A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans Collections – Page 108 of 109

Biographical Sketch of Charles W. Goodlander

Charles W. Goodlander was an able and large hearted business man, and among other tributes to his benevolence is the Home for Children which he founded at Fort Scott. He was a Pennsylvanian of English-Quaker ancestry, born at Milton, April 25, 1834. He obtained a partial high school education and mastered and followed the carpenter’s trade in Ponnsylvania, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, before deciding to venture west of the Mississippi in his search for a location. Finally, in April, 1857, he arrived at Fort Scott, the first passenger to come from Kansas City by stage coach. Mr. Goodlander at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles Moreau Harger

Charles Moreau Harger, Kansas editor and old time resident of the state, is known to thousands of people outside Kansas through his writings in magazines and through his active participation in several movements recognized as of national scope. He was born in Phelps, New York, in 1863, came west to Dickinson County in 1879 with his parents, and had resided in Abilene since that date. He was educated in a classical school. For several years he was a farmer and rancher, then teacher, being principal of the Hope City schools in 1887-88. He then became a reporter on the Abilene … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles F. Foley

A member of the Kansas Public Utilities Commission since 1913, Charles F. Foley is a lawyer by profession, began practice thirty years ago at Lyons, and is a resident of that city. His duties, however, require his presence in Topeka much of the time. A native of Canada, educated in that country and at Boston, Massachusetts, he came at the age of twenty to Kansas in 1880 and by teaching school in the eastern section of the state earned enongh to defray his expenses at the University of Kansas. He was gradnated from the law department in 1884, then continued … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles A. Baker

Charles A. Baker of Wichita lacked only three or four months of being a native son of Kansas. He has spent practically his entire career in this state, and by close attention to his business as a plumber has built up one of the leading establishments at Wichita, and his business is registered under the state laws. He was born at Rio, Wisconsin, June 30, 1870, and it was in September of the same year that his parents moved to Arkansas City, Kansas. After a public school education, gained in Wichita, he began an apprenticeship at the plumbing trade, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Carl H. Skinner

Carl H. Skinner is superintendent of the city schools of Nortonville. He had been engaged in school work since before he attained his majority, and is one of the school men who are thoroughly in love with their calling and profession. Mr. Skinner possesses that fundamental requisite of a good teacher–a love for and understanding of young people. That is worth more than a bundle of academic degrees. But he also possesses in addition the technical skill and the experience which enable him to guide and administer a school system. A native of Kansas, Mr. Skinner was born at Burden … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Capt. John Hamilton

Capt. John Hamilton, acting under orders from Gen. Zachary Taylor, founded Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1842. He was a native of Pennsylvania, a soldier in the regular army, and first came to Kansas as a youth of nineteen and a United States dragoon, stationed at Fort Leavenworth. In 1842, as a sergeant of the First Dragoons, under Capt. Benjamin D. Moore, he left Fort Wayne, Cherokee Nation, to assist in selecting a site and to establish a military post in Kansas. There wore twenty men in the party and, after selecting the ground, the captain and surgeon of the expedition, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Buford Clark

Buford Clark, who had also been a resident of Kansas and Shawnee County since 1878, was born November 28, 1852, in Knox County, Illinois, His birth occurred in one of the log cabin homes then so typical a feature of the Illinois landscape. He received a good education at his father’s home in Abingdon, and practically his entire active carser had been spent in farming. On coming to Kansas in 1878 he remained only about sixteen months, and then returned to Knox County, Illinois. He remained in that state until 1886, but since then had made his permanent home in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Benjamin Harding

For many years Benjamin Harding was a leading free-soil man and a resident of Doniphan County, Kansas. A native of Otsego County, New York, born in November, 1815, at the age of twenty-five he became a resident of Livingston County, Missouri, and in 1842 entered the Indian trade at the Great Nemaha Agency. He moved to St. Joseph in 1849, but re-entered the Indian trade at Wathena, Kansas, in 1852. In 1854, while serving there as a judge of election he incurred the enmity of the pro-slavery people, and twice reported at Leavenworth to answer charges brought against him, which … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ben Daniels

Ben Daniels. There is no doubt but that the luxury of yesterday becomes the necessity of today. As culture advances, more is demanded to satiafy it. Hence have arisen, wherever culture and refinement have followed education, special lines of business, organized and directed by individuals whose artistic gifts have been worthily employed. One of these lines, under the name of arts and crafts, had been the originating and fashioning beantiful furniture that satisfies the cultivated taste that is weary of the commonplace. A high order of talent, however, is required to design such artistic furniture and decorations as are manufactured … Read more

Biographical Sketch of B. H. Vance, D. V. S.

B. H. Vance, D. V. S., is regarded as the foremost veterinarian in Cloud County, and is now successfully established with his partner, Doctor Kiger, as proprietors of the Concordia Veterinary Hospital. This hospital had been in existence at Concordia since it was established by Doctor Colderwell in 1904. In 1912 Doctor Colderwell sold the business and good will to Doctor Vance. In 1916 Doctor Vance took as his partner Dr. G. J. Kiger. The firm had a very extensive and successful practice in Cloud County and adjacent territory, and without doubt they stand as the leaders of the profession … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Atlantic A. Moore

Atlantic A. Moore, during the twenty-four years that he resided in Kansas, assisted in the founding of Marion County and became a familiar and respected figure in both houses of the State Legislature. He was familiarly known as “Lank” Moore. A native of Ohio, he came to Wankegan, Illinois, as a boy, living there and in Wisconsin until he “entered the government service” with his brother, as a driver of ambulances from Kansas City to Santa Fe. Not caring to settle in that part of the Southwest, they started on their return in the fall of the same year. At … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Arthur C. Engler

Arthur C. Engler. Undoubtedly the development of Shawnee County from a prairie wilderness to a region of fruitful farms and grazing lands was largely brought about by the sturdy industrious class that made up the body of the pioneer settlers and it is gratifying to the lover of state and county to see that the stock is not dying out. Old names that for years have represented the best of citizenship still appear as owners of property and as worthy successors of those who may still be recalled in the substantial improvements they left behind them. In this connection no … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Andrew T. Still, Dr.

Dr. Andrew T. Still, founder of the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri, was a resident of Kansas for over twenty years, during which he farmed, practiced medicine and fought in the Civil war. He was a native of Lee County, Virginia, born in 1828, and the family moved to Tennessee when he was a young boy. He was educated in that state, for nearly three years attending Holston College, at Newmarket. As his father and older brother were physicians, he decided to take up the study of medicine himself. When qualified to practice he was of great assistance … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Amos Hinsdale Plumb

Amos Hinsdale Plumb is one of the children of the late Senator Preston B. Plumb and Caroline (Southwick) Plumb. He was born at Emporia, January 31, 1869, He was educated in the public schools of Emporia and the Kansas State University at Lawrence. Mr. Plumb’s chief business activities have been in real estate and mining. He organized and is president of the Mutual Building and Loan Association of Emporia, and during 1915-17 was president of the building and loan section of the Kansas Bankers’ Association. He was married at Omaha, Nebraska, January 1, 1897, to Elva Lawrence Gibson, daughter of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Allen William Sells

Up to a few years ago every American boy had one very definite association with the name Sells. This name represented to him, as at least a passing mood, all the glory and wonder of the world through the great circus and menagerie operated under the name Sells Brothers. The Sells Brothers organization was one of the greatest achievements of its kind the world had known. This name had had a long and intimate association with the City of Topeka because one of the original Sells Brothers, out of the world wide acquaintance with towns and localities, chose this city … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Allen A. Alderfer

Allen A. Alderfer had been a merchant and connected with different enterprises in Topeka for many years, and is one of the well known citizens. He came to Kansas when he was about twenty-one years of age. He was born at Sterling, Illinois, August 16, 1865, a son of Philip and Matilda (Siegfried) Alderfer. Both parents were natives of Pennsylvania, his father of Laneaster, and from that state he moved to Akron, Ohio, and later to Sterling, Illinois, where he is now living retired. He spent his active business career as a cigar maker and farmer. The mother died in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alexander P. Riddle

Alexander P. Riddle, a widely known newspaper man and public character of Ottawa County, was born at Harlansburg, Pennsylvania, August 16, 1846. He learned his trade as a printer in the office of the Franklin (Pennsylvania) Spectator, and in 1869 came to Kansas as a “jour.” He first located at Olathe; then moved to Girard, where he set type and became half owner of the Press. In 1885 he sold his interest and settled at Minneapolis, which has since been his home. There he purchased the Minneapolis Messenger, which he still publishos and edits, as well as the Kansas Workman … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alexander B. Wall

Alexander B. Wall, the elder of the two sons, was born at Wichita on the 12th of December, 1882, and who was afforded the advantages of the public schools and the Lewis Academy of Wichita, as well as those of Wentworth Military Academy, at Lexington, Missouri. He also attended the Kansas State Agricultural College, at Manhattan, and he is now known as one of the representative agriculturists and stock-growers of his native county. He has the active supervision of the fine farm developed by his father, as previously noted, and there conducts a certified-milk dairy in connection with his general … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Albert H. Horton, Judge

Judge Albert H. Horton was identified with the State of Kansas for a period of more than fifty years in the most important phases of its civil and judicial development. His great influence extended from the year of its birth in 1861 to the time of his own death in 1902. For nearly twenty years of that period he served as chief justice of its Supreme Court. Judge Horton was born near Brookfield, New York, March 12, 1837, his ancestors being of an anceient English family, the first American representatives of which settled in New England. Albert received his preparatory … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Albert G. Patrick

Albert G. Patrick, of Jefferson and Calhoun counties, Kansas, was one of the free-state leaders and, although he finally died full of years and honor, had a most narrow escape from death in the most exciting period of the border troubles. He was an Indiana native, born at Salem, Washington County, in 1824, and a settler at Leavenworth, February 18, 1856. He wrote an account of the robbery and stuffing of the ballot box in the Currler-Beck contest for a seat in the Council, which was published in an Indiana paper and aroused the men of the town. In the … Read more