Biographical Sketch of Eugene F. Ware

Eugene F. Ware, a soldier of Iowa, a lawyer and public man of Kansas, and an author both of that state and Missouri, was born at Hartford, Connecticut, May 29, 1841. His parents moved to Burlington, Iowa, in his childhood and he was educated in the public schools of that place. During the Civil war he reached the rank of captain in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry. He took a section of land in Cherokee County, Kansas, in 1867, studied law and was admitted to the bar at Fort Scott and to the United States Supreme Court; entered the law firm … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ernest Edward Reid

Ernest Edward Reid, who had inherited many of the salesmanship qualities of his honored father, and is vice president of the Fort Scott Wholesale Grocery Company, was born in Chicago, Illinois, October 8, 1865. He was educated in the public schools of Fort Scott, in the State Normal School and was still a boy when he began his business career as a utility worker in a Fort Scott book store. Three years later he found a position more to his liking in the local postoffice, and after two years there became express messenger for the Adams Express Company. For nearly … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Erastus H. Crosby

The Crosby Brothers Co. store of Topeka is not only an institution of that city but of the state at large. It is one of the metropolitan department stores of the Middle West. For thirty-six years or more the firm had been in existence at Topeka, and in that time, more than a generation, the reputation of the firm had become extended, as a result of honorable merchandising, to practically every county of the Sunflower commonwealth. It was in 1880 that Erastus H. Crosby and his brother William T. Crosby, comprising the firm of Crosby Brothers, located in Topeka and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Elmer Ellsworth Enoch

Elmer Ellsworth Enoch began practicing law at Wichita when that city was still on the southwestern frontier, and within the range of his own observation he had witnessed history in its making in that part of the state. His home had been in Wichita upwards of thirty years, and his reputation as an able lawyer had become widely extended. He was born in Morristown, Belmont County, Ohio. February 10, 1864, and was liberally educated in preparation for his professional career. After the public schools he entered Franklin College in his native state, where he was graduated A. B. in 1885. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edwin C. Manning

Edwin C. Manning, the founder of Winfield, the organizer of the County of Cowley, one of the early editors of the state and thirty or forty years ago a republican leader of Kansas, was born in Redford, Clinton County, New York, November 7, 1838. He was educated both in Vermont and Iowa, taught school at an early age, at the age of nineteen commenced to learn the printer’s trade and in 1859, then about of age, was among the first to start for the Pike’s Peak region in search of gold. He returned a disillusioned young man, but became interested … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edward H. Funston

Edward H. Funston, who as a resident of Allen County served in both houses of the Kansas Legislature and a member of the United States Congress, was a native of Clark County, Ohio, born September 16, 1836. He was of Irish descent. Mr. Funston received only a fair education in his earlier years, worked on the farm, taught school and pursued a partial course at Marietta College, Ohio. Later that institution conferred the M. A. degree upon him. In 1861 he entered the Sixteenth Ohio battery and took part in the principal actions along the Mississippi River, until mustered out … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edward E. Bundy

Edward E. Bundy. Among the fine farms and homesteads that are found in Mission Township of Shawnee County, one is owned and occupied by Edward E. Bundy, who had been a progressive resident of Kansas for thirty years. His venerable father, Jesse Bundy, had lived in Mission Township of Shawnee County for many years, and reached the remarkable age of ninety-four in 1916. Like hundreds of others of the state’s best people, he is a man who had worked hard, taken an equal part with his neighbors in the support of all worthy causes for the general good, and in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edmund G. Ross

Edmund G. Ross, one of the leaders in favor of a free Kansas, a pioneer editor of Topeka, afterward United States senator to succeed Gen. James H. Lane. He was born at Ashland, Ohio, December 7, 1826; mustered the printer’s trade, spent several years as a journeyman, and was engaged in newspaper work at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when Lawrence was sacked in 1856. He started overland in charge of a party of free-state men, who upon their arrival at Topeka, took the field with the anti-slavery forces. After the invaders had been driven out, Mr. Ross entered into partnership with his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edmond H. Madison

Edmond H. Madison, of Wichita, who died while serving his third term in Congress, was of the younger generation of the energetic and able members of the bench and bar in Kansas. He was born at Plymouth, Hancock County, Illinois, December 18, 1865, educated in the common schools and at the age of eighteen years began teaching. In 1885 he went to Wichita, Kansas, where he studied law in the office of G. W. C. Jones; and in 1888 was admitted to the bar. The same year he was elected county attorney of Ford County, which office he held for … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edgar C. Arnold

Edgar C. Arnold was born in the city of which he is now a resident August 18, 1872, and had always made his home at Topeka. He received his primary edneation in the city schools, attended Washhurn College for two years, and was then a student at the Kansas State University for a like period. With this preparation he embarked in the drug business with his father, under the style of A. J. Arnold & Son, and at the time of his father’s death succeeded to the business. In 1899 it was incorporated as the Arnold Drug Company, and as … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. Joseph P. Root

Dr. Joseph P. Root, who was one of the early physicians of Wyandotte, then a part of Leavenworth County, was born at Greenwich, Massachusetts, April 23, 1826, and died at Kansas City, Kansas, July 20, 1885. He was a member of the Connecticut-Kansas Colony, better known as the Beccher Bible and Bifle Company, which settled at Wahaunsee. He organized free-state forces and in every way identified himself with the early history of the torritory. As chairman of the Free-State Executive Committee, he located the road from Topeka to Nebraska City, thereby securing a safe route of travel for free-state immigrants. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David L. Stagg

David L. Stagg. There are many fine farms and prosperous farmers in Riley County and quite a number of them may be found in Ogden Township. One of these is David L. Stagg, who was born in Russell County, Kansas, April 17, 1880, but has spent almost all his life in Riley County. His parents were James and Anna E. (Haynes) Stagg. James Stagg was born in New Jersey, June 25, 1841, and died in Riley County, Kansas, October 8, 1910. In Illinois he was married to Anna E. Haynes, who was born in Ohio, September 23, 1843, and died … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David Gladstone Page

David Gladstone Page, son of Thomas Page, whose career as one of the leading millers of Kansas has been sketched on preceding pages, is a native of Topeka, and for the past fifteen years has been closely identifled with the Page milling interests of that city. He was born January 7, 1881, at the family home at 831 North Quincy Street in Topeka. His early training was acquired in the public schools, and in 1899 he graduated from the Topeka High School. After two years as a farmer he entered his father’s office in 1900, and for a number of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David E. Ballard

A native of Franklin County, Vermont, David E. Ballard is a leading citizen and a prosperous farmer of Washington, and looks back with still keen interest to the days of nearly sixty years ago, when he assisted in the civil organization of his county and his state. He was born March 20, 1837, of English and Revolutionary ancestors. When he was a boy his father, Appleton Ballard, moved to Morrow County, Ohio, not to cultivate the land, but to provide his family with a home while he fared forth on the high seas of the East. While thus engaged, he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dan A. Michael

Dan A. Michael is now in the concluding months of his four years of service as the capable and popular sheriff of Mitchell County. His term ends with 1916 and according to the custom enjoined by a decree of law he is not eligible for another term in the same office, though his fellow citizens would gladly see him there and would feel that every function of the sheriff’s duties was in splendid hands. Mr. Michael served four years as under sheriff prior to his election to the office. Though not a native of Kansas he had lived in the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dale Stark

Dale Stark is the present postmaster of the Village of Perry in Jefferson County. The Stark family had been primarily identified with this town from its very founding through all the years. The postmasters’ grandfather, N. J. Stark, came to Kansas in 1860 and acquired a tract of land in Jefferson County on which he subsequently platted the Town of Perry. He was a farmer by regular vocation, and he established the first lumber business at Perry. He was born in Michigan in 1812, a date which indicates that he was a member of one of the very earliest families … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Curtis L. Harris

Curtis L. Harris has been a practicing attorney at El Dorado for the past thirty years and during that time had been identified with the business and political movements which have made Butler County prominent. Mr. Harris was reared near Alliance, Ohio. at which place he attended school and was graduated in 1883 from Mount Union Gollege. He began the study of law in the office of Hon. David Fording at Alliance, and was admitted to practice in Butler County, Kansas, in 1887, after completing the then usual course in the law office of Judge C. A. Leland, with whom … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Cora Gilbert Lewis

Cora Gilbert Lewis, member of the Board of Educational Administration of Kansas, had long been interested in educational affairs in this state and had become one of the prominent Kansas women. Mrs. Lewis served as president of the Kansas Woman’s Press Association in 1901. In 1902 she was elected president of the Seventh District Federation of Women’s Clubs of Kansas. From 1903 to 1905, two years, she was president of the Kansas State Federation of Women’s Clubs and in 1905-07 was visiting member of the Kansas Board of Control. Her work as member of the Kansas Board of Educational Administration … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Colonel and Judge Oscar E. Learnard

Colonel and Judge Oscar E. Learnard, one of the founders of Burlington, for many years a resident of Lawrence, one of the organizers of the republican party in Kansas and prominent in numerous state institutions and enterprises, was born at Fairfax, Vermont, November 14, 1832. He was of English and Franch Huguenot stock. In 1855, the year after his graduation from the Albany Law School, Mr. Learnard came to Kansas and located at Lawrence, and the next year he commanded a “mounted regiment” of the free-state forces in the border war. In the spring of 1857 he helped to locate … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Col. John Fraser

Col. John Fraser, second chancellor of the University of Kansas and state superintendent of public instruction, earned his military title and became widely known as an educator, while a citizen of Pennsylvania. He was born in Cromarty, Scotland, about 1823; graduated with high mathematical honors from the University of Aberdeen and thereafter spent several years in the Bermudas as a teacher. Coming to the States he conducted several private schools in New York and Pennsylvania, and then held the chair of mathematies at Jefferson College for seven years from 1855, during which period he raised money for the first telescope … Read more