Aikman Brothers. As farmers, merchants, lawyers and active citizens the Aikman family have been prominent in Butler County for over forty-five years. The father of the Aikman brothers, lawyers and business men at El Dorado, was the late William A. Aikman, who on coming to Kansas in 1871 took up a homestead in Butler County and contributed his share of the heavy work involved in converting the virgin prairies into fertile farms. He was the father of four sons. Granville P. had long been a lawyer of El Dorado and had been distinguished by long and capable service on the bench. C. L. Aikman, the second of the brothers, is also a lawyer, and is now in practice with his brother Judge Aikman. J. S. Aikman is a wholesale merchant at San Francisco, California, while C. A. Aikman is the leading feed and grain dealer at El Dorado.
William Allison Aikman was born in Laurel County, Kentucky, a son of John Aikman, a native of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and grandson of Alexauder Aikman, a native of Scotland who came to America with two brothers before the Revolutionary war. One of these was killed while an American soldier at the battle of Brandywine. John Aikman moved to Kentucky about 1795, and was one of the pioneers in that state, where he spent the rest of his days. William Allison Aikman grew up in Laurel County, Kentucky, and was living there when the war broke out between the states. He remained loyal to the Union, and tendering his services to the Federal Government was placed in charge of the blacksmith shops at Camp Dick Robison and had the supervision of several men. After the war he became a druggist, but in 1871 came out to Kansas, locating in Benton Township of Butler County. Here he took up a homestead and continued to be identified with farming until 1883. In that year he removed to Towanda Township, and continued his efforts along the same line until 1898, in which year he removed to El Dorado. He was one of the honored and highly respected citizens of the county and his death on December 16, 1906, marked the passing of the pioneer. His widow is still living at El Dorado. Her maiden name was Martha Angeline Graves. She was born in Madison County, Kentucky. Her father, William Graves, was a Virginia planter, and lost his fortune during the conflict at arms between the states. Mrs. W. A. Aikman was the youngest of nine children, is the only one now living, and her physical and mental powers are wonderfully preserved for a woman of her advanced years.