Kansas

Biography of Justus Otho Hall

Justus Otho Hall is superintendent of schools at Hutchinson. By his work and influence there and elsewhere he is one of the leading educators of Kansas today. Mr. Hall had been active in school work almost twenty years. Born near Warner, Ohio, February 27, 1870, he came with his parents to Kansas at the age of fifteen. He received his early training in the country schools near Warner, Ohio, and at Morse, Kansas. After spending some time at work on his father’s farm and after three years spent in the United States Railway Mail Service he entered the high school … Read more

Biography of William Elsey Connelley

William Elsey Connelley. The Connelly family was founded by emigrants from County Armagh, Ireland, who settled in South Carolina in 1689, being among the founders of Charleston. They were in all the patriotic movements to secure the independence of America, Henry Connelly having been a captain of cavalry in the War of the Revolution in North Carolina. He was appointed by Governor Burke to raise a special company to keep down Fanning, the Tory, and served five years. He was in the battles of Cowpens, Charlotte, Guilford Courthouse, and with General Greene in his masterly retreat beyond the Dan River. … Read more

Biography of Judge James Neal McGee

Judge James Neal McGee, now in his third consecutive term as probate judge of Rice County, was one of the early settlers in the county and had lived here continuously for almost forty years. Judge McGee had that depth of character which is due to a long and diversified experience in practical affairs and in dealings with men. All these qualifications he had brought to his present position, where he had been instrumental in the delicate adjustment of human relationships and of property matters such as come before the probate tribunal. Judge McGee was born near Mount Zion in Muskingum … Read more

Biography of Leroy E. Quinlan

Leroy E. Quinlan, though admitted to the bar less than two years ago, had made a most promising beginning of a successful legal career and is now justifying the confidence of his friends and supporters by his administration of the office of county attorney of Rice County. Mr. Quinlan is a native of Kansas, was born at Hoisington May 22, 1893. His grandfather, Charles Michael Quinlan, was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1832, came to America when a young man, settled on a farm in Indiana, married there, and enlisted and went all through the Civil war as a … Read more

Biography of David E. Ballard

David E. Ballard is living retired at Washington, Kansas, at the age of eighty-one. Most of his active contemporaries in the strenuous achievements of his earlier years have long since passed away. Mr. Ballard is one of the few survivors of the prominent Kansans who actually laid the foundation of the state. His name is especially associated with the organization of Washington County and the establishment of Washington as its county seat. It was only a few years ago that he disposed of many of his extensive interests, and is now devoting his life to rest and travel. He had … Read more

Biography of Charles C. Shumway

Charles C. Shumway, who had been a resident of Rice County for over thirty years, was formerly a farmer and rancher and for the past five years had been a leading factor in the Little River State Bank, of which he is president. Mr. Shumway is of old colonial stock. His ancestry in the paternal line goes back to Peter Shumway, who was born in 1635 and came to America from France between 1660 and 1675. He was of Huguenot stock. He was on the roll of colonial soldiers of Massachusetts as early as 1675. He was called out for … Read more

Biography of Henry W. Schroeder

Henry W. Schroeder has been in active business as a merchant at Chase for a quarter of a century, and now had the largest general store in that part of Rice County. His distinction rests not solely upon his business success, but also upon an active and public spirited performance of many public duties. Mr. Schroeder was born in Germany, February 1, 1872, but had lived in Kansas since he was seven years of age. His father, Fred Schroeder, born in Germany in 1848, brought his family to the United States in 1879, and first located at Great Bend, Kansas, … Read more

Biography of Talbert Jackson English

Talbert Jackson English, president of the First National Bank of Sterling, is one of the few mature business men and citizens who can claim Rice County as the place of their nativity. Mr. English had had an active business career in different lines, but for many years had been identified with the bank of which he is now the head. He was born near Sterling in Rice County, Kansas, November 20, 1874. His father is John McCollister English, who became widely known in this section of Kansas as a land owner and capitalist. The ancestry of this family goes back … Read more

Biography of Charley W. Oswald

Charley W. Oswald. Few cities of its size anywhere have a livelier commercial organization than Hutchinson, and for a number of years the Hutchinson Commercial Club had spelled power and influence and had had much to do with the substantial prosperity and well being of the community. It indicates the general esteem in which he is held in Hutchinson that the president of this organization is Mr. Charles W. Oswald, who had had a business record identified with the city for more than a quarter of a century. Mr. Oswald was born in Wayne county, Ohio, November 3, 1867, son … Read more

Biography of William Frederick Rapp

William Frederick Rapp, who came to Harvey County nearly forty years ago, had been a pioneer in many things, was one of the first merchants at Hesston, and had been identified with the growth and development of that town from the time it started. Among other interests Mr. Rapp is now president of the Hesston State Bank. Mr. Rapp was a practical farmer when he came to Kansas, and had acquired his early experience in one of the richest and most fertile farming sections of Illinois. He was born in Lee County, Illinois, May 17, 1852. His grandfather, Frederick William … Read more

Biography of John H. Linn

John H. Linn. In the upbuilding and progress of Halstead as a business and civic community, the Linn family had contributed as much as any other one name or group of persons. The late Jacob Linn was one of the pioneers of the town, and many of its most substantial interests centered around his personality, while his son John H. had in every way pursued a similar course, creditable alike to himself and to his honored father. The late Jacob Linn was born in Germany in 1840, and when about three years of age his parents came to the United … Read more

Biography of Vernon M. Wiley

Vernon M. Wiley. It does not require a long memory to make a mental comparison between the present Rorabaugh-Wiley Dry Goods Company, located in its magnificent building, the most conspicuous business structure of Hutchinson, and the 25-foot storeroom which the same parties occupied at the beginning of their mercantile career in this city sixteen years ago. “From small acorns great oaks grow,” is an old saying that finds one of its choicest applications in this successful business. The secretary and treasurer of the Rorabaugh-Wiley Dry Goods Company, Mr. Wiley, is surprisingly young for a man of his position and achievements. … Read more

Biography of Arthur E. Mallory

Arthur E. Mallory is superintendent of city schools at Burrton, and is one of the highly educated men of the state, being a graduate of the Kansas University. Mr. Mallory had a thorough scientific training, and is competent to co-operate with every effort to raise the technical instruction standards of his home community. Mr. Mallory was born near Le Loup in Franklin County, Kansas, April 5, 1886. His paternal ancestors came from Ireland to New York several generations ago and some of the family fought in the Revolutionary war. His father, William Mallory, is now living at Scott City, Kansas. … Read more

Biography of Ralph C. Stone

Ralph C. Stone is a native Kansan and since early manhood had been identified with Harvey County as a farmer, merchant and banker. He is now cashier of the Hesston State Bank. The Hesston State Bank was established in 1907, with Mr. William F. Rapp as its first president. Mr. Rapp is still president, with H. Schilling, vice president, Mr. Stone, cashier, and Miss May Rapp, assistant cashier. The bank owned the modern brick block in which it is situated on Main Street. It is one of the stronger country banks of Western Kansas. Its capital is $10,000, surplus and … Read more

Biography of William Christee Smyser

William Christee Smyser, who died at Sterling, Kansas, August 9, 1917, had been for thirty-five years a resident of that section of the state. Few men have assumed and carried out to such a successful conclusion the larger responsibilities of business affairs. One of the outstanding characteristics of big business men is a quiet efficiency of performance that handles a great volume of work with a notable absence of noise and confusion. This quiet efficiency was a mark of Mr. Smyser’s entire career. Under his direction large affairs were transacted and things got themselves done in the form of concrete … Read more

Biography of Harris Winfield Hutchinson

Harris Winfield Hutchinson, deputy state grain inspector at Hutchinson, had been in the grain business the greater part of his active life and had as many and diverse qualifications for his present position as any one could ask. While he had lived at Hutchinson only a few years, he feels that the town had some specially intimate associations for him. It will be recalled that Hutchinson, Kansas, was established in 1871 and named for C. C. Hutchinson. A brother of this Kansas man, Asa Hutchinson, also founded the Town of Hutchinson, Minnesota. Mr. H. W. Hutchinson is related to both … Read more

Biography of Roy G. Williams

Roy G. Williams, editor and proprietor of the Burrton Graphic, is one of the younger newspaper men of Kansas, but since entering that field had proved a master of the difficult art of conducting a country journal with usefulness and influence and with a fair share of profit on the credit side of the business ledger. The Burrton Graphic is a continuation of the old Burrton Monitor, which was founded in 1881 by George Vandeveer and published by the Burrton Publishing Company. This was later succeeded by the Burrton Graphic, with M. L. Sherpy editor. In 1904 the Kansas Grit … Read more

Biography of William R. Thompson

William R. Thompson is a native Kansan and had given his years so far to the work of education and is now superintendent of the city schools of Halstead. Mr. Thompson was born in Brownell in Ness County, Kansas, December 23, 1884. He is of Scotch ancestry, though his forebears settled in Connecticut a number of generations ago in Colonial days. His grandfather, Joseph Thompson, was born in Athens County, Ohio, in 1829, a state in which the Thompsons were also pioneers. He spent his life there as a substantial and hard working farmer and died in 1901. The maiden … Read more

Biography of John Ellsworth Wiley

John Ellsworth Wiley, a prominent lawyer of Mound City, had been a resident of Kansas for half a century and during his active life had made himself useful both in the field of education and in that of the law and had attained no small degree of success and honor in his chosen vocation. Mr. Wiley was born on a farm in Knox County, Missouri, November 20, 1861, son of Elijah Perry and Amy Jane (Shahan) Wiley. The Wiley family had the spirit of pioneers and have lived successively on various frontiers of advancing civilization. Elijah P. Wiley was born … Read more

Biography of Charles M. Branch

Charles M. Branch, a resident of Kansas since 1873, is a banker of thirty years experience and is president of the Citizens Bank of Hutchinson, one of the few institutions in the state with resources of over $1,000,000. Mr. Branch was born at Vinton, Benton County, Iowa, September 27, 1859. His English ancestors first settled in Vermont, and his grandfather, Minor Branch, moved his family from that state to Northern Indiana in pioneer times, and died in Indiana before Charles M. Branch was born. Phineas C. Branch, father of the Hutchinson banker, was one of the pioneer homesteaders of Reno … Read more