Indiana

Biography of Jacob Shafer

Jacob Shafer. An old and honored resident of Kansas, Jacob Shafer for the past ton years had lived on his fine farm north of Topeka, among his children and surrounded with the comforts which his life of earnest endeavor and industry have enabled him to accumulate. A native of Indiana, he was born in 1844 in Tippecanoe County about nine miles south of the historic battleground where General Harrison fought the Indians just prior to the outbreak of the War of 1812. His father was Jacob Shafer Sr., a native of Ohio, while the grandfather was born in Pennsylvania about … Read more

Biography of James G. Adam

James G. Adam has performed and is performing a most important work as secretary of the Independence Commercial Association. He is himself a man of wide experience in business affairs, and had the progressivenass, energy and enterprise which are unusual qualiflecations for his present position. The Commercial Association is an organization of local citizens whose principal object is to promote the growth and solid welfare of the city. The club is now in a flourishing condition with 210 names on its membership roll. Mr. Adam as secretary was primarily instrumental in securing for Independence the National Sash and Door Company, … Read more

Biography of Benjamin F. E. Marsh

Benjamin F. E. Marsh. For thirty consecutive years Mr. Marsh had served with unceasing diligence and fidelity the Santa Fe Railway Company. His many friends in the service and among Topeka people generally had a special sense of pleasure in learning of his recent promotion to the office of assistant general freight agent. He had earned every step of his promotion since taking his first clerkship, and had long been recognized as an expert on many of the technical subjects counected with the handling of the freight department of this great system. A native of Topeka where he was born … Read more

Biography of William D. Butner

William D. Butner. It had been well said that “our civilization rests at bottom on the wholesomeness, the attractiveness and the completeness, as well as the prosperity of life in the country. The men and women on the farms stand for what is fundamentally best and most needed in our American life.” One of the progressive Kansans who have exemplified and put into practice this statement of theory is William D. Butner, of Dover Township, Shawnee County. Mr. Butner had never been content to make his farm pay profits as a business enterprise without regard to the environment of the … Read more

Biography of Thomas C. Biddle, M. D.

Thomas C. Biddle, M. D. Superintendent of the State Hospital for the Insane at Topeka, Doctor Biddle had long been prominent in his profession in Kansas, where he had practiced as a private physiclan or in connecton with the public service for thirty-five years. His name is well known among the profession not only over Kansas, but his work as superintendent of hospitals for the insane had attracted favorable attention over the country at large. He belongs to a prominent family, of the same branch that produced Nicholas Biddle, one of the first secretaries of the treasury, and many other … Read more

Biography of William A. Hopkins

William A. Hopkins, now living retired at Solomon, had turned the seventy-fifth milepost on life’s journey. His years have accounted for something not only to himself but to his country and his community. He was a gallant and loyal soldier of the Union during more than three years of the Civil war. After his part in that struggle he came to Kansas and had been a resident of Dickinson County for practically half a century. The Solomon community esteems him not only as one of its oldest but one of its most highly respected citizens. An Indiana man by birth, … Read more

Biography of Samuel Bateman Chapman

Samuel Bateman Chapman is the leading lumber merchant at Eskridge, and had been a Kansas business man for a number of years. This branch of the Chapman family had its original seat in England and Mr. Chapman’s ancestors were colonial settlers in Maryland. His father, Joshna Thomas Chapman, was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in 1817. At the age of seven he accompanied his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Chapman, to Meigs County, Ohio, where the grandfather cleared up a portion of the wilderness and converted it into a farm. He spent the rest of his life in … Read more

Biography of Lindol Smith

For seventeen years this gentleman has been a resident of Moscow, and has been one of the most active factors in its upbuilding, progress and advancement. He was born in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, June 6, 1832. His paternal great-grandfather was a French revolutionist, and was a refugee from his’ native land. Coming to this country, he joined the colonial army in the struggle for independence, and loyally aided in the war for freedom. His son Jonathan Smith was a soldier in the war of 1812, and in an early day became a pioneer of Ohio, where he reared … Read more

Biography of Judge Edgar C. Steele

Edgar Clarence Steele occupies as enviable a position in the public esteem as the most ambitious could desire or as any of our prominent men have achieved. To the citizens of Moscow and the second judicial district he can only be known as being a reputable, prominent man and an honest, able and efficient officer. At the bar he manifests all the qualities of the successful lawyer, and on the bench he displays a rare combination of talent, learning, tact, patience and industry. The successful lawyer and the competent judge must be a man of well balanced intellect, thoroughly familiar … Read more

Biography of Isaac C. Hattabaugh

Prominent in the field of politics and in business circles, Isaac C. Hattabaugh has left the impress of his individuality upon the public life of Latah county, and is today numbered among the leading and influential citizens of Moscow. A native of Indiana, he was born in Salem, that state, December 24, 1851. His grandfather, Jacob Hattabaugh, was born in Germany, and crossing the Atlantic to America settled in Virginia, whence he afterward removed to Pennsylvania and from there to Indiana. He was a man of ability and an influential pioneer settler of southern Indiana. His son, George W. Hattabaugh, … Read more

Biography of John F. McLean

John F. McLean, sheriff of Idaho County, is a native of Indiana, born in Lebanon, June 22, 1843. The family is of Scotch lineage and was founded in America by Samuel McLean, the grandfather of our subject, who crossed the Atlantic with his family and took up his residence in Pennsylvania. He was a miller and millwright by trade, and after spending some time in the Keystone state, he went to Indiana, becoming one of the pioneer settlers there. He lived to be eighty-four years of age, and his wife, who was four years his junior, passed away at the … Read more

Biography of Jacob Smith

Jacob Smith, of Topeka, was one of the notable pioneers of Kansas. He lived in this state half a century. During this time he distinguished himself by a large degree of constructive enterprise in various business affairs. He was a pioneer merchant at Topeka, was also one of the early county officials, was a banker, was interested in the building of railroads and was throughout noted as a man of unusual sound judgment, of great foresight and discernment, and of absolute integrity. The record of his life as given in the following paragraphs is essentially a part of Kansas history. … Read more

Biography of Jackson Fickle

JACKSON FICKLE. – It is to the pioneer, sturdy, brave, and proud against hardhsip, with a spirit ready to undertake any task or face any danger, that we owe a debt of gratitude for the development of these fertile regions of eastern Oregon, and all too soon that worhty figure is passing from these scenes where he labored so faithfully, and planted the banner of civilization on the hitherto undisturbed plains of nature’s domain. An exemplary member of that deserving and noble band is the gnetleman that it is now our pleasant task to epitomize as to his career in … Read more

Biography of Alpheus Terwilleger

ALPHEUS TERWILLEGER. Deceased. – As a builder of Union county and a loyal and patriotic citzen, and a man of marked capabilities and stanch moral qualities, we are constrained to mentin the gentlman whose name is at the head of this article, and we grant this memoir to his name since he was richly deserving of the commendation and esteem of all of his fellows,and it is with pleasure that we announce that he enjoyed the same in generous measure. In Hamilton county, Ohio, our subject was born on April 8, 1824, being the son of Mathew and Cherlottie Terwilleger, … Read more

Biography of Nelson Schoonover

NELSON SCHOONOVER. – It now becomes our pleasant privilege to outline the career of the enterprising and progressive citizen, whose name initiates this paragraph, and who has wrought in Union county for many years, ever being active for its upbuilding and advancement, while his wisdom and energy and ability have served in many instances for the good of his fellows. Mr. Schoonover has been occupied in many different lines of industry, but in them all he has never forgotten its labor for the town and county where his lot was cast, and to-day he stands as one of our most … Read more

Biography of William W. Randall

WILLIAM W. RANDALL is one of the early pioneers of the country now embraced in Union county, and he has spent much of his life here, having gained a good distinction in two different lines. He is now one of the substantial agriculturists of the county, and in earlier days he spent many years in the calling of the educator with marked success. William W. was born in Indiana, on October 28, 1852, being the son of Abraham and Lucinda (Olophant) Randall. The family removed to Iowa in 1853, settling in Marshall county, where they were called to mourn the … Read more

Biography of Hiram W. Oliver

HIRAM W. OLIVER. – It is with pleasure that we are enabled to grant to the esteemed pioneer and capable citizen whose name is at the head of this article a representation in the history of the county of Union, where he has labored long and faithfully, both for its advancement and development and for the successful culmination of his various business enterprises, wherein he has demonstrated a consummate wisdom in handling the raw resources of the wild country and in subduing it and bringing forth the wealth that lay wrapped in its coffers of natural stores, while also he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of P. B. and W. B. Spears

Spears Bros., bankers. P. B. Spears was born in Carroll County, Ind., December 29, 1854, and came to Kansas in 1880. He was married in Illinois, May 10, 1876, to Miss Georgia A. Taylor. They have two children – Ethel and Charles. W. B. Spears was born in Carroll County, Ind., April 6, 1858; moved to Illinois, thence to Burr Oak, Jewell County, Kan., and March 1, 1880. He was married in Morrison, Whiteside County, Illinois, and January 19, 1881, to Miss Minnie B. Clark. They have one child – Helen, born January 15, 1882. The brothers established the Bank … Read more

Biography of Jacob E. Maus

Jacob E. Maus. One of the early settlers of Shawnee County as well as one of its prosperous farmers is Jacob E. Maus, who has additional claims to consideration, for he is a veteran of the great Civil war, a survivor of a struggle that brought peace and prosperity, almost uninterrupted for a half century. Jacob E. Maus was born in Carroll County, Maryland, June 11, 1844. His parents were John and Louisa (Erb) Maus; his grandfather was Jacob Maus, and his great-grandfather was George Maus, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. John Maus followed the family avocation … Read more

Biography of S. M. Nees

S. M. Nees. Thirty-two years of continuous association with the public schools of Independence gives S. M. Nees probably a unique distinction in the State of Kansas. For the larger part of this time he had been principal of the Montgomery County High School, the largest county high school in the state, and prior to that he was principal or superintendent of the public schools of the city proper. During all these years he had been a real leader in educational affairs in his home county and his influence had done much to give vitality and uplift to the work … Read more