Kansas

Biography of Thomas Watson Roach

Thomas Watson Roach, for twenty-one years president of Kansas Wesleyan Business College, and a former president of Kansas Wesleyan University at Salina, had not merely found but had made for himself a distinctive place in educational history of the Sunflower State. He came to Kansas more than forty years ago. His name is closely associated with several progressive movements in Kansas educational affairs. He was the pioneer worker for the consolidation of country school districts. He also did the first practical work toward procuring uniformity of text books throughout the state. But even more important than all this he will … Read more

Biography of Ray Broomfield

Ray Broomfield is one of the youngest bank officials in Kansas. He went with the Neal State Bank as cashier upon its organization in October, 1915, and his thorough knowledge of banking and his genial personality were a decided factor in the success of that institution. Mr. Broomfield is now cashier of the Home State Bank, Clearwater, Kansas. The Neal State Bank was started as a state bank and had a capital of $10,000. The officers are: A. N. McQuown of Wichita, president; C. W. Boone of Neal, vice president. Mr. Broomfield was born at Milton, Kansas, April 21, 1891, … Read more

Biography of Horace Saunders

Horace Saunders, one of the representative orange-growers of Riverside, owns a ten-acre tract on Colton avenue, on the corner of Russell street, about one mile north of the business center of Riverside. This grove was planted with seedling oranges as early as 1872 by its then owner, W. P Russell, and later many of the seedlings were replaced by budded trees. The grove now contains 800 seedlings and 400 budded orange trees, besides a small variety of deciduous fruits for family use. Mr. Saunders purchased the place in 1880, and has since conducted its cultivation. He has made many improvements … Read more

Biography of Edward Bumgardner, A. M., M. D., D. D. S.

Edward Bumgardner, A. M., M. D., D. D. S., of Lawrence, had been a resident of Kansas for over thirty-five years. Though not a native, he is a loyal Kansan and deeply interested in its progress and standing among the states. He had read and studied with sympathy and understanding Kansas history, and his pride in the state’s past and her institutions had prompted him so far as consistent with his professional work to assist in various public and semi-public undertakings. Doctor Bumgardner is a native of Indiana, born in Warren County, April 10, 1865. His parents were Andrew and … Read more

Biography of John McCarthy

John McCarthy was a pioneer of Kansas. The respect paid to his memory is not due merely to his early residence in the state, but in an even more important degree to the worthy life he led, the influence which had gone from him and from his children to the making of a better community and a better state, and to the benefits which always flow out from a man of such stability of character and industry. He was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1812. In 1847, when a young married man, he came to America. His first home … Read more

Biography of Henry William Wulfekuhler

Henry William Wulfekuhler. The late Henry William Wulfekuhler, who helped to build the City of Leavenworth and for nearly a half century was identified with its commercial and financial history, was of German nativity, his birth having occurred at Osnabruck, in the Province of Hanover, August 9, 1834. His father and grandfather before him, both named Christopher, together with their immediate ancestors, lived and died there at the old place which gave them birth. The mother of Henry W. Wulfekuhler was Charlotta, daughter of William Wissman, and was from Versmold, Prussia. The early years of Henry W. Wulfekuhler were passed … Read more

Biography of Peter K. Klinefelter

Peter K. Klinefelter. Among the noticeable fine residence property and orange groves of Brockton Square of Riverside is the “Bijou,” owned by Mr. Klinefelter, and is located on the west side of Brockton Avenue, two miles south of the city, in the best improved section of the Riverside colony. He is the owner of twenty acres at that point, the ten acres bordering on the avenue he purchased from Mr. J. A. Simms in 1881. Upon this tract Mr. Klinefelter has his home, consisting of a neat cottage residence, surrounded by a fine growth of ornamental trees, palms and floral … Read more

Biography of Alexander McCrary

Alexander McCrary was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1825, son of Alexander and Mary (Summers) McCrary. His father was a native of South Carolina and his mother of Kentucky. Mr. McCrary spent his youth upon a farm, receiving such an education as the common schools afforded and was early inured to the hard labor of pioneer farming. His natural mechanical tastes and ideas prompted his taking up a trade, and at the age of twenty-one years he started out in life as a carpenter, and later as a bridge builder and millwright. In 1856 he moved to Iowa and … Read more

Biography of Edwin Grant Betz

Edwin Grant Betz. The Arkansas City Business College is an institution in which the people of that community take special pride. Technical training for business is now a recognized necessity, and among the schools of Kansas that supply such technical training the Arkansas City Business College had in many respects a record of unexcelled competence and thoroughness. The proprietor of this school is Edwin Grant Betz, who had had a varied business experience but had given his chief time through his active life to commercial education. He comes of an old Dickinson County family, while Mrs. Betz, his wife, is … Read more

Biography of John Loy

John Loy, father of Mrs. Edwin Grant Betz, was born in Perry County, Pennsylvania, in 1840. He grew up and married there, took up farming as his vocation, afterwards moved out to Illinois and was a farmer near Freeport four years, then returning to his native state and county, where he remained five years. On his next journey westward he came to the vicinity of Chapman, Kansas, arriving in the spring of 1880 and buying a section of land in Dickinson County. He was more than ordinarily successful as a farmer and business man, and was one of the esteemed … Read more

Biography of Richard T. Keefe

Richard T. Keefe is secretary and treasurer of Henneberry & Company, packers and provisioners at Arkansas City. Mr. Keefe was one of the founders of this packing industry, and had been closely associated with its development. His active career had been devoted almost entirely to the packing industry and he had an ample experience with the great packing concerns of the country before he helped establish this independent plant at Arkansas City. Mr. Keefe was born in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa, September 20, 1873. His father, Thomas Keefe, was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1829, came to the United … Read more

Biography of John Wilson

John Wilson. Indelibly interwoven with the early and later history of Leavenworth and one of the great industrial captains of his day, was the late John Wilson, one of the solid men of this city for many years. His life story is interesting from every point of view, not alone because of the great business enterprises he fostered and founded, but also for achievements in other fields where his personality counted and where the life he lived so closely touched others that his memory will long be kept green. Mr. Wilson became a permanent resident and property owner in 1857 … Read more

Biography of H. B. Smith

H. B. Smith. The greater part of the forty-five or more years he had lived in Kansas Mr. Smith had spent as a farmer and business man, but is now living retired at El Dorado. He had acquired property, had the superintendence of that, and also busies himself with public duties as a member of the city council. He was born in Macoupin County, Illinois, June 20, 1849. His ancestors came originally from Scotland and were Colonial settlers in America. Mr. Smith’s grandfather was a soldier under Washington for four years during the Revolution and spent the dreadful winter with … Read more

Biography of Daniel Bunnell

Daniel Bunnell. One of the citizens of constructive ability and of many influential connections with Arkansas City from early times until recently was the late Daniel Bunnell, who died at Arkansas City, June 30, 1915. He founded a real estate business and acquired large holdings of property both in Southern Kansas and in Northern Oklahoma. Much of that business is now managed by his son William and his widow, Mrs. Maude A. Bunnell, had also proved her capacity as a business woman by handling with unusual shrewdness and foresight the various interests left her by her husband. The late Daniel … Read more

Biography of Patrick E. Henneberry

Patrick E. Henneberry, president of Henneberry & Company, packers and provisioners at Arkansas City, is a veteran in the packing industry. He had his first experience in that business at Chicago in 1872, before refrigeration of meat products and modern methods of transportation by refrigeration cars had been introduced. He had been in the industry through nearly every phase of development, and his experience and enterprise have brought the Arkansas City plant to a prosperous condition and one of the best managed of the smaller packing houses in the state. Mr. Henneberry was born in Covington, Kentucky, July 15, 1859. … Read more

Biography of Ed Green, Col.

Col. Ed Green. While Colonel Green’s home and interests have been centered in Kansas for a number of years, he is hardly less well known in the State of Illinois, where he was reared and where he spent many active years, and in fact throughout the country and even abroad the name of Col. Ed Green is one of the most prominent associated with the breeding of short-horn cattle and of fine trotting horses. His home is now at Howard, Kansas, and he owned several ranches in that section of the state. Colonel Green was born at Indianola, Illinois, October … Read more

Biography of George W. Longenecker, M. D.

George W. Longenecker, M. D. Fifteen years of conscientious work in his profession have brought Doctor Longenecker some of the best rewards and honors that come to the doctor in his home community at Elsmore, and he had long been recognized as one of the leading physicians and citizens of Allen County. Doctor Longenecker is a native of Kansas, having been born on a farm in Miami County March 5, 1876. His paternal ancestors were of German stock, but have lived in this country since Colonial days. Several generations of the family lived in Pennsylvania, where Doctor Longenecker’s grandfather spent … Read more

Biography of Thomas A. Biggs

Thomas A. Biggs, cashier of the Farmers State Bank of Barnard, and one of the progressive and enterprising business men and financiers of Lincoln County, was born on a farm six miles south of Barnard, February 13, 1881, a son of Capt. John J. and Mary Ann (Stokes) Biggs. The Biggs family were pioneers in Ohio, where, in Meigs County, January 13, 1838, was born Capt. John J. Biggs. His title was secured as a soldier during the Civil war, he having enlisted from his native county in 1861 as a member of an Ohio volunteer infantry regiment, from which … Read more

Biography of Perry D. Cover

Perry D. Cover is one of Riverside’s early settlers, and has been associated with her various industries for the past fifteen years. He is a native of Richland County, Ohio, dating his birth in 1843. His parents were Daniel Cover, a native of Frederick County, Maryland, and Lydia Cover, nee Stevenson. Mr. Cover was reared to agricultural pursuits on his father’s farm until 1862. He then volunteered in the service of his country and enlisted as a private soldier in Company D, Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteers. His regiment was sent East, and after some time in camp at Baltimore, was placed … Read more

Biography of E. J. Whittle

E. J. Whittle, of Arkansas City, had had a most diversified business experience. He had lived in many states, had been a farmer, merchant, real estate man and is now enjoying the income from his property and residing in comfort and contentment among his children and grandchildren. Mr. Whittle was born in Boone County, Illinois, February 20, 1851. His father, James Whittle, was born in Canada, near Detroit, Michigan, in 1821, and was the first of the family to come to the United States. James’ father, Thomas, spent all his life in Canada as a farmer. The Whittles went from … Read more