1910, Mr. Herrick married Agnes, the
daughter of James A. and jNIaggie. Walters, farmers and stock raisers,
of Stanton county. Mrs. Herrick was born at Hodgensville, Ky., Octo-
ber 31, 1881, and accompanied her parents to Kansas in 1887. Six chil-
dren came to bless this union : Nellie Lee, born January 4, 1902 ; Earl
Ray and Pearl May, twins, born January 8, 1906; Pearl, died March 3,
1906; Ralph, born July 28, 1907; Evelyn, born July 28, 1909, and Myrtle,
born June 16, 191 1.
John Wilson Hunter, retired capitalist and pioneer citizen of Jetmore,
Hodgeman county, Kansas, was born September 29, 1836, on a farm in
Perry county, Pennsylvania. He is the son of John and Sarah (Yocum)
Hunter. John Hunter was born in Ireland, December 20, 1787, and
came to America in 1789 with his parents, who located on a farm in
Perry county, Pennsylvania. The subject's grandfather died in Penn-
sylvania in 1844. and his father removed to Van Buren county, Iowa,
where he farmed until his death, in June, 1855. The mother was born
in Pennsylvania August 11, 1798, the daughter of Isaac Yocum, of Ger-
man ancestry. Mr. and Mrs. John Hunter were married in Perry county,
Pennsylvania, in 1817. They had eleven children: Robinson, born
BIOGRAPHICAL 62I
March 13, 1818, died June 18, 1902, at Keokuk, Iowa, leaving two chil-
dren, John and Vangie Angeline ; Eliza Jane, born February 12, 1820^
died January 31, 1895, in Republic county, Kansas; Isabella, born April
15, 1823, died July 22, 1825, in Perry county, Pennsylvania; David, born
September 22. 1825, died December 23, 1904, in Texas; Sarah Ann, born
March 29, 1828; Margaret, born September 16, 1830; Joseph, born Alay 2,
1833; John Wilson, born September 29, 1836; Samuel, born February 14,
1841. died February 9, 1844; Enoch, born January 24, 1839, deceased;
Lucinda, born February 14, 1841, died March 15, 1873, in Van Buren
county, Iowa.
John W. Hunter was educated in the public schools of Van Buren
county, Iowa, and worked on his father's farm until 1857, when he began
farming for himself, and lived for the first few years on rented property.
He then bought land in Davis county, Iowa, where he farmed on a large
scale until 1878, when he removed with his family to Hodgeman county,
Kansas, and located on government land in section 12, on Sawlog creek,
in the southern part of the county. He was one of the first settlers in
the county. Mr. Hunter is now retired and lives in Jetmore, but is the
owner of a number of improved farms, and several business houses in
Jetmore. He was one of the organizers of the county. He has been a
successful stock raiser and farmer on a large scale. He is a Democrat,
a member of the Congregational church, and has been police judge of
Jetmore.
Mr. Hunter was married March 19, 1853, '" ^an Buren county, Iowa,
to Miss Joanna D. Trebilcock, daughter of Frank and Ann (Doronick)
Trebilcock. Mrs. Hunter was born October 4, 1840, on a farm in \^inton
county, Ohio. Her father was born December 24, 1798, in England, and
her mother was also born in England, February 25. 1800. They were
married in their native land, and came to America in 1818, locating in
Morgan county, Ohio, whence they removed in 1853 ^o Van Buren
county, Iowa, where they both died — Mrs. Trebilcock October 3, 1869,
and Mr. Trebilcock .August 2, 1870. They had six daughters and seven
sons: \\'illiam D., born May 12, 1882. died September 3, i860; Francis,
born October 10. 1823, deceased; John, born November 18. 1824. died
in 1909: Joanna D., born May 28, 1828, died December 28, 1837: Cath-
erine D., born May 2, 1833; Joseph D., born May 6, 1834, died in 1910;
James H., born July 6, 1835; Mary Jane, born December 31, 1836, died
November 21, 1894; Jeffery, born July 3. 1839, died July 23, 1839: Joanna
D., born October 4, 1840, named for her deceased sister; Margaret, born
January 28, 1842; George Jeffray. born January 26, 1845, '1''"^' ''1 1882;
Flarriett, who died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. Hunter have the following sons: John Monroe, born
February 16, 1858, died January 10, 1892: Fernandez Marion, born Octo-
ber 14. 1859, has two sons, Lowell Christian and Forest Morrel : Frcland
Huj'seii, born February l, 1866, has two chiKlrcn, FI<iyd Wilson and
622 BIOGRAPHICAL
Helen Hester ; Joe Alva, born September 28, 1865, died September 20,
1866; Othella Jackson, born jNIarch 20, 1880, died in 1882. There is also
one adopted son, Elmer North Hunter, born May 15, 1897.
John Kelly, banker and prosperous capitalist, was born in Lakawanna
count}-, Pennsylvania, February 27, 1855, ^^^ ^o" o^ Bernard and Ellen
(Scarry) Kelly, and one of a family of seven: Mary A., born in 1851 ;
John, whose name heads this review; Michael, born in 1857, who died in
1909; Katharine, born in 1859; Ella, born in 1861 ; James, born in 1862,
who died in 1894, and Thomas, born in 1863. Michael Kelly was a
conductor on the Erie & Wyoming railroad, and Thomas is now an
engineer on the road. Mr. Kelly is descended from a long line of Irish
ancestors, a people who have given this country some of her finest and
most prominent men of affairs. He received his early educational ad-
vantages in the public schools of Lakawanna county, until he was six-
teen years of age, then entered the Hollisterville Academy, where he
graduated with "great credit, .\fter completing his studies Mr. Kelly
engaged in farming, but in 1879 he came to Kansas, locating in Cloud
county, where he engaged in teaching five years. Following this he was
principal of the Jewell City High School for five years, and a member
of the examining board four years. Believing in a thorough academic
training Mr. Kelly attended the University of Kansas in the spring of
1880, where he took advanced courses along special lines. In the spring
of 1890 he gave up teaching to enter the Citizens' National Bank of
Concordia, as cashier of the savings department, a position he held two
years before being promoted to the office of cashier. In 1896 he resigned
to become president of the Bank of Beloit, Kan., an office he filled with
marked ability two years. On May 7, 1898, Mr. Kelly came to James-
town to establish the Jamestown State Bank, becoming its cashier, a
position which he has since filled. He is the largest stockholder in the
bank, takes an active part in its management and shapes its commercial
policy, and it is largely due to his untiring efforts, keen business fore-
sight and honest dealing that the bank today occupies the position of
honor in the rank of State banks in Kansas.
Mr. Kelly is interested in all public improvements of Jamestown, and
in April, 191 1, was elected mayor of the city, which office he now holds.
Since his administration began the town was devastated by fire, but
under his direction and supervision it is being rebuilt rapidly. The new
buildings are fine brick structures, while the streets are being improved,
giving the city a well built appearance. Mr. Kelly has held several
minor public offices, and may be said to be the builder of Jamestown,
as well as a commercial leader of the country around. Fraternally he is
associated with the Masonic order, being a member of the Concordia
chapter, a Knight Templar, and is now priest of the Concordia lodge.
On September 25, 1890. Mr. Kelly married Mary E., the daughter of
John S. and Hanna Coldren Pratt. Mr. Pratt was born in Fayette
BIOGRAPHICAL 623
county, Pennsylvania, September lo, 1827. His wife was born at the
same place, June 6, 1836. The Pratt family consists of nine children :
Enos C., born in 1858; William E., born in i860; Mary E., born Novem-
ber 17, 1862; Anna S., born in 1864: Jennie J., born in 1866; George L.,
born in 1869; Jessie R., born in 1872: Edgar, born in 1875, and John
Oliver, born in 1877, ^11 o^ whom were born in Fayette county, Pennsyl-
vania. In 1886 the Pratt family came to Kansas, locating near Glasco,
Cloud county, where the father engaged in farming. Edgar Pratt was
a l)anker in Jamestown for eight years, then moved to Formoso. Kan.,
where lie held the office of cashier a year before retiring from active
business life. Mrs. Kelly was reared in her native town, attending the
public schools there until she graduated, in 1881. Following this she
entered the normal school at California. Pa., completing her course there
in 1884 On leaving the normal she took a regular course at Waynes-
burg College, for one year. After the family came to Kansas she taught
school in this State four years, at Jewell City. Mr. Kelly's efforts have
been directed with great tact and ability, and his methods have been
such as to gain him unqualified confidence and esteem on the part of
those with whom he has been thrown in contact.
Freeman Vicory, cashier of the Farmers' and Merchants' State Bank,
Cirecnleaf, Kan. The Farmers' and ATerchants' Bank was organized in
1906, and on October 18 of that year its doors were opened to the public
for business. The organizers were M. F. Southwick, now president of
the Citizens' State Bank of Topeka, Kan. ; H. J. Meierkord, of Linn, Kan.,
and Freeman Vicory. The first officers of the bank were : M. F. South-
wick, president; H. J. Meierkord, vice-president, and Freeman Vicory,
cashier. The growth of the btisiness was rapid, and substantial from the
start. At the end of the first twenty-five days of business, or on Novem-
ber 12, 1906, the deposits were $14,305.64. The following figures show
the remarkable increase in the volume of the bank's business : January
26, 1937, deposits totaled $40,991.91 ; August 22, 1907, $60,233.81 ; March
31, 1908, $64,227.58; September i, 1908, $74,376.91; March 16, 1909, $80,-
753.59; June 30, 1909, $88,620.92, -and September 29, 1909, $94,412.56.
The deposits have reached as high as $120,000, and the last official state-
ment showed the total amount on deposit to be $119,479.32. The insti-
tution was organized with a capital of $10,000. and now has an earned
surplus of $5,000 and undivided profits of $2,853.90. and also has set
aside a $5,000 stockholder's contingent fund. The substantial growth of
the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of Greenleaf is equalled l>y few, if
any, financial institutions in the State. The home of the hank is an ex-
clusive bank building, built in 1907, at a cost of $4,000. Its fixtures, furni-
ture, vault and safe are strictly modern and every convenience and safe-
guard of banking is in evidence. Freeman Vicory. the cashier, is a na-
tive son of Kansas, born in .Shawnee county, February 18, 1874. and is a
son of ^lerrifield and Louise (Tutlle) Vicory, both natives of Spring-
624 BIOGRAPHICAL
field, Ohio. They came to Kansas in 1866 and located in Shawnee coun-
ty, where the father took a homestead, which remained the family home
until 1909, when he retired and removed to Dover, Kan. The mother
died in 1888. There were three children in the Vicory family, as follows:
Mrs. Effie Logan, who now occupies the old homestead in Shawnee
county; Freeman, the subject of this sketch, and Cora Wade, of Keene,
Kan. Young Vicory was reared on the farm and secured his early educa-
tion in the public schools and remained at home assisting his parents until
he passed his majorit}-. He then attended the State Normal School at
Emporia three years, paying his own way. In 1900 he went to Clifton,
Kan., and worked at various occupations, clerking in a clothing store for
a time, and in 1902 he entered the employ of the banking house of Snyder
& Southwick, at Linn, Kan., as assistant cashier. About eight months
later he was traiisferred to the First National Bank of Clifton in the
same capacity, and held that position until the Farmers' and Merchants'
Bank of Greenleaf was organized as afore set forth, and he became its
cashier and has held that position continuoush' ever since. Mr. Vicory
is the active head of this institution and its history in his historj'. He
possesses the many qualifications of him who would succeed in the bank-
ing world — foresight, judgment and action.
He was married November 27, 1912, to Miss Christine W. Nelson,
daughter of J. C. and Myra Nelson, natives of Denmark, and who now
reside on the farm near Greenleaf which they homesteaded in 1870, and
where I\Irs. \"icory was born. She was educated in the public schools
and graduated from the Greenleaf High School, and later attended Mid-
land College at Atchison, and was graduated in the class of 1908, and
subsequently was principal of the Greenleaf High School three years.
Mr. Vicory takes a commendable interest in public affairs, and is ever
ready to do his part to promote any worthy enterprise. He has served
as clerk of Greenleaf and is the present mayor of the town. His fraternal
affiliations are with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and for
the past three years he has been district deputy of the Twentieth Kan-
sas district of the lodge. Mr. and Mrs. Vicory are members of the Eng-
lish Lutheran church, and he is superintendent of the Siuiday school.
The Vicory residence is one of the finest in the town. It is handsome
and very substantial structure, and the design of architecture is of the
California bungalow type.
i|illillll|l|i!l:r.|i<|i|illllMli:Nli' I
3 1158 00789 8819
•'-Wi^''
r^-
MGI ! iRRARY FAfll ITV
iK4^jHj:X.r"
D 000 928 805 1
^^n
X..^,
^TQ.
.r^ ;;^.
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11