Kansas

Biography of Cyrus E. Baker, M.D.

Cyrus E. Baker, M.D., of Claremont, Sullivan County, N.H., the well-known physician and oculist, was born in Plainfield, this State, April 9, 1835, son of Dimic and Hannah (Colby) Baker. He is of the eighth generation in descent from Jeffrey Baker, who came from England, and was one of the original settlers of Windsor, Conn. Jeffrey Baker married November 25, 1642, Joan Rockwell. They had five children, one of them being a son, Joseph, born June 18, 1655, who married Hannah Cook Buckland, January 30, 1677. Five children were the fruit of this union. Joseph Baker’s son, Joseph, Jr., born … Read more

Biography of Rev. William E. Means

Rev. William E. Means, proprietor of the Atwood Herald, was born at Paris, Edgar county, Illinois, June 28, 1850. He attended the district school during the winter, working on prepared to enter Paris high school. In 1874 he matriculated at the Northwestern University, and was graduated from the theological department of this well-known institution in the farm (luring the summer months, until the class of 1879. After graduation he was admitted to the Minnesota conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was appointed pastor of the Rushmore charge, where a hand-some four-thousand-dollar church was built, free from debt. In the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles L. McMasters

Charles L. McMasters, dealer in grain, coal and seeds, and a popular young man of Tuscola, was born on a farm three miles northwest of Tuscola, in Tuscola township, March 26, 1867, and is a son of S. L. and Hannah ( Maris) Maris)McMasters, who were natives of Parke County, Indiana. In 1869 his father sold, his farm and removed to Sand Springs, Kansas, where he followed farming and stock raising until his death in Mary, 1870, after which his mother, with three children, two sons and one daughter-Charles being the younger-removed to Winfield, Cowley County, Kansas, where she resided … Read more

Biography of John Lindsey

John Lindsey owner of the Evergreen Ficklin farm, was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, April 2, 1834. and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Blackburn) Lindsey. They were both natives of Ireland, and after their marriage came to this country in about 1820. They were both descendants Scotch-Irish ancestry and were members of the Presbyterian church. The father died in 1873, aged about sixty-five years ; the mother died when our subject was about twelve years old. Mr. Lindsey was reared on a farm and received a common-school education, and was engaged in farming in Ohio up to September … Read more

Biography of Albert Hutchison

ALBERT HUTCHISON. In the person of the subject of this sketch we have a living exemplification of the principles of success as wrought out by genuine industry and worth, having come to this county with but little of this world’s goods. Mr. Hutchison has here taken hold with his hands and his wise manipulation of resources that came before him, has placed him among the leading property owners of the county and his energy and enterprise, together with stanch integrity, have won for him the esteem and encomiums of his fellows, while the substantial proofs of the labor and care … Read more

Biography of Augustus Titus

AUGUSTUS H. TITUS is a man that has a wide range of experience both in the affairs of life in its ordinary occupations and also in pioneer experiences, having passed through practically all the various vocations usually met with in frontier life, as mining, camping, opening up a new farm, as well as the incidents of danger and adventure with which such existence is frequently attended, beside much fighting with the savages in various places; universally manifesting both a cool and wise judgment and capabilities and valor and courage that are the constituent parts of the true man and progressive … Read more

Early Settlers on Dragoon Creek Kansas

During my stay at Mr. Blair’s my health improved, and on the 21st of September I started for Dragoon creek. After walking about four miles I passed through Brownsville, following the Leavenworth branch of the Santa Fe trail, which passed through this place and united with the old Santa Fe trail from Westport at a point where the town of Wilmington was later located. I followed the trail until it was crossed by the road from the Dragoon creek settlement to Council City (later called Burlingame). Into this road I turned, and following up Dragoon creek for about two and … Read more

Kansas County Courthouse Addresses

Office of Vital Statistics 900 S W Jackson Topeka, KS 66612 (785) 296-1400 Email: info@kdhe.state.ks.us Allen County 1 North Washington Iola, KS 66749-2841 (620) 365-1407 Linn County P.O. Box 350 Mound City, KS 66056-0350 (913) 795-2668 Anderson County 100 East Fourth Avenue Garnett, KS 66032 (785) 448-5924 Logan County 710 West Second Oakley, KS 67748 (785) 672-4244 Atchison County 423 North Fifth Street Atchison, KS 66002 (913) 367-1653 Lyon County 402 Commercial Emporia, KS 66801-4000 (620) 341-3244 Barber County 120 East Washington Street Medicine Lodge, KS 67104 (316) 886-3961 Marion County P.O. Box 219 Marion, KS 66861-0219 (316) 382-2185 Barton … Read more

Kansas Vital Records

Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking. Kansas State Vital Records Office Office of Vital Statistics 900 S W Jackson Topeka, KS 66612 (785) 296-1400 Email: info@kdhe.state.ks.us … Read more

Biography of Adam Hance

Adam Hance was born in Coblin, a French province of Alsace, and, as usual with the people of that country, spoke both German and English. He came to America and settled near Germantown, Pa., in 1722, where he married a German lady, and raised a large family. His younger son, also named Adam, married a Miss Stoebuck, of Pennsylvania, in 1768, and settled in Montgomery County, Va. When the revolutionary war began, fired by the prevailing patriotic feelings of the day, he joined the American army under Washington, and served during the entire war. He was in the battles of … Read more

Shau-be-na Potawatami Chief

Shabbona

The following incidents in the early history of Shau-be-na are principally taken from his own statements, and the truth of them, no person acquainted with the old chief will doubt. My first acquaintance with Shau-be-na occurred nearly forty years ago, while his whole band, one hundred and forty-two in number, were hunting on Bureau River, Illinois. Being encamped near my father’s residence, I visited them almost daily for many weeks, and always felt myself at home in the old chief’s wigwam. Shau-be-na was above the medium size, tall and straight, with broad shoulders and intelligent face, while his bearing and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Benoni H. Durall

(See Duncan) Ada Bertha, daughter of John Robert and Emma (Landrum) Dobkins was born August 6, 1879. Educated at Chetopa, Kansas. Married at Welch, August 25, 1897 Benona H., son of B. S. and Anna Durall, born March 9, 1873 in Neosho County, Kansas. They are the parents of Harold Robert, born June 23, 1898. Enlisted in the navy during the World War assigned to the reserves force stationed at Pelham Bay, N. Y. from May 29, 1918 to February 1, 1919. Married May 15, 1921 Florence L. Rodant; Hugh Allen, born November 16, 1902; George Marvin, born March 2, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Frankie F. Heady

(See Ghigau) Frankie Folsom, daughter of John H. and Lulu (Boynton) Kendall was born at Chelsea August 11, 1836. Educated in Nowata High and Cincinnati C. C. M. graduating from the former in 1906 and the latter in1908. Married at Independence, Kansas March 17, 1911 Frank son of J. B. Heady, born at Watova. They are the parents of J. B., born February 4, 1912; Byron Leroy, born October 2, 1914; Mildred Marie, born February 4, 1917 and died October 23, 1918; James Ewing, born September 17, 1918 and Jeanne Eileen Heady, born November 23, 1920. Mrs. Heady is a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Homer A. Andrews

(See England) Sarah Caldonia, daughter of Abram and Alta Berilla (Scrimsher) Meek, born October 26, 1876. Married near Vinita August 10, 1892 Homer A. son of Homer Francis and Mary E. Andrews, born Jan. 10, 1874 in Cherokee County, Kan. They are the parents of: Mary, born September 17, 1893; Alvin Franklin born March 27, 1896; Clyde Edward, born March 14, 1900; Bethel Loraine, born October 5, 1902, graduated from Bacone College, Muskogee, May 23, 1921; Mable Clare, born September 23, 1904; Alice Jaunita born October 13, 1906; Zenobia Ruth, born April 18, 1910; Homer Allen born December 18, 1914 … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. D. B. Matney

Mamie, daughter of Barney and Susie Tucker was born March 8, 1868, in Johnson County, Kansas, edu­cated in that county. Married in Kansas City, Kansas, May 1, 1887, David B., son of John R. and Missouri Matney, born October 8, 1862 in Jackson County, Missouri. They are the parents of Albert J., born March 4, 1888, married Jennie Connel, had two children, Albert Eugene, born November 1, 1911 amid Geneva Matney, born December 14, 1913. Albert J. died at Roswell, New Mexico, January 21, 1915 and Lewis Franklin Matney, born August 27, 1889 Mr. Matney is a farmer near Vinita. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Clarence Graves

Clarence, son of Charles and Abbie (Guthrie) Grave, was born in Wyandotte County, Kas. Sept. 20, 1872. He married at Talala, Effie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Griffith. Mr. Graves has a splendid education especially along commercial lines. He has been prominent in the mercantile activities of Talala since almost the beginning of the town. His father was a native of Hancock, Washington Co., Mo., he being the son of a prominent attorney who died while on legal business in Washington, D. C. Mrs. Abbie (Guthrie) Graves was of Wyandotte and Shawnee extraction

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. E. C. Billings

(See Ward and Cordery)-Jessie Lee, daughter of James Lovely and Charlotte (Ward) Bumgarner, born July 2, 1884, educated at Female Seminary and Lawrence, Kansas. Married at Spavinaw March 30, 1902, K. C. Billings, son of John C. and America Billings, born Aug. 10, 1818 in Texas. They are the parents of Beatrice T., born April 16, 1906; Love, born August 17, 1908; Charlotte America, born August 31, 1910; Edith Belle, born April 22, 1912; Myrtle Ceaphine, born November 10, 1916 and Iva Dell Billings, born October 25, 1918.