A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans Collections – Page 101 of 109

Biographical Sketch of William R. Spilman

William R. Spilman, the oldest son of Judge Spilman, was born at Manhattan December 6, 1870, and received his education in the city schools and the State Agricultural College. In 1890 he became court reporter under his father of the Twenty-first Judiela I District, and that position he held for seventeen years. He resigned to become a stenographer in the navy department at Washington, but later at the request of Assistant Postmaster General Bristow was transferred to the postoffice department. In that department he has filled a number of important positions. He has been superintendent of rural delivery, superintendent of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William P. Snyder

William P. Snyder, deceased, was for many years closely connected with the community interests in and about Dover, Shawnee County, and some record of his life and family connections should be entered in this publication. He was born in Fayette County, Ohio, October 8, 1828. His parents John and Malinda (Campbell) Snyder had three children, all of whom are now deceased. Reared on a farm, William P. Snyder adopted farming as his life’s occupation. His early life was spent at a time when public schools were not in vogue, and the advantages of the old time subscription school were all … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William H. F. Gabe

William H. F. Gabe. The local history of the city of Beloit will always find it necessary to make reference to Mr. William H. F. Gabe, who was one of the pioneers in that section of Mitchell County and his early experiences and the work with which he had been connected have been a part of the development and upbuilding of the state. It was in 1870 that he brought his bride to Mitchell County. Both he and his wife were born in Germany, he in 1837 and she in 1844. They came to the United States in 1868 and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Francis Bowen, M. D.

William Francis Bowen, M. D. One of the best known surgeons of Topeka is Dr. William Francis Bowen, who while a general practitioner of both medicine and surgery had manifested a particularly high degree of skill in surgery and is accounted one of the ablest operators in the state. Most of his life had been spent in Topeka, but he was born in Wamego, Pottawatomie County, Kansas, December 25, 1872. His father, Frank C. Bowen, is a prominent and widely known man of Topeka and had long been identified with local politics and public affairs. Frank C. Bowen was born … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William F. Riley

William F. Riley, is a well known banker of Topeka but he laid the foundation of his prosperity as a farmer and stock raiser in Wabaunsee County. He had been a resident of the state since 1883, and his family is one that had performed its full share of services in the development of the Sunnflower Commonwealth during the last thirty-three years. Born in Muskingum County, Ohio, January 10, 1871, William F. Riley is the youngest of eight children. His parents were John and Christiann (McDonald) Riley. During his residence in Ohio his father followed sheep raising and farming. On … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William E. Stich

William E. Stich. The largest general insurance office in Independence is owned and managed by William E. Stich. Mr. Stich is a brother of the late A. C. Stich, whose career as a business man and eitizen of Montgomery County had been described on other pages, where many of the detalls of the family history will be found. William E. Stich was born in Hanover, Germany, February 16, 1850. His parents came to this country in 1857 and located at Kalamazoo, Michigan. His early education was received in the schools there, and in the meantime he learned to be a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William D. Street

William D. Street, a pioneer of Northwestern Kansas and long a leader in state affairs, was born near Zanesville, Ohio, in 1851. He moved from Ohio to Kansas in 1861, and eight years later became identified with Northwestern Kansas. Mr. Street first became known to the people in that part of the state as a soldier in a campaign against the Indians, conducted in 1869, by Company I, Nineteenth Kansas Volunteers, and Company D, Second Battalion, Kansas State Militia, of which he was a member. In 1883, 1889, 1895 and 1897 he served in the State Legislature, during the last … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William B. Clark

Of the two sons who continue his honorable record in the State of Kansas, William B. was born in Knox County, Illinois, November 8, 1847. He received a public school education, lived on an Illinois farm until he was nine years of age, and after reaching manhood he identified himself with agrisulture. After spending some years as a farmer in Illinois he sold out and moved to Kansas in the spring of 1878. The first year he lived on a rented farm near Lawrence, but in the spring of 1879 moved to his present place of 160 acres which had … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Wesley Virgil Griffitts

Wesley Virgil Griffitts is proprietor of the leading general mercantile business at Lovewell. His business experience began early in life, and the resources at his command have been the energy of his own character and such capital as he had acquired by thrifty management and hard work. Mr. Griffitts was born in Gentry County, Missouri, near Albany, April 13, 1879, and still had the promise of the best years of his life ahead of him. He is of Welsh and English descent and his family were early settlers in Kentucky. His father, Aaron Griffitts, was born in Hancock County, Illinois, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. R. Barnard, Dr.

Barnard and Galley, D. V. S. As veterinarians one of the best equipped firms in the State of Kansas is that of Barnard & Galley of Belleville. In a few years they have acquired a practice extending all over Republic County, and they are both accomplished young men, scientific and practical, and valuable adjuncts to the business of agriculture and animal husbandry in their section of the state. The senior member of this firm, W. R. Barnard, is a native of Kansas, born in 1880, and a son of W. A. and Hannah Barnard. His parents were Illinois people and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. R. Ansdell

W. R. Ansdell is one of the oldest residents of Cloud County and one of the most prominent citizens in and around Jamestown. He is a pioneer homesteader there and had filled many offices of trust and responsibility. He was born in the State of Wisconsin in 1849 and was reared and educated there. In 1870 he came with his father, F. T. S. Ansdell, and four other children to Kansas, and they all settled in the vicinity of the present Jamestown. W. R. Ansdell being then twenty-one years of age was entitled to take up a homestead, and his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. A. L. Thompson

More than ordinary interest always attaches to the man who builds up a business, whether it be a farm, a store is factory or whatsoever establishment that serves the peeple in its line and had the usefulness of an institution. Forty years of careful and painetaking merchandising have been behind the well known Topeka house of W. A. L. Thompson Hardware Company, one of the oldest and most standard mercantile firms of the state. Born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, April 18, 1848, W. A. L. Thompson was reared in his native state, and lived in Philadelphia from 1866 until he came … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Volney B. Ballard

Volney B. Ballard has been a leading factor in business affairs at Attica since 1910, is proprietor of the only drug store of the town, and is also the leading banker. Mr. Ballard was born at Huntsville in Reno County, Kansas, August 22, 1883. His ancestors settled in New York from England in Colonial times, and some of them fought as soldiers in the Revolutionary war. His father is Volney B. Ballard, Sr., a resident of Attica. He was born in Jefferson County, New York, in 1844, grew up and married there and learned the blacksmith’s trade in early life. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Vincent J. Lane

Vincent J. Lane, the veteran of the newspaper profession in Kansas and a leading citizen of Wyandotte County in every way, was born at West Middleton, Washington County, Pennsylvania, on the 27th of January, 1828, and is a son of Joseph and Margaret (McKeever) Lane, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania, of English lineage, and the latter of whom was born in Virginia, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The parents continued to reside in Washington County, Pennsylvania, until the close of their lives, and there, in the early days, the father was a manufacturer of furniture at a time when … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Timothy D. Thacher

Timothy D. Thacher, a prominent editor and public man of Lawrence and Kansas City, was born in New York, October 31, 1831, of that famous Boston family, whose American founder was Rev. Thomas Thacher, pastor of the Old South Church. He graduated from Union College at Schenectady, New York, in 1856, and campaigned that year on the platform of the new republican party. In April, 1857, he came to Lawrence and began the publication of the Lawrence Republican, a free-state paper which figured prominently in state politics. He was a member of the Leavenworth constitutional convention held in the wintor … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas S. Huffaker

Thomas S. Huffaker, a pioneer Indian missionary among the Shawnees, a founder of Council Grove and an old-time republican leader, was born in Clay County, Missouri, March 30, 1825, a son of Rev. George Huffaker, who had come from Kentucky five years before. In 1849 he came to Kansas in connection with the manual training school for the Shawnee Indians at the mission in what is now Jefferson County, The following year he went to Council Grove, where he took charge of the Indian mission school which had been established on the Kaw reservation there by the Methodist Episcopal Church … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Moonlight, Col.

Col. Thomas Moonlight, who served in the West against the Mormous as a soldier of the regular army, was honorably discharged at the expiration of his term of service in 1858. During the succeeding year he occupied the position of chief clerk in the commissary department, and in 1860 he hought a farm in Leavenworth County, Kansas. and settled down to agricultural pursuits. When the Civil war broke out, he raised a light battery and was commissioned captain of artillery. Promotions followed and at the close of the war he was colonel of the Eleventh Kansas cavalry. with the brevet … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas J. Vanderslice

Thomas J. Vanderslice, a prominent figure in the earlier affairs of the Great Nemaha Indian Agency, a public man of the territory and state, was a native of Scott County, Kentucky, born in 1827. He enlisted from his native state as a soldier for the Mexican war, but never saw service. In 1853 he came to Kansas and stopped at the Great Nemaha Agency, where his father, Maj. Daniel Vanderslice, had just assumed the agency there of the Iowas, Sacs, Foxes and Kickapoos, and from 1854 to 1856 served as farmer and miller for the Sacs and Foxes, He was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Henry Chalkley

Thomas Henry Chalkley, though identified with business affairs of Kansas only a few years, became widely known and was especially esteemed as a citizen of Lawrence. He was born at Tottenham, now part of London, England, October 23, 1858, a son of Henry George and Hannah (Baron) Chalkley, being the oldest of their six children. His family was one of substantial means, and to complete his education the son was sent to Germany. Later he began his business career as a helper in the office of his father, who was the English agent in London of the J. B. Watkins … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas H. McCall

Thomas H. McCall. Because of his fine business qualifications and his upright character, Thomas H. McCall, of Beloit, Kansas, had been frequently chosen by his fellow citizens for offices of public trust and responsibility. For the past four years he had served with the greatest efficiency as county clerk of Mitchell County and previously in other important positions. It reflects credit on a community when men of Mr. McCall’s character and experience are selected for offices which in their operation closely concern the general public. Thomas H. McCall was born in 1855, in Clinton County, Ohio, and is a son … Read more